Brad Williams - Financial Planner

03/04/2026

His 401(k) isn't a retirement account.

Barney is a serial entrepreneur.

He's an owner in 4 businesses.

Has 12 rental properties.

And still isn't done...

"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜."
..he said to me pointedly.

He didn't want to contribute to "retirement accounts."

Being a wheelin' dealin' mover shaker...

locking money away to age 59.5 seemed silly.

Then we started talking taxes.

He is a 37% federal/6% State marginal tax bracket earner.

Not long after Barney exits his businesses, he will be in a much lower tax bracket.

Our cash flow plan showed that...
→ each year he has > $200k in cash flow
→ not being allocated to anything purposeful
→ that tends to accumulate in cash for 12+ months

One of his businesses has 6 full time employees.

Folks that he said are like family to him.

People he hopes are with him for life.

Establishing a 401(k) for that business...
→ Allows Barney to shelter $24,500
→ reducing his tax bill by $10,535
→ gives his employees an option
→ to save for their own goals
→ and to participate in a
→ company match

It's not a retirement account for Barney.

It's an opportunity account.

The opportunity to reduce his lifetime tax liability.

The opportunity to reward a devoted team that he loves.

Send a message to learn more

02/25/2026

Don't sell your Mom's house yet!

John Jr. has Durable Power of Attorney for his mom, Janet.

Janet is 96 and just moved into hospice.

John Jr. wants to sell her house ASAP.

Janet and John Sr. purchased the home in 1980 for $50,000

John Sr. passed away in 2005 when the house was worth $350,000.

The house is now worth $1,000,000.

Here's how cost basis works:

The original cost basis was $50,000 in 1980.

When John Sr. passed there was an adjustment.

50% of the cost basis stepped up to the 2005 value.

$175,000 + $25,000 = $200,000 is now Janet's cost basis.

If the house sells during Janet's life:
→ $1,000,000 (Sale Price)
→ Minus a $200,000 (Cost Basis)
→ Equals an $800,000 capital gain
→ Section 121 allows $250k to be excluded
→ So $550,000 of that gain would be taxable

The tax bill:
→ 20% Federal Tax = $110,000
→ 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax = $20,900
→ SC State Tax = $18,480
→ TOTAL TAX = $149,380

If the house sells after Janet passes:
→ John Jr. is the sole beneficiary
→ Cost basis steps up to $1 million
→ House sells for $1 million
→ No capital gain = $0 Tax Bill

Send a message to learn more

02/24/2026

What are you retiring to?

In Retirement Planning, I look at these scenarios:
→ Earliest Retirement: When work becomes optional
→ Staggered: When one spouse retires before the other
→ Wind-Down: Gradually reducing hours and income

I analyze a mountain of information...
→ Income distributions
→ Catastrophic events
→ Medicare premiums
→ Lifetime tax liability
→ Cost of healthcare
→ Liability protection
→ Charitable giving
→ Major purchases
→ Spending needs
→ Long-Term Care
→ Debt repayment
→ Estate concerns
→ and more

It all matters.

The money matters.

But one thing matters more.

The life that you are retiring to.

Too many retire without a plan for their time.

Many end up going back to work.

Others end up feeling isolated and depressed.

A nest egg can make earning become optional.

What it can't do, is give your life purpose.

The money plan is important.

The life plan is imperative.

Send a message to learn more

02/23/2026

Everybody says you need to specify a niche...

I've thought about this a lot over the years.

What would be the right niche for me personally?

Some ideas I've had:
→ Left-handed dentists with green eyes.
→ Engineers who play Wordle daily.
→ CEOs who tell dad jokes.

Ok, obviously I'm being silly.

Many have built successful businesses...
→ by defining a
→ narrow definition
→ of who they work with

I've never been able to commit to that.

Our clients cover a broad array of personal/financial circumstances.

They are lifelong savers.

They are high income earners.

They are beneficiaries of sudden wealth.

They are job creators and business innovators.

They are moms, dads, husbands, wives, and friends.

If I were to define a my niche, it's this...

I work with...
→ Successful people
→ who love their families
→ are fun to spend time with
→ and have an earnest desire to be
→ good stewards of their financial blessings

Send a message to learn more

02/19/2026

Inherited Traditional IRAs can feel like a total tax nightmare.

But remember, income taxes are the result of financial blessings.

My clients are in their late 30s. 2 kids at home.

Sadly, they lost loves ones in 2015 and 2021.

They now have inherited IRAs from both.

Each IRA is subject to different rules.

Pre-2020 Rules:
→ Required Minimum Distributions
→ from an Inherited IRA can be stretched
→ over the lifetime of a Non-Spouse Beneficiary

2020+ Rules:
→ Non-Spouse beneficiaries
→ must distribute the inherited IRA
→ fully by the end of the 10th year
→ following the account owner's death

ALSO

→ If the original owner died after RMD age
→ the beneficiary must take RMDs
→ based on their life expectancy

Folks often take the minimum amount they have to.

And for 2020+ Inherited IRAs, they take a huge amount out in year 10.

In my clients' scenario,
→ waiting till year 10
→ would push them into
→ the 35% marginal tax bracket

Here's the thing....

They have a LOT of wiggle room in the 22% bracket.

Would you rather pay 22% or 35% in taxes on your inherited IRA distributions?

In this case being thoughtful about these distributions does the following:
→ Distributions taxed at the lowest potential average rate
→ Longer period of tax efficient growth for net amount
→ Six figure reduction of lifetime tax liability
→ Tax-Free legacy for their children