Category: Big Life Moments

  • Two business colleagues — a woman and a man — reviewing content on a tablet in an office

    Locked Out? How to Break Into Today’s Housing Market 

    For many young people today, the prospect of buying a home can seem out of reach. High prices, elevated interest rates, and limited inventory all make the current housing market a challenging one. Fortunately, homeownership can still be an attainable goal. It may just take a bit more planning, flexibility, and creativity than it did…

  • Hands gently cupping a row of colorful paper cut-out figures representing community and inclusion

    Tax Benefits of Home Ownership 

    In tax lingo, your principal residence is the place where you legally reside. It’s typically the place where you spend most of your time, but several other factors are also relevant in determining your principal residence. Many of the tax benefits associated with home ownership apply mainly to your principal residence — different rules apply…

  • The Cost of Building a New Home in the U.S.

    This infographic breaks down the average cost of building a new single-family home in the United States in 2024 by stages of construction. The data is based on a survey of 4,000 U.S. home builders by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  Home construction breakdown: what costs the most?  Building a new home is…

  • Hands gently cupping a row of colorful paper cut-out figures representing community and inclusion

    Understanding Home Energy Tax Credits 

    A couple of federal personal tax credits were available for the installation of certain energy efficient or clean energy property in your home. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), these credits have expired for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.  The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean…

  • Diverse group of coworkers laughing and giving high fives in a bright, open workspace

    Refinancing Your Mortgage 

    When you refinance your mortgage, you take out a new home loan and use some or all of the proceeds to pay off the existing one.  Why refinance your mortgage?  There are a variety of reasons why you may want to consider refinancing your mortgage, such as:  When should you refinance?  It used to be said that…

  • Mother joyfully spinning her young daughter in an embrace against a glowing sunset field

    Parenting a Child with Special Needs 

    What are special needs?  You may have known since birth (or before) that your child has special needs. Or you may have realized it later, when your child didn’t sit up at an appropriate age, or had problems learning to read. Children who have special needs have a wide range of conditions, both mild and…

  • A women in white shirt explain to customer

    Understanding the New Trump Accounts 

    With the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, Congress introduced a new class of tax-advantaged savings vehicles for minors known as Trump accounts. Here’s a breakdown of the key features.  What are they?  Trump accounts are custodial savings and investment accounts that can be established for U.S. children under age…

  • Couple relaxing on a vintage green sofa, looking at a tablet together at home

    Financial Planning Issues for New Parents 

    Getting ready   As you prepare for life with your new child, it’s time to prepare a new financial plan for your family or make any necessary changes to your existing plan. You’ll want to consider how parenthood will affect your budget, make sure you have adequate insurance, protect your child’s future with a well-thought-out estate…