Blog
Welcome to the Lagos Wealth Advisors Articles & Research Center – our resource for financial insights and research. Our team is passionate about sharing knowledge, and here you’ll discover a wealth of content, including our latest thought pieces, legislative updates relating to financial and estate planning, practical recommendations for 401(k) plan sponsors, and specialized articles for other advisors (including attorneys, accountants, and other financial advisors). Our goal is to provide you with useful information that empowers your financial decisions. We encourage you to explore, and if you have any questions or wish to discuss an article, please reach out to our team.
Final Stretch Strategy: Qualifying for a Roth IRA by Lowering Your Income
For many pre-retirees, these final earning years are the most productive—and often the highest income years of their career. Ironically, that success can limit access to one of the most valuable retirement tools: the Roth IRA. Roth...
Read MoreContinuing Care Retirement Communities: What They Cost, How They Work, and When to Start Preparing
Why Is This Conversation So Important Right Now? The U.S. is in the middle of a sustained demographic shift. More than 61 million adults are aged 65 and older as of 2025, and that number is projected to reach approximately 82 million...
Read MoreAdvisor's Bulletin April 2026 - Reviewing the Buy-Sell Agreement: Part 1
Insurance professionals who focus on business continuation and buy-sell planning opportunities thrive in spite of changes in the tax environment. This is the first of a two-part series.
Read MoreWhen Should I Start Taking Social Security: 5 Factors to Consider
Social Security decisions are often framed as a single question: “When should I start drawing benefits?” That question matters, but it can also be limiting. The better question is: how does Social Security fit into my overall...
Read MoreTeaching Teens and Young Adults Financial Literacy Through Real-Life Decision Making
If you are a parent of a teen or young adult, how do you teach them to make confident money decisions before the stakes are high? Teaching teens and young adults about money is less about formal instruction and more about repeated...
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Advisor's Bulletin March 2026 - Using the 2025 Tax Return to Spotlight Financial Security Needs
Financial professionals' key role is to help clients address their financial security needs, and the IRS Form 1040 is a vital tool for this purpose. With tax season approaching, clients are focused on reducing their future tax liabilities.
Read MoreHelping Adult Children Buy a Home: How to Gift a Down Payment The Smart Way
Key TakeawaysHere are some questions this blog aims to answer:How can parents or grandparents help with a down payment for adult children?What are ways to gift a down payment, and how do the annual gift tax exclusion and lifetime...
Read MoreThree Numbers Every Woman Should Know
Key TakeawaysHow much wealth are women on track to control in the next decade, and why does that matter?What does the life expectancy gap between women and men mean for how long money needs to last?How common is it for women to be...
Read MoreTax Prep vs. Tax Strategy: The Difference Matters More Than You Think
Key TakeawaysTreat tax strategy as a continuous process, not a once-a-year filing exercise.Coordinate with financial and tax professionals throughout the year to identify opportunities for efficiency.Review contribution limits,...
Read MoreUnderstanding the Emotions Behind Financial Decisions
Key TakeawaysEmotions and biases might influence financial choices more often than most people realize.Behavioral patterns, such as loss aversion, familiarity bias, and herd mentality, can impact long-term results.Recognizing emotional...
Read MoreAI and the New Face of Fraud: How to Protect Your Identity and Finances in 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be the most revolutionary technology of our time, with industries scrambling to embrace its possibilities. AI’s early influence seems similar to the positive disruptions brought about by past...
Read MoreAdvisor's Bulletin January 2026 - Key 2026 Pension, Employee Benefit, and Tax Numbers
A number of figures used in the estate, financial, employee benefit, and income-tax planning fields are subject to change or indexed for inflation. The following list is an update of the latest figures.
Read More2025 in Review and What You Should Know
As we begin a new year and consider the opportunities ahead, reflecting on the past year helps put today’s financial landscape into perspective and informs the strategies that can move us closer to our goals. 2025 was a year marked by...
Read MoreGoal Setting That Sticks: Simple Ways to Turn January Motivation into Lasting Wins
Key Takeaways and Suggestions for Successful Goal Setting Use SMART Goals for Clarity and FocusSet goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This proven method helps break big ambitions into manageable...
Read MoreYear-End Giving Strategies: Tax-Smart and Impactful
Key Takeaways A third of annual donations: About one-third of all charitable contributions are made in December. Donating before December 31 may offer tax advantages. New rules starting in 2026 (via the OBBB Act) may affect deductions...
Read MoreAdvisor's Bulletin November 2025 - 10 Most Common Life Insurance Mistakes
We’ve written in the past about the mistakes agents and clients can make related to personal or business life insurance. It’s time to revisit that because of several court decisions and rulings.
Read MoreThe True Costs of Caring for Aging Parents
Key Takeaways Caring for aging parents is a growing reality for many Americans. The number of family caregivers in the U.S. has jumped to 63 million, a 45 percent increase over the past decade, making 1 in every 4 Americans a...
Read MoreMoney Talks: How to Use Holiday Gatherings to Start Family Financial Conversations
Key Takeaways Year-end holidays may be a good time to initiate a discussion about financial matters that may impact your family. If you have adult children, you may want to discuss your financial situation, estate strategy, and legal...
Read MoreThe Restricted Property Trust (RPT) - A Corporate Tax-Deductible Life Insurance Strategy
Every successful business owner should consider the Restricted Property Trust. RPT is a selective plan that is 100% deductible, provides tax-deferred growth, tax-free income, death benefit for buy-sell, key person, and business succession.
Read MoreShould You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?
Receiving a bonus, inheritance, or an increase in income often prompts a key financial question: Should I use this money to pay off my mortgage, or invest it? At first glance, the answer might seem simple. But in reality, it requires...
Read MoreKey Questions on Government Shutdown
The U.S. government formally entered a shutdown on Wednesday, October 1, as the two parties could not reconcile differences in healthcare subsidies. In this post, we answer three questions on investors' minds to make sense of what's next.
Read MoreA 2025 Guide to Protecting Seniors from Fraud
If you’ve found yourself stepping into a more active role in your parents’ financial lives, you’re not alone. Some of us are helping aging parents navigate everything from healthcare decisions to bill payments—and increasingly, we’re...
Read MoreSmart Moves to Consider Before Year-End
The final months of the year can sneak up quickly, and with them come deadlines, decisions, and distractions. Before the holiday season takes over your calendar, fall can be a valuable window to revisit your financial strategy and...
Read MoreAdvisor's Bulletin Sept 2025 Breaking down OBBBA for Financial Professionals
In our September 2025 edition of The Advisor's Bulletin, we break down the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025. Our review provides you with some in-depth analysis of The Act.
Read MoreUnlocking the Benefits of Cash Balance Plans for Business Owners
Explore the benefits of Cash Balance Plans for business owners, offering higher contributions and tax advantages over 401(k)s. Discover our experience.
Read More2024 Retirement Limits
The Internal Revenue Service has just announced the new contribution and benefit limits for 2024 and—reflecting the moderating inflation readings, the increases are modest. The headline is that next year the amount individuals can...
Read MoreWhat’s in a Benchmark?
The designated benchmarks used within the Scorecard System that we use for our quarterly plan analysis were selected because they are the most appropriate and/or most commonly used indices in the marketplace (Russell 1000, MSCI EAFE,...
Read MoreThe Retirement Reshuffle Is Impacting Plan Sponsors
Across the nation, more and more workers are expecting to postpone retirement. In fact, a survey by the Nationwide Retirement Institute shows that 40% of older employees plan to retire later than anticipated because of inflation. And...
Read MoreHow Many Retirement Plan Committees Does Your Organization Need?
Retirement plan committees can help plans function more efficiently and effectively. They aren’t a requirement under ERISA, though many organizations choose to establish committees for the many advantages they offer. A Host of...
Read MoreThree Risk Considerations for Utilizing Retirement Assets
Various solutions exist to reinforce retirees’ ability to manage the drawdown of the wealth and effectively use their assets and maintain a comfortable standard of living. The portfolio management can be guided and informed by plan...
Read MoreOffboarding Employees from Your 401(k) Plan
A full two-thirds of employees don’t receive guidance on managing their retirement plan benefit while offboarding. Leaving 401(k) or 403(b) balances behind can result in orphaned accounts that sit unmonitored and unmanaged by...
Read MoreOverview of the SECURE Act 2.0
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. It includes the much anticipated Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (“SECURE”) 2.0 changes, as well as several other important...
Read MoreFour Plan Design Features to Help You Attract and Retain Talent
According to Morgan Stanley at Work’s September Plan Sponsor Research Results, plan design is a fast-rising differentiator that’s driving employee enrollment and supporting talent strategy in many companies. 401(k) plans remain a...
Read More2023 Retirement Plan Limits
The IRS has officially announced the 2023 Plan Limits, available in IRS News Release IR-2022-188 See www.irs.gov for more information. ACR# 5061738 10/22
Read MoreWho is the “Zillennial” workforce and what do they want?
“Zillennials” are people who were born between 1993 and 1998. According to a recent Met Life survey (“The Rise of the Whole Employee: 20 Years of Change in Employer-Employee Dynamics.”) they are expecting a more holistic benefits...
Read MoreHow to Design a Differentiating Benefits Package
Over the past couple of years, the so-called “Great Resignation” has led to an unprecedented number of career changes. At the same time, the boom in remote and gig work means that skilled employees have more choices than ever. For that...
Read MoreFinancial Stress in the Workplace
As the global economy continues to gyrate on an uncertain path, many are feeling increased stress regarding their finances. As of March, for example, total U.S. household debt was up more than 8% year over year, according to a study by...
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