Upbeat Wealth

09/10/2026

Who wouldn't want to pay less in taxes?

When it comes to completing your tax return, the IRS presents you with an important choice for reducing taxable income: either take the STANDARD deduction or ITEMIZE your deductions.

Ultimately, the higher number wins, and that's the deduction you'll want to take so that you keep more of your money.

For 2026, the standard deduction will reduce your taxable income by the following (based on your situation):

➡️ Single: $16,100

➡️ Married Filing Jointly: $32,200

➡️ Head of Household: $24,150

➕ Plus additional amounts for those age 65+ or blind

But if any of the following apply to you, it could make a lot of sense to itemize:

🟢 You live in a state with high income taxes (CA, NY, etc.)

🟢 You have a mortgage

🟢 You give to charity

🟢 You had high medical bills

🟢 ... plus more

Itemizing allows you to add up certain expenses, such as the ones above, from the year and deduct them instead of taking the standard amount. There are, of course, guidelines and limitations for how much of each expense can be included in the final deductible amount. But if it exceeds the standard deduction, it means less tax paid!

Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP®, breaks it all down so that you know which to take in your situation 👇🏼

Should you take the standard deduction or itemize? Learn the amounts, common deductions, how to report them, and how to check your return.

09/03/2026

Here’s the August edition of our monthly newsletter!

Inside, you'll find:

➡️ Reflections on 5 years of Upbeat Wealth 🥳5️⃣

➡️ A breakdown of the standard and itemized deductions 🤨

➡️ A guide for updating StudentAid.Gov if filing MFS 🎓

➡️ And, as always, the latest on the Pupbeat 🐶

👉🏼 View the web version: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1116006/emails/196925665744782566

Want more of our practical thoughts on everyday financial questions that impact people like you?

▶️ Subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/eXkcnF

🔍 And for more Upbeat Insights, check out our blog: https://upbeatwealth.com/education/

I’m a birthday Krampus. Not a great personality trait. People have every right to enjoy their birthdays, and it takes zero effort to “HBD” someone, but I’m really not about it. Sorry, birthday-loving family & friends. You’re right. I’m wrong. But you can’t change me. I have other talen...

08/12/2026

"Coast FIRE" is a more approachable version of the traditional FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) strategy that took off over a decade ago. In short, it allows for some flexibility that the much more rigid alternative lacks.

Flexibility is the name of the game for the young families we work with. Whether it's because the headcount is growing, any number of curveballs are being thrown their way, or there's simply a desire to live more life now rather than putting it all on hold...

FIRE, for many people, involves cutting expenses as much as possible (and then some... and then some more) combined with saving the highest imaginable percentage of income, until assets reach a level that no longer requires any work and they can enter a full early retirement.

On the other hand, the idea with Coast FIRE is to build up assets early on until reaching a point where retirement accounts no longer require additional contributions. From there, you earn just enough income to cover your lifestyle costs while leaving the portfolio untouched. This way, no withdrawals are made, and compounding interest can carry the money to the desired amount by a targeted full retirement age - when portfolio distributions would begin.

Read the full blog post by Mike Turi, CFP® APMA™ to learn all the details, how we calculate Coast FIRE, and when it makes sense to lean on this method. 👇🏼

Learn what Coast FIRE is, how to calculate your Coast FIRE number, when it works, common mistakes, and whether it's the right retirement strategy for you.

07/24/2026

For the families we work with, life tends to be in a state of flux.

With a regular flow of new milestones and life changes come new priorities and goals. They stack up and compete for attention on your "to-do list".

If that resonates, this blog post is for you. Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP® lays out a framework to help organize your growing inventory of goals and priorities so that meaningful action follows.

Learn how to prioritize financial goals using a practical framework that balances your values, financial realities, and competing priorities.

07/02/2026

Here’s the June edition of our monthly newsletter!

Inside, you'll find:

➡️ The 10-Year Tattoo Rule 🤔
➡️ An update to the changes coming for the SAVE plan 🎓
➡️ A framework for prioritizing competing financial goals ⚖️
➡️ Whether to file MFJ or MFS due to student loans 🧐
➡️ And, as always, the latest on the Pupbeat 🐶

👉🏼 View the web version: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1116006/emails/191224806045124198

Want more of our practical thoughts on everyday financial questions that impact people like you?

▶️ Subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/eXkcnF

🔍 And for more Upbeat Insights, check out our blog: https://upbeatwealth.com/education/

Mark Gutkowski led our high school Latin program (and I think the faculty band). If you ask someone who chose Latin as their language of study, “Why?” They’d likely say they hoped it would boost their SAT scores. Not at Morristown High School. We took Latin because of the man affectionately kn...

06/24/2026

Ever feel like the world of student loans is designed to confuse more than help?

If so, you're not alone in feeling lost. It's a complicated system with its own cryptic language.

And that's exactly why Mike Turi, CFP® APMA™ put together this glossary 👇🏼. We hope it equips you with a working understanding of your loan situation so that you're empowered to take the right action.

Confused by student loan jargon? Learn the meaning of key federal student loan terms including IBR, RAP, PSLF, deferment, forbearance, interest capitalization, repayment plans, and forgiveness options for 2026 borrowers.

06/17/2026

Mo House, Mo Problems. Spring has passed in New Orleans, which is traditionally the busiest time for home buying. Although I wouldn’t call the local market here very “busy” in recent years. When it comes to upsizing your home, there are plenty of great reasons to do so.
✅ Growing Family
✅ Schooling
✅ Higher Paying Job
✅ Closer to Free Childcare. I mean, Family.

Some of these may even result in net neutral or positive cash flow, thereby avoiding the need for lifestyle adjustments.

But if you are chasing a bigger/more expensive place as a status symbol of wealth, tread carefully. How will some of your other goals be negatively impacted? Common ones you may need to cut back on:
—> Education Funding
—> Retirement
—> Travel
—> Everyday Pleasures
—> Work-Life Balance

When you’re exploring how to increase your most likely already biggest fixed cost (housing), the best way to see how it flows through your cash flow NOW. Calculate your increased monthly payment (mortgage, property tax, insurance, and don’t forget maintenance!). Pretend like you already *live* in that home financially by saving the equivalent of that higher amount each month into a High-Yield Savings account. If you don’t miss the extra money, great! Purchasing a more expensive home might be a good financial move, and now you are saving even more money toward that goal. If you do miss that extra money, it’s time to reevaluate what’s truly important. Your home should be an asset in your life, not a liability.

06/12/2026

Section 530A "Trump" Accounts are set to go live next month on July 4th.

In his latest blog post, Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP® answers the most important questions surrounding this new investment vehicle:

▶️ How do they work?

▶️ Should you open one for your child?

▶️ Should you add your own money to it?

No matter what, if you can get "free money", such as from the government-funded $1k pilot program or the Dell Foundation's $250 contribution, we think it's a no-brainer to open the account.

Whether or not you should add your own dollars to the account gets more nuanced. If the priority is to set money aside for your child's education or other major milestones they'll encounter before they hit retirement, there's likely a better account to use (such as a 529 or a taxable brokerage account).

But if you've fully funded those goals and are looking for a way to give their retirement plan an early boost, this presents a nice opportunity. After all, they're primarily designed to serve that purpose: to be a retirement account for your child.

Read more here 👇🏼

Learn how Trump Accounts work, contribution limits, tax rules, Roth conversion opportunities, and whether you should open one for your child.

06/03/2026

Here’s the May edition of our monthly newsletter!

Inside, you'll find:

➡️ A complete glossary for everyone with student loans 🎓
➡️ An overview of Trump accounts and whether to open one 💲
➡️ A guide to a budgeting system that actually works 😍
➡️ And, as always, the latest on the Pupbeat 🐶

👉🏼 View the web version: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1116006/emails/188733265138418884

Want more of our practical thoughts on everyday financial questions that impact people like you?

▶️ Subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/eXkcnF

🔍 And for more Upbeat Insights, check out our blog: https://upbeatwealth.com/education/

I’ve told myself several times over the years that I wanted to get “serious” about running. Don’t ask me why. The more I think on it, the sillier the endeavor seems (or so my feet, knees, and back tell me). And typically, the only thing I ever really get serious about is coming up with reaso...

05/21/2026

In our work with young and growing families, life insurance is a recurring and highly necessary planning topic.

Most people have easy access to coverage through their employee benefits. And with that, we usually encounter a couple of assumptions...

➡️ My group life insurance at work is enough coverage.
➡️ My workplace life insurance is the best value.

While easy access to such important protection is a plus, we find that a lot of individuals...

✅ Are underinsured when relying on their employer coverage alone.
✅ Can save on premiums with an individual policy.

In his most recent blog post, Eddy Jurgielewicz, CFP® discusses how to evaluate group vs. individual life insurance to ensure you have the right amount at the best value.

Is your employer life insurance enough? A good value? Learn the pros, cons, costs, and how to navigate between group vs. individual coverage.