Insurance & retirement

Excess liability coverage sitting above your auto and homeowners policies. Nearly universal among affluent households (80%+) and under-adopted in the general population (<20%) — typically $200-$400/year for $1M of coverage.

Direct transfer from a traditional IRA to a qualified public charity, available starting at age 70½. Counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) but is excluded from Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) — more valuable than an itemized deduction because it also protects Medicare IRMAA and Virginia's age deduction.

Tax-advantaged education savings. Federal tax-free growth for qualified expenses. Virginia offers one of the most generous state deductions in the country: $4,000 per account per year with unlimited carry-forward. SECURE 2.0 added a $35,000 lifetime rollover to a Roth IRA, eliminating the 'overfunded 529' trap.

Tax-advantaged savings account for individuals with a qualifying disability whose onset was before a statutory age. First $100,000 is disregarded for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) asset purposes; funds are always disregarded for Medicaid. SECURE 2.0 raises the age-of-onset cap from 26 to 46 starting January 1, 2026.

Triple-tax-advantaged account available to people enrolled in a High-Deductible Health Plan. Max the contribution, invest it (don't leave as cash), pay current medical expenses out-of-pocket, save receipts indefinitely, then reimburse decades later tax-free. After 65, non-medical withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income with no penalty — functionally a traditional IRA.

Systematic conversion of traditional IRA / 401(k) balances to Roth IRA across multiple years to (a) fill low tax brackets in retirement gap years, (b) neutralize the post-SECURE 10-year-rule tax bomb on non-spouse heirs, and (c) reduce future Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).