Blog
Make the Most of Your Retirement Gap Years
Retirement is a time of significant financial change, and it’s important to have a tax planning strategy in place to make the most of your retirement income. Many of our clients have what we call...
What Does Financial Planning Look Like Before and After a Business Sale?
When a business owner decides to sell, almost all the attention goes to the deal itself. Valuation, buyers, deal structure, closing. By the time a letter of intent is signed, a lot of the financial...
529 Plan for K-12 Expenses Refresh
Author’s Note (July 2026): We first published this article to explain a quirk of Nebraska law—that while the federal government treated private K-12 tuition as a “qualified” 529 expense, Nebraska did not. That has finally...
Retiring in the Next 5 Years? Avoid These Costly Mistakes with a $1 Million Portfolio
After decades of disciplined saving, sacrificing, and planning, retirement is finally within reach. But for many people, that finish line comes with an unexpected feeling: anxiety. The paycheck stops. The accumulation phase ends. The nest...
Navigating the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Key Tax Changes for American Households
Editor’s Note: This article was originally written shortly after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed on July 4, 2025. It has been updated as of July 2026 to reflect the official IRS...
Introducing Our Newest Financial Planning Resident, Ava Heyne
When I started telling people I was studying finance, a lot of them assumed I’d spend my days strictly staring at spreadsheets. And while that’s certainly part of the job, Flagstone has shown me that...
Introducing Our New Financial Advisor, Natalia Paige
My path to becoming a financial advisor has been a bit unconventional. I’m a second-generation American, and I was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. My parents immigrated to the United States in 1988 to...
Mega Backdoor Roth: A Tax-Savvy Superpower for High Earners
Meet Emily, a self-employed 38-year-old cybersecurity consultant who just landed a string of high-profile contracts. Her income has skyrocketed to $450,000 a year, a far cry from her days as a mid-level IT analyst. She’s...
Introducing Britney Angeles
Starting something new is always a little nerve-wracking — but mostly, it’s really exciting. I’m Britney Angeles, and I’m pumped to be the newest member of the Flagstone family! From the moment I stepped into...
When Widows Can Claim Social Security: Timing, Benefits, and Remarriage Rules
Losing a spouse is tough. Figuring out finances then can feel heavy. Here at Flagstone, we’ve helped folks navigate Social Security for years—especially widows’ benefits. Today, we’re diving into when widows can claim Social Security....
Charitable Giving Strategies
Before we discuss four charitable giving strategies, take a step back to ask yourself why you are giving to charity. Is it to lower taxes? If so, why are you trying to lower taxes? Generally,...
Understanding Medicare IRMAA: A Retiree’s Guide
Navigating Medicare can sometimes make retirees or near-retirees feel like they are deciphering a foreign language. One of the trickier parts is understanding IRMAA. If you’ve heard this term thrown around and felt a bit...
Should I Convert Money to a Roth IRA?
Near the end of 2022, Congress passed the SECURE Act 2.0. Its passage affected quite a few investors who have saved or are saving for retirement. One change is that retirees won’t have to start...
Can I Use a 529 Plan for K-12 Expenses in Nebraska?
Author’s Note 5/16/2024: It is our understanding that the information below regarding Nebraska’s 529 plan is still current, and state legislation has not changed. However, rules can change. Please reach out to us if you...
Retirement Plan Options for the Self-Employed: SEP IRA
For those who are self-employed, retirement savings should be at the forefront of your mind. You’re in the driver’s seat, and your options are plentiful to ensure a good fit for your business. But understanding...
Retirement Plan Options for the Self-Employed: Cash Balance Plan
Throughout our blog series about retirement plans for the self-employed, there has been a lot of “either this or that.” Simple IRA or SEP IRA? Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA? Roth IRA or Traditional IRA?...
Retirement Plan Options for the Self-Employed: Solo 401(k)
For self-employed individuals, there is no shortage of options when selecting a retirement account to pair with the business. We’ve discussed characteristics and pros and cons of Traditional and Roth IRAs, the SEP IRA, and...
Retirement Community Living
One of the best parts of being a financial advisor is participating in the important decisions our clients make and the privilege of offering advice in those discussions. Of the decisions in our clients’ lives,...
Ready to Start a Conversation?
We start by listening - really listening - to understand what you want, what keeps you up at night, and what success looks like for you.
No pressure or pitch. Just a mutual conversation about whether working together makes sense.