"We can't break all almost 900 pages worth of everything, but we're going to break down the things that we think our audience would benefit from having a conversation about."

Our hosts, Dan and Natalie Slagle, tackle the massive tax legislation signed on July 4th. While Natalie spent her holiday evening digesting 890 pages of congressional prose (in lieu of watching Squid Game with the family), she emerged with insights that affect literally every American.

For starters, those Trump-era tax cuts everyone expected to sunset in 2026 are sticking around. This saves taxpayers from higher tax brackets but adds $5 trillion to the national debt. Natalie sees this as a wake-up call for Roth conversions, that today's historically low tax rates won't last forever.

The SALT deduction quadruples from $10,000 to $40,000, a game-changer for high-tax states like California and New York. Suddenly, itemizing deductions might make sense again, meaning you'll need to track things like charitable donations and mortgage interest.

Speaking of charity, there's both good and bad news. A new floor means you can only deduct charitable gifts above 0.5% of your income starting in 2026. But if you don't itemize, you can now deduct up to $2,000 in donations anyway. A win for nonprofits everywhere.

The child tax credit inches up to $2,200 (indexed for inflation), while 529 plans expand to cover tutoring and professional credentials. Controversially, the new "Trump account" offers $1,000 for kids born 2025-2027, but Natalie's not impressed with its convoluted rules.

Dan and Natalie believe that Congress missed opportunities to simplify existing accounts instead of creating new ones. Some changes feel more political than practical when they’re conveniently set to expire when Trump leaves office.

Key Topics:

● Tax Rates Staying the Same Through 2026 (05:05)

● SALT Deduction Increases to $40,000 (14:51)

● Charitable Deduction Changes and Floors (20:27)

● Car Loan Interest Deduction for US-Made Vehicles (24:29)

● Child Tax Credit Increases to $2,200 (29:00)

● 529 Plan Expansions for Tutoring and Credentials (31:14)

● The New Trump Account for Children (34:12)

Resources:

· How Does The One Big Beautiful Bill Impact Me? (blog post)

· Saving for our kids. (podcast episode)

Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit fyoozfinancial.com.

“If things haven’t been buttoned up, wow, that really distracts from the grieving process.”

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, address the elephant in the room for many families: how to talk to aging parents about their finances. When you're talking about $124 trillion changing hands over the next couple of decades, this stops being someone else's problem and becomes everyone's reality.

Dan gets vulnerable about his experience after his mom passed away unexpectedly, sharing everything from finding her handwritten financial notebook in the attic to the surreal moment of teaching his dad how to use an ATM. He reminds us that we might not know as much about our parents' financial lives as we think.

They’re not saying be greedy or pushy. Rather, it’s about making sure your parents' wishes actually get carried out and sparing everyone the administrative nightmare that comes with poor planning. Dan's story proves that having these tough talks early means you can focus on what really matters when loss hits: healing and remembering, not hunting down account passwords.

Natalie admits she took a more direct approach with her own parents, basically telling them, "Handle this or it becomes my problem." It might not have been the most tactful way to put it, but it worked. The lesson there is to find your family's communication style and lean into it.

Start the conversation now, before you're forced to figure it out in crisis mode.

Key Topics:

● The $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer (04:08)

● Breaking Communication Barriers (06:35)

● Dan's Personal Loss Experience (10:42)

● Essential Planning Steps (13:38)

● Family Meeting Strategies (24:37)

Resources:

· Helping a Parent Navigate Finances After Loss (blog post)

Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit fyoozfinancial.com.

“Do we want to set our money aside for our child’s future education? I don’t think the answer should be an automatic yes.”

Our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, discuss the question many young parents are asking: How much should you save for your child’s college, and when should you start?

Drawing from client stories and their own experience, they break down why this decision isn’t one-size-fits-all, how to calculate future costs, and how tools like 529 plans (and even family Ugift links) can help make the goal more manageable.

For the Slagles—and many of their own clients—it all starts with talking honestly about priorities with your spouse. Saving for a child’s education isn’t a given; it’s a decision couples should make intentionally, based on values, not guilt.

They unpack how much college might cost in 18 years (spoiler: close to $300K!), and how the 529 plan helps families make the most of time and compounding. Beyond tax benefits, they explore a go-to hack for many parents today: the ability to share a contribution link with family and friends for birthdays or holidays.

Starting early—even small—can lead to powerful results. To Natalie, the joy that comes from successfully building your child’s future is more satisfying than any number in your retirement account!

Key Topics:

• The Emotional Cost of Graduation (01:18)
• How Much Will College Cost? (11:59)
• 529 Plan Benefits & Setup (18:40)
• New Roth IRA Transfer Rule (24:17)
• Using the 529 Ugift Link (26:38)

Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit fyoozfinancial.com.