5 Smart Moves to Preserve and Grow Your Wealth

Shane Skuhrovec, CPA, MBA

December 17, 2025

Year-end planning is a powerful opportunity to make strategic decisions that protect your wealth, reduce your tax burden, and strengthen your legacy. Whether you're focused on investment growth, charitable giving, or estate planning, these five areas deserve your attention:

1. Portfolio Review and Rebalancing
Revisit your investment allocations to ensure they align with your long-term goals. Rebalancing can help lock in gains, harvest tax losses, and reduce exposure to concentrated positions. Don’t forget to assess private investments and alternatives for performance and liquidity.

2. Tax Optimization
Strategically time income and deductions based on your projected tax bracket. Tax-loss harvesting can offset gains and reduce taxable income. Business owners should review income structures and entity types for efficiency. Consider Roth conversions and evaluate state-specific tax implications, especially if relocating. Stay ahead of potential legislative changes by working closely with your CPA.

3. Charitable Giving
Use Donor-Advised Funds to donate appreciated assets and claim deductions. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs can satisfy RMDs while reducing taxable income. Charitable trusts offer flexible giving options with tax benefits. Revisit your philanthropic mission to ensure your giving aligns with your values.

4. Legacy and Estate Planning
Update your will, trusts, and healthcare directives. Use annual gift exclusions and lifetime exemptions to transfer wealth efficiently. Fund education vehicles like 529 plans and consider intrafamily loans or GRATs. Host family governance meetings to share your financial vision and educate the next generation.

5. Team Coordination
Ensure your financial advisor, CPA, and estate attorney are aligned. Review your full balance sheet including trusts, business interests, and illiquid assets, as well as confirming that titling and beneficiary designations are current.

Taking these steps now can help you preserve wealth, grow it wisely, and give with purpose. This sets the stage for a confident and impactful new year.

Rebalancing may be a taxable event. Before you take any specific action be sure to consult with your tax professional.

Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

A diversified portfolio does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.

Converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is a taxable event.

Generally, a donor advised fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization, which is called a sponsoring organization. Each account is composed of contributions made by individual donors. Once the donor makes the contribution, the organization has legal control over it. However, the donor, or the donor's representative, retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution of funds and the investment of assets in the account. Donors take a tax deduction for all contributions at the time they are made, even though the money may not be dispersed to a charity until much later.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses associated with municipal fund securities before investing. This information is found in the issuer's official statement and should be read carefully before investing.

Investors should also consider whether the investor’s or beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits available only from that state’s 529 Plan. Any state-based benefit should be one of many appropriately weighted factors in making an investment decision. The investor should consult their financial or tax advisor before investment in any state's 529 Plan.