Every January, we go through the same routine. Contribution limits change, tax brackets get adjusted, a few thresholds move around, and most years, it's familiar territory.

Whether you handle this yourself or work with trusted professionals, it's usually just a matter of updating the numbers and moving on.

But 2026 is a little different. Because of the sweeping tax legislation passed last summer, this year brings

some of the biggest tax changes we've seen in a while. And buried inside those changes are two new

rules that have caused some widespread confusion, even among financial experts. So in this week's

bonus episode, I'm walking through the most important tax updates for 2026, what they

actually mean for your retirement plan, and a few practical action items you'll want to think about

sooner rather than later. I'll also break down those two unique tax rules, how they work,

who they apply to, and why they matter. So even if you feel up to speed on the 2026 changes,

I'm confident you'll walk away with at least one new and useful insight.

Welcome to another episode of the Stay Wealthy Retirement Show.

I'm your host Taylor Schulte, and every week I tackle the most important financial topics

to help you stay wealthy in retirement.

And now on to the episode.

Okay, before we get into the weeds, just a quick reminder to grab my updated

26 tax cheat sheet if you haven't done so already. It'll help you follow along today and

serve as a helpful reference for your tax funding throughout the rest of the year.

You can download it by following the link in the episode description right there in your podcast

app or by visiting you staywealthy.com forward slash cheat sheet.

And that cheat sheet brings us directly to the first of two unique tax changes that have

caused a fair amount of confusion. The first change will cover

involves charitable giving. So in the past, you may recall that you only received a tax benefit

...