Passing On the House: Step-Up in Basis, Gifting Rules, and the Estate Tax Most Families Will Not Pay

Give the kids the house now, or leave it to them later? The tax code treats those two acts completely differently, and the difference can be worth six figures. The finale of The Fourth Color: step-up in basis, the gifting rules that surprise most families, and the estate tax fear most families can r

Jul 5, 2026

Retirement Income

The Tax Bill Hiding in Your House: Capital Gains on a Home Sale After 65

Many sellers still believe there is a special capital gains break once you turn 65. There is not, and the rule that replaced it has not grown in almost thirty years while home values have. Part two of The Fourth Color: what the sale really costs, and the Medicare surprise that follows it.

Jul 4, 2026

Retirement Income

The Fourth Color: When Real Estate Is Part of Your Retirement Income

Green, yellow, red. For years those three colors of money covered nearly everything. But for more retirees than ever, the biggest asset on the balance sheet is a house or a rental, and it plays by its own rules. Part one of a new three-part series.

Jul 3, 2026