A financial gift can feel generous, timely, and full of opportunity. But without the right guidance, even well-intentioned decisions can create unexpected tax consequences.

In this episode, Joyce Ruggeri, CPA at Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, shares a client story involving a gifted property that resulted in a $120,000 tax bill. With two decades of experience in tax compliance and strategic planning, Joyce breaks down capital gains, cost basis, step-up in basis, and the common misconceptions that often lead families to make costly mistakes.

Listen in as she explains how one missed phone call changed the outcome of a major financial decision, what families should understand before gifting or inheriting property, and why coordination between your CPA and financial advisor can protect both your wealth and your peace of mind.

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between gifting property and inheriting property from a tax perspective.
• What a step-up in basis is and why timing matters.
• How capital gains are calculated on real estate sales.
• Why the old “buy another house to avoid tax” rule no longer applies.
• What qualifies as a home improvement that increases your cost basis.
• Why communication between your CPA and investment advisor matters.
• The long-term cost of withdrawing money early from a 401(k).

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “If she had called me, I would say, ‘Just wait. You inherit a property—dad passes away, and you inherit the property. Then you get what is called a step-up in basis.’” - Joyce Ruggeri
• “Capital gains… has such a negative connotation… People think of it as a penalty… It's a tax, but it can be lower than normal. Good news, you made money” - Joyce Ruggeri
• “This happens more often than not because people trust what they hear from their neighbor. And in today's day and age, people trust what they hear from AI, and they Google things to get answers. And really what you should do is call your CPA.” - Joyce Ruggeri

Resources:

• Joyce Ruggeri: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC
• Quicken
• QuickBooks

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Divorce doesn't start when you file the paperwork. It starts the moment you realize your marriage might end, and what you do in that space between realization and action can determine if you move through the process with clarity or chaos.

In this episode, Linda Weiksnar, a seasoned family law attorney, walks through exactly what someone should be doing before they ever schedule that first consultation. She covers getting your emotional house in order, understanding your finances, and managing expectations about custody. Listen in to get a rare look at what actually matters in court, how preparation (both practical and psychological) shapes everything that follows, and why the work you do before filing determines the outcome more than most people realize.

What You’ll Learn:

• The most overlooked step before divorce.
• How to gather financial information even if you never handled the bills.
• What a financial affidavit requires and how to prepare ahead of time.
• Why courts don’t consider fault or heartbreak (and what they do consider).
• How Florida’s 50-50 time-sharing presumption changes custody expectations.
• What dissipation of assets means and when infidelity actually matters.
• Why friends, family, and non-family-law attorneys aren’t reliable guides.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The court can't fix your heartache. I can't fix your heartache. I can probably counsel you pretty well after a bajillion years of doing family law, but that's not what I'm trained for.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “Divorce is similar [to marriage] because you can't come out of it thinking, “Okay, I'm divorced now, I'm healed, I'm ready to move on.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “You want your money to send your kids to college, not send my kids to college.” - Linda Weiksnar

Resources:

• Linda Weiksnar: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Crary Buchanan

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Estate planning rarely feels urgent… until life forces it to be. Too often, families postpone these decisions because they’re uncomfortable, complicated, or easy to ignore. But when illness, loss, or sudden responsibility arrives, the absence of a clear plan can turn grief into chaos, leaving loved ones to make impossible decisions at the worst possible time.

In this episode, Dana Gliniecki shares what it looks like when estate planning moves from theory to reality. After years of thoughtful preparation following a major business exit, Dana unexpectedly found herself relying on those plans when her husband passed away. She offers a rare, firsthand perspective on how preparation (or lack thereof) shapes emotional capacity, family dynamics, and decision-making during profound loss. Listen in to learn why estate planning is less about wealth and more about responsibility, clarity, and care.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why estate planning decisions are harder to make during grief and loss.
• How a clear estate plan reduces stress for surviving spouses and families.
• What happens when trustees must make financial decisions after a death.
• How estate plans should change as children become adults and start families.
• Why family communication is critical to avoiding conflict after a parent passes.
• The difference between managing an estate and protecting family relationships.
• How planning ahead creates clarity and stability during emotionally overwhelming times.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “At the end of the day, we're all gonna die. You'd rather be in charge of how everything goes down.” - Dana Gliniecki
• “You either do the hard stuff upfront and things go relatively smoothly, or you do nothing, and you make it much harder on yourselves, and other people potentially end up making very important decisions for you.” - Dana Gliniecki
• “You have to ultimately live with the consequences, and you don't get to say at the end, ‘Well, I didn't know.’ Well, that's on you.” - Dana Gliniecki

Resources:

• Dana Gliniecki: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• The Community Foundation for McHenry County
• Impact100 Global
• Marguerite H. Griffin | Northern Trust
• Women & Money by Suze Orman
• Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.