Chris Hamill-Financial Planner

Chris Hamill-Financial Planner Financial Planner at Snow Peak Wealth Advisors. I specialize in creating a collaborative environment to help make finance simple. Member of FINRA/ SIPC.

Snow Peak Wealth Advisors is not a registered broker/ dealer, and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Investment Advisory Services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Important Disclosure Information: http://raymondjames.com/smicd.htm

There is no client satisfaction without advisor satisfaction, which is why Raymond James ensures advisors have the uniqu...
03/21/2025

There is no client satisfaction without advisor satisfaction, which is why Raymond James ensures advisors have the unique combination of freedom and full support they need to pursue professional happiness.

J.D. Power U.S. Investor Satisfaction Award for 1/24-12/24, announced 3/20/25. Based on 7,876 responses from Advised Investors, 1 company out of 24 was chosen as the winner. Fee paid only for promotion. More: https://bit.ly/4kHB3qv.

For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards
https://www.raymondjamesconnect.com/aue9_-

08/30/2024

When I tell people I'm a financial advisor, their first thought is "oh, you must tell people what stocks to buy and sell". Not quite. Here's an example of an in-depth tax & investment strategy I worked through with a client.

Client is self-employed & makes roughly $100k/yr. Taxes are a pain point. She also has an investment account that transferred over with high expenses (3.26%/yr).

BUT, to switch investments it would have resulted in a ≈$6,000 tax bill. Not good.

How did we mitigate that? Since she is self employed, we set up a Solo 401(k) and made a $25,000 contribution, wiping out the entire $6,000 tax!

By reviewing her taxes and business structure along with her investment portfolio, we were able to:

1. Reduce her tax bill for 2024
2. Eliminate unnecessary insurance costs in her portfolio
3. Set her up to make sizeable retirement account contributions going forward

Real financial planning goes much deeper than "buy this and sell that".

06/20/2024

Reminder: An LLC does NOT reduce your taxes. It's simply an entity structure that does one thing:

Separates your assets.

So when it comes to legal and debt issues? Anything in the LLC is subject to these matters, but not your personal assets!

06/10/2024

High net worth individuals & families need to be thinking about the reduction in the estate tax exemption starting in 2026. Currently, you can pass $13.6 million ($27.2 million if married) without being subject to estate tax.

In 2026, that number is projected to be cut to $7 million (14 million if married).

There is no "quick fix" to reducing your estate tax liability. Start planning ASAP!

06/08/2024

Some of my favorite tax planning strategies:
-401(k) contributions
-HSA contributions
-QBI for business owners
-Backdoor Roth contributions
-Gifting via QCDs and donating highly appreciated stock

06/06/2024

My beliefs on whether you should make Roth or Pre-Tax 401(k) contributions based on your tax bracket:

-10%: Roth
-12%: Roth
-22%: Split between both
-24% and higher: Pre-Tax

06/05/2024

Virtually every successful financial plan has 1 thing in common: a healthy balance along with ongoing contributions to an after-tax brokerage account.

03/20/2024

Understanding your tax return can seem daunting at first glance. Don't worry about understanding every line item, but here are the numbers that are important to know each year:

1. Adjusted Gross Income: Line 11

2. Taxable Income: Line 15

3. Total Tax: Line 24

4. Business Income or Loss (If applicable): Generally found on Schedule C, 1120-S, etc.

Spending 5 minutes reviewing these numbers will tell you a ton about your finances!

03/18/2024

Want to retire at 65 with $1 million? Here's how much you need to save based on your starting age:

25: $3,860 per year

35: $8,828 per year

45: $21,853 per year

The best decision you can make is to start investing early.

*Assumes an 8% annual return.

03/17/2024

An emergency fund isn't "losing you money" by sitting in cash.
It's saving you from:

- Taking on credit card debt
- Selling investments at the wrong time
- Stressing about an expense

An emergency fund will make an unexpected expense a minor inconvenience instead of a financial burden.

03/15/2024

If you're starting self employment or consulting work mark down the dates that estimated taxes are due:

1st payment: April 15, 2024
2nd payment: June 17, 2024
3rd payment: Sept. 16, 2024
4th payment: Jan. 15, 2025

03/12/2024

Investment diversification is important, but equally important is TAX diversification. Here are the accounts I use and how they're taxed:

1. 401(k) or Traditional IRA: Contributions are made with pre-tax dollars, and are taxed when distributed.

2. Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA: Contributions are made with after-tax dollars and are tax-free when distributed.

3. Taxable (Brokerage) Account: Contributions are made with after-tax dollars, and the gains will be taxed at either 0%, 15%, or 20%*. Losses can be used to offset income or other capital gains.

4. HSA: Contributions are made with pre-tax dollars, and qualified distributions are tax-free.

*Dependent on your tax bracket when you sell the investment

Address

25 2nd Avenue W
Kalispell, MT
59901

Telephone

+12028415770

Website

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