End of Year Checklist for Your Taxes, Points and Miles
All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Mileage and Hotel Mattress Runs
Chris explains mattress runs and mileage runs as tactics to secure airline and hotel elite status before year-end.
#257: We break down essential tax and financial decisions to make before year-end. Learn how to maximize deductions, optimize charitable giving, manage investment gains and losses, and take advantage of retirement and home-improvement credits. We also run through all the credit card, points and miles deadlines to hit before 12/31.
Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/end-of-year-financial-checklist-2025
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Resources Mentioned
Chris' End of Year Checklist for Taxes, Points & Miles
Carry Solo 401k
Kick (20% off your first year of bookkeeping with code CHRIS20)
Invest America Kids Savings & Investment Accounts
CardPointers Pro (50% off here)
ATH Podcast
- Chris’ Best Cards Page
- Ep 144: Leveraging Tax-Advantaged Accounts to Maximize Your Wealth with Katie Gatti Tassin
- Ep 243: Smarter Strategies for Retirement, Wealth Building, and Taxes with Michael Kitces
- Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
- Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@chrishutchins.com
Full Show Notes
(00:00) Introduction
(01:03) Standard Deduction vs. Itemizing
(03:02) The New SALT Cap & Property Tax Strategy
(05:02) Pass-Through Entity Taxes for Business Owners
(06:07) Smart Charitable Giving Strategies
(07:07) Donating Appreciated Assets
(09:18) Using Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
(14:16) Why 25-26 Changes Matter for Charitable Giving
(16:14) New Car Loan Interest Deduction
(18:19) Deduction for Qualified Tips & Overtime
(18:34) New Senior Deduction
(19:12) Shifting Income to Optimize Your Tax Bracket
(20:48) Capital Gains: Loss & Gain Harvesting
(22:02) Understanding the Wash Sale Rule
(25:11) Advanced Tax Moves to Ask Your CPA
(25:42) Key Retirement Deadlines & Contribution Limits
(31:01) Roth IRA & Traditional IRA Rules
(34:18) Backdoor & Mega Backdoor Roth Contributions
(35:18) ISOs & Alternative Minimum Tax
(36:16) FSA Essentials: Use It or Lose It
(38:57) HSA Strategy & Triple-Tax Advantage
(42:13) Home Efficiency & Solar Credits for 2025
(43:14) 529 Plans, Gifting Rules & Education Savings
(47:37) The New “Trump Account” for Kids
(48:14) Funding a Child’s Roth IRA Through Earned Income
(50:29) EOY Tax Moves for Business Owners
(55:51) EOY Checklist for Points & Miles
(01:00:32) Credit Card Annual Credits & Benefit Resets
(01:03:57) Calendar-Year Credits to Use Before January
(01:14:55) Final EOY Checks for Airlines, Hotels & Credit Cards
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Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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