Tax basics

How do you file your taxes?

This shapes almost every tax and retirement number in your plan.

Your spouse

A little about your spouse.

Even rough estimates help — you can refine later.

You’re moving right along

Great — let’s keep going.

Because you’re not filing jointly, we skip the spouse questions. Click Next to continue.

About you

How old are you?

Calibrates your investment timeline and your available contribution limits.

Comfort with investing

How would you describe your experience?

There's no right answer here — honesty helps us tailor everything else.

Income & Tax Deductions

What's your household income?

Approximate is fine. This is the key number for tax-planning eligibility.

Work

What's your work situation?

Different jobs unlock different retirement accounts.

Retirement accounts

Which retirement accounts do you have?

Check all that apply — including any dormant accounts from past jobs.

Health savings

Are you enrolled in a high-deductible health plan?

An HSA is one of the most tax-efficient accounts available — but only if you have the right health plan.

Benefits

Do you or a dependent receive disability benefits?

This unlocks specific tax-advantaged accounts and changes how we recommend income sources.

Household

Who else is in your household?

Include everyone you support — spouse, children, other dependents.

Education

Any dedicated college savings?

529 plans, Coverdells, or other education-specific accounts.

Other education savings

Any other savings you could put toward education?

UTMA/UGMA custodial accounts, Series I bonds, or general savings earmarked for school.

How you save

How is your monthly saving split today?

Rough percentages of what you save each month. Everything must add to 100%.

Anything else?

Habits · 1 of 4

Cash discipline & debt

A quick yes / no read on how you run day-to-day cash flow.

Habits · 2 of 4

Retirement-plan behaviors

Behaviors we can’t infer from account balances alone.

Habits · 3 of 4

Planning, review & rebalance

How disciplined the "process" side of your plan is today.

Habits · 4 of 4

Tax, estate, insurance & alternatives

The protective layer around the portfolio itself.

The windfall

Tell us about the windfall.

A quick shape read. The right account plan depends more on where the money came from and who’s in the household than on the dollar amount alone.

The windfall

Tell us about the kids.

This shapes whether we recommend a 529 superfund, custodial Roth for a working teen, or something else.

Life & changes

Anything big going on right now?

Pick anything that applies. If nothing's changed lately, pick “Nothing new,” or just leave this question blank.

Kids & earned income

Do your kids work afterschool or over summer?

Kids with earned income — a summer job, babysitting, lawn mowing, an Etsy shop, YouTube monetization — can open a Custodial Roth IRA. That’s one of the most powerful compounding vehicles that exists.

Self-employment income

Roughly how much self-employment income do you make in a year?

Net after business expenses is the number that drives Solo 401(k) and SEP IRA limits.

Retirement timing

How close are you to retirement?

Timing changes which accounts and moves matter most.

The windfall

Who left it to you?

Spouse vs. non-spouse changes the rules for inherited retirement accounts sharply — this one answer tightens the plan.

Inheritance

Tell us about the inheritance.

Rules for inherited retirement accounts differ sharply from cash or brokerage. A little detail here changes the plan.

Divorce

Where are you in the process?

Retirement accounts split via QDRO have very different mechanics from a settlement paid in cash.

Survivor planning

A quick age question.

Widow(er) rules on inherited IRAs turn on whether you're under or over 59½. This changes access without penalty.

Business sale

Tell us about the sale.

A qualifying QSBS position can exclude up to $10M of gain from federal tax — worth confirming before the wire clears.

Cross-border planning

Retirement accounts from outside the US?

Foreign pensions and non-US retirement accounts have specific US reporting and tax treatment. It's worth naming them up front.

Schwab account

Which Schwab account should CleverAlpha manage?

Assets stay at Schwab. We're granted Limited Power of Attorney to manage this account for you — no transfer, no new custodian.

Account holder

Are you the account holder?

LPOA is a written authorization you give as the account holder. If you're setting this up on behalf of someone else, we'll take you through a different path.

Prior firm

Which firm currently holds your account?

This tells us where to pull from for the transfer. If it's not on the list, pick “Another firm.”

Prior account type

What kind of account are you bringing over?

Transfers open the same account type at CleverAlpha — a Roth stays a Roth, a Traditional IRA stays a Traditional IRA. If you're not sure, pick “Not sure yet” and we'll figure it out with you.

Trust account

Tell us about the trust.

This is the name and tax ID as they appear on the trust document. If the trust doesn't have its own EIN yet, use the grantor's Social Security Number.

Schwab needs the title page and signature page of the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust. You'll upload them once, at account opening — no need to gather them now.

Trust type

What kind of trust is this?

This is stated in the trust document — usually on the first page. If you're not sure, pick the closest match and we'll confirm at signing.

Governing state

Which state's law governs the trust?

The trust document names a governing state — usually the state where it was created. This is not necessarily where the trustee lives today.

Trustee authority

Who can act for the trust?

The trust document says whether a single trustee can act alone, whether all trustees must sign together, or whether a majority is enough. This drives whose signatures we'll need at DocuSign.

Trustees

Who are the trustees?

Everyone named as a trustee on the trust document. You can add up to four. If you're a trustee yourself, check the box on your row.

Successor trustee

Is there a successor trustee?

A successor trustee steps in if the current trustee can no longer serve. Not required by Schwab; capture if the trust document names one.

SEP-IRA employer

Whose SEP plan is this?

SEP-IRAs are opened under an employer's plan. If you're self-employed, the employer is you or your business. Everything about plan mechanics (contributions, plan year, Form 5305) is between your employer and their tax preparer — we're just opening the Schwab account.