You have questions. We have answers.

Yes, this is truly our passion and specialty. As a CPA and tax strategist, I believe retirement planning is not just about how much you’ve saved, but how much you get to keep after taxes. You’ve worked decades to build your wealth, and I believe you should be just as intentional about how you distribute it as how you accumulated it.

Many retirees are surprised by the huge tax impact of large IRAs, required minimum distributions, and concentrated positions. That’s why we help clients Be SMART (Saving More After Retirement Taxes) by modeling future cash flows and implementing proactive Roth strategies, thoughtful distribution planning, and multi-year tax projections designed to reduce lifetime tax exposure.

👉 Schedule a Retirement Tax Strategy Consultation to see how much of your wealth you may be able to preserve.

Several things set our Franklin Lakes team apart. First, we are led by Debbie Taylor, a CPA and retired attorney who brings a rare combination of tax, legal, and wealth management expertise under one roof. Most financial advisors manage investments — we manage investments, tax strategy, and financial planning together as a coordinated whole.

Second, we are a woman-led team that has intentionally built a practice around serving women, families navigating life transitions, and individuals approaching or already in retirement.

Third, we operate as fiduciaries, meaning we are legally obligated to act in your best interest. And finally, as part of the national Carson Wealth network, we bring the resources of a large organization while delivering the personal attention of a boutique local practice.

For clients with more complex wealth structures — including business owners approaching a liquidity event, families with multi-generational legacy goals, or individuals with $20M+ in investable assets — we bring a deeper layer of coordination: family entity structures, charitable giving vehicles, and cross-generational tax planning that goes well beyond a standard retirement plan.

👉 Schedule a no-obligation conversation to experience the difference firsthand.

Yes. Carson Wealth Franklin Lakes offers comprehensive tax planning services to clients throughout New Jersey, with deep experience serving residents in Bergen County and surrounding areas. Debbie Taylor, our Managing Partner and Chief Tax Strategist, is a CPA and retired attorney who specializes in retirement income tax planning — making our Franklin Lakes office a particularly strong fit for New Jersey residents navigating state and federal tax obligations in retirement.

Our New Jersey tax planning services include multi-year income projections, Roth conversion analysis, distribution planning from IRAs and 401(k)s, estate and legacy tax coordination, and collaboration with your existing CPA. We understand that New Jersey’s tax environment — including state income tax on retirement income and estate considerations — requires a coordinated, forward-looking strategy.

👉 Contact us to discuss your New Jersey-specific tax planning needs.

Yes. Carson Wealth Franklin Lakes offers comprehensive tax planning services to clients throughout New Jersey, with deep experience serving residents in Bergen County and surrounding areas. Debbie Taylor, our Managing Partner and Chief Tax Strategist, is a CPA and retired attorney who specializes in retirement income tax planning — making our Franklin Lakes office a particularly strong fit for New Jersey residents navigating state and federal tax obligations in retirement.

Our New Jersey tax planning services include multi-year income projections, Roth conversion analysis, distribution planning from IRAs and 401(k)s, estate and legacy tax coordination, and collaboration with your existing CPA. We understand that New Jersey’s tax environment — including state income tax on retirement income and estate considerations — requires a coordinated, forward-looking strategy.

👉 Connect with our team for a confidential conversation about your goals and your future.

We primarily serve affluent individuals and families, particularly women and high-net-worth households who value advanced tax planning and thoughtful coordination.

Many of our clients come to us at a crossroads — retirement, inheritance, sale of a business, or the loss of a spouse — seeking clarity, structure, and confidence as their lives evolve. We also work with ultra-high-net-worth families ($20M+) who require a deeper level of coordination across business interests, family legacy structures, and multi-generational tax planning.

👉 If you’re approaching retirement or navigating a major life event, we invite you to connect.

Yes. Often you’ve worked your entire life and sacrificed to build your business, and transitioning it or benefitting from a liquidity event can feel both exciting and complex.

We help business owners think strategically about succession planning, enterprise value, and tax implications (OBBBA has lots to take advantage of) so the next chapter is intentional and well-structured. Our focus is on assisting you to preserve what you’ve built while helping to position you for long-term success.

👉 Contact us to discuss how to structure your next chapter with tax efficiency and intention.

Yes, and the earlier we’re involved, the better the outcome. A business sale is often the single largest financial event of a client’s life — and the tax decisions made in the 12–24 months before the transaction can mean the difference of millions of dollars.

We help business owners plan proactively for a liquidity event: structuring the sale to minimize federal and New Jersey state tax exposure, evaluating installment sales, charitable strategies like charitable remainder trusts, opportunity zone reinvestment, and maximizing use of qualified small business stock exclusions where applicable. We also work closely with your M&A attorney, CPA, and investment banker to ensure everyone is aligned before the transaction closes.

👉 If you’re considering a sale in the next one to five years, let’s start the conversation now.

Yes, and it is one of the most meaningful parts of our work. For families with significant accumulated wealth — whether from a business sale, decades of investing, or inheritance — the question is rarely just “how do we preserve this?” It’s “how do we transfer it thoughtfully, minimize taxes across generations, and keep the family aligned around shared goals?”

We work with families on coordinated legacy strategies that may include trust structures, charitable giving vehicles, annual gifting programs, family governance frameworks, and succession planning for closely-held businesses. We collaborate closely with your estate attorney and CPA, and when needed, can help coordinate a broader advisory team.

👉 Schedule a legacy planning conversation to discuss your family’s long-term goals.

Carson Wealth Franklin Lakes primarily works with affluent individuals and families, including those with investable assets starting at $2,000,000 or more. That said, the right fit is about more than a number — it’s about shared goals and a planning philosophy that works for your situation.

If you are approaching retirement, managing a financial transition such as an inheritance or the sale of a business, or navigating a major life event and seeking a coordinated, tax-focused strategy, we encourage you to reach out. Our first conversation is complimentary and no-obligation, so you can assess whether our approach is the right fit without any pressure.

👉 Schedule a conversation to find out if we’re the right fit for your financial situation.

Integrity and transparency are core values in our practice. We review our fee structure in the first meeting so you clearly understand how we are compensated and how the relationship works.

We are typically paid an asset-based fee on the assets we manage on your behalf. There are no long-term contracts or time limitations set. We view every client as a “client for life,” as we want to be your last advisor. Our goal is for you to feel informed and comfortable from the beginning and confident in the value and guidance you receive in return.

👉 Ask us for a transparent fee overview during your initial consultation.

Please refer to firm’s ADV Part 2A and the client’s agreement for additional platform, strategist or any related fees that may apply.

Yes. Our team operates as a fee-based fiduciary practice, meaning we are compensated based on assets managed or a flat fee — not commissions — and we are legally required to act in your best interest. We are fully transparent about how we are compensated and happy to answer any questions about our fee structure during your first conversation.

We serve clients throughout Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus, and the greater Bergen County area. If you are comparing advisors, we recommend asking any candidate whether they are a fiduciary, how they are compensated, and whether they integrate tax planning with investment management — all areas where we welcome the conversation.

👉 Schedule your complimentaty introductory meeting to get started. overview during your initial consultation.

Please refer to the firm’s ADV part 2A and the client’s agreement for additional platform, strategists or any related feeds that may apply.

Absolutely. Debbie Taylor, Managing Partner and Chief Tax Strategist, is a Franklin Lakes-based wealth manager with a background in both tax and law (retired), I strongly believe investments, tax planning, and financial planning must work together. We call it our “three-lane highway” approach where everything operates in tandem.

We collaborate closely with your CPA and estate planning attorney to ensure decisions are coordinated and aligned with your broader wealth strategy. And when additional support or referrals are needed, we’re happy to help ensure you have the right team in place. We will work with you to fill in certain gaps when necessary.

👉 Let’s coordinate your advisory team to help ensure your strategy is fully aligned.

Debbie is not registered with Cetera Wealth Services LLC. Any information provided by this individual is provided entirely on behalf of CWM, LLC and is in no way related to Cetera or its registered representatives.

Yes. To us, estate planning is not just about documents (which the attorneys handle), but it’s about safeguarding the people you love and preserving the legacy you’ve worked so hard to build.

We work closely with you to understand your goals for your family and to chart a course forward that takes into account your needs along with current tax laws. We consider beneficiary designations, gifting opportunities, trust planning and income taxes to fashion a legacy planning strategy that makes sense. We also coordinate with your estate planning attorney to help ensure your documents and tax strategies remain aligned with your long-term vision. Above all, we want your family to be supported and prepared for the future.

👉 Let’s review your current estate plan to help ensure it aligns with today’s tax laws and your legacy goals.

The first meeting is a conversation rooted in the Platinum Rule: we treat you how we would want to be treated. We listen first, seek to understand your goals and concerns, and then determine whether our customized, tax-focused approach is the right fit for you.  Once you meet us, we think you will understand how we are different and the benefits of hiring an advisor that cares about the entire picture.

👉 Schedule your introductory conversation to determine if our retirement-focused approach is the right fit for you.

I’ve seen too many retirees focus only on growing their nest egg, without realizing how much taxes can cost them when they are trying to enjoy or distribute those hard-earned dollars.In fact, concentrated stock and large traditional IRAs can be very costly when trying to access the wealth that is locked up in those strategies. And this can be a bigger problem now than ever before with the recent market run up and growing asset prices in real estate, stock portfolios and retirement accounts.

As a retirement income planning and tax-focused wealth management firm, our philosophy is that retirement should feel coordinated and intentional, where your income distribution strategy, tax planning, and legacy goals are all working together. We want our clients to feel confident and clear about their future, not uncertain about what they might have missed. Through multi-year projections and ongoing analysis, we help clients make informed decisions designed to improve long-term outcomes and create clarity about their and their family’s financial future.

👉 Discover how a coordinated, tax-aware retirement plan can create greater clarity and confidence.

While taxes can’t be eliminated entirely, many retirees lack visibility into how retirement income is taxed. Without a comprehensive strategy, unnecessary taxes can quietly erode wealth over time. Many people simply aren’t aware of the many ways to reduce taxes, which can help save millions of dollars in retirement. This is where we step in. We know the rules. We know the strategies. And we take the time to prepare and help safeguard you.

Our retirement tax planning process focuses on modeling future income, coordinating distributions, and implementing strategies designed to reduce lifetime tax exposure. We manage your portfolio and income strategy with an eye toward preserving more of what you have earned for you and your family.

👉 Request a multi-year tax projection review to identify potential planning opportunities.

We primarily serve affluent individuals and families, particularly women and high-net-worth households who value advanced tax planning and thoughtful coordination.

Many of our clients come to us at a crossroads — retirement, inheritance, sale of a business, or the loss of a spouse — seeking clarity, structure, and confidence as their lives evolve.

👉 If you’re approaching retirement or navigating a major life event, we invite you to connect.

Yes. Supporting women, particularly widows, is deeply important to us. In an industry that has traditionally focused on men, we have intentionally built a woman-led team that understands the emotional and financial complexity women often face.

Losing a spouse is overwhelming enough without financial uncertainty layered on top. We provide compassionate guidance and clear organization so you can feel supported, educated, and empowered to make confident decisions about your future.

👉 If you’re facing a transition, reach out for a confidential conversation — we’re here to support you.