The federal government now offers a research and development tax credit to the business community as a reward for organizations that pursue innovation.

While the new law simplified some tax provisions for individuals such as replacing most itemized deductions with a larger standard deduction, it made the law murkier for one of the most valuable tax benefits for small businesses — the special tax rate for businesses organized as pass-through entities.

While you may need to quickly adjust your financial “sails” occasionally to respond to unexpected life changes, there are many other events that you can prepare for in advance to make future course corrections much easier. Here’s a review of six major life events that can alter your financial plans – plus some actions you can take now to make sure you’re prepared for the future.

With the failure of Congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, tax reform is now thrust to the front of the line as the White House and Congressional Republicans look for their first major legislative policy win.