CSUN China Institute Fridays Tea and Talk Series Session 1

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The event is both in-person and via Zoom.

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Session 1: From Saving to Spending – The Tax Logic Behind Your Money

During tax season (March–April), many people think of “taxes” as a once‑a‑year task.
But in reality, taxes affect your entire wealth lifecycle:

Contribution
Accumulation
Distribution
Transfer

In this session, we will use a simple but powerful framework to re‑examine questions such as:

• How do we allocate between 401(k)/403(b)/457 and other retirement savings accounts?
• What is “tax diversification,” and why is it just as important as investment returns?
• How should we think about “tax savings now vs. tax savings later” throughout different stages of life?
• How do RMDs, the SECURE Act, and inherited IRAs shape retirement planning?

Whether you are just beginning to accumulate wealth or already planning for retirement, these issues often arise earlier than you might expect.

Smart Money Tea Talk Series

Wealth and Responsibility in U.S. Family Life

For our generation of professionals working in the U.S., we are standing at multiple crossroads of life and finance:

Some are just establishing their financial foundation.
Some are beginning to think about retirement and legacy planning.

More often, we are doing all three things at once:

• Preparing for the next generation
• Carrying responsibilities for the previous generation
• Building long‑term security for ourselves

Over the past eight years at CSUN, Professor Yi Ding has continuously participated in financial‑literacy‑related teaching, research, and community service, and has had deep conversations with many colleagues.

She gradually noticed:
The questions may look different at different stages of life, but their essence is remarkably similar.

Eventually, we all realize that:

• Wealth is not only about “how much you earn.”
• It is also about how it is used, how it is taxed, and how it is passed on

This series of tea talks aims to provide a clearer long‑term perspective through relaxed conversation, helping everyone make more rational financial decisions at different life stages.