Dear Fellow Chamber Members,


Navigating the 2026 OBBBA – Turning Tax Returns into Business Roadmaps
As we move through the 2026 tax season, the landscape for business owners and high-performing professionals has changed significantly due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
At The Wealth Collective, our mission is to move taxpayers in the direction of excellence. We believe your numbers shouldn't just be a record of the past—they should be a guide for your future wealth.
Why the OBBBA Matters to Your Business and Family: The new legislation introduces several high-impact provisions that require proactive planning to maximize:

• The SALT Shift: For those itemizing, the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap has increased to $40,400 for 2026.
• Support for Your Team: New deductions for Qualified Tips (up to $25k) and Qualified Overtime (up to $12.5k) are now available, providing a unique way to highlight the value of your employees' hard work on their own tax returns.
• Personal Use Vehicle Interest: If you purchased a new, USA-assembled vehicle for personal use, you may be eligible to deduct up to $10,000 in loan interest.
• The "Phase-Out" Warning: Many of these benefits begin to disappear once your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) hits specific thresholds (e.g., $150,000 for tips/overtime).

Reactive vs. Proactive: A Tale of Two Strategies We recently published a deep-dive case study comparing "Reactive Rachel" and "Proactive Priya." By simply listening to what her numbers were telling her mid-year, Priya was able to adjust her strategies and save over $6,000 in taxes—money that stayed in her pocket rather than going to the IRS.
Exclusive Member Resource: We have prepared a 2026 OBBBA Strategy Map & Action Checklist specifically for our local business community. This guide will help you:

1. Identify your "Gatekeeper" numbers on Form 1040.
2. Calculate your Effective Tax Rate (your true strategy scorecard).
3. Navigate the new deduction cliffs before the filing deadline.

[Access the Full Member Briefing & Infographic in the Circle Community]
As a fellow Chamber member, I am committed to helping our local economy thrive by ensuring our business leaders keep more of what they earn.
Stay Wealthy,
Dimpy Gulati/ The Wealth Collective Team
 Moving You in the Direction of Excellence

Libertyville Living January 2026

 

Leadership Lens — Small Shifts. Big Impact.
This quarter’s focus is Trust.
Most organizations define trust as reliability; delivering on time and as promised. But high-performing teams require something deeper: vulnerability-based trust — the kind that allows people to admit mistakes, ask for help, and speak candidly.
This month’s Leadership Lens shares a simple 15-minute exercise you can use immediately to begin building that kind of trust.
Read the full article here

Leadership Lens — Small Shifts. Big Impact.
This quarter’s focus is Trust.
Mistakes rarely damage trust. It's how we interpret them that does. As teams, we often assume intent without understanding context.
This pattern, known as the Fundamental Attribution Error, quietly shapes how safe people feel to speak up, take ownership, and address issues.
This month’s Leadership Lens shares one simple question teams can use to replace judgment with curiosity and strengthen trust.
Read the full article here.
https://www.kairos-orghealth.com/post/assume-context-before-character
 

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Our Mindset on Money: It’s Easy to Control, So Why Don’t We? Reveals How Mindset and Incidental Spending Habits Sabotage Financial Freedom

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Financial stress is rarely about how much money a person makes. It is about how they think about money and the daily spending habits that quietly shape their financial reality. In his best-selling book, Our Mindset on Money: It’s Easy to Control, So Why Don’t We?, financial expert Bill Haase challenges readers to confront the dysfunctional relationship with money that often begins with a self-destructive financial mindset.

“This book is not about a budget, although a budget is important for understanding where wasteful spending is coming from,” says Haase. “This book is about understanding the incidental spending habits that hold you back, the nickel-and-dime spending that cripples your finances and leaves you in a constant state of living paycheck to paycheck."
Haase explains that most people avoid examining incidental spending because it feels insignificant and burdensome. Over time, however, those small, impulsive purchases quietly erode financial stability.
“No one wants to focus on incidental spending,” Haase says. “But in order to get ahead, people need to understand why they spend money the way they do, the mindset and the relationship they have with their finances.”
According to Haase, much of today’s financial struggle is driven by emotional and image-based spending rather than genuine need.
“A lot of the time, people are spending money not because they need to, but because they are trying to buy an image and create the illusion of wealth,” he explains. “Americans are impulsive spenders, and predatory lending practices like buy-now-pay-later schemes feed that impulse. If you do not have the money now, how will you ever be able to pay it back, and the cycle continues.”
In Our Mindset on Money, Haase encourages readers to first identify where their money has historically gone, then confront the emotional triggers behind their spending habits. The book provides practical insights and strategies to break free from the financial doom loop created by unhealthy money beliefs and emotional spending. Haase also challenges readers to open the dialogue around money and take an honest look at their financial behaviors, a critical step toward lasting financial success. “If money is so important,” Haase asks, “why is it so taboo to talk about it?”
At the core of the book is a universal question: "Are you living with intent or by default?" Haase emphasizes that income alone cannot solve financial problems if spending habits and mindset remain unchanged.
Haase concludes, “This is a cross-cultural message for anyone who wants to reduce financial stress and reclaim control over their financial future.”
To purchase copies of Our Mindset on Money: It’s Easy to Control, So Why Don’t We?, visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/4szJiZK

Readers Share Their Enthusiasm

“Bill Haase’s Our Mindset on Money is a must-read for anyone looking to build a strong foundation in financial literacy. Whether you are just stepping into adulthood or have recently come into money and feel unsure about how to manage it, this book offers a clear and empowering starting point.”
— Megan Hansen

About the Author

Bill Haase is a financial expert with more than 38 years of experience across Wall Street and Main Street, including 20 years in the Chicago trading pits. He has worked in loan underwriting at major banks, advised individuals and families on financial strategy, and, in 2004, became the first person in the United States to execute simultaneous side-by-side pit and computer trading. Haase is also a former radio host and upcoming podcast host focused on financial literacy and intentional living.

To learn more about Haase and his financial expertise, click here: https://moneymindsetmedia.com/

To read his newsletter Garage Talk, follow this link: https://bit.ly/4ptoaSp

On behalf of Dave & Buster’s Vernon Hills, thank you for joining us at the Chamber Gala! To show our appreciation, we’re excited to offer you a couple of exclusive perks.

Enjoy 15% off food and beverages on a one-time walk-in visit at Dave & Buster’s Vernon Hills.

 

Planning a future gathering? All Chamber Gala guests who book an event with us before June 2026 will receive a complimentary Unlimited Video Game Play upgrade for their group.

 

Whether you're stopping in for great food, drinks, and games or planning your next celebration, we’d love to host you.

 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Welcome to the FUN,

Dave & Buster’s Vernon Hills

Plan ahead before the Fall rush...

Members can receive...

- up to $1000 in free decor!

- prime decorating date

- final payment stretched to 2027

Egg Harbor Café's FALL Specials are here from August 26th-December 1st

 

Try them now at your local EHC!

Join us on December 12 from 9am-5pm for our botox and filler event!