Latest posts
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Tax-Loss Harvesting ETFs: Turn a Dip Into a Tax Break
Tax-loss harvesting ETFs is a simple idea with a few tricky rules: when an ETF in your taxable account is worth less than you paid, you can sell it, record the loss, use that loss to cut your taxes and put the money into a similar but not identical fund so you stay invested. Done…
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Net Unrealized Appreciation: Cut Tax on 401(k) Company Stock
Net unrealized appreciation is a tax rule that lets some people pay long-term capital gains rates, instead of ordinary income rates, on the growth of their employer’s stock held in a 401(k). If you’ve built up a big pile of company shares in your plan, learning how this works before you roll anything over could…
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Stock Market Correction Plan: Write It Before It Hits
A stock market correction plan is a short page of decisions you make while markets are calm, so that when prices drop 10% or more you already know what you’re going to do. In my view, it may be the most valuable page in your financial folder. Here’s the reassuring part. Corrections are ordinary. Fidelity…
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ETF Overlap: Find Hidden Duplicates in 15 Minutes
ETF overlap happens when two or more funds in your portfolio hold many of the same companies, so owning both doesn’t spread your money the way their different names suggest. The good news is that the check is simple, and one fix is redirecting your next few deposits. This matters most for people who’ve done…
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Where to Hold Bonds: The Account Order That Saves Tax
Where to hold bonds is one of those questions that sounds minor and turns out to be worth real money: if you have a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA and a regular brokerage account, putting your bond funds in the right one can add a bit of after-tax return every year without changing your overall…
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Rebalance a Portfolio Without Selling: 4 Easy Levers
You can rebalance a portfolio without selling a single share in many cases, and in my view that’s often the cheapest way to do it. The trick is to point your new money, dividends and account choices at whatever is below target, so the portfolio walks back to your plan on its own. Here’s why…
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How to Choose a Target-Date Fund: 5 Checks That Save Money
Knowing how to choose a target-date fund comes down to five checks: how its stock percentage changes over time, what it ends up holding at and after your target year, what it costs, whether it’s the same type as the one next to it on the menu, and whether you’re using it alone. In my…
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Three-Fund Portfolio: Build It in Four Decisions
A three-fund portfolio is a way to own thousands of U.S. stocks, international stocks and bonds using just three index funds, and the setup comes down to three purchases. Motley Fool says this kind of mix gives exposure to over 10,000 securities, with low fees and no stock picking required. If you’ve been told to…
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Total Market ETF vs S&P 500 ETF: Pick the Right One
The total market ETF vs S&P 500 ETF question looks like a big decision, but the numbers say it’s a small one: both funds can cost 0.03% a year, both are dominated by the same giant companies, and their long-term returns have been very close. That’s reassuring news if you’ve been stuck on this choice.…
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HomeReady vs Home Possible: 3% Down Compared
HomeReady vs Home Possible is the comparison to make if your income is modest, your savings are thin, and you’re weighing a conventional loan against FHA. Both are conventional loans that let you buy with just 3% down, and both are designed for buyers at or below 80% of the area median income, which in…