While this is explained in much more detail here, in general the vast majority of taxpayers will obtain the greatest benefit by reducing their current taxes and investing those tax
savings in a taxable investment account.
The upshot of all this is that people who expect to be in the 25 % bracket or higher during their retirement years should strongly consider a Roth conversion even if the rate of tax on the conversion is as many as ten percentage points higher, provided they can pay the conversion tax with money that would otherwise
remain in a taxable investment account and their investment time horizon is a long one.
So, if someone will be filling out a FAFSA in a couple years and has a mortgage balance and money
sitting in a taxable investment account, he or she might be better off throwing the money at the mortgage and thereby maximizing aid.
For example, in most cases, interest that is
earned in taxable investment accounts is considered taxable income on the federal and the state level — and because of this, taxes will be incurred, which will essentially lessen the growth that is ultimately received on that savings.
SELLING STOCK AND MUTUAL FUNDS Under current law, people who have shares of stock or
funds in a taxable investment account can choose which shares to sell if they are selling part of their investment.
As you know from last week's post on tax - efficient investments, I have a decent chunk of
money in my taxable investment account and that will continue to grow at a decent pace until retirement.
If you want to use your investments for other goals and access the money sooner, you need to keep
it in a taxable investment account.
In a taxable investment account, your capital gains and investment income are subject to taxation in the year they are earned.
We keep enough liquid to cover any emergencies that might arise and the rest is
in our taxable investments account (which we could always liquidate if needed).
You can do
this yourself in any taxable investment account, but there is always the risk of losing money so always keep that in mind.
$ 1.2 million
in a taxable investment accounts (bond funds, stock funds, a few ETFs).
When it comes to retirement planning, retirement accounts that are tax - deferred can have a big impact on your retirement savings, by allowing your money to grow quicker than if it were
in a taxable investment account.