Dear Liz: My husband and I are in our 80s, living in a retirement community. Our investment account is valued at $550,000. This has to see us through till we die. We have no pension, no other assets. Social Security provides $2,760 a month and we are in the lowest tax bracket. Our financial advisor is using tax loss harvesting “to save us from capital gains tax.” We are both uncomfortable with this. Taking a loss on purpose doesn’t feel like a secure path and should be for people with a long-term future. Should we ask him to stop using this method of trading?
Answer: Tax loss harvesting involves selling investments that have gone down in value to offset some or all of the gains from investments that have gained in value. The point is to reduce capital gains taxes. Since you’re in the lowest tax bracket, however, your federal tax rate on long-term capital gains is effectively zero. It’s hard to imagine how your advisor would justify tax loss harvesting, given your situation.
Go ahead and ask them. The answer should give you some insight into how much your advisor knows, or cares, about your individual circumstances. Obviously, you should halt the tax loss harvesting if there’s no good reason to do it, but you might also want to start looking for a new advisor.
Keep in mind that most financial advisors don’t have to put your best interests first. They can recommend investments or pursue strategies that make them money, regardless of whether the recommendations are the best fit for your financial situation.
If you want an advisor committed to putting you first, you’ll need to seek out one who is willing to be held to a fiduciary standard. Such advisors include certified financial planners, certified public accountants (including those who are personal financial specialists) and accredited financial counselors. A fiduciary would have taken the time to understand your financial situation and then crafted a strategy to best fit your circumstances.
Savings Bond. How does one go about recovering passwords, and id seeing that you can never call, emails go unanswered. and just the last of human contact. I tried the steps they suggested, but no success
Treasury Direct has a video about how to reset your password here: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/tools-videos/reset-password/
Unfortunately, Treasury Direct uses security questions, which aren’t very secure but are very easy to forget. If you’re having trouble, the call center number is 844-284-2676. If you’re still unable to get help, consider reaching out to your Congressional representative. Reps have a constituent services team that may be able to help you resolve issues with federal agencies.