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financial advisors

Q&A: Minimizing your taxes is fine — to a point

July 15, 2024 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: In reading your columns, one can get the impression that reducing tax liability is the primary objective for many financial advisors. I disagree with this. Paying a fair share of taxes is a responsibility to society and the less fortunate, especially for wealthy people. Why are so many financial “professionals” so obsessed with paying less in taxes?

Answer: Tax planning is an essential part of comprehensive financial planning. No one is under an obligation to pay the maximum tax possible. Those who specialize in tax avoidance love to quote a judge named Learned Hand, who wrote in 1934: “Anyone may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes.”

Where advisors — and taxpayers — get into trouble is when they prioritize tax avoidance over all other concerns. That’s how you get advisors doing tax loss harvesting on a financial account to reduce capital gains for an older couple in the 0% capital gains bracket (an example of this behavior from a recent column).

Filed Under: Financial Advisors, Q&A, Taxes Tagged With: financial advice, financial advisors, Taxes

Q&A: What to do when your financial advisor isn’t doing right by you

June 17, 2024 By Liz Weston

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.

Filed Under: Financial Advisors, Investing, Q&A, Taxes Tagged With: capital gains, capital gains taxes, fiduciary, fiduciary standard, financial advice, financial advisors

Q&A: Be patient! Find an expert!

May 27, 2024 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I have a quick question and would like a personal response. What email address can I use?

Answer: You can use the email address of the financial planner you hire to advise you.

Just because a question is quick doesn’t mean the answer will be. Answers to financial planning questions take time and effort to craft, plus the appropriate response may vary depending on the details of the questioner’s circumstances. This column answers a few questions of general interest for educational and entertainment purposes. A hired advisor can answer an array of queries and provide truly personalized guidance to help you get the most from your money.

Filed Under: Financial Advisors, Q&A Tagged With: fiduciary, fiduciary standard, financial advice, financial advisor, financial advisors, finding a financial advisor

Monday’s need-to-know money news

November 29, 2021 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Will inflation be good for student loan borrowers? Also in the news: A new episode of the Smart Money podcast on holiday travel and financial advisors, how to retrain for a new job, and the December 2021 mortgage outlook.

Will Inflation Be Good for Student Loan Borrowers?
Student loan borrowers are taking to social media to celebrate inflation.

Smart Money Podcast: Travel Tips, and Finding the Right Financial Advisors

Talking holiday travel.

So You Want a New Job? Here’s How to Retrain
What happens to workers after the “Great Resignation?”

Mortgage Outlook: Rates Heading North in Late December
Rates will crawl up at the end of the month.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: financial advisors, holiday travel, job retraining, mortgage rates, Smart Money podcast

Q&A: Be wary of advisor motives

November 22, 2021 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: In a recent column, you discussed the difference between fee-only vs fee-based financial planners. Most of my retirement dollars are in an IRA with one of the better-known investment companies. One of the advisors with that firm has advocated for an annuity with a well-known insurance company as a component of my portfolio. So, does this affect the advisor’s status of fee-only vs fee-based, or is this person to be only on the fee-based side of the equation? Or am I just confused?

Answer: You’re confused because it’s confusing — deliberately so. Many investment companies, including the better known ones, don’t make it clear that their advisors do not have to put your best interests first. Most are held to a lower “suitability” standard that allows them to recommend an investment that isn’t as good as the alternatives, simply because it pays them a higher commission.

If you want an advisor that puts your interests ahead of their own, seek out a fee-only financial planner — one who only accepts fees paid by clients rather than commissions and other incentives. This advisor should be a fiduciary, meaning the advisor is required to put your best interests first. The advisor must be willing to state, in writing, that they will put your interests ahead of their own.

It’s especially important to check with such a fiduciary advisor before purchasing an annuity, since these are complex products with potentially significant downsides that could be glossed over by someone who’s being paid to sell you one. An annuity could be the right fit for you, or it could be an expensive mistake. Get an objective review from a fiduciary before you buy one.

Filed Under: Financial Advisors, Q&A Tagged With: financial advisors, follow up, q&a

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

June 23, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: How to bank when you can’t go to the bank. Also in the news: Don’t fall for COVID-19 student loan relief scams, file your claim in the Yahoo data breach settlement by July 20, and how to hire a financial advisor who won’t rip you off.

How to Bank When You Can’t Go to the Bank
The pandemic has made in-person banking complicated.

Don’t Fall for COVID-19 Student Loan Relief Scams
Scammers are charging for free information.

File Your Claim in the Yahoo Data Breach Settlement by July 20
But don’t get too excited about the amount.

How to Hire a Financial Advisor Who Won’t Rip You Off
Trusting the right advisor.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: banking, Coronavirus, financial advisors, scams, Student Loans, Yahoo data breach settlement

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