Investing Information

Asset Location - Increase Investing Returns & Reduce Your Taxes


Location - Once the holy grail only for real estate investors is fast becoming the mantra for every stock, bond, and mutual fund investor. Experts and studies now recognize managing asset location is second only to asset allocation in determining the success of your investment returns.

Importance of Asset Location:
Asset location is a cornerstone to success for a simple reason. Taxable accounts differ from tax-deferred accounts {401(k), IRA and similar retirement}. Taxable accounts require you to pay income tax on every dividend and capital gain generated by your investments. This tax substantially reduces the amount of reinvestment and annual investment growth. On the other hand, retirement accounts defer taxes allowing returns to compound without penalty and at a substantially faster rate. Asset location refers to the optimal placement of securities between taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Good choices reward investors with long-term compounding and significantly higher returns. Poor choices, or more commonly, no choice, leads to below average results.

The effects are striking. Investors lose up to 20% of their after-tax returns by mislocating investments in the wrong type of account. So says a recent study from three finance professors Robert Dammon and Chester S. Spatt, of Carnegie Mellon University, and Harold H. Zhang of the University of North Carolina. The professors analyzed two asset classes, stocks and bonds, to determine suitability for investing within tax-deferred accounts. Their conclusion? Investors should keep equities in taxable accounts and bonds in tax-deferred accounts, to the greatest extent possible. Young investors stand the most to gain by following such advice. Three of the most powerful elements of investing -- dividends, deferred taxes, and compounding interest - combine for a staggering effect to retirement income.

Unfortunately, the typical investor never takes advantage of all three benefits. A recent Federal Reserve survey shows Americans invest their taxable and tax-deferred accounts with identical securities. People focus on individual accounts rather than their entire portfolio. They ignore the benefits of allocating investments among different accounts and wind up with several accounts all holding the exact same thing. To their detriment, nearly half of all investors own bonds in taxable accounts and stocks in tax-deferred accounts.

Why asset location works:
Tax efficiency is more important than ever. Two recent changes have driven asset location strategy. Last year's tax cut, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, slashed top tax rates on dividends from 35% to 15%. Those same dividends, however, would be taxed at the ordinary rate (up to 35%) when withdrawn from a retirement account. The new law further cut taxes on capital gains from 20% to 15%. Since most equity investments generate returns from both dividends and capital gains, investors realize lower tax bills when holding stocks or equity mutual funds within a taxable account.

Similarly, fixed-income investments (e.g. bonds) and real estate trusts generate a regular flow of cash. These interest payments are subject to the same ordinary income tax rates of up to 35%. A tax-deferred retirement account provides investors with the best possible shelter for such securities and their resulting profits.

Which investment goes where?
Fortunately, your asset location strategy can be relatively simple. Place highly taxed assets in the tax-deferred accounts first. Anything left over can go into the taxable accounts. From the academic study, the professors concluded with three general rules to help with the decision process. First, locate taxable bonds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and related mutual funds into tax-deferred accounts. Second, locate stocks and equity mutual funds into taxable accounts - even if you are an active trader and generate substantial short-term gains. Third, never buy a municipal bond until you completely fill tax-deferred accounts with taxable bonds or REITs. The combination of compounding and deferring taxes on the higher yields of corporate bonds is. If all this sounds a little overwhelming, just consult the table below.

Table 1: Asset Locations for High Returns and Minimal Taxes.

TAXABLE ACCOUNTS
-- Stocks
-- Tax-free or tax-deferred bonds (munis, treasuries, and savings bonds)
-- Mutual funds investing in stocks or tax-advantaged bonds

TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS (traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and deferred annuities)
-- Taxable bonds (corporates, zeroes, TIPS, and high yields)
-- REITS (Real Estate Investment Trusts)
-- Mutual funds investing in taxable bonds or REITS

Two exceptions are worth noting. First, qualified distributions from Roth IRAs are tax free. Generally speaking, place assets with the greatest potential for returns inside a Roth. Second, if a 401(k) or IRA holds all (or nearly all) your investment money, throw this article away and focus only on asset allocation.

Summary:
You, as an informed investor, can take control over taxes and related expenses to your investment returns. Allocate your investments to reduce risk and increase returns. Locate your investments by managing all your accounts to minimize the tax drag on your financial returns.

Tim Olson

TheAssetAdvisor.com

Mr. Olson is the editor of The Asset Advisor, a financial investment service providing proven strategies for no-load mutual fund investors. He brings 26 years of education and experience from Stanford University, Ernst & Young financial consulting, personal wealth management, and venture capital investing.

Subscribe to our free newsletter

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Facebook's stock debut shows not all investors are equal
Los Angeles Times
Distrust of the stock market sharpens as word spreads that big investors and wealthy clients of Wall Street giants had received warnings about Facebook that smaller investors had not. People peer in through the windows of the Nasdaq Stock Market in New ...
Facebook's bungled IPO ticks off small investorsmsnbc.com (blog)
Facebook flop hurts small investors' trust in stocksReuters
Facebook: A Lesson in IPO InvestingHispanicBusiness.com
Seeking Alpha
all 5,273 news articles »


Pala Announces Completion of Investment in Asian Mineral Resources Limited
MarketWatch (press release)
TORONTO, ONTARIO, May 25, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- In furtherance to its press releases of March 1, 2012 and April 4, 2012, Pala Investments Holdings Limited ("Pala") announced today that it has completed its investment in Asian Mineral ...

and more »


COLUMN-College investing the low-risk way
Reuters
So I've been employing an investment strategy to try to make up the difference so that tuition doesn't sink my kids into a loathsome amount of debt. The basis of our plan is that we invest our college funds in an age-adjusted 529 college savings plan ...
ScholarShare Announces College Savings Account GiveawayRetail Digital (press release)

all 6 news articles »


U.S. News & World Report (blog)

Investing in Alternatives
U.S. News & World Report (blog)
By Tim MicKey The adviser community has a better understanding of the potential advantages of adding alternative investments to client portfolios as a way of diversifying and, hopefully, further managing risk in client accounts.
11 Ways to Help Yourself Stay Sane in a Crazy MarketPatch.com
Saving needs to become a disciplined habitMontgomery Advertiser

all 3 news articles »


Stanford Investment Group, Inc. Hosted Presentation "Your True Legacy: It's ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Stanford Investment Group, Inc. hosted a presentation discussing the differences between men and women as it relates to money and investing. Mountain View, CA (PRWEB) May 24, 2012 As part of Stanford Investment Group, Inc.'s mission statement to engage ...

and more »


Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Invest Like a Pro
TheStreet.com
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- "You can make more money investing for yourself than you would investing in bonds or index funds," Jim Cramer reminded his "Mad Money" viewers Friday, devoting the entire show to helping home gamers become better investors.

and more »


Advisor.ca

REPEAT: BMO InvestorLine Addresses Four Online Investing Myths
MarketWatch (press release)
However, as widespread and convenient as online investing has become, a few myths still persist. "Despite the increasing popularity of online investing, a few misconceptions about the platform remain," said Cesar Rainusso, Vice President, ...
Online investing popular, but myths persistAdvisor.ca

all 14 news articles »


Investors Love Rio: Why Foreign Corps. Are Buying Into Brazil's Real Economy
International Business Times
By Benjamin Reeves: Subscribe to Benjamin's RSS feed Investing into Brazil's booming economy has turned another page as foreign companies, especially Japanese firms, move from putting money into the nation's financial industry to buying into the real ...

and more »


Assembly approves bill targeting Iran investments
San Francisco Chronicle
(AP) -- The California Assembly has passed a bill that targets insurers for investing in companies that aid Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities. The Assembly passed AB2160 on Friday on a 57-4 vote. The bill now goes to the state Senate.

and more »


ThinkProgress

Goldman Sachs Investing $40 Billion More in Clean Energy
CleanTechnica
Not even a couple weeks ago, Mridul wrote that Goldman Sachs–backed firm ReNew Power Limited was investing Rs 6000 crore (over $1.1 billion) to build 1 GW (1000 MW) of wind power projects across India. Apparently, Goldman Sachs has much bigger plans ...
Goldman Sachs To Invest $40 Billion In Clean Energy: 'The Underlying Thesis ...ThinkProgress

all 54 news articles »

Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.