Tax diversification tips can help you position your assets more efficiently.
You may be familiar with the old adage: don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
The phrase is often used in reference to your retirement savings strategy, when you’re encouraged to diversify your investments across a variety of asset classes. While this approach can’t protect against losses in a declining market, it can be a good way to minimize risk.
The basket adage also is helpful when it comes to thinking about income taxes and your retirement savings.
“All your money is taxed in one way or another; that’s usually understood,” says Nathan Smith, Thrivent wealth advisor in Overland Park, Kansas. “But how and where you save it can impact when it will be taxed. Tax benefits you take early in life could impact your retirement strategy, if you don’t plan.”
Whether you’re just starting out, planning for retirement or already in retirement, there are several things you should know about income tax diversification*.
Tax benefits you take early in life could impact your retirement strategy, if you don’t plan.
The basics of income tax diversification
At its core, income tax diversification means that your investments are in a mix of accounts with different tax treatments—taxable, tax-deferred or tax-free. You also may hear it described as tax now (or always), tax later and tax never.
Creating a strategy can help you position the money you’re saving—or already have saved—to be more income-tax-efficient and potentially increase your total spendable income when you need it most.
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Tax now
The
“Everyone needs to have liquid money,” Lutes says. “Life happens—the car breaks down, a storm comes through, you become unemployed. This is your
Money in many of these accounts won’t fluctuate with the market, Lutes says, but for all of them, the money will be there when you need it.
- Bottom line: Gains on this money are taxed annually, but the contributions and potential gains are readily available for a rainy day.
Tax later
“For many Americans, the majority of savings is in the tax-later basket,” Lutes says. “It’s the easiest place for people to save.”
As you get closer to retirement, you may want to take a closer look at this bucket to determine how much taxable money you’ll have once in retirement and potentially take some steps to change it. The more taxable income you have in retirement, he says, the greater the
- Bottom line: In this basket, contributions and any potential gains are tax deferred, and the assets are generally earmarked for longer-term needs, like retirement and college funding.
Tax never**
“The gains you may get on accounts in this basket may not get taxed,” Smith says. “You won’t get taxed on them annually, and when you take the money out, you won’t get taxed either.”
For most people, the Roth IRA is the most obvious. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars and would not be taxed twice. And if you follow distribution rules from the Roth, earnings also would not be taxed, Smith says. However, you must have earned income to contribute to a Roth, and there are income limitations.
Roth IRA income thresholds
Filing status | 2023 maximum modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to contribute to a Roth IRA | 2024 maximum modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to contribute to a Roth IRA |
Single or head of household | $138,000-$153,000 | $146,000-$161,000 |
Married filing jointly | $218,000-$228,000 | $230,00-$240,000 |
Married filing separately | $0-$10,000 | $0-$10,000 |
- Bottom line: Funded with after-tax dollars, these assets generally offer preferential income-tax treatment on the accumulated value and its distribution.
It’s never too early or too late to begin considering your tax diversification options.
Common considerations
“It’s never too early or too late to begin considering your tax diversification options,” says Karen Birr, manager in Advanced and Retirement Consulting at Thrivent.
Traditional or Roth?
No matter your age, if you’ve got the option of a
“Based on current tax laws, the 30 to 40 years of potential growth that could come out of a Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA may be advantageous— you’ve already paid taxes on your contributions, and your earnings are tax free when it’s a “qualified distribution,” Birr says.
Extra dollars in a tax now account
Individual stocks
If you own an individual stock1 outside of a traditional retirement account, it is
Roth conversions***
If you’re planning to
Social Security
Your Social Security is taxed based on your income, Lutes says, so the more taxable income you have in retirement, the greater the
SECURE Act
The
“This change enables our older clients to have more years to accumulate assets and gives them more time to facilitate Roth conversions, moving more money from the tax-later into the tax-never bucket,” Birr says.
Estate planning
The considerations above reflect income taxes to the owner, and depending on your situation, you also may want to consider the impact on your beneficiaries. When
“Everyone’s situation is different,” Birr says. “The best strategy is to talk with your financial advisor, who will take into account your needs, wants and objectives, and the resources you have to meet your objectives. Together, you’ll consider your
Next steps
As you consider your options for tax-efficient decisions, consult with your