Are you still reeling from the higher-than-expected tax shock? mutual fund payoutsFinancial experts advise that it is never too late to plan for future distributions in 2021.

Russel Kinnel from Morningstar, director of manager Research, says that distributions for capital gains in the middle-of-the year are rare, particularly during a bear market. And it shouldn’t be too heavy unless there is a major rally.

Kinnel stated that investors must still be proactive in order to secure the future, as “90%” of the work you can accomplish is done during the portfolio-building stage.

You may be exempt from taxes on dividends and capital gains if you have a 401(k), individual retirement plan, or a brokerage account. Your brokerage account may be taxable. This means that you could owe taxes on your annual activities. 

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JoAnn May from Forest Asset Management in Berwyn said, “I certainly take that into account when I’m creating portfolios for my clients.” When strategizing what to do with things, I keep in mind the taxability of assets.

If you have three types of accounts — brokerage, tax-deferred and tax-free — it’s easier to pick the best spot for each asset, May said. 

Bonds may not have as much growth, but they can be used to distribute income. They may also be suitable for tax deferred accounts like your 401(k). Investments that are most likely increase in value may be best for tax-free accounts like a Roth IRA.

May stated that if there aren’t three options for you, then there might be tax efficiency opportunities.

If you own a substantial bond portfolio you might need to open a brokerage account. But depending on your income, you may consider municipal bondsThese are able to avoid both federal and state interest taxes, as well as avoid any levies. 

There are other assets you should avoid when opening a brokerage account. real estate investment trustsREITs or reinvestment trusts must give 90% of the taxable income to shareholders. Mike Piper is a CPA who works at the firm named in Mike Piper’s name in St. Louis.

“If you must have it, then have it!” [funds]You want low turnover in tax accounts.” he stated.

Index funds and exchange-traded mutual funds typically generate less income than active-managed funds. typically have year-end payouts.

A fund that combines all of the above is a better investment for either tax-deferred accounts or tax-free ones. It attempts to make a complete portfolio. like a target-date fundThe – An age-based asset for retirement.   

Piper explained that all-in-one funds can contain multiple types of assets so it’s impossible to place certain parts, like bonds which generate income, in a tax-efficient location.  

He said that these investments limit your ability use tax-loss harvesting or to sell assets at a gain to offset gains. 

Imagine that your fund includes U.S. stocks along with international stocks. You can’t sell any portion of your fund if there is a decline in domestic stock prices. However, you might be able to recoup those losses if each individual fund you own has that option.

Excessive turnover may occur from the underlying fund, creating capital gains which could be subject to income taxes at regular rates depending on length of ownership.   

Piper said that they are not the best fit for taxable accounts.