Roth vs. Traditional, and Other Vital Tax Topics - E53

Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors

  • Jan 28, 2024
  • 41:32
  • Full Episode

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a couple weekly articles from The Best Interest. Today we explore the intersection of two of the most important components of personal finances, taxes and investing and why you might save thousands of dollars off your tax bill.

Jesse tackles the topic of taxes from a few different angles: the most common mistakes in understanding taxes including tax brackets, how they work and why accepting a raise can't decrease your take home pay, the RRTTLLU framework of assessing investments and taxes, the "real returns" of different tax-advantaged accounts, and a deep-dive lesson in capital gains taxes.

Mentions:

Capital Gains Taxes 101: https://bestinterest.blog/capital-gains-taxes-101/

Roth is Better Than Traditional: https://bestinterest.blog/roth-is-better-than-traditional/

How Do Taxes Affect Stock Return?: https://bestinterest.blog/how-do-taxes-affect-stock-returns/

RRTTLLU: https://bestinterest.blog/rrttllu/

15 Minutes Saving $120,000: https://bestinterest.blog/15-minutes-of-math/

How Do Tax Brackets Work?: https://bestinterest.blog/how-tax-brackets-work/

Reddit Investing Question: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-9EB24Y-ow0yutfVoWICM4We9p4m9b7C4JRoqKI9G_c/edit#gid=0

More of The Best Interest:

Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog (https://bestinterest.blog/)

Contact me at [email protected]

The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Brief Summary

Jesse Kramer explains the impact of taxes on investing, tax brackets, and capital gains planning.

Key points

  • Understanding Tax Brackets. Many people misunderstand how tax brackets work, leading to incorrect assumptions about their tax burden.
  • The Impact of Taxes on Returns. Taxes can significantly reduce your investment returns, often by as much as 41%.
  • Roth vs. Traditional Accounts. Choosing between Roth and traditional accounts depends on your expectations of future tax rates.
  • The Cost of Assumptions. A quick math error and faulty logic can lead to a $120,000 loss.
  • Understanding Capital Gains Taxes. Capital gains taxes can be complex; knowing how they're calculated is crucial.
  • The Importance of Tax Planning. Capital gains tax planning is vital, especially for assets you plan to pass on.

Episode highlights

Tension

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