Tax Playbook · Investment tax wins
Asset location
It's not just what you own, it's where you keep it. Bonds (taxed heavily) go in retirement accounts; stocks (taxed lightly) go in regular accounts. Same investments, smaller lifetime tax bill, zero extra risk — Vanguard estimates the trick is worth about 0.3% a year.
Good for: Anyone with both taxable and retirement accounts.
Learn the basics
Recent articles & guides
- Vanguard — when and how asset location matters (2026 research, ~0.3%/yr)
- Bogleheads — tax-efficient fund placement wiki
- Meira Wealth — tax-efficient asset-class placement
On this site
Related strategies
1031 exchangesSell a rental property and use the money to buy another one, and the tax on your profit waits — potentially fo…Municipal bondsWhen cities and states borrow money, the interest they pay you is free from federal tax (and often state tax t…I BondsI Bonds are U.S. government savings bonds that keep up with inflation, so your money doesn't lose buying power…Tax-loss harvestingIf one investment lost money, sell it and use the loss to cancel out tax on an investment that made money — do…Direct indexing & tax-managed SMAsInstead of buying one fund holding 500 stocks, you buy the 500 stocks yourself. Then whenever some dip, you se…QSBS: exclude millions in gainsOwn stock in a small startup? Hold it 5 years and you could pay zero federal tax when you sell — on up to $15 …
Browse all 97 strategies in the interactive playbook
Educational summary, not tax advice. Limits and rules change — confirm current law with your tax adviser.