Robo-advisors have democratized sophisticated investment strategies, and one of their most powerful features for taxable accounts is automated Tax-Loss Harvesting (TLH). TLH is a strategy where an investment portfolio’s manager sells securities that have dropped in value (a loss) to offset capital gains realized from the sale of profitable investments. This lowers an investor’s current tax bill, saving them real money. The leading robo-advisors have turned this complex, manual task into a seamless, automated process.

Understanding the TLH Advantage

For high-net-worth investors or those with significant assets in taxable brokerage accounts, the tax savings from TLH can often outweigh the fees charged by the robo-advisor.

• How it Works: The robo-advisor monitors your portfolio continuously. If a security drops in value, it is sold, and the loss is realized. Immediately, the proceeds are used to buy a highly correlated but different security to maintain your asset allocation and market exposure.