Have you sold stock for a loss in the last 3 months?

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Just curious.. I hold a few mutual funds and have done nothing but buy in the last 3 months. Anyone have some capital loss in the last 90 days?
 

senseamp

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,787
6,197
126
Yeah, just sold FCX to offset capital gains from earlier in the year... :(
 

TheoPetro

Banned
Nov 30, 2004
3,499
1
0
not in the past 3 months. In Feb I sold some for a ~10% loss on about half my portfolio. I have since reinvested all of that $ and I plan on sitting on my new assets for a year before I sell.
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
I ditched a mutual fund to reposition myself to better take advantage of future recovery. I'll get to claim a capital loss for the sale, but that's not the reason I sold it.
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.
 

snoopdoug1

Platinum Member
Jan 8, 2002
2,164
0
76
Originally posted by: TallBill
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.

Get a roth ira if you can. You put in post tax money, but you don't pay any tax on any interest earned. I have one through vanguard, it's very painless to setup online. Just make sure you meet the requirements...
 

senseamp

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,787
6,197
126
Originally posted by: senseamp
Yeah, just sold FCX to offset capital gains from earlier in the year... :(

Wow, that was good timing :) FCX just cut divvy.
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
7,098
0
76
Originally posted by: TallBill
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.

If you haven't maxed out your tax-sheltered retirement accounts yet, why are you investing in taxable accounts?
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Technically my software sells stocks for losses all the time(like hundreds of times a day)... but it also sells them for gains too ;)
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: TallBill
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.

If you haven't maxed out your tax-sheltered retirement accounts yet, why are you investing in taxable accounts?

Not enough education on IRA accounts, but several reasons. My retirement scheme is a bit skewed from the general public though. If I retire federally I'll only be 45 years old. The bulk of my "savings" right now was from tax free income anyways from when I was in Iraq. For 2007, my wife and I had like $1300 in taxable income after all deductions.

I actually wouldn't rebuy the same fund after looking at my portfolio. So I could sell off a few thousand of one mutual fund for a small capital loss and put it into an IRA for an even further tax advantage?
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
7,098
0
76
Originally posted by: Crusty
Technically my software sells stocks for losses all the time(like hundreds of times a day)... but it also sells them for gains too ;)

What software are you using/making?
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Meh, i fiddled around and just opened a Roth without selling anything. Like I said earlier though, I banked about $40k tax free while in Iraq. Also, I get $1470 tax free a month from my GI bill, so my taxes are really skewed.
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: Crusty
Technically my software sells stocks for losses all the time(like hundreds of times a day)... but it also sells them for gains too ;)

What software are you using/making?

All I can really say is that's it's custom.... :Q
 

imported_Lothar

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2006
4,559
1
0
Originally posted by: snoopdoug1
Originally posted by: Lothar
Does selling for a loss and repurchasing the same stock count?

That's a wash sale though?

Not for me.
I get to own the same great companies I own now at a lower price.
I also get a check back from the government while doing that.

The shares of LUK I bought earlier at $29, I sold for a loss at $22, and repurchased them at $13.
I did that for most of my other stocks.

I can carry those loses well into the future indefinitely and use them as a tax write off.
 

imported_Lothar

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2006
4,559
1
0
Originally posted by: TallBill
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.

You can't claim loss on Traditional IRA/401k accounts.
You can however claim loss on Roth IRA accounts but it will be an idiotic decision for one to make.
 

moparacer

Golden Member
Dec 10, 2003
1,336
0
76
I sold several funds in March and moved the majority of my money into CDs and Money market. I still have some left in a IRA in a target retirement 2030 fund through Vanguard.....I REALLY wish I had moved it to Prime MM in March like I did the rest but to late now......I will still contribute the max to my Vanguard IRA before April 15 and plan on moving back into equities with my cash on the sideline but to be honest I don't know when that's going to be right now....
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Originally posted by: Lothar
Originally posted by: TallBill
I actually don't have an IRA set up right now with Vanguard. My wife has one through her employer and I have a 401k through mine, but our annual contributions are fairly low. Should I sell $3,000 worth of a mutual fund and rebuy the same fund in an IRA account? What would my total tax implications be?

Edit - I'm actually going to call Vanguard on this and see what they say.

You can't claim loss on Traditional IRA/401k accounts.
You can however claim loss on Roth IRA accounts but it will be an idiotic decision for one to make.

Your reading = fail

Anyways, it's a moot point now.
 

Bill Brasky

Diamond Member
May 18, 2006
4,324
1
0
I moved my mutual fund to money markets to prevent loss. So it is possible for me to lose if I don't switch back in time. I don't think that counts...
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Originally posted by: Zaitsev
I moved my mutual fund to money markets to prevent loss. So it is possible for me to lose if I don't switch back in time. I don't think that counts...

In time for what? Why do people buy high sell low?