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Topic
Taxes
22 guides in Finabase Learn
- 401(k) plan A US employer-sponsored retirement plan that lets workers contribute part of their pay before tax or as Roth, often with a match.
- Capital gain The profit from selling an asset for more than its cost basis; in the US it is taxed differently for short and long holdings.
- Capital gains tax on stocks: 2026 rates, holding periods and basis How US federal tax treats stock and fund gains in 2026: short- versus long-term, the 0%, 15% and 20% thresholds, the 3.8% NIIT, cost basis methods and loss limits.
- Capital loss The loss from selling an asset for less than its cost basis, which can offset capital gains for US tax purposes.
- Cost Basis The original value of an investment for tax purposes, usually the purchase price plus fees, used to compute gains and losses.
- ETFs vs. mutual funds: costs, taxes, trading and which fits A side-by-side guide to ETFs and mutual funds: how each is priced and traded, what each costs, why ETFs are usually more tax-efficient, and the new ETF share classes.
- Fiscal vs monetary policy: who controls which lever How fiscal policy (taxes, spending, borrowing) and monetary policy (the Fed’s rates and balance sheet) differ, how they interact, and what 2020–2026 shows.
- Holding period How long an investment is owned; in the US, assets held more than one year qualify for long-term capital gains rates.
- How dividends and interest are taxed: qualified, ordinary, muni How US federal tax treats dividends and interest in 2026: qualified vs ordinary dividends, the 60-day holding test, Forms 1099-DIV and 1099-INT, and muni bonds.
- Individual retirement account (IRA) A US tax-advantaged retirement account opened by an individual, in traditional (pre-tax) or Roth (after-tax) form.
- Long-term capital gain A US capital gain on an asset held more than one year, taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% depending on taxable income.
- Lot A quantity of shares bought at one time and price; a round lot is 100 shares, and tax lots track each purchase's cost basis.
- Municipal bond A bond issued by a US state, city or other local government, whose interest is often exempt from federal income tax.
- Rebalancing a portfolio: calendar vs threshold, drift and taxes Why a portfolio drifts away from its target mix, how calendar and threshold rebalancing work, what 23 years of SPY/AGG data show, and how to rebalance tax-efficiently.
- Retirement accounts explained: 401(k), IRA, Roth and 2026 limits How US retirement accounts work in 2026: 401(k) and 403(b) plans, employer matches, traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE plans, HSAs, limits, RMDs and penalties.
- Roth IRA A US retirement account funded with after-tax money whose qualified withdrawals, including growth, are tax-free; $7,500 limit in 2026.
- Roth vs traditional IRA: how to compare tax now and tax later A worked comparison of Roth and traditional IRAs for 2026: the after-tax math, income phase-outs, deduction limits, the five-year rules and Roth conversions.
- Short-term capital gain A profit on an investment held one year or less, taxed in the US at ordinary income rates rather than the lower long-term capital gains rates.
- Tax-loss harvesting Selling investments at a loss to offset taxable gains and up to $3,000 of ordinary income, while staying invested and avoiding the wash-sale rule.
- Tax-loss harvesting: how it works, the wash-sale rule and its limits How tax-loss harvesting offsets gains and up to $3,000 of income under 2026 US federal rules, with worked examples, the wash-sale limit and the trade-offs.
- Wash sale A sale at a loss followed or preceded within 30 days by a purchase of substantially identical securities; US tax law defers the loss.
- Wash sale rule: the 61-day window, basis adjustment and traps How IRC §1091 disallows a loss when you rebuy within 30 days, how the loss moves into your new basis, and the IRA, options and 1099-B traps for tax year 2026.
Educational content, not investment advice. Finabase Learn explains how markets and tools work. It does not recommend any security or strategy, and examples are for illustration only. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Rules and figures are for the United States unless stated and can change — check the cited source before you act.