As TDIF switches to mostly bonds in retirement you will be taxed at a higher bracket aka the regular income instead of the lower “long term capital gains” bracket.
Is there a simple way to bypass this?
Inside a tax-advantaged account (IRA, 401k, SEP, 403b, etc) this won’t matter as they’re not taxed in that way.
If you’re holding a TDIF in a taxable account, not that I know of… but taxes vary on a zillion different things, so this isn’t something I’d spend a lot of time worrying about. As they say “don’t let the tail wag the dog”. Get your asset allocation right first, then optimize for taxes second. It may very well be by the time you’re in this situation the laws have changed to capital gains rates are locked to income rates, making the point moot. Or your income will be low in retirement so you won’t be taxed at all, or who knows! And as you accumulate wealth and approach that date, you can always work with a tax planner to make changes as needed.
Thank you Jeremy! I do have a TDIF in a brokerage and was wondering about the tax implications.