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Got Your Tax Refund? 9 Smart Things to Do With It

The Motley Fool

Image source: The Motley Fool/Upsplash As of late February, the average tax refund issued by the IRS this filing season was $3,213. But no matter what refund you get on your taxes , it's important to make the most of that money. Read more: we researched free tax software and put together a list of the best options here 2.

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You Can Outperform 98% of Professional Fund Managers by Using This Simple Investment Strategy

The Motley Fool

Professional fund managers are extremely smart, highly educated, hard-working, and ultra-competitive. You don't need an MBA or to work 80 hours a week studying the markets. Here's why it's so hard for the professionals to outperform the market S&P Global publishes its SPIVA (S&P Indexes Versus Active) scorecard twice a year.

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Want to Outperform 98% of Professional Mutual Fund Managers? Buy This 1 Investment and Hold It Forever.

The Motley Fool

Professional fund managers tend to be highly educated, hard-working, and extremely smart. The strategy will produce after-tax returns better than about 98% of actively managed mutual funds over the long run. Whenever you sell an investment, you have to pay taxes on any gains you earned from that investment, called capital gains.

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Warren Buffett Just Cut Half of Berkshire Hathaway's Stake in Apple. Why?

The Motley Fool

There's no clear answer to that question, but I can make several educated guesses, based on Buffett's past behavior and Berkshire's historical patterns. Buffett was referring to talk in Washington about the capital gains tax rate going up, though there are no specific plans to raise it. And Apple stock has gotten expensive.

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The No-Brainer Retirement Account I'd Choose Way Before a 401(k)

The Motley Fool

You contribute after-tax dollars to a Roth IRA, but withdrawals are free in retirement if you meet other requirements. Money received can also be counted toward your annual income, increasing your tax bill. The downside is that the options are often very limited compared to your choices in the general stock market.

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4 Harmful Myths About Saving for Retirement

The Motley Fool

There's always an early withdrawal penalty with IRAs and 401(k)s IRAs and 401(k)s are tax-advantaged retirement accounts. They offer tax benefits you don't get with regular brokerage accounts. The tradeoff for the tax savings is that you need to wait until age 59 1/2 to make withdrawals, as there's a 10% penalty for early withdrawals.

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How to Build a Million-Dollar Retirement If You've Already Turned 50

The Motley Fool

However, with discipline, consistency, and education, you still have a shot at getting closer to the million-dollar mark before you hang up your working shoes. Many employers offer retirement plans like a 401(k) to help you save in a tax-advantaged way. Many Americans believe they'll need $1.46