What Tax-Advantaged Alternatives Do I Have? A strong savings program is essential for any sound financial strategy. We take Benjamin Franklin’s saying to heart, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and we save our spare cash in savings accounts and certificates of deposit. Investors who’ve accumulated an adequate cash reserve are to be commended. But as strange as it sounds, it is possible to save too much. Although this may not sound like much of a problem, it can be if you save too much of what you should be investing. You see, many investors simply put their savings into the most convenient and secure financial instrument they can find. Often, that turns out to be certificates of deposit (CDs). The benefits of CDs are that they are FDIC insured (up to $100,000 per depositor, per institution) and generally provide a fixed rate of return. Unfortunately, placing all your savings in taxable instruments like certificates of deposit can create quite an income tax bill. In an effort to ensure security, some investors inadvertently produce a liability. It’s a bit like turning on all the taps in your house just to make certain the water’s still running. Sure, you’ll know that the water’s still running, but a lot of it will go down the drain. The solution is simply to turn off some of the taps. A number of very secure financial instruments enable you to defer or eliminate income taxes. By shifting part of your cash reserves to some of these instruments, you can keep more of your money working for you, and turn off the taps that hamper your money’s growth. You can consider a number of tax-advantaged investments for at least a portion of your savings portfolio. One possibility is a fixed-annuity contract. A fixed annuity is a retirement vehicle that can help you meet the challenges of tax planning, retirement planning, and investment planning. Fixed-annuity contracts accumulate interest at a competitive rate. And the interest on an annuity contract is usually not taxable until it is withdrawn. Most annuities have surrender charges that are assessed in the early years of the contract if the contract owner surrenders the annuity before the insurance company has had the opportunity to recover the cost of issuing the contract. Also, withdrawals made from an annuity prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. One of the most popular tax-exempt investment vehicles available is a municipal bond. Municipal bonds are issued by state and local governments and are generally free of federal income tax. In addition, they may be free of state and local taxes for investors who reside in the areas in which they are issued. Municipal bonds can be purchased individually, through a mutual fund, or as part of a unit investment trust. Of course, income from municipal bonds and municipal bond funds may be subject to federal, state, or local alternative minimum tax. Also, if you sell a municipal bond or shares in a municipal bond fund at a profit, there are capital gains to consider. A number of other tax-advantaged investments are available. Consult with your financial professional to determine which types of tax-advantaged investments may be appropriate for you. Mutual funds are sold only by prospectus. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other information about the investment company, can be obtained from your financial professional. Be sure to read the prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest. © 2007 Emerald Publications Privacy Policy Securities, advisory services, and certain insurance products are offered through INVEST Financial Corporation (INVEST), member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org), a Federally Registered Investment Advisor and affiliated insurance agencies. INVEST is not affiliated with Prime Wealth Advisors. INVEST does not provide tax advice. INVEST Financial Corporation's Privacy Policy Important Consumer Information: This site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation or offering of any security and; 1. Representatives of a broker-dealer ("BD") or investment advisor ("IA") may only conduct business in a state if the representatives and the BD or IA they represent (a) satisfy the qualification requirements of, and are approved to do business by, the state; or (b) are excluded or exempted from the state's licensure requirements. 2. Representatives of a BD or IA are deemed to conduct business in a state to the extent that they provide individualized responses to investor inquiries that involve (a) effecting, or attempting to effect, transactions in securities; or (b) rendering personalized investment advice for compensation.