”One free lunch, please.” Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

If something promises higher returns, it comes with higher risk — even if that risk isn't easy to see. And if something promises to protect your downside, it's usually charging you for it through fees, limited upside, or long-term lockups.

Today's headline from Ben Henry-Moreland fits that idea perfectly. "Why 'Downside Protection' ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)". 

After that, I'll answer a listener question about taxes & avoiding underpayment penalties from a surprise inheritance. Should they make an extra quarterly payment to the IRS to avoid penalties, or is there a smarter way to handle it? I'll explain how the safe-harbor rules work, and why a simple IRA-withholding trick can sometimes do the same job even better. 

Resource:

Article by Ben Henry-Moreland on Kitces.com: Why "Downside Protection" ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)

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