Case studies
Real decisions, full math.
Each case study works through one common switching decision: what it costs in tax today, how the two paths compare after every tax is paid, and the return the new investment needs to break even.
Index fund → factor tilt
The real cost of switching from an index fund to a factor tilt
$200,000 with an $80,000 gain. What does selling cost, and how much does small-cap value have to beat the index by to make it worth it?
Read the case study →Mutual fund → ETF
Should you sell mutual funds for ETFs and pay the tax?
A 0.85% fund with a $50,000 gain versus a 0.05% ETF. Why the tax is usually 'early, not extra', and the case where switching never pays.
Read the case study →Tax-loss harvesting
When switching pays you: the math of tax-loss harvesting
A $20,000 loss, harvested. What it saves, what the lower cost basis takes back later, and why it usually still wins.
Read the case study →Advisor fees
Paying an advisor 1%: the real cost of leaving vs staying
$500,000 at 1% a year plus fund fees. What leaving costs in tax, how fast it pays back, and the transfer that may avoid the tax entirely.
Read the case study →Concentrated stock
Selling a concentrated stock position: what diversification really costs
$300,000 in one stock with a $240,000 gain. The tax bill, the price of diversification, and the return the stock has to beat.
Read the case study →Get the next case study
Worked examples of real switching decisions, with the full math. A few emails a month at most. Unsubscribe anytime.