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Direct Indexing Anyone?

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AUTHOR: ostrichtacossaturn7593 on 5/10/2026

Do any HumbleDollar readers use direct indexing? (If you have to ask what that is, you are not likely using this.) If you are either using this relatively new financial tool, or if you seriously considered it and made a reasoned decision not to use it, I’d appreciate hearing from you.

My personal situation is an overallocation to cash (55%) caused primarily by selling out of a low-basis ETF that created an overconcentration in tech stocks. As we continue to sell out of that position while considering retirement in the next few years, we have the opportunity to direct index and harvest capital losses to offset additional capital gains.

I have an annual membership (free in 1st year) with Range Investments that offers direct investing at 12 -22 basis points, which will likely continue to drop in price in future years. It’s very tempting to get the loss-harvesting benefits in the first several years of this strategy, but the continuing drag of the slightly higher basis points in later years – in comparison to total market ETFs at 3 – 5 basis points – is giving me some pause.

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William Perry
5 hours ago

I also have not personally used direct indexing but I was exposed to 1040 tax clients who did.

Clients liked the tax savings in the early years after they first adopted such a direct indexing program.

What clients did not like –

  • that the direct indexing benefit quickly deteriorates over time
  • the additional fees associated with the direct indexing program
  • the choice of feeling of being stuck with a particular broker or leaving and having hundreds of the individual stock positions distributed to them
  • the potential or actual additional tax preparation cost for reporting the hundreds of sales on their 1040
  • headaches when changing to another broker when the basis of hundreds of stock positions do not easily transfer
  • headaches when the client dies and the beneficiaries have hundreds of stock positions that have their basis changed to the fair market value at date of death and if not a single beneficiary the basis has to be split among multiple beneficiaries

I see tax direct indexing as a unneeded complexity best to avoid.

Just my thoughts.
Bill

Michael1
3 hours ago
Reply to  William Perry

I’m glad this question was asked so you could answer it. I’ll steer clear.

1PF
10 hours ago

There have been a few HumbleDollar posts; search for, e.g.,

“Going Direct” by Phil Kernen (Aug 23, 2021)

“Build Your Own?” by Mike Zaccardi (Oct 10, 2021)

“One Stock at a Time” by Adam Grossman (Feb 16, 2025)

“Tax Efficient Investing for Retirees with High Net Worth: Direct Indexing?” by R L (May 8, 2025)

Last edited 10 hours ago by 1PF
Edmund Marsh
10 hours ago

I haven’t used direct indexing, but Adam Grossman wrote this article about the topic:

https://humbledollar.com/2025/02/one-stock-at-a-time/

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