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Cryptocurrencies, or digital assets, have gone through a lot of turmoil so far in 2022. Since their high-water mark in late 2021, major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen dramatic pullbacks in prices. These pullbacks created a chain reaction in other areas of the digital asset market, which ultimately led to the bankruptcy of several crypto platforms - and a crash that wiped out the value of a few large cryptocurrencies.
Many coins have seen massive price drops since their all-time highs and have not recovered. As an investor, how should you approach crypto now?
Crypto basics & recent tumbles
First, a brief synopsis of crypto and recent major events:
The blockchain technology used to trade cryptocurrencies has been hailed as a game-changer for the future of currency. Users can "confirm transactions without a need for a central clearing authority," which democratizes access to the economy, especially for those who have historically not had access to financial institutions. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and other coins or tokens are simply an alternative form of payment known as digital currencies. While potential drives crypto's allure, so does speculation. And even though crypto has been lauded as "inflation-proof," its recent tumbles affect their market value rapidly.
SEE MORE Crypto in My 401(k)? In One Way It Makes Sense, But on the Other Hand …
One of the major events that occurred recently was the dramatic collapse in value of
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Editor's note: This is part six of a seven-part series. It dives more deeply into the second strategy for defusing a retirement tax bomb, implementing asset location. If you missed the introductory article, you may find it helpful to start here.
Most investors have heard of asset allocation, but asset location is another story - and it could help investors with large tax-deferred savings reduce their tax bills in retirement.
SEE MORE When It Comes to Your RMDs, Be Very, Very Afraid!
Asset allocation refers to how a portfolio is allocated to various asset classes that have different historical investment returns and standard deviations. The simplest example is a stock-bond allocation, such as a 60% stock, 40% bond allocation, which is a common allocation for retirees. But there are dozens of more granular asset classes that can be managed as well, for example, U.S. large cap stocks or international small cap value stocks. Asset allocation is critical to effectively diversify your portfolio and reduce risk.
Asset location is different portfolio management strategy: one that few clients I meet have heard of. Few financial advisers implement it as well. Asset location seeks to minimize taxes by placing different asset classes in specific tax buckets (taxable, pre-tax, tax-free).
Putting Asset Location into Practice
In a nutshell, here's how asset location works:
Typically, you want to place investments with low expected returns, such as bonds, into tax-deferred accounts.Place investments with high expected returns, such as small value or emerging market st
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