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Frequent trading (short-term)in 401K or IRA, what is the rate of tax?


I have both 401K and IRA accounts and I typically hold a stock or mutual fund in these accounts for about 2 to 6 months, then sell them and buy another stock or mutual fund (I don't take cash out, just exchange them within the accounts). I understand that in regular investment account, capital gains are taxed at 15% if you hold the stock or mutual fund for longer than 1 year, and 35% if you hold them less than 1 year. My concern is that the way I exchange (buy and sell) stocks/mutual fund within 6 months of owning them, is there a disadvantage in terms of tax vs. holding them for longer period of time?

Inside an IRA or a 401K, there are no tax consequences to trading stocks until a distribution is made (and then, its only on the distribution). So if you invest in individual stocks and hold them for the term of your account or if you buy and sell everyday, then there is no tax consequences. You pay income tax on both accounts when you take a distribution.

If you were to hold a Roth IRA or Roth 401k, there would be no income tax consequences on distributions in most cases.

So buy and sell to your heart's content but be aware that commissions are taking a chunk of your profits with every trade. Also that losses are difficult to make up in these accounts since you have limited ability to contribute to them.

Also, many mutual funds charge a redemption fee which kicks in if you buy and sell within 6 months so beware of those fees as well.

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