When you choose what type of account to invest in

We focus on taxes. Learn which combination of traditional, Roth, and taxable accounts—which are all taxed differently—may be right for you.

When we build your portfolio

We use ETFs. Exchange-traded funds are generally more tax-efficient and lower-cost than mutual funds, which is why we have an all-ETF portfolio. We organize assets based on taxes. Municipal bonds (which provide tax-exempt income) go into your taxable accounts, and core bonds (which do not) go into your tax-advantaged IRAs. High-tax assets belong in IRAs and low-tax assets belong in taxable accounts. For customers who use our Tax-Coordinated Portfolio™ feature, we automate this strategy, which could help increase your portfolio value.

When you make a deposit or receive dividends

We rebalance. Rebalancing can help protect your portfolio from market volatility, but doing it by selling securities can cost you in taxes. To help avoid this, we rebalance using deposits and dividends.

When you make a withdrawal or change your allocation

We show you the possible tax consequences. We'll help you to see the potential tax implications before you make a transaction. We work to minimize transaction taxes. To help lower transaction taxes, we sell your assets in a specific order—the ones with the lowest tax burden go first.

When a fund gains value

We help you maximize the benefits of charitable giving. To help you make the most of your charitable gifts, we enable you to donate your most appreciated shares directly through our platform. This helps reduce your portfolio's tax liability.

When a fund loses value

We tax loss harvest. When investments lose value, you can sell them to help offset the taxes that come with income and capital gains. For customers who use our Tax-Loss Harvesting+ feature, we look for these opportunities regularly, which seeks to help increase your after-tax returns.

Our goal is to save you more on taxes

We're always thinking about ways to lower your taxes. Unlike many investment managers, we automate advanced tax-efficient strategies, like tax coordination and Tax Loss Harvesting+ so you can save more throughout the year.

Your after-tax return is what matters.

Other investment managers may estimate your long-term returns, but they might not be factoring in a key element that could lower what you take home: taxes.

A calculator showing tax on the screen and a confirmed document nearby.

Every account at Betterment can utilize tax-smart features.

We use ETFs. Exchange-traded funds are generally more tax-efficient and lower-cost than mutual funds, which is why we have an all-ETF portfolio.

We organize assets based on taxes. Municipal bonds (which provide tax-exempt income) go into your taxable accounts, and core bonds (which do not) go into your tax-advantaged IRAs.

High-tax assets belong in IRAs and low-tax assets belong in taxable accounts. For customers who use our Tax-Coordinated Portfolio™ feature, we automate this strategy, which could help increase your portfolio value.

Our goal is to save you more on taxes

Your after-tax return is what matters.

Every account at Betterment can utilize tax-smart features.

Start investing today.