Does anyone have any thoughts about whether automated tax loss harvesting is worth the 0.15-0.25% fees that the robo-advisers charge?
Also, it's worth noting that Schwab is launching a free robo-advisor service early next year[0] so that may be the nail in the coffin for startups like Betterment.
[0] http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/03/us-charles-schwab-...
Thinking about it, basis points feel too expensive for something that's done entirely in software. I suspect competition from existing players will drive the price right down.
Yes, you get the potential gain on the difference in your net worth; consider it a loan from Uncle Sam to you until you need the capital. It's a much more minimal gain than it seems, though. The only real place I see tax loss harvesting being a no-brainer is in estate planning for money left upon your death.
I agree that in many situations tax loss harvesting isn't helpful and even in the best case it's not amazing but if over the long term it can be worth the 50 basis points that the robo-advisors claim then it might be worth paying 15-25 basis points for it.
Hearing about Schwab's entry into the market makes me think that I should at least hold off to see what changes an established broker makes on the robo-advisor market.
I feel like the services that tout tax-loss harvesting don't do a clear job of explaining that it's only interest free loan if your future tax bracket is the same.
For example, if you're going to be moving to a different state after the tax losses are harvested—say, from MA to CA—then that "interest free" loan will cost you ~5% (the difference in tax rates between those states).
Or, if you're just starting out in your career, and you're going to be in a higher tax bracket in a few years—about the same time that many would start looking at buying real estate—then it's again a cost equal to the delta in marginal tax rates (say, 3% or 8%, depending on how your starting salary compares with your salary 5 years into your career).
I'd love if Vanguard got into this market as well; although it seems like they already are, with their target date index funds. Admittedly, no tax-loss harvesting, if that's important to you.