DiscoverRetirement Starts Today"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.
"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

Update: 2025-11-03
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If something promises higher returns, it comes with higher risk — even if that risk isn't easy to see. And if something promises to protect your downside, it's usually charging you for it through fees, limited upside, or long-term lockups.

Today's headline from Ben Henry-Moreland fits that idea perfectly. "Why 'Downside Protection' ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)". 

After that, I'll answer a listener question about taxes & avoiding underpayment penalties from a surprise inheritance. Should they make an extra quarterly payment to the IRS to avoid penalties, or is there a smarter way to handle it? I'll explain how the safe-harbor rules work, and why a simple IRA-withholding trick can sometimes do the same job even better. 

Resource:

Article by Ben Henry-Moreland on Kitces.com: Why "Downside Protection" ETFs Don't Protect Portfolios As Well As A Stock-Bond Mix (In The Long Term)

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"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.

"One free lunch, please." Why Buffered ETFs might not fit the bill.