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A signature loan is a type of loan that lenders can make without requiring any collateral. They’ll typically approve the loan based upon a person’s financials and credit scores — plus their signature on loan papers. This is also called an unsecured personal loan, a signature personal loan, good faith loan, or character loan.

Read on to learn more about signature loans, how they compare to other types of personal loans, and their pros and cons.

What Are Signature Loans?

Signature loans are unsecured personal loans. Unlike secured personal loans, a signature loan doesn’t require you to pledge collateral — an asset of value like a house or a bank account — that the lender can seize should you fail to repay the loan. Signature loans are approved based solely on the creditworthiness of the applicant.

Because the loan is unsecured, signature loans often come with higher interest rates than secured loans like car loans and mortgages. However, the interest rates for these personal loans are typically lower than credit cards.

You can use a signature loan for virtually any purpose, such as consolidating high-interest debts, a major purchase, or a medical emergency.

How Do Signature Loans Work?

A signature loan works in the same way as an unsecured personal loan. These loans are offered by many banks, credit unions, and online lenders. When you apply for a signature loan, the lender will consider a number of factors, such as your credit history, income, and credit score, to determine whether you qualify for the loan and what the rate and terms will be.

If you’re approved for a signature loan, the lender will issue you a lump sum of cash, which you will then repay (plus interest) in monthly installments over a set term, often 24 to 60 months.

A Quick Look at Secured Loans

A secured loan requires you to pledge collateral to secure the debt. For a car loan, it’s typically the vehicle that is being purchased with the loan proceeds. For a mortgage loan, it’s typically the house being financed or refinanced. If the borrower defaults on a secured loan, the lender seizes the collateral to recoup their losses.

Some personal loans are secured, while others are unsecured. Secured personal loans could have a savings account put up as collateral, as just one example. This strategy could be risky for the borrower, though, because it may tie up money meant to be used for living expenses or set aside for emergency circumstances.

A Quick Look at Unsecured Loans

A lender does not require any collateral on a signature personal loan, which is an unsecured personal loan. So should you default on the loan, you won’t lose an asset of value (though your credit will likely take a hit). However, an unsecured loan may be harder to qualify for and have a higher interest rate than a secured loan, due to the increased risk to the lender.

Common Reasons to Get a Personal Loan

Personal loans are versatile, with the borrower typically able to use the funds for any personal, family, or household purposes. Some common personal loan uses are:

•   Credit card debt consolidation Interest rates on credit cards can be high — the average annual percentage rate (APR) is currently over 22%. So you might use a lower-interest personal loan to combine credit card balances into one loan.

•   Home improvement projects Depending upon the size of the remodeling project, costs can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands — even tens of thousands. A personal loan can give the borrower the opportunity to conveniently pay for home repairs and upgrades.

•   Medical bills Unexpected medical expenses can quickly add up, putting a real dent in someone’s budget. Paying for them with a personal loan can often make more sense than using a high-interest credit card for that purpose.

•   Weddings From engagement rings to ceremonies and receptions, weddings can get expensive — and that doesn’t even include the honeymoon. Couples may decide to look into signature personal loans for weddings as a way to cover their expenses.

•   Moving expenses From moving supplies to renting a truck or hiring movers, the dollars can rack up, with a personal loan being one way to pay for the expenses.

Pros and Cons of Signature Loans

If you need loan funds fast, you don’t have collateral to pledge, or don’t want to tie up assets as collateral, a signature loan might be the right choice for you. Here are some of the pros and cons of signature loans:

Pros of Signature Loans

•   Funds disbursement is typically quick

•   There is no collateral requirement

•   Generally a wide range of loan amounts available

Cons of Signature Loans

•   Lenders may see unsecured signature loans as riskier than collateralized personal loans, so interest rates may be higher than secured loans.

•   Some lenders’ minimum loan amounts may be higher than some people need.

•   Short-term signature loans can be payday loans, which typically have extremely high interest rates and fees.

Signature Loans vs Personal Loans

A signature loan is a type of personal loan, specifically an unsecured personal loan. Each is approved based on the applicant’s creditworthiness, without collateral being a consideration. A secured personal loan, however, is not the same thing as a signature loan, since collateral is required to back up this type of loan.

As with other types of personal loans, online signature loan lenders are widely available, making it easy to compare lenders. Once approved for a signature loan, funds may be disbursed quickly, sometimes in just a few days. There are few restrictions on the use of the signature loan funds.

Signature Loans vs Revolving Credit

Signature loans are typically installment loans, with a lump sum loan amount repaid in equal installments over a set amount of time. Revolving credit, like a credit card or line of credit, works differently.

With revolving credit, you have access to a credit limit. You can then borrow money when you want to (up to your limit), pay it back over time, and borrow again as needed. You only pay interest on the amount you actually borrow, not the full credit limit.

What Are Signature Loans Commonly Used For?

There are few restrictions on the use of signature loan funds. One common use of a signature loan is to consolidate other, high-interest debt with the goal of either getting a lower interest rate or having a fixed payment end date.

Signature loan funds are also commonly used to pay for wedding expenses, medical expenses, or home renovation or repairs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Signature Loans Online

Signature personal loans are widely available online and can be good choices for people who don’t mind not having a physical bank branch to drive to for transactions.

Advantages of signature loans online include:

•   Competitive rates Online lenders can often offer competitive rates because they don’t have the expenses involved in maintaining physical branches.

•   Convenience It can often be quick and easy to apply online (no driving, no appointments needed), and online lenders often offer streamlined processes which may result in quicker approval times.

•   Different criteria Some online lenders might focus more significantly on a borrower’s cash flow and employment history, perhaps allowing for a bit more wiggle room on credit scores than a traditional bank would be willing to give.

•   Additional benefits Online lenders may also offer more perks to their customers than a traditional bank offers.

There are, however, disadvantages to working with an online lender vs. a bank you have an established relationship with. Some to consider:

•   No history As an established customer of a traditional bank, you may qualify for a reduced interest rate, depending on your creditworthiness.

•   Potential scams Not all online “lenders” are legit so you’ll want to be wary of unsolicited offers, and only enter financial information on official, secure websites. It’s also a good idea to research the lender’s reputation before giving them your personal information.

•   No face-to-face interaction Unlike working with a brick-and-mortar financial institution, you likely won’t have the chance to meet with an online lender in person. If this is something you value and desire in a lender, the online loan option may not be for you.

•   Potential spam If you contact a number of online lenders directly to compare rates, you can end up on their email contact list, even if you don’t choose to work with them.

💡 Quick Tip: Just as there are no free lunches, there are no guaranteed loans. So beware lenders who advertise them. If they are legitimate, they need to know your creditworthiness before offering you a loan.

Application and Approval Processes

Similar to an unsecured personal loan, a signature loan’s application and approval process is generally simple and straightforward.

Things to Look Out for When Getting a Signature Loan

It’s a good idea to review your credit report before shopping around for a loan. A free annual credit report can be requested from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. If there are errors or inaccuracies on your credit report, you can try to correct them before any lenders start the loan qualification process.

Credit reports don’t include a person’s credit score . However, you may be able to access that information through your bank, credit card issuer, or a reliable website at no charge.

When you’re satisfied that your credit report is accurate, you may want to compare lenders and consider getting prequalified. Many lenders will do a soft credit check at that point, which will not affect your credit score. You’ll be able to compare interest rates and terms from multiple lenders to find the one that works best for your unique financial situation.

Getting prequalified can give you a good sense of how much might be available to borrow, what the interest rate would likely be, and how that translates into a monthly payment.

Before applying, it’s important to know how much you need to borrow. You generally want to choose an amount that would cover the expenses at hand while trying to avoid borrowing more than necessary. Interest will be charged on the amount borrowed, not only the amount used.

When comparing prequalification quotes from different lenders, it’s a good idea to find out if there are any hidden fees, such as origination fees, late fees, or prepayment fees.

Typical Signature Loan Requirements

Each lender has unique application and approval requirements but may commonly ask for the applicant’s name, proof of address, photo ID, and proof of employment and income. After the application has been submitted, a lender will conduct a hard credit check to review the applicant’s credit report.

Besides checking credit scores, lenders like to see steady employment and enough income to meet expenses, including this new loan. Sometimes, having a cosigner or co-borrower might improve the chances of loan approval or help to secure a more favorable interest rate.

The Takeaway

A signature loan is an unsecured personal loan. It typically offers quick funding for a variety of uses, such as medical bills, wedding expenses, home improvement projects, or credit card debt consolidation. Though these loans typically have higher interest rates than secured loans like home equity loans, they can be a useful way to finance a variety of needs.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

FAQ

Are signature loans easy to get?

You typically need a good credit score to get a signature loan, since lenders want to be confident that you will repay the money.

Signature loans are unsecured, meaning you don’t have to pledge an asset of value (like a home or bank account) that the lender can seize should you fail to repay the loan. This raises risk for the lender. As a result, signature loans can sometimes be harder to get than secured loans like car loans.

Do you need a down payment for a signature loan?

No down payment is necessary for a signature loan.

What is the maximum that can be borrowed with a signature loan?

Lending limits will vary by lender, but you can often get as much as $100,000 in funding with a signature loan.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL-Q425-048

Figuring out just how much car insurance you really need can be a challenge.

At minimum, you’ll want to make sure you have enough car insurance to meet the requirements of your state or the lender who’s financing your car. Beyond that, there’s coverage you might want to add to those required amounts. These policies will help ensure that you’re adequately protecting yourself, your family, and your assets. And then there’s the coverage that actually fits within your budget.

We know it may not be a fun topic to think about what would happen if you were involved in a car accident, but given that there are well over six million accidents every year, it’s a priority to get coverage. Finding a car insurance policy that checks all those boxes may take a bit of research — and possibly some compromise. Here are some of the most important factors to consider.

How Much Car Insurance Is Required by Your State?

A good launching pad for researching how much auto insurance you need is to check what your state requires by law. Only New Hampshire does not require a car owner to carry some amount of insurance. If you live elsewhere, find out how much and what types of coverage a policyholder must have. Typically, there are options available. Once you’ve found this information, consider it the bare minimum to purchase.

Types of Car Insurance Coverage

As you dig into the topic, you’ll hear a lot of different terms used to describe the various kinds of coverage that are offered. Let’s take a closer look here:

Liability Coverage

Most states require drivers to carry auto liability insurance. What it does: It helps pay the cost of damages to others involved in an accident if it’s determined you were at fault.

Let’s say you were to cause an accident, whether that means rear-ending a car or backing into your neighbor’s fence while pulling out of a shared driveway. Your insurance would pay for the other driver’s repairs, medical bills, lost wages, and other related costs. What it wouldn’t pay for: your costs or the costs relating to passengers in your car.

Each state sets its own minimum requirements for this liability coverage. For example, in Pennsylvania, drivers must carry at least $15,000 in coverage for the injury/death of one person, $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person, and $5,000 for damage to property. The shorthand for this, in terms of shopping for car insurance, would be that you have 15/30/5 coverage.

But in Maryland, the amounts are much higher: $30,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 in bodily injury liability per accident (if there are multiple injuries), and $15,000 in property damage liability per accident. (That would be 30/60/15 coverage.)

And some may want to go beyond what the state requires. If you carry $15,000 worth of property damage liability coverage, for example, and you get in an accident that causes $25,000 worth of damage to someone else’s car, your insurance company will only pay the $15,000 policy limit. You’d be expected to come up with the remaining $10,000.

Generally, recommendations suggest you purchase as much as you could lose if a lawsuit were filed against you and you lost. In California, for instance, some say that you may want 250/500/100 in coverage – much more than the 30/60/15 mandated by law.

Recommended: What Does Liability Auto Insurance Typically Cover?

Collision Coverage

Collision insurance pays to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident with another car that was your fault. It will also help pay for repairs if, say, you hit an inanimate object, be it a fence, tree, guardrail, building, dumpster, pothole, or anything else.

If you have a car loan or lease, you’ll need collision coverage. If, however, your car is paid off or isn’t worth much, you may decide you don’t need collision coverage. For instance, if your car is old and its value is quite low, is it worth paying for this kind of premium, which can certainly add up over the years?

But if you depend on your vehicle and you can’t afford to replace it, or you can’t afford to pay out of pocket for damages, collision coverage may well be worth having. You also may want to keep your personal risk tolerance in mind when considering collision coverage. If the cost of even a minor fender bender makes you nervous, this kind of insurance could help you feel a lot more comfortable when you get behind the wheel.

Comprehensive Coverage

When you drive, you know that unexpected events happen. A pebble can hit your windshield as you drive on the highway and cause a crack. A tree branch can go flying in a storm and put a major dent in your car. Comprehensive insurance covers these events and more. It’s a policy that pays for physical damage to your car that doesn’t happen in a collision, including theft, vandalism, a broken window, weather damage, or even hitting a deer or some other animal.

If you finance or lease your car, your lender will probably require it. But even if you own your car outright, you may want to consider comprehensive coverage. The cost of including it in your policy could be relatively small compared to what it would take to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged or stolen.

Personal Injury Protection and Medical Payments Coverage

Several states require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments coverage (MedPay for short). This is typically part of the state’s no-fault auto insurance laws, which say that if a policyholder is injured in a crash, that person’s insurance pays for their medical care, regardless of who caused the accident.

While these two types of medical coverage help pay for medical expenses that you and any passengers in your car sustain in an accident, there is a difference. MedPay pays for medical expenses only, and is often available only in small increments, up to $5,000. PIP may also cover loss of income, funeral expenses, and other costs. The amount required varies hugely depending on where you live. For instance, in Utah, it’s $3,000 per person coverage; in New York, it’s $50,000 per person.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Despite the fact that the vast majority of states require car insurance, there are lots of uninsured drivers out there. On average, there are more than one in seven of them on the road! In addition, there are people on the road who have the bare minimum of coverage, which may not be adequate when accidents occur.

For these reasons, you may want to take out Uninsured Motorist (UM) or Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. Many states require these policies, which are designed to protect you if you’re in an accident with a motorist who has little or no insurance. In states that require this type of coverage, the minimums are generally set at about $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. But the exact amounts vary from state to state. And you may choose to carry this coverage even if it isn’t required in your state.

If you’re seriously injured in an accident caused by a driver who doesn’t carry liability car insurance, uninsured motorist coverage could help you and your passengers avoid paying some scary-high medical bills.

Let’s take a quick look at some terms you may see if you shop for this kind of coverage:

Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI)

This kind of policy covers your medical bills, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering after an accident when the other driver is not insured. Additionally, it provides coverage for those costs if any passengers were in your vehicle when the accident occurred.

Uninsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD)

With this kind of policy, your insurer will pay for repairs to your car plus other property if someone who doesn’t carry insurance is responsible for an accident. Some policies in certain states may also provide coverage if you’re involved in a hit-and-run incident.

Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM)

Let’s say you and a passenger get into an accident that’s the other driver’s fault, and the medical bills total $20,000…but the person responsible is only insured for $15,000. A UIM policy would step in and pay the difference to help you out.

Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP) Insurance

Here’s another kind of insurance to consider: GAP insurance, which recognizes that cars can quickly depreciate in value and helps you manage that. For example, if your car were stolen or totaled in an accident (though we hope that never happens), GAP coverage will pay the difference between what its actual value is (say, $5,000) and what you still owe on your auto loan or lease (for example, $10,000).

GAP insurance is optional and generally requires that you add it onto a full coverage auto insurance policy. In some instances, this coverage may be rolled in with an auto lease.

Non-Owner Coverage

You may think you don’t need car insurance if you don’t own a car. (Maybe you take public transportation or ride your bike most of the time.) But if you still plan to drive occasionally — when you travel and rent a car, for example, or you sometimes borrow a friend’s car — a non-owner policy can provide liability coverage for any bodily injury or property damage you cause.

The insurance policy on the car you’re driving will probably be considered the “primary” coverage, which means it will kick in first. Then your non-owner policy could be used for costs that are over the limits of the primary policy.

Rideshare Coverage

If you drive for a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft, you may want to consider adding rideshare coverage to your personal automobile policy.

Rideshare companies are required by law in some states to provide commercial insurance for drivers who are using their personal cars — but that coverage could be limited. (For example, it may not cover the time when a driver is waiting for a ride request but hasn’t actually picked up a passenger.) This coverage could fill the gaps between your personal insurance policy and any insurance provided by the ridesharing service. Whether you are behind the wheel occasionally or full-time, it’s probably worth exploring.

Recommended: Which Insurance Types Do You Really Need?

Why You Need Car Insurance

Car insurance is an important layer of protection; it helps safeguard your financial wellbeing in the case of an accident. Given how much most Americans drive – around 14,000 miles or more a year – it’s likely a valuable investment.

What If You Don’t Have Car Insurance?

There can be serious penalties for driving a car without valid insurance. Let’s take a look at a few scenarios: If an officer pulls you over and you can’t prove you have the minimum coverage required in your state, you could get a ticket. Your license could be suspended. What’s more, the officer might have your car towed away from the scene.

That’s a relatively minor inconvenience. Consider that if you’re in a car accident, the penalties for driving without insurance could be far more significant. If you caused the incident, you may be held personally responsible for paying any damages to others involved; one recent report found the average bodily injury claim totaled $29,700. And even if you didn’t cause the accident, the amount you can recover from the at-fault driver may be restricted.

If that convinces you of the value of auto insurance (and we hope it does), you may see big discrepancies in the amounts of coverage. For example, there may be a tremendous difference between the amount you have to have, how much you think you should have to feel secure, and what you can afford.

That’s why it can help to know what your state and your lender might require as a starting point. Keep in mind that having car insurance isn’t just about getting your car — or someone else’s — fixed or replaced. (Although that — and the fact that it’s illegal to not have insurance — may be motivation enough to at least get basic car insurance coverage.)

Having the appropriate levels of coverage can also help you protect all your other assets — your home, business, savings, etc. — if you’re in a catastrophic accident and the other parties involved decide to sue you to pay their bills. And let us emphasize: Your state’s minimum liability requirements may not be enough to cover those costs — and you could end up paying the difference out of pocket, which could have a huge impact on your finances.

Finding the Best Car Insurance for You

If you’re convinced of the value of getting car insurance, the next step is to decide on the right policy for you. Often, the question on people’s minds is, “How can I balance getting the right coverage at an affordable price?”

What’s the Right Amount of Car Insurance Coverage for You?

To get a ballpark figure in mind, consider these numbers:

Here are some points to consider that will help you get the best policy for you.

Designing a Policy that Works for You

Your insurance company will probably offer several coverage options, and you may be able to build a policy around what you need based on your lifestyle. For example, if your car is paid off and worth only a few thousand dollars, you may choose to opt out of collision insurance in order to get more liability coverage.

Choosing a Deductible

Your deductible is the amount you might have to pay out personally before your insurance company begins paying any damages. Let’s say your car insurance policy has a $500 deductible, and you hit a guardrail on the highway when you swerve to avoid a collision. If the damage was $2,500, you would pay the $500 deductible and your insurer would pay for the other $2,000 in repairs. (Worth noting: You may have two different deductibles when you hold an auto insurance policy — one for comprehensive coverage and one for collision.)

Just as with your health insurance, your insurance company will likely offer you a lower premium if you choose to go with a higher deductible ($1,000 instead of $500, for example). Also, you typically pay this deductible every time you file a claim. It’s not like the situation with some health insurance policies, in which you satisfy a deductible once a year.

If you have savings or some other source of money you could use for repairs, you might be able to go with a higher deductible and save on your insurance payments. But if you aren’t sure where the money would come from in a pinch, it may make sense to opt for a lower deductible.

Checking the Costs of Added Coverage

As you assess how much coverage to get, here’s some good news: Buying twice as much liability coverage won’t necessarily double the price of your premium. You may be able to manage more coverage than you think. Before settling for a bare-bones policy, it can help to check on what it might cost to increase your coverage. This information is often easily available online, via calculator tools, rather than by spending time on the phone with a salesperson.

Finding Discounts that Could Help You Save

Some insurers (including SoFi Protect) reward safe drivers or “good drivers” with lower premiums. If you have a clean driving record, free of accidents and claims, you are a low risk for your insurer and they may extend you a discount.

Another way to save: Bundling car and home insurance is another way to cut costs. Look for any discounts or packages that would help you save.

The Takeaway

Buying car insurance is an important step in protecting yourself in case of an accident or theft. It’s not just about repairing or replacing your vehicle. It’s also about ensuring that medical fees and lost wages are protected — and securing your assets if there were ever a lawsuit filed against you.

These are potentially life-altering situations, so it’s worth spending a bit of time on the few key steps that will help you get the right coverage at the right price. It begins with knowing what your state or your car-loan lender requires. Then, you’ll review the different kinds of policies and premiums available. Put these pieces together, and you’ll find the insurance that best suits your needs and budget.

When you’re ready to shop for auto insurance, SoFi can help. Our online auto insurance comparison tool lets you see quotes from a network of top insurance providers within minutes, saving you time and hassle.

SoFi brings you real rates, with no bait and switch.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOPRO-Q425-008

An unrealized gain or loss is the change in market value of an asset from its purchase price, before it is sold.

Investors usually need to pay taxes on their stocks when and if they sell them, assuming they’ve accrued a capital gain (or profit) from the sale. But there are other circumstances when stock holdings may generate a tax liability for an investor, too. This is important for investors to understand so that they can plan for the tax implications of their investment strategy. Knowing how your investments could impact your taxes may better prepare you for tax season and allow you to make more informed investment decisions.

First, an important note: The following should not be considered tax advice. Below, you’ll learn about some tax guidelines, but to fully understand the implications, it’s wise to consult a tax professional.

Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Stocks?

Whether or not you need to pay taxes on stocks depends on the specific situation. Typically, as mentioned, investors would need to pay capital gains taxes when they sell a stock — the sale of which triggers a taxable event. But broadly speaking, yes, investors need to pay taxes on their stock holdings. The main question and what investors need to figure out, is when do you need to pay taxes on stocks, and what other actions or incidences, besides a sale, could trigger a taxable event.

When Do You Pay Taxes on Stocks?

There are several scenarios in which you may owe taxes related to the stocks you hold in an investment account. The most well known is the tax liability incurred when you sell a stock that has appreciated in value since you purchased it. The difference in value is referred to as a capital gain. When you have capital gains, you must pay taxes on those earnings.

Capital gains even have their own special tax levels and rules. To get a sense of what you might owe after selling a stock, you’d need to check the capital gains tax rate – more on that below.

You will only owe capital gains taxes if your investments are sold for more than you paid for them (you turn a profit from the sale). That’s important to consider – especially if you’re trying to get a sense of taxes and ROI on your investments, with taxes taken into account.

There are two types of capital gains tax: Short-term, and long-term.

Short-term Capital Gains

Short-term capital gains tax applies when you sell an asset that you owned for less than one year, and that gained in value within that time frame. These gains would be taxed at the same rate as your typical tax bracket, so they’re important for day traders to consider.

Long-term Capital Gains

Long-term capital gains tax applies when you sell an asset that gained in value after holding it for more than a year. Depending on your taxable income and tax filing status, you’d be taxed at one of these three rates: 0%, 15%, or 20%. Overall, long-term capital gains tax rates are typically lower than those on short-term capital gains.

Capital Losses

If you sell a stock for less than you purchased it, the difference is called a capital loss. You can deduct your capital losses from your capital gains each year, and offset the amount in taxes you owe on your capital gains.

You can also apply up to $3,000 in investment losses to offset regular income taxes.

Tax-loss Harvesting

The process mentioned above – which involves deducting capital losses from your capital gains to secure tax savings – is called tax-loss harvesting. It’s a common technique often used near the end of the calendar year to try and minimize an investor’s tax liability.

Tax-loss harvesting is also commonly used as a part of a tax-efficient investing strategy. It may be worth speaking with a financial professional to get a better idea of whether it’s a good strategy for your specific situation.

💡 Quick Tip: How do you decide if a certain trading platform or app is right for you? Ideally, the investment platform you choose offers the features that you need for your investment goals or strategy, e.g., an easy-to-use interface, data analysis, educational tools.

Taxes on Investment Income

You may have taxes related to your stock investments even when you don’t sell them. This holds true in the event that the investments generate income.

Dividends

You may receive periodic dividends from some of your stocks when the company you’ve invested in earns a profit. If the dividends you earn add up to a large amount, you may be required to pay taxes on those earnings. Each year, you will receive a 1099-DIV tax form for each stock or investment from which you received dividends. These forms will help you determine how much in taxes you owe.

There are two broad categories of dividends: qualified or nonqualified/ordinary. The IRS taxes non-qualified dividends at your regular income tax bracket. The rate on qualified dividends may be 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on your filing status and taxable income. This rate is usually less than the one for nonqualified dividends, though those with a higher income typically pay a higher tax rate on dividends.

Interest Income

This money can come from brokerage account interest or from bond/mutual fund interest, as two examples, and it is taxed at your ordinary income level. Municipal bonds are an exception because they’re exempt from federal taxes and, if issued from your state, may be exempt from state taxes, as well.

Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT)

Also called the Medicare tax, this is a flat rate investment income tax of 3.8% for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for filers filing jointly. Taxpayers who qualify may owe interest on the following types of investment income, among others: interest, dividends, capital gains, rental and royalty income, non-qualified annuities, and income from businesses involved in trading of financial instruments or commodities.

Recommended: Investment Tax Rules Every Investor Should Know

When Do I Not Have to Pay Taxes on Stocks?

Again, this should first and foremost be a discussion you have with your tax professional. But there are a few situations you should know about where you often don’t pay taxes when selling a stock. For example, if you are investing through a tax-deferred retirement investment account like an IRA or a 401(k), you won’t have to pay taxes on any gains when you buy and sell stocks inside the account. However, if you were to sell stock in one of these accounts and then withdraw it, you could owe taxes on the withdrawal.

4 Strategies To Pay Lower Taxes on Stocks

If the answer to “Do you have to pay taxes on stocks?” is “yes” for your personal financial situation, then the question becomes how to pay a lower amount of taxes. Strategies can include:

Buy and Hold

Holding on to stocks long enough for dividends to become qualified and for any capital gains tax to be in the long-term category because they are typically taxed at a lower rate.

Tax-loss Harvesting

As discussed, utilizing a tax-loss harvesting strategy can help you with offsetting your capital gains with capital losses.

Use Tax-advantaged Accounts

Putting your investments into retirement accounts or other tax-advantaged accounts may help lower your tax liabilities.

Refrain From Taking Early Withdrawals

Avoiding the temptation to make early withdrawals from your 401(k) or other retirement accounts.

Taxes for Other Investments

Here’s a short rundown of the types of taxes to be aware of in regards to investments outside of stocks.

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds come in all sorts of different types, and owning mutual fund shares may involve tax liabilities for dividend income, as well as capital gains. Ultimately, an investor’s tax liability will depend on the type and amount of distribution they receive from the mutual fund, and if or when they sell their shares.

Property

“Property” is a broad category, and can include assets like real estate. The IRS looks at property all the same, however, from a taxation standpoint. In short, property is subject to capital gains taxes (not to be confused with “property taxes,” which are something else entirely. In effect, if you buy a house and later sell it for a profit, that gain would be subject to capital gains taxes.

Options

Taxes on options trading can be confusing, and tax liabilities will depend on the type of options an investor has traded. But generally speaking, capital gains taxes apply to options trading activity – it may be wise to consult with a financial professional for more details.

The Takeaway

For most investors, paying taxes on stocks involves paying capital gains taxes after they sell their holdings, or paying income tax on dividends. But it’s important to keep in mind that the tax implications of your investments will vary depending on the types of investments in your portfolio and the accounts you use, among other factors.

That’s why it may be worthwhile to work with an experienced accountant and a financial advisor who can help you understand and manage the complexities of different tax scenarios.

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FAQ

How much do you pay taxes on stocks?

How much an investor pays in taxes on stocks depends on several factors, including any applicable capital gain, how long they held the stock, and whether they received any income from the stock, such as dividend distributions.

Do you get taxed when you sell stocks?

Yes, investors do generate a tax liability when they sell a stock in the form of capital gains taxes. If the investor has generated a capital loss as the result of a sale, they can use it to offset tax liabilities generated by other capital gains.

How do you avoid taxes on stocks?

There are several strategies that investors can use to try and avoid or minimize taxes on stocks, including utilizing a buy-and-hold strategy, opting not to take early withdrawals, and utilizing tax-advantaged accounts.

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