Direct Indexing Is Taking Off...

Jason Escamilla, co-founder of ImpactAdvisor, who built his own direct-indexing platform for his ESG-focused and high-net-worth clients in California: It’s a long-term commitment to reap the compounding benefit of tax-loss harvesting, and it’s best for investors who will likely always have high capital gains to write off.

Investors who don’t have the long-term time frame to enjoy the tax benefits of direct indexing should stick to ETFs, Escamilla suggests.

Nate Geraci of the ETF Store says direct indexing is a better option versus ESG ETFs for those investors who hold very strong beliefs because the strategy is so targeted. “It does offer a very elegant solution to allow investors to express their personal preferences,” he says.

Evolution of Indexing | Direct Indexing

For investors in high-tax states with taxable-account holdings, direct investing allows much easier tax-loss harvesting, because he can trim individual stock holdings, rather than a basket of ETFs.

“You open up a wide range of tax opportunities,” he said, including moving appreciated holdings into donor-advised funds.

“The beauty of direct indexing is you can pick what your definition of responsible investing is,” Escamilla added

Direct Indexing | Advisors & ETFs: A Perfect Match?

There are two benefits to direct indexing: better customization and even greater tax efficiency. Being based in San Francisco with clients in the technology industry and residing in a high-tax state such as California, direct indexing makes a big difference, Escamilla adds.

“Direct indexing is an incredible product for a high net worth person who has professional support from a CPA and an advisor,” he says, noting direct indexing brings a level of complexity. “If you do direct indexing, you start to lose your ability to do your taxes on an iPhone app.”

...another way he mitigates tax hits is to use closed-end municipal bond funds. Escamilla watches for sizable discounts to occur, such as what happened in the March sell-off, which gives him a margin of safety for clients while adding alpha over time.