5 Investing Moves To Consider Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s

The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve can be heavy with holiday spending. But it also offers investors a final opportunity to review their portfolios and complete certain moves before Dec. 31.

That doesn’t people should mean making changes only because the calendar is running out. However, it can be a useful window to address tax opportunities and review any year-end deadlines.

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Here are some investing moves worth considering before 2027 comes knocking.

1. Revisit Your Goals and Asset Allocation

Begin with the big picture, according to Paul Ferrara, senior wealth counselor at Avenue Investment Management. First, “Review your overall investment portfolio and assess whether your current asset allocation still makes sense,” he said.

If market performance has shifted your portfolio away from its target, or your level of risk has changed, rebalancing may be appropriate before year’s end.

2. Look for Tax-Loss Harvesting Opportunities

If you have investments in a regular taxable brokerage account, look at the ones you’ve already sold for a profit and any you still own that have lost value, according to Shanli Liu, a certified public accountant (CPA) and founder of FreedomFolio.

Selling some of those losing investments could help offset your taxable gains. If your losses are larger than your gains, you may also be able to use up to $3,000 to reduce other taxable income and carry any remaining losses into future years.

She shared an example of a client with $28,000 in realized gains from rebalancing and $35,000 in unrealized losses concentrated in two positions. Liu explained, “We harvested $30,000 of losses before Dec. 31, wiped out the gains, applied $2,000 against ordinary income, and carried the rest forward.”

Investors should be careful not to undo that tax benefit, however. Achim von Bodman, a certified financial planner and senior tax manager at Watter CPA, said tax-loss harvesting involves “selling losers to offset your gains.” But he warned against rebuying the same security, or a “substantially identical” one per IRS guidelines, within 30 days of the sale, “because your loss won’t count under the wash-sale rule.”

3. Adjust Contributions Before Your Final Paychecks

Workers should review how much they have contributed to workplace retirement accounts, and contribute as much as they can to their 401(k) plan through their final paychecks, “because that deduction can’t be recovered next year,” Von Bodman said.

The 2026 employee contribution limit is $24,500 for 401(k), 403(b), most governmental 457 plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan, plus a general $8,000 catch-up contribution for workers age 50 or older, according to the IRS. Workers ages 60 through 63 may qualify for a higher $11,250 catch-up contribution.

Note that contribution changes can take one or more payroll cycles to process, so timing is key.

4. Review Your HSA and Other Tax-Advantaged Accounts

Eligible investors should also check their health savings account (HSA) contributions. The 2026 HSA limit is $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up contribution for eligible individuals age 55 or older, Ferrara pointed out.

Unlike 401(k) contributions, direct HSA and IRA contributions for 2026 can generally be made by the 2027 tax-filing deadline. However, HSA contributions made through payroll may provide an additional payroll-tax benefit, making the remaining 2026 pay periods worth reviewing.

5. Make Sure You Have Taken Any Required Minimum Distributions

People subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) should confirm that they have withdrawn the correct amount from the appropriate retirement accounts, Von Bodman stressed. RMDs generally begin at age 73 for those subject to RMD rules, although some workplace-plan participants can delay distributions until retirement if they are still employed and do not own more than 5% of the business.

Most RMDs must be taken by Dec. 31, Ferrara said. The first RMD can generally be postponed until April 1 of the following year, but doing so may require taking two taxable distributions during that year.

A year-end portfolio review can uncover useful tax and savings opportunities, but a deadline alone should not dictate an investment decision. Prioritize moves that support your long-term plan and have a true Dec. 31 cutoff, then leave non-urgent changes for a less hectic time.

Editor’s note: Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Always consider your individual circumstances and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

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