Should I own REITs in a brokerage account? (2024)

Should I own REITs in a brokerage account?

While some REITs offer the reinvestment of investor's dividends, the investor can't avoid the dividend tax obligations. REITs do qualify for the 20% pass-through deduction, but most investors will need to pay a large amount of taxes on REIT dividends if they hold REITs in a standard brokerage account.

Are REITs good for brokerage accounts?

Investing in REITs can add some diversification to your portfolio and give you access to passive income, liquidity and excellent long-term returns. However, taxes can be more expensive with REITs compared to other investment options, and there are still risks involved with the real estate market.

What account should I hold REITs in?

Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax dollars. As a result, you don't have to pay taxes on your withdrawals, including your REIT dividends. If you invested in the REIT outside of your Roth IRA, the dividends would be taxed as income. In many ways, investing in REITs in your Roth IRA is the ideal way to invest in a REIT.

Where should you hold REITs?

Benefits of Investing in REITs Through Your Roth IRA

First, you benefit from tax-advantaged growth — the dividends you receive will not be taxed since they are in a Roth IRA, which you fund with money you already paid taxes on. You can withdraw funds from your Roth IRA without paying taxes.

Is it worth holding REITs in taxable account?

Real estate investment trusts are a poor fit for taxable accounts for the reason that I just mentioned. Their income tends to be high and often composes a big share of the returns that investors earn from them, as REITs must pay out a minimum of 90% of their taxable income in dividends each year.

How are REITs taxed in a brokerage account?

Are REIT dividends subject to the maximum tax rate? The majority of REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income up to the maximum rate of 37% (returning to 39.6% in 2026), plus a separate 3.8% surtax on investment income.

What is the downside of buying REITs?

Risks of investing in REITs include higher dividend taxes, sensitivity to interest rates, and exposure to specific property trends.

What is the 90% rule for REITs?

To qualify as a REIT, a company must have the bulk of its assets and income connected to real estate investment and must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends.

How much of my portfolio should be in REITs?

Investors can benefit from allocating as little as 5% to REITs. Investor confidence in real estate reached unprecedented levels in 2022, owing to home price appreciation and higher yields for other asset classes, such as REITs, in low-rate environments.

How long should you hold a REIT?

REITs should generally be considered long-term investments

This is especially true if you're planning to invest in non-traded REITs since you won't be able to easily access your money until the REIT lists its shares on a public exchange or liquidates its assets. In many cases, this can take around 10 years to occur.

Does Warren Buffett invest in REITs?

Buffett has not shown much interest in real estate investing in the past. He and Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, actively dismissed it for many years. However, Buffett has recently invested in REITs as part of his passive income strategy. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

What I wish I knew before investing in REITs?

A lot of REIT investors focus too way much on the dividend yield. They think that a high dividend yield implies that a REIT is cheap and a good investment opportunity. In reality, it is often the opposite, and the dividend does not say much, if anything, about the valuation of a REIT.

Will REITs do well in 2024?

A favorable job market seems encouraging. Robust demand for certain real estate categories, such as that for data centers and need-based asset categories, is likely to keep the momentum going for REITs in 2024.

What should I put in my taxable brokerage account?

How do I avoid REIT dividend tax?

REIT Tax Overview

Dividends are tax deductible. At least 90% of net ordinary taxable income must be distributed and 100% is required to avoid REIT-level tax.

Do you pay taxes on brokerage account if you don't sell?

Many people falsely believe that any gains or income earned in a taxable brokerage account are not taxable until withdrawn, but that isn't the case. You'll pay taxes on brokerage account income in the tax year you earn it.

Are REITs good for passive income?

If you are looking to tap into a new source of funds for retirement, then real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a popular way to build a reliable passive income stream. REITs generate cash flow through rent or sales, and legally must pass on the majority of their profits to shareholders as dividends.

How do I get my money out of a REIT?

While a REIT is still open to public investors, investors may be able to sell their shares back to the REIT. However, this sale usually comes at a discount; leaving only about 70% to 95% of the original value. Once a REIT is closed to the public, REIT companies may not offer early redemptions.

What are the pros and cons of REITs?

The benefits of a REIT investment include liquidity, diversification, and passive income in the form of high dividends. The potential downsides of a REIT investment include taxes, fees, and market volatility due to interest rate movements or trends in the real estate market.

Are REITs safe during a recession?

REITs allow investors to pool their money and purchase real estate properties. By law, a REIT must pay at least 90% of its income to its shareholders, providing investors with a passive income option that can be helpful during recessions.

Do REITs go down in a recession?

REITs historically perform well during and after recessions | Pensions & Investments.

Can a REIT lose money?

Because you're smart, you may be asking yourself, What happens if the short-term interest rate goes up? Any increase in the short-term interest rate eats into the profit—so if it doubled in our example above, there'd be no profit left. And if it goes up even higher, the REIT loses money.

What is the REIT 10 year rule?

For Group REITs, the consequences of leaving early apply when the principal company of the group gives notice for the group as a whole to leave the regime within ten years of joining or where an exiting company has been a member of the Group REIT for less than ten years.

Do REITs pay dividends monthly?

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are an investment that offers steady income. There are a handful of REITs that pay dividends on a monthly basis. Some of the most well-known monthly dividend payers include Realty Income (O), AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC), and STAG Industrial (STAG).

Can REITs beat inflation?

REITs provide natural protection against inflation. Real estate rents and values tend to increase when prices do. This supports REIT dividend growth and provides a reliable stream of income even during inflationary periods.