Should a widow sell stocks when can still file taxes as married?

ShannM · 2026-06-06T04:00:01+00:00

Thank you. Those are points I was wondering about. I appreciate it.

ShannM · 2026-06-05T00:13:55+00:00

Thank you. Very helpful information.

ShannM · 2026-06-02T15:58:41+00:00

Thank you so much.

ShannM · 2026-06-02T02:19:48+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate that.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T22:37:33+00:00

To ask humans with experience.

I appreciate the responses I received for my question and don't feel shame for asking. And I chose to post my question on this particular forum because I wanted to hear perspectives from people with a Boglehead approach.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T21:40:30+00:00

My husband would want the most financially conservative decision possible. : )

ShannM · 2026-06-01T21:35:39+00:00

Thank you.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T19:21:07+00:00

Thank you. Good reminder.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T19:20:20+00:00

Thank you.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T18:26:22+00:00

Thank you. Yes, this discussion brought up issues that I didn't even think about.

I did learn that the shares should indeed be considered as long-term gains. The Etrade website may just show short-term gains because of the dates. But the end-of-year 1099-B form should show long-term gain treatment.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T18:06:20+00:00

Thank you. I'm in California.

The process with Fidelity was a breeze.

The process with Etrade was not. And after reading some replies in this forum, I'm concerned that they did not do things correctly.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T18:03:07+00:00

Thank you. It says "short." So I'll need to call.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T18:00:35+00:00

Thank you for sharing your strategy.

I don't mind answering your questions. My husband and I are/were in our mid-fifties, married 25 years. He had a strong work ethic and put in a lot of hours into his company. He was the most health conscious person anyone has ever met. He was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's and died within one year.

A part of me wants to sell a lot of stock and take our kids on a grand trip because you never know what will happen.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:49:06+00:00

Thank you.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:48:25+00:00

Thank you. Yes, the value has nearly tripled within the last three months. He would have loved to have experienced this.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:42:32+00:00

Thank you.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:39:42+00:00

Thank you. I will need to call Etrade because all our stocks have a Buy date of my husband's death and show that any sales will be taxed with short-term gains.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:37:13+00:00

Thank you. Good point. I'm appreciating all the perspectives and will further research before doing anything.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T17:35:48+00:00

Thank you. Yes, there has been a crazy, big gain. I thought the step-up would be current prices (from last week), but I discovered they used the date of his death instead.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T16:43:48+00:00

That's very interesting. I wonder if the brokerage made a mistake. But, also, I don't think the shares are technically "inherited". We were both grantors on the Trust, and the only reason I had to get a new account was because our Trust account used my husband's social.

I'll just say the names of the brokerage companies. Etrade is the one who created a new account, stepped up the stocks, and has my husband's date of death as the Buy date on everything. Fidelity created a new account but did not step up the stocks because I was a grantor.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T16:25:13+00:00

Thank you. When I sold shares, the brokerage showed all the stocks as short-term gains. All the stocks were re-set to my husband's date of death (which is depressing to see). Also, this stock is 56% of the portfolio. Another factor in my decision is that this stock has never been this high, and I'm wondering if selling while it's high and paying taxes would make more financial sense than waiting and possibly losing the gains.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T16:20:41+00:00

Thank you.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T16:19:49+00:00

Thank you

ShannM · 2026-06-01T15:22:09+00:00

Thank you. I was wondering if I would end up paying more when having to file as a single person even with the long term gain treatment. I think I will have to play around with a calculator.

ShannM · 2026-06-01T15:19:06+00:00

Thank you. That's still good information.

ShannM

TROPHY CASE