UBS On-Air: Market Moves · Client Strategy Office

Top of the Morning: Raising cash - Sell or borrow?

·16 min·1 clip
Justin Waring explains how borrowing can let heirs inherit assets with a 'step-up in cost basis,' potentially forgiving all unrealized capital gains taxes.
UBS investment experts Dan Scanzarelli and Justin Waring analyze whether investors needing cash should sell assets (and potentially trigger taxes) or borrow against their portfolio. They present a detailed case study showing borrowing can be significantly more advantageous, discuss critical tax implications like the step-up in cost basis for heirs, and outline the risks, particularly margin calls.

As heard by us

A practical, numbers-first look at selling versus borrowing when cash is needed.

The piece frames tax-season liquidity as a straight choice between selling investments for cash or borrowing to stay invested. Dan Cassidy, Dan Scanzarelli, and Justin Waring keep the focus on the parts that matter: one-month SOFR, the 3% spread that is not fixed, the after-tax…

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Why you'd press play

You need a cleaner answer than sell or borrow when a tax bill lands.

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