The wash-sale rule can turn what looks like a smart tax move into a missed deduction if you repurchase the same or a substantially identical investment too quickly. Learn how the rule works so you can avoid surprises and make better tax-loss harvesting decisions.

Tax-loss harvesting lets investors turn market downturns into a potential tax benefit by selling losing investments and using those losses to offset taxable gains. Done carefully, it can lower your tax bill while keeping your long-term investment plan on track.