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Well that may actually happen but not related to our discussion so far. BIAWX had a not so great performance in 2025 and has been struggling. I did sell a few shares prior to the distribution to fund another position and may sell a few more to add to CGIC. But more importantly Brown Advisory has also created an ETF version of this fund BASG which would be easier (cheaper) to add to should they regain their footing. Just watching for a while longer.
I would look at Brown Advisory BAEF Flexible Equity, unless you are committed to the ESG mandate. The usual definitions are so broad you can drive a truck through it. . Lot less tech in BAEF
Given the headlines about AI , data centers vacuuming up power and water, recent suit against MSFT partner OpenAI for contributing to homicides I would not think there is much ESG here.
BASG is 25% MSFT NVDA AMZN
Other Brown funds are worth a good look too. They have a pretty wide coverage with many decent funds.
A few of my growth funds did too. I am planning now to up my January estimated tax payment to avoid a penalty, as I liquidated an inherited IRA this year also.
I am planning now to up my January estimated tax payment to avoid a penalty, as I liquidated an inherited IRA this year also
The IRS doesn't look favorably on unequal, backloaded payments. Though it's always happy to get its money early if one wants to frontload estimated payments.
Hopefully it won't care and you might wait and see. Or you could file a Form 2210 Schedule AI. The AI is for "annualized income". It's a way to tell the IRS that you made timely estimates - paying larger quarterly estimates when you had larger quarterly income.
The schedule is tedious because you need to look through your records to break your income up into quarters. I did this in a few years when I had outsized income, usually in the last quarter.
"Quarter" doesn't actually mean three month periods. For this purpose, a "quarter" means Jan-Mar, Apr-May, June-Aug, Sept-Dec.
I am planning now to up my January estimated tax payment to avoid a penalty, as I liquidated an inherited IRA this year also
The IRS doesn't look favorably on unequal, backloaded payments. Though it's always happy to get its money early if one wants to frontload estimated payments.
Is there anyone remaining at the IRS to be looking anyway, these days?
Perhaps Schedule AI also stands for "artificial intelligence". The simple stuff (computing penalties is pretty simple) has been done by computers for decades.
Getting someone real to talk to when the machines make a mistake - that's a whole different problem.
@msf Thanks, as always, for the excellent info. You may have saved me some aggravation/consternation trying to change things. I'll do a little Googling.
As I paid the first three on the regular schedule and the third one is already scheduled, I will do some research on the situation. No biggie, as I made other tax adjustments this year, like having my wife pay some tax from her SS. The last three years have been transitional. And, in truth, these cap gains are not anything new on an annual basis.
This is also a great reminder, as I had forgotten that.
The IRS website said it was acceptable to modify (increase/decrease), I entered all of the data, using my confirmation number. Then it said that the pre-filled (and previous) payment date was not acceptable (01-15-2026) and all other dates from now to the end of 2026 were greyed out. lol
Man, you cannot even give these people money! No matter, It amounts to small potatoes.
Thanks @msf. Great reminder to those of us who may have large capital gain in 2025. I have increased my withholding this year to meet close to 100% of the tax. Years ago we received large capital gains and we have to pay penalty due to underpaid amount. Since then we switched to index funds. Other tgan dividends, no more surprising capital gains.
The 2210 form/process is more forgiving than I thought it would be, when I spaced the Q3 estax payment last year and did the math on the form. I'd paid enough in Q1 and Q2 to (barely) meet the Q1-Q3 obligation.
Man, you cannot even give these people money! No matter, It amounts to small potatoes.
Also small potatoes, but something I've been doing for the past several years is paying by credit card. As the third party fees have come down (now 1.75% and 1.85%) if you pay by credit card (e.g. Fidelity 2% cash back) it's not hard to come out a french fry or two ahead.
This has the added bonus of getting a float for up to two months (if you make a payment early in your billing cycle). Note that payments are posted as of the day you make them - you can't schedule them for future dates.
If you have Chase Freedom Card, it's currently (for December) giving 5% cash back on Paypal transactions and you can use Paypal to make estimated payments. Though Chase limits the amount of cash back. Still, with 5% back (less 1.75% fee), we're past small potatoes, all the way up to russets.
@Derf. “ I believe ‘25 interest will be less.” Me too. So it’s take more risk or accept less interest income. Lucky for us our home and auto insurance, Medicare Part B premiums and heating bills have all gone down. And “groceries “ are cheaper too. So maybe it’s a push.
msf, i dont see any credit cards that pay more than 2% cashback on broad non-transient categories. too many avoid\delay paying in these high rate temporary offers, and it is very stressful wasting time on redress. (personal experience with amex and cap1)
"i dont see any credit cards that pay more than 2% cashback on broad non-transient categories."
I have two credit cards. The first one pays 2% cash back on all purchases. The second one pays 5% cash back on gas at Costco, 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging, 3% cash back on restaurants and travel, 2% cash back on Costco purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. I don't want to play games with varying cash back amounts on rotating categories.
The cards are Unlimited Cash Rewards (but 3% foreign fee), Travel Rewards (but cash back must be redeemed against travel and dining charges), and Premium Rewards (but $95 annual fee, with 2% base rate [up to 3.5% with Merrill balance] on travel and dining charges).
At BofA, travel is a very broad category, including touristy things like zoos and museums, and stay at home things like, well, home (HOA fees through a management company).
If you use Verizon, VZ visa is 4% on gas, restaurants, groceries ( most of my spending), not cash back but you get VZ credit off your VZ bill. Other than that I have 5% Amazon/Whole Foods, 5% Target card and 5% Lowes card and W Fargo 2% on everything else. If you use the Earnify app and have Amazon prime you get off .10/gallon with occasional off .25/gallon. I like Earnify because I never have to use credit card at pump. Just tell Earnify what pump number you're on and it unlocks the pump and adjusts price. Only good at BP, Aamco and I can't remember others. I used to have Discover but dumped it as it was annoying having to sign up for different categories at different times.
Verizon's card looks good. But just as one does not squeeze some good funds into one's portfolio if they don't fit, this Visa card doesn't do much for my wallet personally. It would give me four bits or so on my FiOS bill monthly, but that hardly makes it worth the effort.
Cards that work for me:
I wanted at least one MC (for foreign travel backup) that I would actually use on something. Citi's Custom Cash fits that need. I use it exclusively for groceries (5%).
US Bank Visa (4%) for transit systems and cabs, and for gas; BofA custom cash (5.25%) for online purchases and streaming services, and 3.5% at Costco; and BofA premium rewards for most everything else - 3.5% on dining and travel, and 2.625% generally. Sure it costs me $95/yr, but I more than make that up with the higher cashback rates.
Discover and Chase Freedom rotating categories sometimes fill in a gap. Like 5% back on Paypal to pay taxes (if the calendar timing is right). Otherwise they stay in my drawer.
Comments
Given the headlines about AI , data centers vacuuming up power and water, recent suit against MSFT partner OpenAI for contributing to homicides I would not think there is much ESG here.
BASG is 25% MSFT NVDA AMZN
Other Brown funds are worth a good look too. They have a pretty wide coverage with many decent funds.
The IRS doesn't look favorably on unequal, backloaded payments. Though it's always happy to get its money early if one wants to frontload estimated payments.
Hopefully it won't care and you might wait and see. Or you could file a Form 2210 Schedule AI. The AI is for "annualized income". It's a way to tell the IRS that you made timely estimates - paying larger quarterly estimates when you had larger quarterly income.
"If you’ve already filed and received a penalty, you can amend your return by filing Form 2210 with Schedule AI and potentially reduce or eliminate that penalty."
https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/blog/tax-series-part-one-irs-form-2210-the-key-to-managing-fluctuating-income
The schedule is tedious because you need to look through your records to break your income up into quarters. I did this in a few years when I had outsized income, usually in the last quarter.
"Quarter" doesn't actually mean three month periods. For this purpose, a "quarter" means Jan-Mar, Apr-May, June-Aug, Sept-Dec.
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210
Perhaps Schedule AI also stands for "artificial intelligence". The simple stuff (computing penalties is pretty simple) has been done by computers for decades.
Getting someone real to talk to when the machines make a mistake - that's a whole different problem.
As I paid the first three on the regular schedule and the third one is already scheduled, I will do some research on the situation. No biggie, as I made other tax adjustments this year, like having my wife pay some tax from her SS. The last three years have been transitional. And, in truth, these cap gains are not anything new on an annual basis.
@rforno Good point!
This is also a great reminder, as I had forgotten that.
The IRS website said it was acceptable to modify (increase/decrease), I entered all of the data, using my confirmation number. Then it said that the pre-filled (and previous) payment date was not acceptable (01-15-2026) and all other dates from now to the end of 2026 were greyed out. lol
Man, you cannot even give these people money! No matter, It amounts to small potatoes.
Brown Advisory
BAEFFlexible Equity BAFEAlso small potatoes, but something I've been doing for the past several years is paying by credit card. As the third party fees have come down (now 1.75% and 1.85%) if you pay by credit card (e.g. Fidelity 2% cash back) it's not hard to come out a french fry or two ahead.
https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card
This has the added bonus of getting a float for up to two months (if you make a payment early in your billing cycle). Note that payments are posted as of the day you make them - you can't schedule them for future dates.
If you have Chase Freedom Card, it's currently (for December) giving 5% cash back on Paypal transactions and you can use Paypal to make estimated payments. Though Chase limits the amount of cash back. Still, with 5% back (less 1.75% fee), we're past small potatoes, all the way up to russets.
@Mark lol
msf,
i dont see any credit cards that pay more than 2% cashback on broad non-transient categories.
too many avoid\delay paying in these high rate temporary offers, and it is very stressful wasting time on redress.
(personal experience with amex and cap1)
I have two credit cards.
The first one pays 2% cash back on all purchases.
The second one pays 5% cash back on gas at Costco, 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging,
3% cash back on restaurants and travel, 2% cash back on Costco purchases,
and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
I don't want to play games with varying cash back amounts on rotating categories.
https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/preferredrewards/en
The cards are Unlimited Cash Rewards (but 3% foreign fee), Travel Rewards (but cash back must be redeemed against travel and dining charges), and Premium Rewards (but $95 annual fee, with 2% base rate [up to 3.5% with Merrill balance] on travel and dining charges).
At BofA, travel is a very broad category, including touristy things like zoos and museums, and stay at home things like, well, home (HOA fees through a management company).
Cards that work for me:
I wanted at least one MC (for foreign travel backup) that I would actually use on something. Citi's Custom Cash fits that need. I use it exclusively for groceries (5%).
US Bank Visa (4%) for transit systems and cabs, and for gas; BofA custom cash (5.25%) for online purchases and streaming services, and 3.5% at Costco; and BofA premium rewards for most everything else - 3.5% on dining and travel, and 2.625% generally. Sure it costs me $95/yr, but I more than make that up with the higher cashback rates.
Discover and Chase Freedom rotating categories sometimes fill in a gap. Like 5% back on Paypal to pay taxes (if the calendar timing is right). Otherwise they stay in my drawer.