<<ROTHs are the best for long term investment I know. Except maybe highly appreciated stock if you will be dying soon and someone will get the stepped-up basis.>>
but isn't a Roth better even for 'highly appreciated stock'...
for a Roth the taxes have already been paid before the appreciation occurs and I don't have to distribute the stock out of the Roth for 10 years after the death of the account owner.
for an after tax account, the stock gets stepped up at death of the owner, but the appreciation after the date of death is eventually subject to capital gains tax
if there is a highly appreciating stock, half in a Roth and half in a non-qualifying account and then the beneficiary sells out 10 years after the owner dies. For the Roth, there is no tax on any of the appreciation, but for the non-qualifying account, there would be capital gains tax on all the appreciation that occurred during those 10 years. right?
