Subject: Re: Investment Advice to a Trustee
VT is a great idea, the least complicated.
If dividend taxes (by furriners) is a concern, then maybe 60/40 or 50/50 VTI/VXUS. You can't claim foreign tax credit for non-US dividend taxes for VT (< 50% non-US as of now), but you can claim foreign for VXUS.
Good point. I was going for the least complicated. The trustee will already have enough to do with managing taxes and distributions from three trusts. My heirs will likely be US based, though they have the option of UK citizenship also. I have both.
VT (Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF) is everything Buffett says about an S&P500 index, and more. It is hugely diversified, takes care of itself, even if the US does become less of an economic power, and for most of its holdings has lower single-stock risk than QQQE including the current Mag 7 stock most likely to blow up (i.e. VT owns less Tesla than QQQE).
What about Berkshire? Is Berkshire a good holding for my heirs? Under current tax law they will get a stepped-up basis.
50% Berkshire/50% the other thing?