Made a Lot of Money in the Stock Market This Year? Here's How to Lower Your Capital Gains Taxes.

Whenever you sell investments at a profit, you're required to pay capital gains taxes, the amount of which will hinge on how long you hold those stocks prior to unloading them. If you keep your stocks for a year or less before selling them, you'll be subject to short-term capital gains, which are taxed the same way as ordinary income. If you hold your stocks for at least a year and a day before selling, you'll be bumped into the more favorable long-term capital gains category.