For clients looking for precise control over their portfolios, direct indexing strategy can be a solid middle ground between the mass-market ETFs and high-maintenance stock picking, said Eric Croak, president of Croak Capital. “Direct indexing is really just owning the pieces of an index instead of the ETF shell,” he said. “So instead of one fund that tracks the S&P 500, you hold all 500 companies, or at least enough to mirror its performance.” For Tushar Kumar, co-founder of Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors in San Francisco, it’s his fastest growing strategy for client portfolios. Direct indexing gives his firm a toolkit that’s flexible, tax sensitive and aligned with the circumstances and priorities of each client. It works best when the investor has the interest and resources to make it worthwhile, said Trevor Johnson, financial planner and founder of Dream Weaver Financial Planning “Direct indexing can be a powerful strategy for certain investors who want more control, customization and potential tax benefits than traditional ETFs allow,” he said. The ability to offset gains in other accounts or funds and then donate the appreciated shares is powerful, said Rob Schultz, senior partner and wealth manager at NWF Advisory. “With the costs and minimums, there is a compelling case for those in higher tax brackets and with charitable inclinations,” he said. One of the biggest advantages of direct indexing is automated and systematic tax-loss harvesting throughout the year, said Kumar. “The platform continuously monitors for opportunities to harvest losses, which research has shown can be more impactful than year-end-only strategies,” he said. The ability to tax-loss harvest individual “losers” is a huge advantage, said Croak. What draws Jon Wingent, principal at Cerity Partners, to direct indexing is the ability to truly tailor a portfolio to the individual. Direct indexing also defrays one of the inherent problems of using an index fund or ETF — inflexibility in taking advantage of losses in the underlying basket or fund, said Robert S. Jeter II, vice president and financial advisor with InFocus Financial Advisors. “For high-tax investors, it can be a great way to keep more of what you earn or compound over time,” he said. The ability to personalize a portfolio underscores another aspect of direct indexing: It can be incredibly useful for values-based investing, said Kumar. If a client is in a high marginal income tax bracket, direct indexing is worth considering to take advantage of short-term losses, which can offset $3,000 of ordinary income per year and can be carried forward to future tax years indefinitely, said Jake Skelhorn, partner and wealth advisor at Spark Wealth Advisors