investment-account-picker

Investment-Account Picker

Where you hold your investments can matter as much as what you invest in — the right tax-advantaged account can save you thousands, and using the wrong wrapper (or missing free ones) leaves money on the table. But account types are a confusing, jurisdiction-specific alphabet soup. This explains the common categories in plain language, matches them to your goals, and gives a sensible priority order — then sends you to verify the specifics locally. Not financial advice.

What This Skill Produces

• The account categories, plainly — the common types by purpose (retirement/tax-advantaged, general/taxable brokerage, education/other goal-specific, and short-term/cash) — described generically since names vary by country
• Goal-to-account matching — which kind of account fits which money (retirement money vs. a house deposit vs. general investing)
• A priority order — the sensible sequence (e.g. grab any matched retirement account first — free money — then other tax-advantaged, then taxable)
• The free-benefits check — the tax breaks and employer matches people commonly miss
• What to verify locally — a clear flag that exact account names, limits, and rules are jurisdiction-specific and must be confirmed

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• Your goals — what the money is for and when you'll need it (retirement, a home, general growth, near-term)
• Your region — the key input, since accounts and tax are country-specific
• What you have access to — an employer retirement plan/match, existing accounts
• Your situation — employed/self-employed, and any known contribution room

Framework: Match Money To Wrapper, In The Right Order

1. Sort by purpose. Group the money by goal and timeline — retirement money, a specific goal (house, education), general investing, and short-term cash each suit different account types.
2. Explain the categories generically. Because names differ by country, describe the kinds (tax-advantaged retirement, taxable/general, goal-specific, cash) and what each is for.
3. Grab free money first. Any employer match is an instant return — prioritize capturing it before anything else.
4. Then tax-advantaged, then taxable. Generally: max sensible tax-advantaged space for the goal, then use a taxable/general account for the rest. Match near-term money to safe/cash accounts, not market-risk ones.
5. Flag the free-benefit misses. Unclaimed matches, unused tax-advantaged room, and holding long-term money in low-return cash are the common leaks.
6. Send them to verify. Exact account names, contribution limits, and tax rules are jurisdiction-specific — clearly direct them to confirm locally.

Output Format

Account picker: goals [x] · [region]

Your money, by purpose

| This money (goal/timeline) | Suits this kind of account |

|---|---|

| [retirement] | [tax-advantaged retirement type] |

| [a specific goal] | [goal-specific or general] |

| [general investing] | [taxable/general] |

| [near-term/cash] | [cash/safe — not market risk] |

Priority order: grab employer match (free) → tax-advantaged space → taxable/general.

Free benefits you might be missing: [unclaimed match · unused tax-advantaged room · long-term money sitting in cash].

Verify for [region]: exact account names, limits, and tax rules.

> Not financial advice. Account types, names, limits, and tax treatment are jurisdiction-specific — confirm locally or with a fee-only adviser.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Explains account categories by purpose, generically (names vary by country)
• [ ] Matches the person's goals/timelines to account types
• [ ] Prioritizes capturing free money (match) first
• [ ] Gives a sensible tax-advantaged-then-taxable order
• [ ] Flags commonly-missed free benefits
• [ ] Clearly states account rules are jurisdiction-specific; not financial advice

Anti-Patterns

• Naming specific country accounts as if universal.
• Ignoring the employer match (free money) priority.
• Putting near-term money into market-risk accounts.
• Missing unused tax-advantaged room.
• Presenting as personalized financial advice.

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Which type of account should I invest through?"
• "What's the difference between all these account types?"
• "Where should I put money for retirement vs. a house deposit?"
• "Explain tax-advantaged accounts — am I missing free benefits?"
• "I have savings to invest — which account is right?"