The pumpkin pie is baking, the stretchy pants are on standby and good ol’ Uncle Bob is already rehearsing his political hot takes for dinner. But before you slip into a food coma, note that several portfolio deadlines quietly kick in from late October through November. Here’s what to add to your pre-feast to-do list:

1. Give early, not late. RMDs, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) and gifts of appreciated stock are legally due by December 31, but many brokerages and charities set earlier internal cutoffs.
2. Catch the index shuffle. MSCI makes changes to its indexes in November, which can trigger forced buying and selling of international stocks by index funds. Small-cap investors should check whether the FTSE Russell indexes are rebalanced at this time of year.
3. Update your contributions. The IRS typically announces 2027 contribution limits for 401(k)s, IRAs and HSAs—along with new tax brackets—in November. That’s your cue to adjust payroll deferrals and map out any Roth conversions.
4. Check before you buy your next fund. Fund companies publish estimated capital gains distributions this time of year. If you hold actively managed funds in a taxable account, review distribution dates before adding more to a fund, or else you could owe tax on gains you didn’t take part in.

Alright, let’s talk turkey:

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