For decades tax-loss harvesting was an obscure tool used to minimize taxes that was only available to the ultra wealthy. That all changed when Wealthfront launched its tax-loss harvesting service in October 2012. Many pundits and industry professionals who were unfamiliar with its benefits thought it couldn’t add much value. One of our competitors even referred to the concept as a “joke.” Well, times have changed, and now just about every automated investment service offers a version of tax-loss harvesting.