Alterra — Borrow Against Your Portfolio
Borrow Against Your Portfolio
The Loan
0.00%
Oct 15, 2026 Rate
Competitive rates set by the market - not by a bank.Competitive rates set by the market
— not by a bank.
The process
HOW TO GET A LOAN
We start with a conversation about what you need and whether our lending is a fit for you. Then comes standard advisory onboarding: agreements, disclosures, and a limited power of attorney naming Alterra as your financial adviser.
The Use Cases
Mortgage
Cover the down payment or bridge the gap between homes — without selling a single share.
Mortgages run about 7% these days.
Auto loans
Drive it home without the dealership's financing office.
Auto loans can top 10% depending on your credit score — a box spread doesn't care about your credit score.
Home renovations
New kitchen, new bathroom, new roof — funded from your portfolio, not on a bank's timeline.
No HELOC application, no appraisal, no variable rate.
Credit card debt
Pay off the balance and stop the bleeding.
Credit cards can charge 24% APR. Refinancing that into a box spread is one of the cheapest trades in personal finance.
Vacation
Take the trip now, repay on your own schedule.
No saving up for a year — and no putting it on a 24% card.
Start the business
Open the bakery. Or the bike shop. Seed it with portfolio-backed cash.
Skip the bank's small-business gauntlet.
The Tax Benefit
Box Spreads: Tax Treatment
The interest on a box spread loan generates a capital loss that offsets your capital gains (with some caveats). This calculator shows how that could play out in a hypothetical scenario.
Note: this simulation is for a 1-year box spread.
Capital gains (profit from stocks/bonds)
Short term
Short-term gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate. Select your federal marginal bracket.sold within 1 year of purchase
Tax Rate
Long term
Long-term gains are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% federally, depending on income. Select your rate.sold at least 1 full year after purchase
Tax Rate
Not sure how your gains split? Put it all in short-term for now.
Original annual rate
4.55%
True borrowing rate
3.52%
Want these numbers run on your portfolio?
Please read — not tax advice
This calculator is only for educational purposes; all figures are estimates. It does not consider state taxes, AMT, NIIT, wash-sale and straddle rules, and future changes in the law. Alterra does not warrant that this information is accurate or complete, and we assume no liability for errors or omissions. This is not tax advice; consult a qualified tax professional before acting.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Alterra utilizes an options strategy called box spreads to facilitate a loan on our clients’ behalf. A box spread is four stock options combined into a single contract with one guaranteed outcome: a fixed payment on a fixed date. Sell that contract and you receive cash today — a box spread loan priced by thousands of competing bidders, not a bank. Your portfolio secures the loan and stays fully invested the whole time. Click here for an in-depth explanation on the mechanism of a box spread loan.
Still have questions?
Who we are
Built by former traders and portfolio managers
Alterra is built by former traders and portfolio managers who believe consumers deserve access to institutional-grade financing. Traditional lenders rely on outdated risk models and high markups. We don’t.
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