Personal Finance
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Personal Finance Topics
Taxes
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Jim Dahle: Is Avoiding Taxes Costing You Money?
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Are the Days Numbered for This Tax-Saving ETF Strategy?
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How To Use Taxable Bonds in Your Portfolio
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2 Stocks to Sell That Could Pay Off at Tax Time
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Ask the Analyst: What Is the Best Source for Low-Risk Tax-Free Income?
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Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist
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An IRA Strategy That Lowers Your Tax Bill
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Your HSA Needs a Succession Plan
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The RMD Mistakes That Could Increase Your Tax Bill
Saving and Spending
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4 Dangerous Assumptions That Could Hurt Your Retirement Plan
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Christine and Erin Talk Money: Why You Need To Break Up With Your Saving Habit
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Christine Benz: How To Make Your Money Last in Retirement
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Why Cash Is Still King for Short-Term Goals
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Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist
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You Saved for Retirement. Now Comes the Hard Part
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How the US Compares With 9 Other Countries at Turning Savers Into Investors
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Our Best Investment Portfolio Examples for Savers and Retirees
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Model Vanguard Portfolios for Short- and Intermediate-Term Goals
Medical Expenses and Long-Term Care
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Are You Making a Big Assumption About Long-Term Care in Retirement?
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Spencer Look and Jack VanDerhei: The Assumptions That Can Put Your Retirement at Risk
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Erin Moriarity: My Dad Lost About $1.5 Million on Bad Investments. Here’s How to Avoid His Mistakes
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Aging and Death in America: ‘I Basically Want to Burn It All Down and Restart’
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If a Parent Won’t Move, You Might Have to Let Them ‘Fail at Home’
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Your HSA Needs a Succession Plan
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Helping With Your Parents’ Finances? Think Twice Before Joining Their Bank Account
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The Best HSA Providers of 2026
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Elliott Appel: Caring for My Father Put My Life on Pause for 7 Years. Here’s What I Learned
Save for College
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Our Updated 529 Medalist Rating Methodology Offers More Detail for Investors
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Understanding Your Federal and State 529 Tax Benefits
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529 Plan vs. Taxable Brokerage Account: Why a Hybrid College Savings Strategy May Work Best
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Trump Accounts vs. 529: Assessing the Pros and Cons
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Do You Need a 529 Savings Account? Yes, for Many Reasons
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Your 529 Questions, Answered
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Morningstar’s Guide to 529 Plans
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529 Plans Keep Getting Cheaper: 5 Key Takeaways From Our 2026 Study
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I (Finally) Started Saving for My Kids’ Educations. What Was Stopping Me?
More in Personal Finance
What High Inflation Means for Stocks, Bonds, and Your Portfolio
Historical returns reveal how major asset classes have weathered high inflation and what those patterns mean for portfolio diversification.
Why Some Investors Are Better Off When They Stop Chasing Perfection
Christine Benz makes the case for a ‘good enough’ portfolio.
Inherited an IRA? Here’s When an RMD Must Be Taken Before a Transfer
Some custodians require beneficiaries to establish a beneficiary IRA before taking a year-of-death RMD, while others do the reverse.
Ask the Analyst, With Amy Arnott
Have a question about investing, retirement, or personal finance? Amy Arnott answers readers’ questions in Ask the Analyst, drawing on her work as a Morningstar portfolio strategist.
Some Fund Investors Have Veered Off Course. It Could Cost Them
Are you getting pulled into a “coretex”? Asset allocations are the most lopsided they’ve been since 2008.
Ask the Analyst: What Is the Best Source for Low-Risk Tax-Free Income?
Even short-term muni funds aren’t totally immune from losses.
Some Retirees Are Choosing the Wrong Reason to Claim Social Security Early
The creator of ‘Erin Talks Money’ says fear can lead to poor claiming decisions. She suggests weighing your budget, portfolio, and need for reliable income instead.
Christine Benz: Why I Hired a Financial Planner
5 key reasons why even dedicated DIYers might benefit from paying for financial advice.
Retiring With Less Than $1 Million? Here Are 10 Ways to Make Your Savings Last
A successful retirement depends on income, spending, taxes, and flexibility, not a seven-figure balance.
Erin Moriarity: My Dad Lost About $1.5 Million on Bad Investments. Here’s How to Avoid His Mistakes
The creator of ‘Erin Talks Money’ discusses the value of professional advice, preparing for cognitive decline, and fear-based underspending.
Why Cash Is Still King for Short-Term Goals
Longer-term bonds are more attractive than they’ve been in a long time, but they still carry a fair amount of risk.
Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist
The date you retire is only part of the picture. Also consider your income needs, spending rate, taxes, and more.
Aging and Death in America: ‘I Basically Want to Burn It All Down and Restart’
After caring for his sick father, financial planner Elliott Appel has some ideas around health insurance, healthcare spending, and mixed-age communities.
If a Parent Won’t Move, You Might Have to Let Them ‘Fail at Home’
Financial planner Elliott Appel discusses difficult housing decisions, setting limits, and helping a parent without burning yourself out.
Your HSA Needs a Succession Plan
Health savings accounts offer a trifecta of tax benefits, but they’re less valuable after an account owner dies.
Helping With Your Parents’ Finances? Think Twice Before Joining Their Bank Account
Financial planner Elliott Appel explains the risks of joint accounts and offers practical ways to help aging parents manage everyday financial tasks.
The Best HSA Providers of 2026
Learn how you could benefit from a health savings account and see our ratings of top providers.
Ask the Analyst: Is Now a Bad Time to Invest New Money?
Think about your goal and time horizon when deciding whether to invest during an uncertain economic environment.
When a Retirement Rollover Goes Wrong, You Pay the Price
A recent IRS ruling highlights the risks of rollover errors.
How the US Compares With 9 Other Countries at Turning Savers Into Investors
The US appears to be a nation of investors, but gaps in workplace retirement plan access leave some workers out.
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