Morningstar.com's Tax Relief Week
March 14-18: Tips, strategies, and picks for tax-conscious investors.
Special Report
During Morningstar.com's Tax Relief Week, Morningstar editors, strategists, and our director of personal finance, Christine Benz, will offer critical insights on 2010-11 tax issues plus pointers for crafting an overarching tax plan for your portfolio, including a tax-smart retirement drawdown plan. You'll also get guidelines for putting investments in taxable vs. tax-advantaged accounts, tips on maximizing tax-sheltered vehicles, and key considerations for Roth conversions.
In addition, get our latest thinking on optimizing efficiency in your taxable portfolio, including our screen for topnotch tax-friendly funds, our take on prudent muni investing in today's environment, and ETFs/ETNs that can ease the tax burden.
Digging even deeper, we'll also help you avoid tax surprises on MLPs and non-qualified dividends and steer clear of retiree tax traps, and we'll check in with estate-planning experts to get their latest thinking.
Each day this week we'll update this center with links to new article and video reports, so be sure to bookmark this page and visit us often. You can also catch up with our coverage in the Minimize Taxes Center under Morningstar.com's Real Life Finance tab.
Monday, March 14
Craft a Tax Plan
- Stay a Step Ahead of the Tax Collector
- Listen to What Your Tax Return Is Telling You (video)
- What Goes Where? The Art of Asset Location
- How to Avoid the Tax Bite
- Tax-Advantaged Accounts: Know Your Options (slideshow)
- Are You Vulnerable to the Alternative Minimum Tax?
- Proactive Tax-Planning Basics With ETFs
Selected Content from Morningstar Contributors:
- Use That 2% Tax Break to Boost Your Savings Rate (Francis Investment Counsel)
- Increase Your Returns by Focusing on Taxes (Patterson Advisors)
- The Debate Over Spending and Taxes Kicks into High Gear (American Century Investments)
Tuesday, March 15
Managing Your Tax-Advantaged Accounts
- How to Open an IRA
- Prioritizing Your Tax-Advantaged Accounts (video)
- Avoid These 401(k) Pitfalls (video)
- Find the Best Investments for Your IRA
- Russ Kinnel's Top IRA Fund Ideas (from IRA Improvement Week)
- Ask the Expert: Ed Slott Answers Questions on IRA Conversions (from IRA Improvement Week)
--Three Questions to Ask Before an IRA Conversion
--Roth Conversion Tips and Traps
--How to Fund a Backdoor Roth IRA
--Should You Convert Your 401(k) to a Roth? - IRA Conversion Fact Sheet
Wednesday, March 16
Tips for Taxable Accounts
- When Should You Save in a Taxable Account?
- Tune Up Your Taxable Portfolio
- How Tax-Efficient Is Your Mutual Fund?
- Homing In on Tax-Efficient Stock Funds
- Managing Risk in Munis (video)
--Noteworthy Municipal Bond Funds - Christine Benz's Tax-Efficient Model Portfolios
--A Conservative Tax-Efficient Portfolio for Retirees
--A Moderate Tax-Efficient Portfolio for Retirees
--An Aggressive Tax-Efficient Portfolio for Retirees
Selected Content from Morningstar Contributors:
- Municipal Bond Market Under Pressure: Looking Beyond the Headlines to Assess True Credit Risk (GW&K Investment Management)
- Misplaced Muni Fears (Lord Abbett)
Thursday, March 17
Avoid Tax Surprises
- Watch Out for Mutual Fund Tax Traps
- Exchange-Traded Products and Taxes
- Must-Know Facts About ETFs and Taxes (video)
- Dividends and Taxes: Dos and Don'ts
- What You Need to Know About MLPs and Taxes (video)
Friday, March 18
Your Retirement Tax Plan
- Six Retirement Tax Pitfalls (video)
- Get a Tax-Smart Plan for In-Retirement Withdrawals
- Is Your Wealth Safe Under New Estate Tax Laws?
- No Head in the Sand on Your Estate Plan (video)
Selected Content from Morningstar Contributors: