Personal Finance
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Personal Finance Topics
Taxes
Think Your Donation Is Tax-Deductible? Not So Fast
6 Tax Changes That Could Affect Your 2026 Return
Why Higher Interest Rates May Mean Higher Taxes for Investors
Jim Dahle: Is Avoiding Taxes Costing You Money?
Are the Days Numbered for This Tax-Saving ETF Strategy?
How To Use Taxable Bonds in Your Portfolio
2 Stocks to Sell That Could Pay Off at Tax Time
Ask the Analyst: What Is the Best Source for Low-Risk Tax-Free Income?
Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist
Saving and Spending
4 Dangerous Assumptions That Could Hurt Your Retirement Plan
Christine and Erin Talk Money: Why You Need To Break Up With Your Saving Habit
Christine Benz: How To Make Your Money Last in Retirement
Why Cash Is Still King for Short-Term Goals
Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist
You Saved for Retirement. Now Comes the Hard Part
How the US Compares With 9 Other Countries at Turning Savers Into Investors
Our Best Investment Portfolio Examples for Savers and Retirees
Model Vanguard Portfolios for Short- and Intermediate-Term Goals
Medical Expenses and Long-Term Care
Are You Making a Big Assumption About Long-Term Care in Retirement?
Spencer Look and Jack VanDerhei: The Assumptions That Can Put Your Retirement at Risk
Erin Moriarity: My Dad Lost About $1.5 Million on Bad Investments. Here’s How to Avoid His Mistakes
Aging and Death in America: ‘I Basically Want to Burn It All Down and Restart’
If a Parent Won’t Move, You Might Have to Let Them ‘Fail at Home’
Your HSA Needs a Succession Plan
Helping With Your Parents’ Finances? Think Twice Before Joining Their Bank Account
The Best HSA Providers of 2026
Elliott Appel: Caring for My Father Put My Life on Pause for 7 Years. Here’s What I Learned
Save for College
Morningstar 529 Ratings: The Best Plans of 2026
Morningstar’s Guide to 529 Plans
Our Updated 529 Medalist Rating Methodology Offers More Detail for Investors
Understanding Your Federal and State 529 Tax Benefits
529 Plan vs. Taxable Brokerage Account: Why a Hybrid College Savings Strategy May Work Best
Trump Accounts vs. 529: Assessing the Pros and Cons
Do You Need a 529 Savings Account? Yes, for Many Reasons
Your 529 Questions, Answered
529 Plans Keep Getting Cheaper: 5 Key Takeaways From Our 2026 Study
More in Personal Finance
Morningstar’s Guide to 529 Plans
Learn how 529s can help pay for educational expenses.
6 Tax Changes That Could Affect Your 2026 Return
The latest tax updates bring bigger deductions for some taxpayers, new limits for others, and fresh planning opportunities before year-end.
Jim Dahle: Is Avoiding Taxes Costing You Money?
The founder of ‘The White Coat Investor’ explores when tax strategies aren’t worth the trouble, the trade-offs of private investments, and his approach to giving children an early inheritance.
4 Dangerous Assumptions That Could Hurt Your Retirement Plan
Counting on strong returns, low inflation, working longer, or an inheritance? Here’s why that could cost you.
He Tried Shorting Jim Cramer’s Stock Picks. It Cost Him More Than Money
Historian Joseph Moore explores why a promising product can fail as an investment and why beating the market may not be worth the effort.
What 7 Key Market Indicators Are Telling Investors Right Now
US equity valuations have retreated from their recent highs, but all 7 major market indicators remain above their long-term averages.
An AI Conceived a Cyberattack Involving Christine Benz. A Cybersecurity Expert Explains
Mike Piper discusses how scammers use personal information to craft convincing impersonations and what to do before responding to messages about your financial accounts.
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.
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