Investing Insights

Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar, shares her expertise on tax-loss harvesting strategies. She explains how investors can uncover loss opportunities even in a bullish market. Learn about the IRS wash sale rule, effective cost basis calculations, and why tax-loss selling can be advantageous during bear markets. Benz emphasizes the importance of integrating tax-loss selling into your portfolio maintenance strategy, helping you navigate taxes while optimizing your investments.

David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s DividendInvestor newsletter, makes the case for dividend investing. However, he also points out the pitfalls, like dividend fallacy, that income-focused investors should watch out for. Why Investors Are Divided About Dividend Investing The Pitfall of Dividend Fallacy Warning Signal for Dividend TrapsShould Investors Focus on Total Return Rather Than Dividends Alone?How a Dividend-Focused Investment Strategy Can Help with Safe Withdrawal RatesWhy Investors May Not Want to Create Their Own DividendWhy Long-Term Performance Matters When Looking at Dividend Stocks Versus the Broder MarketAre Share Repurchases Better Than Dividends at Returning Capital to Stock Owners? (This part of the episode includes a clarification: Taxes on qualified dividends can be avoided if your AGI is below certain levels.)Drawbacks of a Dividend-Focused Investment Strategy  Has Dividend Investing Created Bad Investor Behavior? Read about topics from this episode.  Subscribe to the Morningstar DividendInvestor newsletter.3 Dividend Stocks for November 2024Are Better Days Ahead for Dividend Investors?Is a Dividend Stock Comeback Around the Corner?New Dividend Stocks: Can Meta and Salesforce Help Revive the Classic Strategy?There Is Nothing Special About Dividends What to watch from Morningstar.A Simpler Medicare Part D Is Coming. Here's How It Could Save You MoneyA Better Way to Use Leverage in Your ETF PortfolioApple Earnings Are on Deck. Will Apple Intelligence Help Drive iPhone Sales?Is Your Portfolio Built to Withstand a Market Rotation? Read what our team is writing:David HarrellIvanna Hampton Follow us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/X: https://x.com/MorningstarIncInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstar... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5161/

Mark Miller, Morningstar contributor, talks about the new $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D coming in 2025. Plus, learn what you should know before switching between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare during open enrollment.Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare AdvantageWhy Seniors Shouldn’t Just Roll Over Their Plans in 20252025 Medicare Part D ChangesMedicare’s New Prescription Payment PlanWhat Should Seniors Do If Their Medicare Advantage Plan is Being Eliminated?What You Need to Know About Switching Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage  Where You Can Go to Get Help Choosing a New Medicare Plan Read about topics from this episode.  Medicare Open Enrollment: What to Know as You Enroll for 2025I’m 65 and Still Working. Should I Enroll in Medicare?Are Consumers Better Off With Medicare Plus a Medigap Plan?  What to watch from Morningstar.A Better Way to Use Leverage in Your ETF PortfolioApple Earnings Are on Deck. Will Apple Intelligence Help Drive iPhone Sales?Is Your Portfolio Built to Withstand a Market Rotation?Inherited IRA Rules: What You Need to Know Before 2025  Read what our team is writing:Mark MillerIvanna Hampton Follow us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/X: https://x.com/MorningstarIncInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstar... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5161/ 

Bryan Armour, Director of Passive Strategies Research at Morningstar, shares insights on effectively using leverage in ETF portfolios. He discusses promising leveraged ETFs while addressing volatility drag and risks associated with them. Travis Miller, a strategist covering energy, dives into how tech companies are turning to nuclear energy to meet the surging demands of data centers. He explains the potential of small modular reactors in providing stable, carbon-free electricity, amidst the growing need for energy in the AI landscape.

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine talks with author and researcher Howard Gleckman about long-term care.  How Long-Term Care Differs from Conventional HealthcareWhy Americans Need More Long-Term Care Than Ever BeforeLong-Term Care Isn’t Just in Nursing HomesDoes Medicare Cover Long-Term Care Costs?Who Should Consider Long-Term Care Insurance?The Financial Implications of Continuing Care Retirement CommunitiesHoward Gleckman’s Experience with Long-Term Care Key Takeaways Hi, I'm Christine Benz from Morningstar and welcome to the How to Retire podcast. It's a companion to my book, which is also called How to Retire. Each episode will provide a bite-sized lesson about how to do some aspect of retirement well.If you read my work regularly, you know that I'm a little bit obsessed with the topic of long-term care, not just how to pay for it, but also all of the other dimensions of it, like the impact on families. To help discuss that topic, I reached out to Howard Gleckman. He is the author of a book called Caring for Our Parents, and he is also a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, where he is affiliated with the Tax Policy Center and the Program on Retirement Policy. He also writes a great blog for Forbes. I asked him to discuss the basics of long-term care, as well as the financial ramifications and implications for caregivers. More from Howard GleckmanBioForbes ColumnUrban InstituteTaxVox blogCaring For Our Parents, by Howard GleckmanHoward Gleckman on The Long View: ‘We Pretend This Isn’t a Problem’ Read more from Christine Benz.How to Retire: Tips for Entering RetirementThe Hidden Crisis in Long-Term CareHow Likely Are You to Need Long-Term Care?6 Steps for Smart Long-Term-Care PlanningWorried About Long-Term Care Expenses? Let’s Do Something About It. Watch more from How to Retire.How to Retire: Prioritize Tax Planning in RetirementHow to Retire: Transition from Saving to SpendingHow to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio StrategyHow to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in RetirementHow to Retire: Understand the Role of Working LongerHow to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending  Read what our team is writing:Christine Benz Follow Christine Benz on social media.X: https://x.com/christine_benzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-benz-b83b523

Katie Binns, director of product management for Morningstar Indexes, discusses bank loans’ benefits even as interest rates are expected to fall. William Kerwin, equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services who covers Apple, reveals the two main things he wants to hear about on the earnings call.What Are Bank Loans?Bank Loans vs. Junk BondsThe Role of Bank Loans in Your PortfolioWhy the Market for Bank Loans Has GrownCompanies With Bank Loans TodayWhy Bank Loans Are Less Volatile Than Junk BondsHow Interest-Rate Cuts Could Affect Floating-Rate InvestmentsCould Riskier Credit Investments Default with an Economic Slowdown?What’s Coming Up in the Markets?Is Apple Intelligence Worth Upgrading Your iPhone?How Important Are iPhone 16s Holiday Sales to Apple?Why Apple Discontinued Developing Self-Driving Vehicles and Electric CarsCould Nvidia Taking the Title as the World’s Most Valuable Company Affect Apple?What to Look for in Apple EarningsApple Stock Outlook Read about topics from this episode.  The Morningstar LSTA US Leveraged Loan Index Highlights a Growing Asset Class Popular With Credit Investors A Way to Protect Your Portfolio Against Bond Price DropsCan Bank Loan Funds Rise to the Top Again?Apple iPhone 16 Event Inspires Confidence Keep up with Morningstar’s coverage of company earnings.  What to watch from Morningstar.Is Your Portfolio Built to Withstand a Market Rotation? Inherited IRA Rules: What You Need to Know Before 2025How to Find the Best Health Savings AccountHow GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma Stocks Read what our team is writing:William Kerwin, CFA Katie Binns Ivanna Hampton Follow us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/X: https://x.com/MorningstarIncInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstar... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5161/

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine talks with financial planning expert Jeff Levine about the importance of tax planning in retirement.Why Tax Planning is Key When Withdrawing from Your Retirement PortfolioWill Your Taxes Decrease in Retirement?Key Tax Strategies for Retirees Before They Have to Take RMDsDo Rules of Thumb for Retirement Spending Make Sense?How to Lower Your RMD Tax BillsHow Qualified Charitable Distributions Can Help Lower Your Tax BillKey Takeaways Hi, I'm Christine Benz from Morningstar and welcome to the How to Retire podcast. It's a companion to my book, which is also called How to Retire. Each episode will provide a bite-sized lesson about how to do some aspect of your retirement well.Today's episode will focus on the tricky topic of tax planning during retirement. To tackle this topic, I reached out to Jeff Levine, who is Lead Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com, and also serves as Chief Planning Officer at Buckingham Wealth Partners. Jeff is exceptionally good at explaining complex tax matters, so I knew that he would do a great job of delving into this topic.More from Jeff LevineBioKitces.comBuckingham Wealth PartnersJeff Levine on The Long View: Smart Tax Moves for 2023 and Beyond Read more from Christine Benz.How to Retire: Tips for Entering RetirementThe Big Retirement MythCan You Control Required Minimum Distributions?8 Little-Known Facts About RMDsAn Investing Road Map for Retirees Read about topics from this episode. 4 RMD Mistakes to AvoidHow Retirees Can Avoid the ‘Tax Torpedo’ Watch more from How to Retire.How to Retire: Transition from Saving to SpendingHow to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio StrategyHow to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in RetirementHow to Retire: Understand the Role of Working LongerHow to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending Read what our team is writing:Christine Benz Follow Christine Benz on social media.X: https://x.com/christine_benzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-benz-b83b523

Dan Lefkovitz, Morningstar Indexes strategist, discusses why it’s important to be ready for a range of outcomes during a market rotation. Nic Owens, equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, talks about his outlook for Boeing stock ahead of earnings.Trends from the Q3 Market Rotation Extending into Q4 Key Moments Sparked Market Volatility Will Value Stocks Make a Comeback? Value and Small-Cap Stock OutlookWhat’s Fueling Dividend Stocks Outperformance Against the Broader Market?Bond Performance in Q3 and Early Q4What Investors Need to Watch Out for in Q4Will the Market Rotation Persist? What’s Coming Up in the Markets?Why Boeing’s New CEO Announced Massive LayoffsHow Boeing is Trying to Prevent a Credit DowngradeWhat Boeing is Delaying and Eliminating to Move ForwardWhere the Machinists’ Strike Stands at Boeing What to Look for in Boeing’s Q3 EarningsHow Investors Should Approach Boeing Stock Read about topics from this episode. 3 Lessons From Recent Stock Market DramaQ3 in Review and Q4 2024 Market OutlookWhat the Election Could Mean for Big Tech StocksHow to Use Large-Cap Stocks in a PortfolioBoeing: Machinists Union Strike Unavoidable and Unfortunate What to watch from Morningstar.Inherited IRA Rules: What You Need to Know Before 2025How to Find the Best Health Savings AccountHow GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma StocksIs the Fed’s Plan to Avoid a Recession Working? Read what our team is writing:Dan LefkovitzNicolas OwensIvanna Hampton Follow us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/X: https://x.com/MorningstarIncInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstar... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5161/

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with Washington Post personal finance columnist and author Michelle Singletary. They talk about the difficult psychological transition from saving to spending in retirement.Transitioning from Saving to Spending in RetirementHow to Plan for Retirement When Your Spouse Doesn’t Retire at the Same TimeAre Annuities Helpful for In-Retirement Cash Needs?Delaying Social Security in RetirementHow Couples Can Approach Different Money Mindsets in RetirementKey Takeaways Hi, I'm Christine Benz from Morningstar and welcome to the How to Retire podcast. It's a companion to my book, which is also called How to Retire. Each episode will provide a bite-sized lesson about how to do some aspect of retirement well.One of my favorite personal finance journalists is author and Washington Post columnist, Michelle Singletary. Happy to say that I've gotten to know Michelle a bit through our regular conversations. In her work and presentations, she frequently discusses her thriftiness. So, I wanted to discuss with Michelle an issue that I've observed through talking to a lot of retirees, that if they've been good savers like Michelle, it's difficult to flip the switch into spending. I asked her to discuss that transition in her own household. More from Michelle SingletaryBioThe Color of MoneySpend Well, Live RichWhat To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide, by Michelle SingletaryMichelle Singletary on The Long View: 'You Need Diversity' Read more from Christine Benz.How to Retire: Tips for Entering Retirement3 Tricky Decisions for Every Retirement PlanWe Need to Talk About Your Retirement ‘Spending’Social Security Planning Tips for Married CouplesHow to Determine Your Expected Retirement Date Read about topics from this episode. The Psychology of Retirement Income: From Saving to SpendingHow Retirees Can Avoid the ‘Tax Torpedo’ Watch more from How to Retire.How to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio StrategyHow to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in RetirementHow to Retire: Understand the Role of Working LongerHow to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending Read what our team is writing:Christine Benz  Follow Christine Benz on social media.X: https://x.com/christine_benzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-benz-b83b523 

Secure Act ConcernsRules for Traditional and Roth IRAs and Changes for Inherited IRAsWill Beneficiaries Need to Withdraw RMDs Every Year?Do People Who Inherit IRAs Still Need to Follow the 10-Year Rule?Why Congress Wants Inherited IRA Heirs to Follow the 10-Year RuleWhat Is Required of Non-Spouse Beneficiaries When Someone Passes After Starting RMDs?What Happens if the Original Account Owner Dies Before Taking Required Minimum Distributions?Can Non-Spouse Beneficiaries of Inherited IRAs Do a Rollover?When Should People Born in 1959 Begin RMDs?What You Should Do if You Skipped RMDs Between 2020 and 2024Key Takeaway Read about topics from this episode. IRS Finalizes RMD Regulations: Key Takeaways and the 10-Year Rule for BeneficiariesHow to Avoid Unintended Distributions from Inherited IRAs and 401(k)s4 RMD Mistakes to AvoidIRS Extends Waiver of Excise Tax for Inherited IRAs, but Not RMDsInherited IRAs: What to Know About Taxes, RMDs, and More What to watch from Morningstar.How to Find the Best Health Savings AccountHow GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma StocksIs the Fed’s Plan to Avoid a Recession Working?Don't Overlook These Crucial Parts of Your Retirement Plan Denise Appleby, Morningstar contributor, explains the new inherited IRA rules including whether heirs need to take RMDs and follow the 10-year rule.  Plus, what the next steps are if a beneficiary, who inherited an IRA since 2020, hasn’t taken RMDs yet.  Read what our team is writing:Denise ApplebyIvanna Hampton Follow us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/X: https://x.com/MorningstarIncInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstar... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5161/