Investing Insights

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 Traps

Should Investors Focus on Total Return Rather Than Dividends Alone?

How a Dividend-Focused Investment Strategy Can Help with Safe Withdrawal Rates

Why Investors May Not Want to Create Their Own Dividend

Why Long-Term Performance Matters When Looking at Dividend Stocks Versus the Broder Market

Are 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 2024

Are 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 Money

A Better Way to Use Leverage in Your ETF Portfolio

Apple 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 Harrell

Ivanna Hampton

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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 Advantage

Why Seniors Shouldn’t Just Roll Over Their Plans in 2025

2025 Medicare Part D Changes

Medicare’s New Prescription Payment Plan

What 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 2025

I’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 Portfolio

Apple 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

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Mark Miller

Ivanna Hampton

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Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for North America for Morningstar Research Services, talks about the best way for most retail investors to leverage and which leveraged ETFs look promising. Travis Miller, strategist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses how tech companies are looking to nuclear energy to fuel data centers’ surging demand.

Why Leverage Has a Debatable Reputation in Investing

Volatility Drag and Leveraged ETFs

Why Does Leverage Kill ETFs?

What Are ETPs?

A Better Way for Investors to Use Leverage in Their Portfolio

How Can Investors Add Leverage to Their Portfolio Without Volatility Drag?

Costs of Leveraged ETFs

How Most Investors Should Gain Exposure to Leverage

Do Leveraged ETFs Show Promise?

What’s Coming Up in the Markets?

How Much Energy Does a Data Center Need to Run?

Why Small Modular Reactors Could Be Key to Powering Data Centers

Are Carbon-Free Pledges Driving Companies Toward Nuclear Energy?

Which Utilities Companies Are Next to Sign Data Center Deals?

Is This Shift Toward Nuclear Energy Larger Than Just AI?

What to Look for in Utilities Companies’ Earnings

Utilities Stock Picks

Read about topics from this episode.  

Subscribe to Morningstar's ETFInvestor Newsletter. 

The AI Revolution Is Ready to Power Up. It Just Needs Electricity 

Utilities: Falling Interest Rates, Growth Outlook Boosting Stocks

What to watch from Morningstar.

Apple 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

How to Find the Best Health Savings Account

Read what our team is writing:

Bryan Armour 

Travis Miller 

Ivanna Hampton

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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 Healthcare

Why Americans Need More Long-Term Care Than Ever Before

Long-Term Care Isn’t Just in Nursing Homes

Does Medicare Cover Long-Term Care Costs?

Who Should Consider Long-Term Care Insurance?

The Financial Implications of Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Howard 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 Gleckman

Bio

Forbes Column

Urban Institute

TaxVox blog

Caring For Our Parents, by Howard Gleckman

Howard Gleckman on The Long View: ‘We Pretend This Isn’t a Problem’

Read more from Christine Benz.

How to Retire: Tips for Entering Retirement

The Hidden Crisis in Long-Term Care

How Likely Are You to Need Long-Term Care?

6 Steps for Smart Long-Term-Care Planning

Worried About Long-Term Care Expenses? Let’s Do Something About It.

Watch more from How to Retire.

How to Retire: Prioritize Tax Planning in Retirement

How to Retire: Transition from Saving to Spending

How to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio Strategy

How to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in Retirement

How to Retire: Understand the Role of Working Longer

How to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending

Read what our team is writing:

Christine Benz

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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 Bonds

The Role of Bank Loans in Your Portfolio

Why the Market for Bank Loans Has Grown

Companies With Bank Loans Today

Why Bank Loans Are Less Volatile Than Junk Bonds

How Interest-Rate Cuts Could Affect Floating-Rate Investments

Could 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 Cars

Could Nvidia Taking the Title as the World’s Most Valuable Company Affect Apple?

What to Look for in Apple Earnings

Apple 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 Drops

Can 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 2025

How to Find the Best Health Savings Account

How GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma Stocks

Read what our team is writing:

William Kerwin, CFA 

Katie Binns 

Ivanna Hampton

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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 Portfolio

Will Your Taxes Decrease in Retirement?

Key Tax Strategies for Retirees Before They Have to Take RMDs

Do Rules of Thumb for Retirement Spending Make Sense?

How to Lower Your RMD Tax Bills

How Qualified Charitable Distributions Can Help Lower Your Tax Bill

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 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 Levine

Bio

Kitces.com

Buckingham Wealth Partners

Jeff Levine on The Long View: Smart Tax Moves for 2023 and Beyond

Read more from Christine Benz.

How to Retire: Tips for Entering Retirement

The Big Retirement Myth

Can You Control Required Minimum Distributions?

8 Little-Known Facts About RMDs

An Investing Road Map for Retirees

Read about topics from this episode. 

4 RMD Mistakes to Avoid

How Retirees Can Avoid the ‘Tax Torpedo’

Watch more from How to Retire.

How to Retire: Transition from Saving to Spending

How to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio Strategy

How to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in Retirement

How to Retire: Understand the Role of Working Longer

How to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending

Read what our team is writing:

Christine Benz

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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 Outlook

What’s Fueling Dividend Stocks Outperformance Against the Broader Market?

Bond Performance in Q3 and Early Q4

What Investors Need to Watch Out for in Q4

Will the Market Rotation Persist?

 What’s Coming Up in the Markets?

Why Boeing’s New CEO Announced Massive Layoffs

How Boeing is Trying to Prevent a Credit Downgrade

What Boeing is Delaying and Eliminating to Move Forward

Where the Machinists’ Strike Stands at Boeing

What to Look for in Boeing’s Q3 Earnings

How Investors Should Approach Boeing Stock

Read about topics from this episode. 

3 Lessons From Recent Stock Market Drama

Q3 in Review and Q4 2024 Market Outlook

What the Election Could Mean for Big Tech Stocks

How to Use Large-Cap Stocks in a Portfolio

Boeing: Machinists Union Strike Unavoidable and Unfortunate

What to watch from Morningstar.

Inherited IRA Rules: What You Need to Know Before 2025

How to Find the Best Health Savings Account

How GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma Stocks

Is the Fed’s Plan to Avoid a Recession Working?

Read what our team is writing:

Dan Lefkovitz

Nicolas Owens

Ivanna Hampton

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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 Retirement

How to Plan for Retirement When Your Spouse Doesn’t Retire at the Same Time

Are Annuities Helpful for In-Retirement Cash Needs?

Delaying Social Security in Retirement

How Couples Can Approach Different Money Mindsets in Retirement

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.

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 Singletary

Bio

The Color of Money

Spend Well, Live Rich

What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide, by Michelle Singletary

Michelle Singletary on The Long View: 'You Need Diversity'

Read more from Christine Benz.

How to Retire: Tips for Entering Retirement

3 Tricky Decisions for Every Retirement Plan

We Need to Talk About Your Retirement ‘Spending’

Social Security Planning Tips for Married Couples

How to Determine Your Expected Retirement Date

Read about topics from this episode. 

The Psychology of Retirement Income: From Saving to Spending

How Retirees Can Avoid the ‘Tax Torpedo’

Watch more from How to Retire.

How to Retire: Consider a Retirement Bucket Portfolio Strategy

How to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in Retirement

How to Retire: Understand the Role of Working Longer

How to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending

Read what our team is writing:

Christine Benz

Follow Christine Benz on social media.

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Secure Act Concerns

Rules for Traditional and Roth IRAs and Changes for Inherited IRAs

Will 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 Rule

What 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 2024

Key Takeaway

Read about topics from this episode. 

IRS Finalizes RMD Regulations: Key Takeaways and the 10-Year Rule for Beneficiaries

How to Avoid Unintended Distributions from Inherited IRAs and 401(k)s

4 RMD Mistakes to Avoid

IRS Extends Waiver of Excise Tax for Inherited IRAs, but Not RMDs

Inherited IRAs: What to Know About Taxes, RMDs, and More

What to watch from Morningstar.

How to Find the Best Health Savings Account

How GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Are Boosting Biopharma Stocks

Is 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 Appleby

Ivanna Hampton

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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 wealth manager Harold Evensky, who inspired Christine’s work in retirement portfolio bucketing.

How the Bucket Approach to Retirement Planning Helps Investors

How the Bucket Approach Helped Keep Clients Steady During Market Downturns

Benefits of Limiting Cash in Retirement Portfolios

Why Investors Should Avoid Too Many Retirement Buckets  

Why Prioritizing Goals is Most Important for Retirement Planning

The Most Underrated Aspect of Retirement Planning

Overrated Discussions in Retirement Planning

Harold Evensky’s Transition from Work to Retirement   

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.

Many of you know that I frequently talk about the bucket approach to retirement portfolio construction. I was inspired to work on bucketing after talking to Harold Evensky nearly two decades ago, and I knew that I wanted to chat with Harold for this podcast. He is the founder of Evensky & Katz/ Foldes Wealth Management and a retired professor of practice of the Texas Tech University Personal Financial Planning Department. Harold and I talked about how he hit on the bucket strategy and used it with his clients.

More from Harold Evensky

Bio

Evensky & Katz / Foldes Wealth Management

Blog

Hello Harold: A Veteran Financial Advisor Shares Stories to Help Make You Be a Better Investor, by Harold Evensky

Harold Evensky on The Long View: 'It's an Unmitigated Disaster'

Read more from Christine Benz.

How to Retire: Tips for Entering Retirement

Do You Need More Than 3 Buckets?

The Bucket Investor’s Guide to Setting Retirement Asset Allocation

Why Retirees and Investors Approaching Retirement Should Reduce Risk Today

Take This Simple Step As You Approach Retirement

7 Key Tasks for Investors Approaching Retirement

Read about topics from this episode. 

Panicking About Market Volatility? Don’t Lose Money Chasing the Crowd

Watch more from How to Retire.

How to Retire: Know What ‘Enough’ Means in Retirement

How to Retire: Understand the Role of Working Longer

How to Retire: Stay Flexible with Your Retirement Spending

Read what our team is writing:

Christine Benz

Follow Christine Benz on social media.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-benz-b83b523