Personal Finance

A field guide to the key risks for investors in stocks, bonds, and yes, cash.

Charitable giving can become messy when it involves multiple beneficiaries and retirement and nonretirement assets.

A mistake on this form can cost investors money and lead to needless audits.

Charitable giving can become messy when it involves multiple beneficiaries and retirement and nonretirement assets.

Many health savings accounts have grown quite large and merit careful consideration in divorce or inheritance planning.

School loans can crowd out a consumer's ability to save for a rainy day.

Trump has an important RMD decision to make for himself this year and could provide some much-needed tax reform for the rest of us, writes columnist Natalie Choate.

Who can do these beneficial transfers, with how much money, to what kinds of charities--and how to execute (and report) the QCD.

Many health savings accounts have grown quite large and merit careful consideration in divorce or inheritance planning.

Unlike other tax-deferred account types, IRAs have a unique 'minimum distribution rule' for surviving spouses.

New self-certification procedure will enable some investors to issue their own hardship waivers of the 60-day deadline for completing the rollover of a retirement plan distribution.

If a recipient qualifies for one of these deals, the distribution may be taxed more favorably than as a 100% taxable chunk of ordinary income.

Settling for underperforming funds or high fees is costly.

It may sound strange, but this technique can work well in some circumstances.

Widows and widowers may be eligible to use the full $500,000 home-sale exclusion and should learn the rules for stepping up the cost basis on their home.

Although both immediate and deferred annuity contracts can be held in an IRA, they have very different consequences under the minimum distribution rules.

No one metric can tell you everything, but taken together these can give you a good sense of a fund's risk profile.

Successful investing requires a rare ability to overcome one's own psychological weaknesses--but you have to identify them first.

There are some legal mandates for keeping IRAs separate, as well as possible beneficiary- and investment-related reasons.

Study finds a crowding-out effect on savings.

Required distributions can get complicated and confusing when someone dies just before his or her 'required beginning date.'

Calculating required minimum distributions on Traditional IRAs, Roths, QLACs, deferred variable annuities, and SEP-IRAs is even more complicated than you might expect.

Be forewarned about how transfers and rollovers can get bungled.

Some forms you must file, but others you should file even if not required.

Behavioral barriers may be stopping workers from taking full advantage of the benefits of health savings accounts.

Consider these options if you think an IRA beneficiary may develop a mental disability.

Mind the deadline for taking a 'corrective distribution.'

A trio of retirement experts discusses how withdrawal rates, asset allocation, Social Security decisions, and long-term-care insurance factor into a retirement portfolio's sustainability.

Don't overweight break-even analyses, trap yourself with early claiming, or fail to strategize with your spouse, says retirement expert Phil Moeller.

Understand the implications of your benefit choices, which additional benefits you may be eligible for, and when to claim, says retirement expert Phil Moeller.

Long-term government bonds, emerging-markets debt, and preferred stocks may take prominence for retirees who wish to live solely off a portfolio's income stream.

Consider these levers to better size your own emergency fund, says HelloWallet consumer-finance expert Aron Szapiro.

Ask yourself when you'll need the money, what your future tax bracket may be, and where you'll find the money to pay the taxes due upon conversion.

The key differences between Roth and Traditional IRA contributions, the pitfalls of backdoor Roth conversions, and the importance of spousal contributions and beneficiary forms.

Financial fraud, hacking, and stewardship concerns all factor into the decision.

Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz offers her ideas for how to make the most of an uninspiring 401(k) plan.

A recent study suggests that more people than previously thought will require long-term care at some point but that their need will last for a shorter period of time.

Research suggests certain personality traits can influence a range of investment decisions and outcomes.

Whether you want an all-in-one fund or are worried about tax implications or volatility, we've got fund picks for you.

Beyond conventional stock and bond funds, these analyst-vetted offerings can add extra dimension to your portfolio.

Morningstar analysts have sorted out the best bond funds to balance out your portfolio.

Consider these key factors before you go bond-fund shopping.

Let us steer you in the right direction with this selection of analyst-approved foreign funds and stocks.

We've hand-picked stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs that can serve as key building blocks for your portfolio.

The retirement-income tool has its critics, but Alicia Munnell of Boston College's Center for Retirement Research says it makes a lot of sense for many retirees.

Be diligent to ensure you're getting the most investment dollars working for you.

An upcoming book on the retirement crisis suggests rethinking the 'normal' retirement age.

No one metric can tell you everything, but taken together these can give you a good sense of a fund's risk profile.

Vigilance is critical to protect at-risk friends and family members from financial fraud and missteps.

When it comes to retirement planning, what you don't get wrong could be just as important as what you do get right.