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Portfolio Planning

PERSONAL FINANCE
Playing It Safe as a Long-Term Strategy
Professor Zvi Bodie and financial planner Rachelle Taqqu recommend a goal-based investing style with an emphasis on risk avoidance.
• A Conservative ETF Portfolio for Retirees
• Good-Quality Conservative Funds With a Dash of Stock Exposure
• Put the Horse Before the Cart in Your Financial Plan
Improving Your Finances
Avoiding Bond-Market Woes Doesn't Come Without Trade-offs
Jittery bond investors shouldn't make radical changes without thinking through the repercussions, writes Morningstar's Christine Benz.
• Guidelines for Your Bond Weightings
• How to Stress-Test a Portfolio's Interest-Rate Sensitivity
• The High and Low Points of the Bond Ladder
• Should You Consider Individual Bonds? (Archive)
FIVE-STAR INVESTOR
These Socially Responsible Funds Strike the Right Balance
Here are a few funds that haven't loaded the boat with financials stocks.
• These Top-Rated Funds Are Hidden Gems
• Top International Funds Betting on Hard-Hit Emerging Markets
• These Big Funds Had Happy Shareholders in 2011

Morningstar Article Library

Portfolio-Planning Archives
The Short Answer
Christine Benz Columns
Christine Benz Videos

Asset Allocation

Basics of Asset Allocation
These Top-Rated Funds Are Hidden Gems
Top International Funds Betting on Hard-Hit Emerging Markets
A Happy Surprise for I-Bond Buyers
Bank Loans Appealing but Far From a Cash Alternative
Rebalancing? Don't Overlook Sector, Style Exposure
How Safe Is Your Cash?
These Funds Are Better Than They Look
A Short List of Allocation Funds That Have Earned Their Keep
Bond Investors, Too, Are Vulnerable to the Star Manager Trap
Where Should No-Load Investors Go for Global Bond Exposure?
Beware of Adding These Investments to Your Retirement Toolkit
Income vs.Total Return: Who Says You Need to Take Sides?
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Don't Let Small Numbers Distract You From the Big Picture
A Common-Sense Approach to Asset Allocation
Getting Real About Retirement Planning
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Are Bonds Adding to Your Equity Exposure?
What's Cash Doing for You?
The Right Investments for Short-Term Goals
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Viva la Humble All-in-One Fund
Changes to Your Fixed-Income Portfolio? Users Share
Does a Commodity Investment Belong in Your Toolkit?
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Beware the Star-Manager Trap
How Patriotic Is Your Portfolio? (And Should You Even Care?)
TIPS Versus I-Bonds: How to Choose
Core All-In-One Funds That Have Earned Their Keep
More Core Fixed-Income Funds for Multitaskers
Take Diversification to the Next Level
Avoiding Portfolio Sprawl
Do Bank Loans Belong in Your Bond Toolkit?
Currency Speculators Beware
Should Your Asset Allocation Be More Tactical?
Zweig: Diversification Is Powerful, But Not Magic
How to Stress-Test a Portfolio's Interest-Rate Sensitivity
A Moderate Model Portfolio for Retirees
A Conservative Model Portfolio for Retirees
How to Deploy a Big Cash Stake
Preparing a Portfolio for Retirement
THE SHORT ANSWER
Dividend Payers Hold Appeal, but Be Mindful of Risks
Don't swap your whole fixed-income position for dividend-paying stocks.
• Our Favorite Dividend ETFs for 2012
• Keep These Dividend Payers Out of Your Taxable Account
• 10 Dividend Stocks Our Ultimate Stock-Pickers Should Consider
A Look at Some of 2011's Biggest Losers
Year-End Portfolio Checkup in Five Steps
Big Investment Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The Error-Proof Portfolio: True 'Lies' That Yield Can Tell
Risk, Not Volatility, Is the Real Enemy
Is Quality on Sale?
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Nervous Bond Investors--Don't Make These Mistakes
Our Picks for Inflation Protection
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Don't Overdo Dividend Payers for Your Taxable Account
Know the Rules on Inherited IRAs
Seven Tips for Nervous Bond Investors
Tips and Traps for Short-Term Income-Oriented Investors
How to Get Back Into Stocks Without Getting Burned
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Sell Stocks for the Right Reasons
How to Widow-Proof (or Widower-Proof) Your Portfolio
How to Invest in a Deflationary Environment
Plugging a Potential Gusher in Your Portfolio
Inflation: 'Financial Death by a Thousand Cuts'
Five Moves for Downside Protection
Put 'Mad Money' to Work Safely
Protecting Your Portfolio from the Next Market Downturn
Preparing a Portfolio for Pension Failure

Performance & Monitoring

These Big Funds Had Happy Shareholders in 2011
These Top Funds Are Beating a Tough Benchmark This Year
Buy and Hold Works--If You Let It
Do Your Advisor's Recommendations Add Up?
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Don't Let Hidden Costs Gobble Up Your Return
The Error-Proof Portfolio: A 5-Step Quarterly Checkup
Choosing Between Online Discount Brokerage Firms
Which of These Investments Is the Better Bet?
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Don’t Give Thanks for Faux Income
What Premiums and Discounts Mean for ETFs
An Aggressive Model Portfolio for Pre-Retirees
The Error-Proof Portfolio: What the Election Means (or Doesn’t) for Your Portfolio
Five Hard Truths About Portfolio Planning
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Beware of Performance Envy
Five Ways to Supercharge Your Retirement Plan
What to Look for in a Dividend-Focused Fund
Top Tips for Active-Fund Pickers
Don't Let Hidden Costs Gobble Up Your Return
What Not to Put in Your IRA
The Error-Proof Portfolio: Don't Get Cute With Your Cash
Midyear Portfolio Checkup in Five Easy Steps
Sell Stocks for the Right Reasons
Three Things Every Investor Needs to Know
Year-End Portfolio Checkup in Five Steps
Keeping Tabs on Your Portfolio
Zen and the Art of Portfolio Maintenance
Are Your Returns as Good as They Look?
Is Your Retirement Portfolio on Track?
How Is Your Portfolio Really Doing?
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Portfolio Tools
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Portfolio Classroom
Make a Suitable Portfolio Determine Your Asset Mix A Simple Portfolio Course Catalog
Portfolio Planning Videos
Dorsey: High Ticket Price on the Flight to Safety The Fine Line Between Self-Assured and Overconfident Put the Horse Before the Cart in Your Financial Plan More Videos…
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