How to Build a Portfolio You Don’t Have to Babysit

And why you shouldn’t worry too much about the election’s impact on your portfolio. [Morningstar](?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_improvingfinances&utm_content=55198&elqTrackId=9552a66ebbd54cde981c928757b7b225&elq=be7f91669eb1457ab57fccd482e36b79&elqaid=55198&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=28018) [Improving Your Finances] Improving Your Finances with [Christine Benz]( [Christine Benz] Welp, friends, I’m just back from a six-week sabbatical. My husband and I took a trip to Spain (our fourth!). I reviewed numerous “almost final” drafts of my forthcoming book, [How to Retire](. I walked, read, cooked, and spent quality time with friends and family. One thing I didn’t do was spend a lot of time monitoring my portfolio. While it’s not perfect— and [I’ve written about some of the problem spots]( just don’t have time for day-to-day monitoring. Because my goal is to build our portfolio so that it can run itself if need be, I’ve been busily [shedding extraneous positions]( for the past several years and [have also reduced our number of financial providers](. I wrote about [how to build your own “no babysitter required” portfolio]( and I’ve also shared some minimalist portfolios along the same lines. In a similar vein, I appreciated [Laura Lallos’ exploration of helping her mother manage her IRA](. Laura concludes that target-date funds, while an elegant solution for the accumulation years, have some disadvantages for retirement decumulation. (Laura has written some other terrific pieces about her mom’s retirement, including [this one about the woefully underexplored topic of continuing care communities]( [John Rekenthaler’s recent discussion]( of what the November election is apt to mean for your portfolio is another must-read. Taking a very long view, John concludes that regardless of who inhabits the White House and takes charge of Congress, long-term equityholders are likely to be winners. Pay attention to the issues and vote, he advises, but don’t spend too much time thinking about the election’s impact on your portfolio. Finally, I recommend [Danny Noonan’s piece about not dismissing bonds out of hand](. Investors have been gravitating to cash for obvious reasons: Yields are way up, and bond returns have certainly been no great shakes. One could argue—and Danny does—that it has been one of the most difficult periods in bond market history. But the recent market dislocation sets the table for much better future returns from bonds, which is a reason to keep the faith. With warm regards, Christine Benz [How to Build a Portfolio You Don’t Have to Babysit]( These four steps can help you craft a (mostly) hands-off portfolio. [Learn More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( ADVERTISEMENT [media]( [media] [Do as I Say (Not as I Do)]( On my failings as an investor. [See 5 Mistakes Anyone Can Make]( [My 'Too Hard' Pile Is Pretty Big]( And yours should be, too. [Dive In]( [What I’ve Done Right With My Portfolio]( Christine Benz shares some of her investing wins. Was it luck or skill? [Find Out]( [What I Learned Investing My Mom’s IRA]( A target-date fund isn’t necessarily an easy answer for a retirement account. [Read More]( [Why I’m Reimagining My Retirement]( My sandwich-generation crunch changed how I’m planning to live and invest in my later years. [Read More]( [Stock Investors Have Already Won the Election]( No matter who is president, equities ride a favorable tide. [Read the Commentary]( [It’s Been a Terrible Time for Bonds. Here’s Why You Should Own Them]( Challenges in the bond market could set the table for stronger future returns. [Get More Details]( [Cerulli’s Andrew Blake: What Advisors Need to Succeed in a Competitive Market]( An industry watcher reflects on the rapid growth of the independent RIA channel, an impending wave of advisor retirements, and the dramatic uptake of ETFs in client portfolios. [Listen Now]( Get Top Stock Picks and Market Insights Every Week on The Morning Filter. Every Monday morning, Susan Dziubinski sits down with Morningstar Chief U.S. markets strategist Dave Sekera to discuss what's on his radar, new Morningstar research, and stock picks or pans for the week ahead. [Watch Now.](morningstar/streams?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_improvingfinances&utm_content=55198) Stay connected: [twitter]( [facebook]( [linkedin]( [instagram]( [YouTube]( [Apple News]( [View online]( | [See all newsletters]( | [Share your feedback]( [Unsubscribe]( from this newsletter. Or update your [email preferences](. © 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602