4 Ways to Uncomplicate Your Retirement Portfolio

Retirement planning is too darn complicated. Is it possible to make it less so? [Morningstar](?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_improvingfinances&utm_content=48057&elqTrackId=d0021c4ffe1442e3bb22ae913fd318d4&elq=2b3b6f0012f442f58d7e5c18de7a77b6&elqaid=48057&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=23777) [Improving Your Finances] Improving Your Finances with [Christine Benz]( [Christine Benz] The retirement-planning space is too darn complicated. The tax code necessitates that most of us are bringing multiple account types into retirement. And of course the job of figuring out how much you need for retirement and how much you can safely withdraw each year is a huge challenge, too, given the uncertain variables that are in the mix: longevity, market performance, and variations in spending based on lifestyle, health, and other considerations. Given all of those complexities, one of the best things you can do for your retirement plan is to streamline it as much as possible before and during retirement. I shared some key steps to take [in this article]( including consolidating account types, swapping into core portfolio building blocks and pruning what I call “faux diversifiers,” and charting a once-annual (not more!) portfolio and plan review, ideally at year-end. Speaking of simplifying before and during retirement, it’s hard to not be compelled by basic annuities as a source of lifetime income without any fuss. One of the biggest pain points for would-be annuity purchasers, even buyers of really basic ones, is that making apples-to-apples comparisons is difficult. Kelli Hueler set out to fix that by launching a platform for annuity shopping. Jeff Ptak and I had [a great conversation with Kelli about annuities]( why Social Security is the best annuity money can buy, the risks of inflation and insurance-company financial health, and why the Income Solutions platform skips variable annuities and more complicated product types in favor of basic, low-cost ones. One retirement strategy that nicely addresses inflation risk in a way that annuities don’t is to use a portfolio of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. John Rekenthaler has been delving into TIPS in recent months, including the feasibility of [a laddered portfolio of TIPS]( and [the peculiarities of TIPS’ behavior](. [His latest]( addresses the relative attractiveness of TIPS today. Finally, I loved [Amy Arnott’s recent rundown of the categories where fund companies are launching products](. Some of them are sober, some of them are silly; Amy shared her unvarnished take. With warm regards, Christine Benz [4 Ways to Uncomplicate Your Retirement Portfolio]( Retirement planning is complicated. Your retirement portfolio shouldn’t be. [Read More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( ADVERTISEMENT [media]( [media] [Why Higher Interest Rates May Mean Higher Taxes for Investors 
]( Where you keep your income-generating investments is even more important in 2023. [Watch Now]( [Kelli Hueler: Confronting the ‘Next Big Risk’ for Retirement]( The Income Solutions founder discusses the role of annuities in retirement plans and her quest to add transparency to a historically opaque space. [Listen Now]( [TIPS Ladder Funds Don’t Yet Exist, but They Should]( Finally, a new fund proposal that makes sense. [Read More]( [Long TIPS Are Wacky]( The defense against high inflation benefits from … low inflation? [Read More]( [It’s Time to Consider TIPS]( Evaluating an often-misunderstood investment. [Read More]( [The Fund Industry Loves These Categories. Should You?]( When it makes sense—and doesn’t—to buy into the industry’s fastest-growing areas. [Read More]( Listen Now Get the latest investing insights and market updates with [Morningstar’s podcasts]( available on your iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, or smart speaker. 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](. © 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602