Link Copied
529 plans appeal to investors by offering federal, and in some instances state, tax benefits. Whether the cumulative tax benefits of individual plans make one more attractive than another depends on an investor s circumstances.
A federal tax exemption on the growth and distribution of withdrawals that cover a beneficiaries qualified education costs encourage saving for college. The potential tax-advantaged savings don t always stop there. Since college savers have no obligation to invest in their own state s plan, some states choose to entice residents to pick their home state s plan over other options by offering an additional state income-tax benefit. Whether that state income-tax benefit results in enough cost savings to merit staying in-state varies across the more than 80 plans available nationwide, and investors should to take a closer look at the possibilities.
Morningstar updated the Analyst Ratings for 851 fund share classes, exchange-traded funds, and separately managed accounts/collective investment trusts in April 2021. Of these, 595 maintained their previous rating, 70 were downgrades, 56 were upgrades, 117 were new to coverage, and 13 were put under review because of material changes, such as manager departures.
Sifting out multiple share classes and vehicles, Morningstar rated 203 unique strategies in April. Of these, six received an Analyst Rating for the first time, with the rest having at least one investment vehicle type that a Morningstar analyst previously covered. Below are some highlights of the upgrades, downgrades, and funds new to coverage.
Link Copied Dan Culloton does not own shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies. Sponsor Center Read More
Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. And we have unwavering standards for how we keep that integrity intact, from our research and data to our policies on content and your personal data.
We’d like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business. How we make money
We sell different types of products and services to both investment professionals and individual investors. These products and services are usually sold through license agreements or subscriptions. Our investment management business generates asset-based fees, which are calculated as a percentage of assets under management. We also sell both admissions and sponsorship packages for our investment conferences and adv
. Download a complimentary copy of Morningstar ETFInvestor
After a long, dark, cold winter, green shoots have emerged across the landscape of systematic value strategies those that buy stocks that are cheap relative to some fundamental measure of their worth. Exactly what has plagued these approaches for so long has been widely debated. And while the recent thaw has been welcomed by many long-suffering value disciples, even some of the factor’s biggest fans worry that it may be a false spring.
Here, I’ll look back at value’s cold streak, survey some of its potential causes, touch on the catalysts behind its turnaround, and explore whether there’s any value left in value today.
The current market environment is a challenge. With the Consumer Price Index registering increasingly higher values, supply-chain challenges mounting, and fiscal and monetary stimulus continuing unabated, it s reasonable for vigilant investors to wonder what will come next. It behooves those with a long investment horizon to curate portfolios that can withstand periods of inflationary pressures while remaining mindful that additions to a portfolio should improve its overall risk/return profile. What are the options?
Commodities, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, and equities like REITs or energy producers may provide some benefit against inflation, and in the past we ve explored how those assets have improved investors portfolios. However, it can be a challenge to select a single inflation-sensitive exposure from myriad menu options, let alone to conduct the due diligence needed to formulate a complementary combination of them.