30-Minute Money Solutions

A Step-By-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances
With most investors starting to pick up the pieces left in the wake of 2008’s bear market, Morningstar’s 30-Minute Money Solutions, could not have come at a better time. In this get-it-done money guide, Christine Benz breaks down the daunting goal of getting one’s financial house in order. Click here to view a sample chapter.

Written in a format accessible to novice and experienced investors alike, 30-Minute Money Solutions provides readers with the necessary guidance in tackling money challenges and building a comprehensive financial plan. Read 30-Minute Money Solutions cover-to-cover for a comprehensive plan, or only choose the chapters you need--such as saving for college or reviving a retirement plan. And take advantage of exclusive online worksheets and tools to put Christine’s advice into practice.

Contents About the Author

Section 1: Find Your Baseline
Identify where you stand, what your goals are, and how to get there.

Section 2: Get Organized
Create systems for bill paying, filing, and keeping track of it all.

Section 3: Find the Best Use of Your Money
Determine whether to pay down debt or invest, then decide where to put your money.

Section 4: Get Started in Investing
Establish emergency, short, and long-term plans, and select the right investment mix.

Section 5: Invest in Your Company Retirement Plan
Evaluate your retirement plan and choose the right type of 401(k).

Section 6: Invest in an IRA
Choose the best type of investments and conversion strategies for you.

Section 7: Invest for College
Find the right college-savings vehicle, 529 plan, or investments.

Section 8: Invest in Your Taxable Account
Identify the best investments and maximize tax efficiency.

Section 9: Invest During Retirement
Build an in-retirement portfolio and plan withdrawals.

Section 10: Monitor Your Investments
Check up on or rebalance your portfolio.

Section 11: Cover Your Bases on Estate Planning
Start your estate plan, handle beneficiary designations, and create a personal legacy.

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Contents About the Author

Christine Benz, Author, Morningstar Mutual Funds Workbook Series

Christine Benz is director of personal finance for Morningstar, Inc. and editor of Morningstar PracticalFinance, a monthly print newsletter for individual investors. She also writes a weekly column on Morningstar.com and is co-author of Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success, a national bestseller published in 2003, and author of the book's second edition, which was published in 2005. Before assuming her current role in 2008, Benz served as Morningstar's director of mutual fund analysis. She has also served as editor of Morningstar Mutual Funds, the firm's flagship newsletter.

Benz holds a bachelor's degree in political science and Russian/East European studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.