Investing Insights

Thanks to its tax benefits, your IRA can be a powerful tool to optimize your portfolio. Investment firms often see a big influx of new contributions into individual retirement accounts in the early part of each year as investors rush to meet the April 15 deadline. If you’re one of the many investors adding new funds to your IRA, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning Christine Benz has some ideas on how to make the most of those contributions and improve your portfolio in the process.How to Get the Most Out of Your IRA ContributionsOn this episode: 00:00:00 Welcome00:01:16 2026 IRA Contribution Limits00:01:45 How to Decide Between a Traditional and Roth IRA00:03:52 Stock Investing Mistakes to Avoid With Your IRA00:05:20 How to Invest Your IRA When You're Early in Your Career00:08:13 How to Assess Your IRA in the Middle of Your Earning Years00:10:23 The Advantages of Non-US Stocks and How to Diversify Your IRA00:14:30 How to Derisk Your Portfolio as You Approach Retirement00:16:47 R