Weekly summary: our take on dividend stocks, RMD rules and student loans

Editor’s Note: Read the latest on how the coronavirus is shaking the markets and what investors can do about it. |
Editor’s choices
5 undervalued dividend-growing stocks
These names heavily weighted in the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index are all undervalued by at least 10%.
Minimum required distributions: why tinker with everything?
Congress continues to change the rules of the RMD, but contributor Mark Miller says the activity does not improve retirement security.
2 dividend ETFs for an IRA
These choices from Vanguard and Schwab make the most of this tax-efficient packaging.
Explore the Ark Innovation portfolio
We reveal how the ultra-popular fund’s underlying holdings stack up against 11 measures of equity risk.
One year on: lessons from the 2020 bear market
The biggest takeaway from this period is not to panic when the market collapses.
5 questions about student loan forgiveness
We take a closer look at the numbers to determine the impact of canceling student loans at different levels on individual households and the economy in general.
Portfolio Planning and Personal Finance with Christine Benz
100 must-have statistics on race, income and wealth
Racial income and wealth disparities affect all aspects of life in the United States: education, health, property, retirement, and life expectancy.
Mutual fund and Exchange traded funds
In a difficult year for Primecap
One of my favorite Vanguard fund managers has fallen far behind in 2020.
The question of the month for managers: are you back on the road?
Equity fund managers are pondering the value of post-pandemic travel.
The Case for Indexation in the Corporate Bond Market
Low fees and representative portfolios make corporate bond ETFs an attractive option.
American Funds Target Retirement offers, on its own terms
American Funds has forged its own path to top of the charts results. But can he change course if the tide changes?
Actions
A new frontier in cancer screening and treatment
If liquid biopsy lives up to its potential, a paradigm shift in cancer detection is possible.
Can Bumble compete?
The dating app operator has garnered a lot of interest in its CEO, the youngest female public company executive in the United States, but it is entering a potentially crowded market with its “freemium” model.
3 new actions to consider
Morningstar recently added a few companies to its coverage list. Here’s what our analysts think of the newcomers.
Updates from stock analysts
CVS guides cautiously for 2021 after a strong 2020
The narrow-moat company exceeded our expectations and we maintain our fair value estimate at $ 92 per share.
Walmart: The smooth end of the year does not change the long-term view
We suggest investors wait for a more attractive entry point.
Rekenthaler Report
What is the price of the largest 401 (k) plan in the world?
All right, thanks for asking.
What you need to know: indexed pensions
Lower risk comes at a higher price.
Advisors’ opinions
Student loans: a roadmap for advisors
If you don’t have clients with student debt yet, you will probably have some soon.
Cultural competence: How can counselors learn about the immigrant experience
Here are some ways financial advisors can better understand client culture to provide better advice.
The long-term podcast
Russel Kinnel: “Fear and greed are the enemies of good investments”
Morningstar’s director of manager research on ‘Flowmageddon’, seismic changes in the fund industry, and why fund-company mergers typically fail.
Comment
2020 trends in U.S. cash flows persist through 2021
Investor appetites remained largely unchanged, but a few themes emerged in January.
What uncontrolled short selling means for the stock market
As the CEOs of Reddit and Robinhood testify before Congress, we’re looking at the impact of events like the GameStop stock market saga on the market.
Should I buy Apple Stock now?
What to believe to justify the high valuation that the market places on Apple stock.
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