CHRISTINE BENZ
When it comes to retirement planning, few voices are as trusted — or as genuinely useful — as Christine Benz.
As Morningstar's Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning, Christine has spent decades helping investors navigate the transition from accumulation to distribution. She writes and speaks plainly, without jargon, without conflicts of interest, and with an uncommon ability to make complex topics feel manageable.
"The best financial plan is the one you can actually stick with."
Her book How to Retire is one of the most practical guides to retirement income I've come across. Christine interviews some of the sharpest minds in the field and distills their insights into actionable advice for real people.
What I appreciate most about Christine is that she never oversimplifies or oversells. She acknowledges the uncertainty in retirement planning honestly, and she helps investors build strategies that account for that uncertainty rather than pretend it doesn't exist.
She is a rare combination: technically rigorous and genuinely accessible. I recommend her work to anyone navigating retirement — at any stage of the journey.
— Paul Merriman