Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc’s senior markets reporter, discusses the uncertain outlook for the third quarter and how investors should prepare for market volatility. What Was Surprising From Q2 Market Volatility Mixed Expectations as Trump’s Tariff Deadline Approaches How Should Investors Prepare Themselves for Market Volatility? How Tariff Uncertainty Could Affect Company Earnings How Trump’s Tax and Spending Bill Raises Concerns About Federal Deficit How the Fed’s Decision on Interest Rates C...
Jul 04, 2025•14 min•Ep. 333
Two Morningstar research leaders join Investing Insights to discuss whether US investors should consider international stocks and fixed income. They are Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist, and Philip Straehl, chief investment officer for the Americas, for Morningstar Wealth, part of registered investment adviser, Morningstar Investment Management. Key Takeaways: How the Markets Have Been Handling Volatility in 2025 Why Economic Data Has Stayed More Stable Than the Markets During Vo...
Jun 27, 2025•19 min•Ep. 332
Lan Tran, manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses the benefits and limitations of digital investment advice. Plus, a look at the best and worst robo-advisors of 2025. What Is a Robo-Advisor? Robo-Advisors vs. Traditional Advisors Who Should Use a Robo-Advisor? Benefits of Digital Investment Advice vs. a DIY Approach Do Robo-Advisors Offer Retirement and Taxable Accounts? Limitations of Robo-Advisors Robo-Advisor Fee Structure How Robo-Advisors Are Taking a Hybrid Ap...
Jun 20, 2025•24 min•Ep. 331
Bryan Armour, director of ETF and passive strategies research for North America at Morningstar Research Services, discusses private equity ETFs and private credit ETFs. Armour also previews his session at the 2025 Morningstar Investment Conference featuring two ETF experts. Hear From Experts on Private Asset ETFs at the 2025 Morningstar Investment Conference How Do Private Equity and Private Credit Investments Work? Why Access to Private Markets Is Expanding How Private Assets Pose a Challenge i...
Jun 13, 2025•15 min•Ep. 330
Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses the success of the 60/40 portfolio and how diversification is paying off during market volatility this year. How Diversification Has Held Up Against Market Volatility in 2025 Which Asset Classes Have Been Strong Diversifiers in 2025? Which Asset Classes Have Struggled as Diversifiers? How Have US vs. Non-US Stocks Performed in 2025? Can Investors Still Turn to Fixed Income During Market Volatility? How Correlations Between Asset Classe...
Jun 06, 2025•17 min•Ep. 329
David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s DividendInvestor newsletter, talks about the dividend stocks that earned a spot on the newsletter’s annual Dividend Growers list. Harrell also discusses how to approach dividend investing. What Qualifies a Dividend Stock to Be on the DividendInvestor’s Annual Dividend Growers List? 13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends This part of the episode includes a correction: In an earlier version of this podcast, a section about companies included on the Di...
May 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 328
Dan Lefkovitz, Morningstar Indexes strategist and columnist, explains how factor investing works. And he discusses which stocks outperformed and underperformed during this year’s market volatility. What Is Factor Investing? What Factors Have the Strongest Performance Amid Market Volatility in 2025? Berkshire Hathaway and Other Low-Volatility Stocks Outperformed During Market Volatility Why Lower-Volatility Stocks Help With Capital Preservation in the Long Term Which Factors Have Lagged the Broad...
May 23, 2025•13 min•Ep. 327
Dan Sotiroff, senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, explains how TIPS ETFs work, their performance in 2025, and what to consider before buying the treasury inflation-protected securities. Key Takeaways: What Are TIPS? TIPS ETFs vs. TIPS Flows Into TIPS ETFs in 2025 Surprises Morningstar’s ETFInvestor Editor How TIPS Have Performed Against the Bond Market in 2025 How Higher-for-Longer Interest Rates Could Create Higher Risk Should Investors Look to Short- or Long-Term...
May 16, 2025•13 min•Ep. 326
Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Investment Management’s Wealth group, discusses how trade talks over tariffs could ripple through the bond market and whether import taxes are the right move for Hollywood movies. Key Takeaways: What a Potential Trade Deal Between the US and UK Means for Market Sentiment What Countries Need to Strike a Trade Deal to Calm Wall Street? What Persistent High Tariffs and Falling Imports From China Could Mean for the US How Japan Moving ...
May 09, 2025•18 min•Ep. 325
Gregg Warren, senior analyst with Morningstar Research Services, discusses the succession, dividend, and stock portfolio questions he would ask at this year’s Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Warren previously pitched questions as part of the meeting’s analyst panel. Key Takeaways: Morningstar Analyst on Pitching Questions at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting Succession Planning for Berkshire Hathaway’s Insurance Business What Investors Need to Know About Warren Buffett’s Successor Should Greg...
May 02, 2025•22 min•Ep. 323
Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses why her team’s starting safe withdrawal rate is more conservative than the popular 4% rule. Plus, a new metric to help determine financial priorities during retirement. How ‘The State of Retirement Income’ Report Helps Investors Know Their Safe Withdrawal Rate Conservative Estimate for Starting Safe Withdrawal Rate Why Has the Starting Safe Withdrawal Rate Gone Down? Flexible or Dynamic Strategies to Increase the Starting Safe Withdraw...
Apr 25, 2025•23 min•Ep. 322
Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses which investments have performed best and worst in past recessions. Gold prices are rising during the current market volatility. Arnott explains why it might not be the best time to buy the precious metal. Key Takeaways: Why Current Market Volatility May Not Be Ending Soon How to Keep Yourself Steady During Market Volatility How Investors Nearing Retirement Can Avoid Sequence-of-Return Risk During Market Volatility How Retirees Can Mit...
Apr 18, 2025•13 min•Ep. 321
Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses the escalating US-China trade war, the 90-day tariff pause, and raised recession risk during this market volatility. Key Takeaways: What an Escalating Trade War Between the US and China Could Mean Macroeconomic Trends and Rising Deglobalization After Trump’s Tariffs What Trump’s 90-Day Pause on Tariffs Means for the Markets and Economy How Market Volatility Could Persist After a Tariff-Induced Stock...
Apr 11, 2025•13 min•Ep. 320
Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc. senior markets reporter, discusses the market volatility in the first quarter of 2025 and the portfolio strategy that paid off for investors. What’s the Difference Between the Stock Market and the Economy? How Stock Market Trends in 2025 Have Shifted From Last Year Worries About Changes Fanning Market Volatility How Tariffs Could Impact Growth, Inflation, and Consumer Prices Market Volatility Sends Investors Rushing to Gold What Are the Risks of a Recession in 2025...
Apr 04, 2025•15 min•Ep. 319
Zach Evens, a passive strategies analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses two ETFs that use data from Unusual Whales to track congressional stock trades. He explains why investors might be drawn to these funds and the potential risks that they face. Key Takeaways: Why Investors May Want to Follow Congressional Stock Trades Are Members of Congress Good at Picking Stocks? The Firms Behind the ETFs: Subversive Capital and Unusual Whales Limitations of the Data on Congressional Stock Tra...
Mar 28, 2025•13 min•Ep. 318
Karen Anderson, director of healthcare equity research for Morningstar Research Services, discusses the forces shaping the landscape and where she sees opportunities for investors. Key Takeaways: Why Healthcare Stocks Have Been Resilient During the Market Downturn How Regulatory Changes Could Affect the Healthcare Industry Why Healthcare Stocks’ Valuations Look Attractive From a Bottom-Up View How Have Healthcare Stocks’ Valuations Changed Historically? How Stock Valuations Differ Within the Hea...
Mar 21, 2025•22 min•Ep. 317
Russ Kinnel, senior principal of ratings for Morningstar Research Services, researched which alternative, equity, and value funds could provide a good hedge during a market sell-off. What is the Downside Capture Ratio? Why Funds with A Low Downside Capture Ratio Make Good Diversifiers How Does a Fund’s Maximum Drawdown Line Up with Its Downside Capture? Why Savers Should Look for Low-Risk Investments Floating-Rate Funds to Help Protect a Bond-Heavy Portfolio Against Interest-Rate Risk Alternativ...
Mar 14, 2025•12 min•Ep. 316
Sheryl Rowling, editorial director for financial advice at Morningstar Inc, discusses the financial and tax issues that could come up during and after a gray divorce. Limiting the Financial Impact of a Gray Divorce How to Budget After Divorce What to Do if There’s a Budget Shortfall Social Security Divorce Benefits Gray Divorce Near Retirement Will a New Tax-Filing Status Result in Higher Taxes? How to Fairly Split Assets in Divorce How to Avoid Tax Penalties When Dividing Retirement Accounts Pr...
Mar 07, 2025•15 min•Ep. 315
Dan Lefkovitz, strategist for Morningstar Indexes, talks about what he finds noteworthy in the bond market today. Philip Straehl, chief investment officer for the Americas for Morningstar Wealth, a part of registered investment adviser Morningstar Investment Management, explains why employees who own company stock should protect their total wealth. Bond Market in Q1 2025 Why Did the 10-Year US Treasury Yield Go Up After 2024 Interest Rate Cuts Why Bond Investors Are Worried Following the US Pres...
Feb 28, 2025•22 min•Ep. 314
David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s StockInvestor newsletter, investigated stock valuation trends from a watchlist with 120 names across the market. He reveals which stocks are relative bargains. The Evolution of the Morningstar Style Box What Is the Value-Growth Score for Stocks? Why Investors Should Look Deeper Than Overall Market Trends Investigating Stock Valuation Trends on the Tortoise and Hare Watchlist Small-Cap Stock Findings Are There Any Mega-Cap Stocks on Morningstar StockInvestor...
Feb 21, 2025•12 min•Ep. 313
Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for North America for Morningstar Research Services, explains how dividend income and dividend growth strategies work. He also discusses why four dividend ETFs from Vanguard and Schwab earn top marks. Comparing Income and Growth Dividend ETF Strategies Blindspots in Dividend ETF Investing Are Company Payouts Expected to Increase Over Time for Dividend Growth ETFs? Judging the Performance of Dividend ETF Strategies What is Factor Investing? Wr...
Feb 14, 2025•11 min•Ep. 312
Dan Sotiroff, a senior manager research analyst for Morningstar, explains how lower fees on dozens of Vanguard investments will likely benefit both investors and the popular money manager. Plus, we hear from the hosts of our new podcast, The Morning Filter . David Sekera, Morningstar's chief US market strategist, and Susan Dziubinski, an investment specialist at Morningstar Inc., discuss how they cut through the noise of the stock market each week. Vanguard Fee Cuts 2025 Why Is Vanguard Cutting ...
Feb 07, 2025•20 min•Ep. 311
Preston Caldwell, senior US economist for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, his outlook for inflation in 2025, and the potential impact of US tariffs. Fed Meeting January 2025: Was Pausing Interest-Rate Cuts a Good Move? Outlook for Inflation in 2025 How a Strong Jobs Market Fits into the Fed’s Outlook Why Mortgage Rates Rose When Interest Rates Fell When is the Next Fed Meeting in 2025? Are Interest Rates Going Down in 2025? How Mass Depo...
Jan 31, 2025•19 min•Ep. 310
Follow The Morning Filter on Apple Podcast to hear new episodes on Monday mornings. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-morning-filter/id1792280057
Jan 27, 2025•1 min
Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc markets reporter, explains why the markets are closely watching inflation and what some forecasters expect. Seth Goldstein, strategist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses whether the new Trump administration’s policies could affect the electric vehicle industry and his outlook for Tesla’s stock. What’s Changed About the Inflation Outlook Why Inflation is Running Hotter Again What Stubborn Inflation Means for Investors and the Economy Markets’ Response to In...
Jan 24, 2025•17 min•Ep. 309
Russ Kinnel, director of ratings for Morningstar Research Services, compares open-end funds and actively managed ETFs from Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and Capital Group. Matthew Dolgin, senior equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses what he thinks of Netflix’s stock and where the streamer could profit next. Open-End Funds vs. Active ETFs Advantages of Active ETFs Appeal for Day Traders Disadvantage of Active ETFs Which Investors Should Consider Swapping Mutual Funds for ETF Coun...
Jan 17, 2025•18 min•Ep. 308
Jack Shannon, senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses how fund companies are looking to put private assets in the hands of everyday investors. He explains the risks and opportunities in private equity and private credit, and where this trend could go in 2025. What Are Private Assets? Risks of Private Assets vs. Public Assets Why Fund Companies Want to Give Retail Investors Access to Private Assets How Investors Can Access Private Assets Today Why Funds Choose...
Jan 10, 2025•26 min•Ep. 307
Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses where to find the highest bond yields this year and whether corporate bonds are still attractive. Why Cash is No Longer King Is a 3% Interest Rate Forecast a Wake-Up Call? Why It's a Good Time for Investors to Move Out of Cash Why Investors Should Move Longer Term in Fixed Income Are Corporate Bonds Still Attractive? Where We Are Seeing Promising Yields From Global Bonds What to Keep in Mind When In...
Jan 03, 2025•14 min•Ep. 306
Tom Lauricella, Morningstar Inc global markets editor, explains why the market reacted poorly to the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate outlook. The Smart Investor newsletter editor also discusses some of 2024’s biggest headlines such as inflation, the broader stock market rally, and new leadership in Washington. Why the Fed Scaled Back from Four Interest-Rate Cuts to Two for 20255 Did the Market Bounce Back After the Drop Following the Fed Rate Decision? Why the Fed Isn’t Saying They Are Seeing a ...
Dec 20, 2024•14 min•Ep. 305
Russel Kinnel, director of ratings for Morningstar Research Services, discusses large growth’s impressive run in 2024 and why it might be time to rebalance if you haven’t in a while. What is Driving Growth’s Impressive Run? Why Is it Important to Rebalance Now What Triggered Growth’s Largest Selloffs Since 2000 What Was Unusual About the Growth Correction in 2022 Top-Rated Bond Funds that Could Help with Saving for an Emergency Fund Bond Funds that are Defensive if Growth Gets Crushed Small-Valu...
Dec 13, 2024•11 min•Ep. 304
