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Simple, but Not Easy

Hello, and welcome to Simple, but Not Easy, where we turn complicated financial developments into actionable ideas. This is a podcast from Morningstar’s Wealth Group, where we equip financial advisors with our best ideas to remove friction and help clients achieve goals.
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Episodes

Is Dollar-Cost Averaging Irrational? Compared to What? (Episode 30 Rebroadcast)

Terry Hawkins, sales manager at Morningstar Investment Management and Paul Kaplan, research director for Morningstar Canada, discuss dollar-cost averaging, or the practice of investing slowly over time instead of in one lump sum. Research by Kaplan and others show that dollar-cost averaging might be expected to underperform a lump-sum approach. But what if it's what gets an investor into the markets?

May 02, 202231 min

Dump the Dow: Why What You Pay Attention to Matters (Episode 14 Rebroadcast)

In this episode, John Owens and Ryan Murphy talk about why price-weighted indexes like the Dow Jones Industrial Average can be distracting to investors. John, who's a senior equity portfolio manager at Morningstar Investment Management, explains why investors should disregard single-day Dow point drops, and also any short-term performance. Ryan, who's head of decision science at Morningstar Investment Management, shares some recent research that shows someone's risk perspective can be affected b...

Apr 18, 202228 min

Demonstrating ESG Commitments for Advisors and Investors (Episode 74 Rebroadcast)

In this rebroadcast of an episode from 2021, Paul Arnold and Dan Kemp discuss how advisors can better understand why ESG is important to a client—whether it’s the expression of one’s values or something else. We also look at how advisors might think about matching each client with a portfolio that addresses their unique ESG preferences and needs.

Mar 21, 202238 min

Fear of the Unknown: Inflation and Rising Rates

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear,” author H.P. Lovecraft once wrote. “And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Fear of the unknown is no stranger to the investment world these days. We’re living in scary times. And the investors who aren’t feeling jumpy right now tend to fall into one of two categories: those who have a plan—and those who haven’t a clue. Let's talk about how to manage your fear of the unknown when it comes to inflation and rising rat...

Mar 07, 202253 minEp. 93

Risk, Downside Protection, and the Goal Mindset

Short-term worries versus long-term goals—which are guiding your investment decisions? If you’ve done your homework and you’ve given careful consideration to achieving the financial results you want, that question is easier to answer—even if it remains nerve-wracking to stay the course. Here in early 2022, we’re awash in short-term concerns once again. Between inflation, rising interest rates, and more, it’s easy to question the faith you had when the outlook was brighter. So, with that in mind ...

Feb 08, 20221 hr 2 minEp. 92

Overconfident? Cognitively Rigid? How Investors Can Make Better Decisions by Dealing With Emotions and Biases (Episode 50 Rebroadcast)

"[W]e can’t avoid the reality that we’re experiencing and probably will continue to experience stress, uncertainty, and change. But the question is, how do we cope?" — Sarah Newcomb Given recent market volatility, we thought it might be helpful to revisit this episode from July 13, 2020, which features two experts on investor behavior and decision-making. Sarah Newcomb, director of behavioral science at Morningstar, Inc., discusses emotions brought on by market loss, talks about how they can aff...

Jan 25, 202228 min

2022 Outlook

Rising Interest Rates. New COVID-19 variants. Inflationary pressures. Those and other factors are on the minds of investors as we head into 2022. Will the new year be one of prosperity, or is it time to fortify your defenses? The truth is that it’s nearly impossible to know. And that’s why we at Morningstar follow a mantra of, ”Don’t predict—prepare.” In this episode, we ring in 2022 with our take on how to best prepare for what’s to come, no matter how handy you may or may not be with a crystal...

Jan 11, 202258 minEp. 91

ESG in 2022: a Simple, but Not Easy Short

Environmental, social, and governance. More commonly called ESG, it used to be seen in many parts of the investment world as a niche specialty that was mostly about virtue—something that was nice to do. But now there’s been no question that it’s something we need to do, particularly coming out of Glasgow’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26. Nearly 500 financial-services firms from around the world agreed to align $130 trillion with the goals specified by the Paris Agreemen...

Dec 21, 202120 minEp. 90

Easing Inflation Worries

Inflation. It's showing up in headlines and in conversations between everyone from political pundits to investment professionals and clients. It’s no different for us here at Morningstar, and most of what we’re hearing boils down to two key questions: what are our views on inflation, moving forward, and what are we doing to prepare for the potential threat of a continuing rise? In this episode, the conversation revolves around what’s driving inflation in the short and long term, ways we can try ...

Nov 30, 202157 minEp. 89

Sizing up Risks and Opportunities in Chinese Equities

China is a key talking point in the investment community today, as a regulatory crackdown has spooked markets. Chinese regulators have targeted specific sectors such as technology, education and real estate as part of a crackdown aimed at aligning the Chinese private sectors with its long-term policy agenda. In today’s episode, we will take a closer look at recent events in China and discuss both risks and potential opportunities in Chinese stocks today.

Sep 27, 202128 minEp. 86

The Potential Impact of Corporate Tax Hikes on Equities

Changes in the corporate tax rate can have large, one-time effects on a company’s financial statements. Michael Budzinski, Senior Investment Analyst and Portfolio Manager, shares recent Morningstar Investment Management LLC research around corporate tax rate changes.

Sep 13, 202138 minEp. 85

The Sustainability Stress Test

ESG investing, which focusses on an investment’s environmental, social, and governance impact or risk, has grown immensely in recent years, attracting significant inflows. But what happens to ESG investing during a market downturn? Are ESG considerations left by the wayside as investors focus on financial market risks? Ryan Murphy, Head of Decision Sciences for Morningstar Investment Management, discusses his research on the behavioral sustainability stress test.

Sep 07, 202149 minEp. 84

Our Global Convictions Following Q2 2021

With stocks reaching new highs and companies borrowing at historically low rates, broad markets offer limited upside. So how should investors position their portfolios in face of that?

Jul 28, 202140 minEp. 83

2021 Inflation Insights

As more of the US reopens and people begin to return to their normal routines we’ve seen a disconnect between supply and demand, and many are worried that price increases are here to stay. Alfonzo Bruno, associate portfolio manager, shares insights around the current state of inflation, how to interpret updated guidance from the Fed, and how he anticipates inflation pressures around supply chains to ease in a post-pandemic market.

Jul 12, 20211 hrEp. 82

Global Energy Stocks: In Structural Decline or a Buying Opportunity?

Other than the strong recovery this year, the energy sector has been avoided by many investors. Whether environmental concerns of an increasing number of ESG-focused investors or worries about the secular decline in oil revenues as the world transitions to renewal energy sources, energy stocks have been among the least popular investments out there. Philip Straehl, global head of research at Morningstar Investment Management, welcomes James Foot, Head of Research, Asia Pacific from Morningstar I...

Jun 28, 202130 minEp. 81

Our Reactions: 2021 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

Our Select Equity portfolio managers share five key takeaways from the 2021 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting. Portfolio specialist Jeff Wagner sits down with Mike Corty, Morningstar Investment Management’s Head of our Select Equity Portfolios team and the portfolio manager of our Tortoise portfolio, as well as senior portfolio manager John Owens, who manages Select Equity portfolios, All-Cap Equity and Small/Mid-Cap Equity.

Jun 14, 202153 minEp. 80

Our Investment Convictions: Searching for Select Opportunities

After the late-2020 rally continued into 2021, Philip Straehl and Edward Fane assess the aggregate reward-for-risk picture in world markets and share their views on select asset class opportunities. Philip is the Chicago-based global head of research at Morningstar Investment Management LLC. Ed, based in London, is head of research for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Morningstar Investment Management Europe, Ltd., which is an FCA-regulated firm.

May 10, 202133 minEp. 79

Dividend Stocks: How Coronavirus, Value/Growth, and Interest Rates Have Affected Income

Stocks have generally roared back from their pandemic lows about a year ago. But what about income? Many dividends were cut when COVID-19 shuttered businesses and kept us at home. What’s the outlook for dividend investors now that stock prices have rebounded? George Metrou, portfolio manager for the Dividend Select Equity Portfolios at Morningstar Investment Management, shares his thoughts on managing through the pandemic, and on the current landscape and his outlook for dividend-paying stocks....

Apr 12, 202120 minEp. 77

Is Dollar-Cost Averaging Irrational? Compared to What? (Ep. 30 Rebroadcast)

While we're off for spring break, we're reprising this episode featuring Terry Hawkins, sales manager at Morningstar Investment Management and Paul Kaplan, research director for Morningstar Canada. They discuss dollar-cost averaging, or the practice of investing slowly over time instead of in one lump sum. Research by Kaplan and others show that dollar-cost averaging might be expected to underperform a lump-sum approach. But what if it's what gets an investor into the markets?

Apr 05, 202131 min

To Annuitize or Not? (Episode 35 Rebroadcast)

While we're off for spring break, we're revisiting this episode that considers whether and when retirees should buy annuities to insure a steady stream of income, based on David Blanchett's research at the time of original airing. Few products are as polarizing among financial advisors than annuities, but certainly they have a place in the retirement picture for some individuals. In this episode, we look at Blanchett's research, which may help advisors decide when a client should annuitize or no...

Mar 29, 202127 min

South Korean Stocks: Has the Luster Faded After a Strong Finish to 2020?

In this episode, Gareth Lyons and Nabil Salem discuss the somewhat unusual South Korean stock market--unusual in that, this tech-dominated market remained attractively priced until recently. Lyons and Salem review the recent valuation history of this market, analyze drivers of outperformance in 2020, and summarize their current views on South Korea as an asset allocation opportunity. Gary Lyons is a portfolio manager on the Asset Allocation team at Morningstar Investment Management LLC, as well ...

Mar 15, 202130 minEp. 75

GameStop, Reddit, & Robinhood vs. Investing for the Long Run

Read more from Morningstar Investment Management at mp.morningstar.com , including John Owens' article on the subject of this episode here . And find articles from David Whiston, Steve Wendel, and many more at morningstar.com .

Mar 01, 202134 minEp. 73

Our Investment Convictions: Finding Balance After a Significant Q4 Rebound

2020 was roller coaster of a year for investment markets, with the US stock market surging early, crashing in March with news of the pandemic and related shutdowns, then rebounding quickly and continuing to rally—especially in the fourth quarter—to end the year up about 20%, depending on the index you look at. So where does this leave asset class valuations? Philip Straehl and Edward Fane explore the global aggregate reward for risk picture, then discuss their current outlooks on major asset cla...

Feb 08, 202143 minEp. 71

Pairing Portfolios With an Investor's Goals

In this panel discussion, portfolio managers from Morningstar Investment Management discuss how to match portfolios with key investor characteristics. The panel is moderated by Marta Norton, CIO for the Americas, and looks at five investor profiles.

Feb 01, 202127 minEp. 70
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