Investing Insights

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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 Runn...

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 T...

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 Re...

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 S...

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 Bo...

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 He...

Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist at Morningstar Investment Management, discusses why long-term yields spiked in the wake of the election, what's next for fixed-income in 2025, and how investors can take advantage of higher yields in their portfolios. Why Did Bond Yields Rise in the Wake of the Election? How Investors Are Thinking About Rising Bond Yields What the Current Run-Up in...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, discusses the ins and outs of tax-loss selling and where investors can look for potential opportunities to harvest losses in their portfolios. What is Tax-Loss Selling? Are There Limits to How Much You Can Offset Capital? How to Evaluate Your Cost Basis to Find Loss Opportunities What is the 30 Day Rule for Tax-Los...

David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s DividendInvestor newsletter, makes the case for dividend investing. However, he also points out the pitfalls, like dividend fallacy, that income-focused investors should watch out for.  Why Investors Are Divided About Dividend Investing  The Pitfall of Dividend Fallacy  Warning Signal for Dividend Traps Should Investors Focus on Total Return Rather Than Divid...

Mark Miller, Morningstar contributor, talks about the new $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D coming in 2025. Plus, learn what you should know before switching between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare during open enrollment. Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage Why Seniors Shouldn’t Just Roll Over Their Plans in 2025 2025 Medicare Part D Changes Medicare’s New Prescripti...

Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research for North America for Morningstar Research Services, talks about the best way for most retail investors to leverage and which leveraged ETFs look promising. Travis Miller, strategist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses how tech companies are looking to nuclear energy to fuel data centers’ surging demand. Why Leverage Has a Debatable Re...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine talks with author and researcher Howard Gleckman about long-term care.   How Long-Term Care Differs from Conventional Healthcare Why Americans Need Mo...

Katie Binns, director of product management for Morningstar Indexes, discusses bank loans’ benefits even as interest rates are expected to fall. William Kerwin, equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services who covers Apple, reveals the two main things he wants to hear about on the earnings call. What Are Bank Loans? Bank Loans vs. Junk Bonds The Role of Bank Loans in Your Portfolio Why the Mar...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine talks with financial planning expert Jeff Levine about the importance of tax planning in retirement. Why Tax Planning is Key When Withdrawing from You...

Dan Lefkovitz, Morningstar Indexes strategist, discusses why it’s important to be ready for a range of outcomes during a market rotation. Nic Owens, equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, talks about his outlook for Boeing stock ahead of earnings. Trends from the Q3 Market Rotation Extending into Q4  Key Moments Sparked Market Volatility  Will Value Stocks Make a Comeback?  Value and Sm...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with Washington Post personal finance columnist and author Michelle Singletary. They talk about the difficult psychological transition from...

Secure Act Concerns Rules for Traditional and Roth IRAs and Changes for Inherited IRAs Will Beneficiaries Need to Withdraw RMDs Every Year? Do People Who Inherit IRAs Still Need to Follow the 10-Year Rule? Why Congress Wants Inherited IRA Heirs to Follow the 10-Year Rule What Is Required of Non-Spouse Beneficiaries When Someone Passes After Starting RMDs? What Happens if the Original Account Owner...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with wealth manager Harold Evensky, who inspired Christine’s work in retirement portfolio bucketing. How the Bucket Approach to Retirement P...

Morningstar Inc editor Margaret Giles discusses the triple-tax-benefits of HSAs, how they compare to other tax-advantaged accounts, and whether you can save too much. Greg Carlson, senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, highlights the providers that received Morningstar's top ratings. What is an HSA? Who is Eligible for an HSA? HSA vs FSA How to Maximize the Triple-Tax...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with personal finance expert Manisha Thakor to address the question of “What is enough?” when it comes to retirement. Do You Have Enough Fin...

Karen Andersen, biotechnology strategist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses what GLP-1 drugs’ demand means for the biopharma industry’s five-year outlook. And whether the weight-loss drugs pose a threat to snack food stocks. Why GLP-1 Drugs Are in Demand  Competition Between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly How Expanding the Conditions GLP-1 Drugs Treats Could Influence Insurance Coverage Are...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with senior nerd at Kitces.com and assistant professor of finance Derek Tharp. They talk through how adjusting your spending throughout your...

Preston Caldwell, senior US economist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses why the Federal Reserve made an aggressive interest-rate cut now. And what these lower rates mean for borrowers. Morningstar’s Take on the Federal Reserve’s First Interest-Rate Cut in 2024  What is the Neutral Rate of Interest? Was the Half-Point Interest Rate Cut as “Timely?”  Risks that Could Cause Inflation to Re...

Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, interviews financial experts about different aspects of retirement in ‘How to Retire,’ the companion podcast to her book of the same name. In this episode, Christine sits down with Yahoo Finance columnist and author Kerry Hannon to talk through the benefits of meaningful work in retirement. Benefits of Working Past...