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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.

Episodes

Episode 108

The need for great financial advice continues to grow, with a landscape we haven’t witnessed in 15 years. So, what does BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, have to say about this? What might we expect from here? In this episode, we’ll dig into the latest advice trends, covering the use of models, behavioral application, and evolving investors’ needs. We're delighted to be joined by Liz Koehler, Managing Director and Head of Advisor Engagement from BlackRock.
Episode 107

We look at innovations and megatrends that financial advisors should watch for. We start with the big problems that financial professionals are attempting to solve, then discuss prevalent trends in product and technology that support better client outcomes. This is a practical discussion with an eye on the future, where we seek to arm you with everything you might need to stay ahead. In this episode, we are joined by Evan Rapoport, Founder and CEO of SMArtX, along with Matt Apkarian, Associate Director, Product Development at Cerulli Associates.
Episode 106

The complexity of operating a successful financial advice practice continues to grow and significant challenges still exist in operating an effective practice. So, in this episode, we take a 30,000-foot view of financial advisor challenges and dig into the importance of data and regulations in overcoming these challenges. Whether it is growing or defending your practice, we share expert opinions on how to navigate it. In this episode, we are joined by Nick VanDerSchie, Head of Strategy and Execution at Morningstar Wealth, and Brian Costello, our Head of Data Aggregation Strategy and Governance.
Episode 105

Warren Buffet readily admits “I make many mistakes” when referencing his own investment portfolio. This begs the question, where does that leave the rest of us? We know that today's market uncertainty can surface the best and worst of our investing behaviors. For financial advisors, what are some of the behavioral pitfalls to avoid for clients? And what opportunities can you seize? We're joined by two experts to help us dig into these important questions - Michael Laughlin, Head of Portfolio Specialists, and Samantha Lamas, Senior Behavioral Researcher at Morningstar.
Episode 104

What are the positive client messages we can share leading into 2023? With inflation and a recession on everyone’s minds, what actions make sense to support clients? The topics we’re discussing today align with the recent release of Morningstar Investment Management’s 2023 outlook titled “the positives of investing in this environment”. In today’s episode, I’m delighted to have Marta Norton and Philip Straehl with us to dig into the outlook, share their perspective, and as always, be sure to address the implications on client portfolios and any suggested actions to be taken.
Episode 103

Direct indexing is becoming a key addition to financial advisors’ toolkits. It provides the ability to tailor an index, like removing a stock or even industry, which can bring the fun back to investing and help with after-tax outcomes. In 2022, Morningstar launched a direct indexing offering for financial advisors and joined the ‘fun’. So, what’s all the fuss about? What are the salient points you need to know? Who’s it right for? And what are the thorny issues to weigh? We're joined by Sheryl Rowling, Editorial Director, and Andy Kunzweiler, Portfolio Manager for Morningstar’s direct indexing proposition.
Episode 102

Across the globe, the financial advice community continues to navigate a significant period of change. The need for financial advice has only increased, intensifying the demands placed on advisors and their most valuable commodity - their time spent with clients. Morningstar's Wealth group has also evolved by providing an integrated suite of offerings to equip advisors as they seek to empower investor success. This environment of increasing global demand for advice, and the evolution of new and improved capabilities available to advisors can be summarized in one word - opportunity.
Episode 101

Stagflation is now on the radar for financial advisors and the investors they serve. At the same time, our latest research shows that investor sentiment is plummeting. With this in mind, we are delighted to have two of our most senior researchers who will help us unpack the news headlines, where we are joined by Philip Straehl, Morningstar’s Global Head of Research for Investment Management, and Tyler Dann, our Head of Research for the Americas.
Episode 100

Investors can become confused in today’s challenging climate, and understandably so. It can be difficult for advisors and investors of all types and sizes. In this new season of Simple but Not Easy, we welcome Jonathan Linstra as your new host, along with two of Morningstar’s investment chiefs, Dan Kemp and Marta Norton, who offer straight talk to help navigate this difficult environment. They also shed light on investment lessons and what they look for. We hope you enjoy the episode, from the team at Morningstar Wealth.
Episode 99

Stay tuned for our 100th episode up next! We are reinvigorating the podcast going forward, seeking to equip financial advisors with ideas to remove friction and help clients achieve goals. But before we do, we'd also like to thank everyone who contributed to the first 100 episodes, delivering value for our listeners through both calm and stormy waters. To that end, in this episode we showcase the most downloaded so far, which still has special relevance today - investing amidst uncertainty. It covers inflation, interest rates, and context on how to navigate it all.