Will you give yourself permission to fully enjoy your nest egg? Many retirees spent years saving to enjoy this chapter of their lives, but when they finally get there, a lot of them hold back. Of course, lavish spending can be a problem in retirees' golden years. But so can not spending enough! New Morningstar research has found retirees often withdraw their money very conservatively, even when they're not especially afraid of running out of money. As a result, they might deny themselves a dream vacation or trying new hobbies. So, what's behind it, and how can you learn to spend more in retirement and still live within your means? One of the researchers is Dr. Danielle Labotka, who's a behavioral scientist for Morningstar.

Is Your Cautious Retirement Spending Doing More Harm Than Good?

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:01:02 Why Morningstar researchers studied retirement underspending

00:02:28 How retirees decide how much to spend

00:03:23 Why simple withdrawal strategies generally lead to underspending

00:04:42 What typically happens to retirees' wealth over time

00:05:27 Why cautious spending persists even when retirees can afford more

00:07:37 Three ways to tell if you're underspending in retirement

Watch more from Morningstar:

Why Do Active Funds Lag Even With Winning Picks?

Target-Date Funds With Annuities Are Gaining Ground. Is That Good for Your Retirement Plan?

AI ETFs Are on the Rise. Are They Worth the Risk?

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Picking winning stocks is just part of the battle to beat an index. Active managers make investing moves when opportunities arise or dry up. They also rely on a team of analysts and state-of-the-art tools to help them uncover the next big investment idea. Yet, an in-depth dive into the top 100 largest active US stock funds reveals most active managers earn lower returns than their index. So, what are the pros' missteps? And what can everyday investors like you learn from them? Jeff Ptak analyzed years of stock fund data. The managing director of manager research for Morningstar explains what he found.

The Biggest Active Stock Funds Picked the Right Stocks. They Still Lagged

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome
00:00:55 What is a hypothetical 'do-nothing' portfolio?
00:02:54 Hits and misses during 2025's strong market
00:04:16 The do-nothing portfolio's performance during up and down years
00:05:17 Hypothetical $10K growth over a decade
00:06:27 How active managers can do a better job of beating their index
00:07:35 Overcoming the urge to make portfolio tweaks  

Watch more from Morningstar:

Target-Date Funds With Annuities Are Gaining Ground. Is That Good for Your Retirement Plan?

AI ETFs Are on the Rise. Are They Worth the Risk?

Don’t Leave Tax Savings on the Table: How to Conduct a Midyear IRA Checkup

Follow Morningstar on social: 

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Guaranteed income in retirement sounds pretty nice, but what are the trade-offs to make it happen? Several big asset managers offer target-date funds with built-in annuities. However, it's difficult to compare one against another because their strategies tend to differ. And retail annuities' dubious reputation has set up a hurdle for mass adoption. But recent important developments could clear the path for these funds to appear in 401(k)s and other retirement plans. New Morningstar research explores why target-date funds with annuities are gaining ground in the US. Jason Kephart has dug into the data. Morningstar's senior principal of multi-asset manager research is here to explain what he found.

As Fidelity Adds Target-Date Fund With Guaranteed Income, Here’s What You Should Watch For

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:00:59 What annuities are and why they got a bad rap

00:02:05 How in-plan annuities differ from retail versions

00:02:26 Why a proposed Department of Labor rule matters for 401(k) plans

00:03:08 Is momentum building for guaranteed income in 401(k)s?

00:04:18 Income annuities vs. guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits

00:07:09 What retirement savers should know now

Watch more from Morningstar:

AI ETFs Are on the Rise. Are They Worth the Risk?

Don’t Leave Tax Savings on the Table: How to Conduct a Midyear IRA Checkup

What Investors Should Watch for in the Second Half of 2026

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It's hard to escape the artificial intelligence hype. It's everywhere. Companies are adopting AI into their processes. Many people are talking to chatbots. And investors are making bets on which firms or themes will win. But do you need to own an AI ETF to benefit from the boom? Or do you already have enough exposure? Morningstar's associate director of US passive strategies research Dan Sotiroff has investigated whether the additional volatility of an ETF focused on AI is worth the risk.

For the Best Long-Term Bet in the AI Economy, Look to the Past

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:01:16 How AI shapes broad market ETFs

00:03:53 Are there still opportunities for smaller companies as large tech firms dominate?

00:05:12 What to know about thematic AI ETFs

00:08:59 Are ETFs the ideal way to invest in AI?

00:10:33 ETF picks for getting AI exposure

00:13:38 What to keep in mind about the AI tech trend

Watch more from Morningstar:

Don’t Leave Tax Savings on the Table: How to Conduct a Midyear IRA Checkup

What Investors Should Watch for in the Second Half of 2026

Dividend Investing: How to Find the Right Balance Between Income and Growth

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Consider getting your IRA in shape this summer instead of waiting for the calendar to flip to next year. A midyear checkup could help you optimize your retirement account to benefit from its tax advantages sooner than later. Morningstar's FundInvestor newsletter has highlighted investment ideas for folks who want to keep it simple, maximize tax advantages, or strive for capital appreciation. Morningstar's senior principal of ratings Russ Kinnel shares his favorite fund ideas for an IRA.

IRA Favorites for Your Retirement Saving Plan

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:01:16 IRA basics and how Russ Kinnel invests in his IR

00:01:58 One-stop fund favorites for keeping it simple

00:03:45 Funds for maximizing tax advantages

00:06:38 Ideas to take the most advantage of tax-free compounding by focusing on capital appreciation 

00:08:44 Could the funds also work in a Roth IRA?

Watch more from Morningstar:

What Investors Should Watch for in the Second Half of 2026

Dividend Investing: How to Find the Right Balance Between Income and Growth

Are Mutual Funds Becoming Obsolete?

Follow Morningstar on social: 

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Market volatility tends to challenge investors' willpower to stick to their plan. That's understandable because it tends to be easier to say you will focus on the long-term until uncertainty emerges. Geopolitics and artificial intelligence stirred up their share of highs and lows in 2026. What lessons can you learn from past market-moving events to stay invested? And where are the opportunities in the second half of the year?

Dominic Pappalardo is the chief multi-asset strategist for Morningstar Wealth. It's part of registered investment advisor, Morningstar Investment Management.

What’s Ahead in 2027 and Beyond for Inflation, Fed Rate Cuts, and More

On this episode:

00:00:31 Welcome

00:01:18 Stock market's first six months of 2026

00:01:41 Events driving this year's market highs and lows

00:06:02 Staying invested during drawdowns and volatility

00:10:04 Morningstar's mid-year market outlook

00:12:19 Fixed-income and equity sector opportunities

00:14:55 Investor takeaways for the second half of 2026

Watch more from Morningstar:

Dividend Investing: How to Find the Right Balance Between Income and Growth

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/dividend-investing-how-find-right-balance-between-income-growth-2

Are Mutual Funds Becoming Obsolete?

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/are-mutual-funds-becoming-obsolete-2

Brace Your Portfolio for Mega-IPOs

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/brace-your-portfolio-mega-ipos-2

Follow Morningstar on social: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/

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There's just something about dividends. The popular investing strategy attracts retirees and other investors who need regular cash payouts, as well as those who like the tangible return dividends represent, even if they are reinvesting those distributions back into their portfolio. But what are the tradeoffs, and are they worth it? It depends on who you ask.

From the pages of the Q2 2026 issue of Morningstar Magazine, several specialists argue against chasing higher yield. Instead, they encourage investors to balance dividends and total return. Jerry Kerns, who's the editor in chief, joins Investing Insights to discuss the magazine’s spotlight. 

Featured Article: Subscribe to Morningstar Magazine

On this episode: 

00:00:00 Welcome 

00:01:35 What dividend investing is and its appeal 

00:03:55 Yield chasing trade-offs and dividend cut signals 

00:07:47 Why consider buyback yield alongside dividend yield 

00:09:44 Dividend stocks Morningstar analysts find attractive 

00:10:45 Gold-rated funds and insights into the strategies 

00:12:00 How income investors can strike the right balance

Watch more from Morningstar: 

Are Mutual Funds Becoming Obsolete? 

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/are-mutual-funds-becoming-obsolete-2

Brace Your Portfolio for Mega-IPOs

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/brace-your-portfolio-mega-ipos-2

The Portfolio That Has Been Beating the Classic 60/40, and Why It Matters for You https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/portfolio-that-has-been-beating-classic-6040-why-it-matters-you-2

Follow Morningstar on social: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningstarInc/ 

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/

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Bryan Armour, Morningstar’s director of ETF and passive strategies research for North America, and Dan Sotiroff, Morningstar’s associate director of US passive strategies research, explain why ETFs and collective investment trusts or CITs are challenging mutual funds.

How Active ETFs Are Reshaping Fund Fees

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome 

00:01:30 How ETFs and mutual funds are alike and different

00:03:34 What investors prefer now 

00:06:10 Cases when owning a mutual fund instead of an ETF could be beneficial 

00:09:58 Are ETFs still synonymous with passive investing?

00:12:33 Notable names behind the active ETF launches

00:14:58 Are mutual funds an endangered species?

Watch more from Morningstar:

Brace Your Portfolio for Mega-IPOs

The Portfolio That Has Been Beating the Classic 60/40, and Why It Matters for You

The Best Opportunities for Fund Investors Today

Follow Morningstar on social: 

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X https://x.com/MorningstarInc 

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2026 is the year of the mega-IPO. SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI are working their way through the pipeline as anticipation builds for their blockbuster debuts. Elon Musk’s conglomerate is leading the shift from private to public markets. Demand is appearing to skyrocket to buy the companies the moment their stocks are publicly available. But is that the right move if you’re investing for the long term? Or are there better opportunities among stocks that are down on fears of AI competition, such as software as a service, or SaaS, stocks? These big private firms’ public arrivals will also affect index funds and 401(k)s. 

So what should you make of all this? Paul Condra is the global head of private markets research for PitchBook, a Morningstar company. He and his colleagues are presenting this topic at the upcoming Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago.

Why We Think the SpaceX IPO Is Overvalued

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:01:46 Why SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI Are Going Public Now

00:03:10 Why Morningstar Values SpaceX at Half the IPO Price

00:04:34 How Retail Investors Should Approach Buying SpaceX Stock

00:05:56Anthropic's IPO and Its Trillion-Dollar Valuation

00:07:12 OpenAI's Broken Economics and IPO Prospects

00:08:47 New Index Rules and What They Mean for Your 401(k)

Watch more from Morningstar:

The Portfolio That Has Been Beating the Classic 60/40, and Why It Matters for You

https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/portfolio-that-has-been-beating-classic-6040-why-it-matters-you

The Best Opportunities for Fund Investors Today

https://www.morningstar.com/funds/best-opportunities-fund-investors-today

Will Vacation Inflation Affect Your Summer Travel? Here’s What to Know

https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/will-vacation-inflation-affect-your-summer-travel-heres-what-know

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Don't underestimate the benefits of portfolio diversification. A well-diversified portfolio can ride waves of market volatility, and new Morningstar research found that's what happened in 2025. When uncertainty emerged at times during the generally bullish market, the report identifies which asset classes performed well, which didn't, and how the classic 60/40 portfolio fared. So, what are the biggest challenges for portfolio diversification today? Amy Arnott is one of the co-authors of the 2026 Diversification Landscape Report.

Why Portfolio Diversification Has Paid Off—but More Isn’t Always Better

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome 

00:01:19 Market trends shaping investor sentiment in 2026 

00:02:27 Leading and lagging asset classes year to date 

00:03:15 Inside Morningstar's 2026 Diversification Landscape Report 

00:04:11 60/40 vs. diversified test portfolio and how each performed 

00:07:38 Rising inflation and what it means for bonds 

00:10:48 How retirees and risk-averse investors can manage volatility

Watch more from Morningstar:

The Best Opportunities for Fund Investors Today

Will Vacation Inflation Affect Your Summer Travel? Here’s What to Know

Bond ETF Flows Just Flipped. Here’s What It Means for You

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Morningstar stamps what it thinks about a fund’s future with this Medalist Rating. You’ve probably seen a star with the word Gold, Silver, or Bronze next to a fund you were researching on Morningstar.com. This represents the fund’s Morningstar Medalist Rating. The manager research team recently reworked and simplified how they judge funds to create a simpler process for investors to understand. The new methodology also brings more transparency and stability. Some funds’ ratings rose, while others fell or held steady. What were the key factors that led to the upgrades and downgrades, and which funds gained or lost status?

Morningstar Senior Principal of Ratings Russ Kinnel was in a room where it happened. Russ, who is also the editor of Morningstar FundInvestor, is here to talk about it.

How Morningstar’s New Medalist Rating Methodology Affects 11 of America’s Largest Funds

On this episode:

00:00:00 Welcome

00:01:33 Why Morningstar refreshed its Medalist Rating methodology

00:02:43 How the new criteria evaluate active and passive funds

00:03:07 Rating changes across fund categories and equity style boxes

00:04:09 Fidelity Contrafund, Pimco Income, and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index reviewed

00:06:25 Upgrades for target date, bank loan, and allocation funds

00:08:44 High fees trigger downgrades for some funds
 

Watch more from Morningstar:

Will Vacation Inflation Affect Your Summer Travel? Here’s What to Know

https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/will-vacation-inflation-affect-your-summer-travel-heres-what-know

Bond ETF Flows Just Flipped. Here’s What It Means for You

https://www.morningstar.com/bonds/bond-etf-flows-just-flipped-heres-what-it-means-you

How Big Tech’s Bond Spree and Rising US Debt Are Creating Risks and Opportunities

https://www.morningstar.com/bonds/how-big-techs-bond-spree-rising-us-debt-are-creating-risks-opportunities

Follow Morningstar on social:

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