The Long View
Morningstar
Expand your investing horizons and look to the long term. Join hosts Christine Benz and Jeff Ptak as they talk to influential leaders in investing, advice, and personal finance about a wide-range of topics, such as asset allocation and balancing risk and return.
- 55 minutes 23 secondsWade Pfau: Higher Bond Yields Are a Plus for Retirees
Our guest on the podcast today is retirement researcher Wade Pfau. Wade is the founder of Retirement Researcher, an educational resource on retirement planning for individuals and financial advisors. He’s co-founder of the Retirement Income Style Awareness Tool and a co-host of the Retire With Style podcast. He’s a professor of practice at the American College of Financial Services and a research fellow with the Limra Retirement Income Institute. And he’s also a principal and director of retirement research for McLean Asset Management. Wade has written several books, including his most recent, a third edition of his Retirement Planning Guidebook. He holds a doctorate in economics and a master’s degree from Princeton University and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Iowa. He’s also a chartered financial analyst.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Updates to the Retirement Planning Guidebook
00:00:29 Do Retirees Today Have a Stronger Starting Spending Rate?
00:04:03 Asset Allocation, Annuities, and Target-Date Funds
00:08:11 Retirement Income Styles
00:15:07 Non-US Safe Withdrawal Rates and Flexible Spending Strategies
00:23:55 Probability of Success and Estimating Longevity
00:27:47 Underspending, Organic Income, and Mortgage Payoff
00:35:46 Exploring the Retirement Risk Zone
00:39:20 Equity Glide Paths, Sequence Risk, and Delaying Social Security
00:46:43 Annuities: Private Equity Concerns and Due Diligence
More Retirement Research From Wade Pfau
Exploring the Retirement Risk Zone
Reducing Retirement Risk with a Rising Equity Glide Path
More From Morningstar
What’s Your Retirement Income Style?
8 Reasons You Might Need to Tweak Your Portfolio
Wade Pfau: The Risks of Retirement Today
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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7 April 2026, 6:00 pm - 43 minutes 5 secondsPat Dorsey: Economic Moats and More
Today’s guest on The Long View is Pat Dorsey. Pat is the founder of Dorsey Asset Management, a boutique asset manager serving institutional clients. From 2000 to 2011, Pat was the director of equity research for Morningstar, where he led the growth of Morningstar’s equity research group from 20 to 90 analysts. Pat was instrumental in the development of Morningstar’s economic moat ratings, as well as the methodology behind Morningstar’s framework for analyzing competitive advantage. Pat is also the author of two books, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing, and The Little Book That Builds Wealth. Pat holds a master’s degree in political science from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in government from Wesleyan University. Pat is a CFA charterholder.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Defining Economic Moats and Moat Source Mistakes
00:05:34 Shifting Landscape for Returns on Invested Capital as a Metric
00:07:52 Inevitable vs. Noninevitable Moats
00:09:36 Moat Durability, Network Effects, and Lessons From PayPal
00:13:46 Management Quality, Founders, and Pricing Discipline
00:24:02 High-Quality Companies, “Too Hard” Bucket, and AI Uncertainty
00:29:29 Premortem, Behavioral Edge, and Opportunity Cost
More From Morningstar
AI Isn’t an Economic Moat Killer, but It Will Disrupt Industries
Lawrence Lam: ‘The Types of Companies That Attract Me Are Founder-Led and Profitable’
How to Measure a Company’s Competitive Advantage
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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31 March 2026, 6:00 pm - 52 minutes 20 secondsBill Yount: How Late Starters Can Find Financial Independence
Our guest on the podcast today is Bill Yount. Bill is a practicing emergency physician. He’s also co-host of a podcast called Catching Up to Fi, where he and Jackie Cummings Koski discuss pursuing financial independence later in life. Bill received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, his doctor of medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Northwestern University.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 From a Scarcity Mindset to the Hedonic Treadmill
00:10:04 The Wake-Up Call: Burnout, Lawsuits, and Turning 50
00:11:05 Finding FIRE Late: Catching Up to Financial Independence
00:13:44 Budgeting, Downsizing, and Boosting Savings Rates
00:20:56 Landmarks on the Way to Financial Independence
00:25:50 Life Planning, Risk Parity, and Calibrating Safe Withdrawals
00:34:51 Achieving FI and Knowing When It’s Time to Retire
00:43:44 Building Generational Wealth, Giving Early, and Advice to Late Starters
More From Morningstar
My Baptism by FIRE: Lessons on Financial Independence
The Best Retirement Strategies for Leaving Money Behind
Cliff Asness: ‘The Problem Was Never Beta. The Problem Was Paying Alpha Fees for Beta’
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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24 March 2026, 6:00 pm - 47 minutes 56 secondsEmily Guy Birken: What to Do in the Five Years Before You Retire
Our guest on the podcast today is Emily Guy Birken. Emily’s the author of The Five Years Before You Retire. She also co-authored Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, with Joe Saul-Sehy. Other books include End Financial Stress Now, Making Social Security Work for You and Choose Your Retirement: Find The Right Path to Your New Adventure. Emily received her master’s degree in education from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree in English from Kenyon College.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Emily Guy Birken’s Path to Money and Retirement Writing
00:04:26 Why the Five Years Before Retirement Are Crucial and How Much Is “Enough” Savings
00:10:31 How Expectations Can Shape Happiness in Retirement
00:13:14 Key Moves for Preretirees to Cover Retirement Savings Shortfalls
00:15:58 Social Security: Benefits of Delaying and Advice for Young Workers
00:27:06 Budgets in Retirement and Irregular Expenses on a Fixed Income
00:33:14 Why Long‑Term‑Care Insurance Rarely Pays Off Today
00:36:10 Pre-Medicare Health Insurance Options
00:40:17 Early Mortgage Payoff vs. Investing in Retirement
00:42:26 How Writing About Retirement Changed Guy Birken’s Own Planning
More From Morningstar
5 Things to Do Today If You Want to Retire in 5 Years
Dan Haylett: ‘The Retirement You Didn’t See Coming’
The Best Strategies for Consistent Retirement Spending
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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17 March 2026, 6:00 pm - 44 minutes 2 secondsJamie Hopkins and Bonnie Treichel: Why You Can’t Set and Forget a Retirement Plan
Our guests on the podcast today are Jamie Hopkins and Bonnie Treichel, who are co-authors of a new book, Your Retirement Sketchbook. Jamie is the CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors, Chief Wealth Officer of WSFS Bank, and founder of the FinServ Foundation. He’s a professor of practice at Creighton University and the American College of Financial Services. He’s also a contributor to Forbes and has been elected to the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Bonnie is the founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement, a consulting firm dedicated to solving problems for plan sponsors, advisors, and service providers in the retirement plan industry. She also serves as treasurer for the FinServ Foundation.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 The FinServ Foundation and Your Retirement Sketchbook
00:10:06 Understanding “Rewirement,” Mindset Shifts, and Behavioral Biases in Retirement
00:18:15 Why In‑Plan Annuities Are Emerging Inside 401(k) Plans
00:20:57 Retirement Bucket, Private Assets, and Reducing Sequence‑of‑Returns Risk
00:31:21 Risks to Social Security Benefits
00:33:17 Advisor-Client Dynamics in Retirement Planning
00:38:03 Retirement Planning Books and Podcasts
Retirement Resources Mentioned
Safety-First Retirement Planning
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
Retiring Minds Podcast
More From Morningstar
Retirement Withdrawal Sequencing Rules of the Road
Here’s How You Can Spend More During Retirement
Jamie Hopkins: A Framework for Financial Freedom
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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10 March 2026, 6:00 pm - 57 minutes 39 secondsDavid Bach: ‘Start Enjoying Your Life Sooner’
Our guest on the podcast today is David Bach. David is the author of 12 national bestselling books, including The Latte Factor; Smart Women Finish Rich; Start Late, Finish Rich; and The Automatic Millionaire. He just released the 20th anniversary edition of The Automatic Millionaire. David was a longtime contributor to NBC’s Today show and a featured guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also produced and hosted two public television specials, Smart Women Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire. David started his career at Morgan Stanley where he was a senior vice president and partner of The Bach Group.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Moving Abroad, Early Retirement, and the Shifting Media Landscape
00:11:46 The Importance of Sabbaticals and Health Expectancy
00:19:39 Saving to Spending, New Tax on IRA Withdrawals, and Long-Term Effect of Deficits
00:34:39 Key Updates to The Automatic Millionaire and Automatic Contributions
00:37:59 Why Everyone Needs Access to Being an Investor
00:42:02 How to Start Investing Young and How to Catch Up Later in Life
00:47:26 How Inflation Affects Retirement Goals and The Benefits of Homeownership
More From Morningstar
6 Lessons From My 6-Week Mini-Retirement
The Best Strategies for Consistent Retirement Spending
7 Steps to Estimating Your In-Retirement Cash Flow Needs
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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3 March 2026, 7:00 pm - 49 minutes 37 secondsHilary Wiek: Perspective on Private Markets
Today’s guest on The Long View is Hilary Wiek. Hilary is a principal analyst at PitchBook, where she leads PitchBook’s coverage of fund strategies and performance, publishing primary research on the alternative space. Hilary also leads PitchBook’s coverage of the ESG and impact investing space. Hilary has over 20 years of experience in asset owner, manager, and advisory roles. Prior to joining PitchBook, she was the director of investments at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations, where she handled portfolio management, impact and ESG investment, investment due diligence and monitoring, and investment operations. Before that, she worked in senior positions at Segal Rogerscasey, the South Carolina Retirement Systems Investment Commission, Buckingham Financial Group, Dayton Power & Light, and KeyCorp. Wiek received a master’s degree in finance and economics from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in business leadership and finance from the University of Puget Sound. She is based in PitchBook’s Seattle office. PitchBook is a Morningstar company.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Background in the Private Markets and Joining PitchBook
00:04:49 Drivers of Private Market Slowdown in 2026 and Pockets of Outperformance
00:14:15 Key Lessons for Investing in Private Market Funds
00:18:12 Private Market Fees, Hidden Volatility, and Valuations
00:20:38 Evergreen Investment Growth, Interval Funds, and Questions Investors Should Ask
00:32:26 Is It Worth It to Invest in Private Markets?
00:36:50 ESG, Impacting Investing, and Key Themes for 2026
00:41:05 Private Market Exposure in 401(k)s
PitchBook Reports Discussed
Benchmarking and Returns: Why Are There So Many Numbers?
Evergreen Funds: We Have Questions
The New Face of Private Markets in Your 401(k)
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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24 February 2026, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 2 minutesJim O’Shaughnessy: Investing Lessons From a Lifelong Learner
Our guest on the podcast today is Jim O’Shaughnessy. Jim founded O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, a quantitative investment management firm in 1993. Franklin Templeton acquired the firm in 2021. Jim is also an author of several books, including Invest Like the Best and What Works on Wall Street. His latest book, Two Thoughts: A Timeless Collection of Infinite Wisdom, is a compilation of quotations from famous artists, writers and thinkers. Jim also hosts his own podcast called Infinite Loops. In addition, Jim is the founder and CEO of O’Shaughnessy Ventures, which provides financial backing and other support to individuals and projects.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Building a New Way to Analyze the Stock Market
00:07:18 How Stock Brokers Sold Stories Before Quants
00:12:19 Stock Price vs. Narrative and How Quants Avoid Stock Investing Pitfalls
00:20:05 Long-Term Investing, Bonds, and Keeping Emotions Out of Your Portfolio
00:29:50 Pre-Seed Investments, Finding the Right Founders, and Valuations Today
00:40:08 The Making of Two Thoughts: A Timeless Collection of Infinite Wisdom
00:47:29 Voices on the Infinite Loops Podcast
00:53:12 “Statis is Death” and Lifelong Learning
More From The Long View
Nick Maggiulli: Climbing the Wealth Ladder
Lawrence Lam: ‘The Types of Companies That Attract Me Are Founder-Led and Profitable’
More From Morningstar
How to Determine What a Stock Is Worth
How to Build a Portfolio to Reach Your Financial Goals
5 Ways Emotions Sabotage Your Investment Success
FOMO Can Lead to Lower Returns. Don’t Fall For It
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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17 February 2026, 7:00 pm - 56 minutes 28 secondsSara Devereux: Bonds Are Still Ballast
Today’s guest on The Long View is Sara Devereux. Sara is the Chief Investment Officer of Vanguard Capital Management and Global Head of Fixed Income. She oversees the investment professionals responsible for portfolio management, trading, and research for Vanguard’s internally managed fixed-income funds and ETFs, including actively managed bond and money market portfolios and bond index portfolios. Before joining Vanguard in 2019, Sara was a partner at Goldman Sachs, where she spent over 20 years in mortgage-backed securities and structured products trading and sales. Earlier in her career, she worked at HSBC, in risk management advisory and interest rate derivative structuring. She started her career as an actuary at AXA Equitable Life Insurance. Barron has named Sara to its annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in US Finance every year since 2022.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Vanguard’s Investing Philosophy and New Innovations
00:06:20 Active Fixed-Income Strategy and the Alpha Waterfall
00:13:34 ETF’s Explosion, Active Management, and Private Credit Risk
00:23:10 How Technology Is Reshaping the Bond Market
00:29:51 Bond Market Performance 2025, Bonds as Ballasts, and Term Premiums
00:37:27 Bond Market Risks in 2026
00:42:51 Shifting Policy Crosswinds, Cracks in Credit, and AI Capex Risks
00:50:18 Technical Signals to Watch in 2026
Books Mentioned
Stay the Course: The Story of Vanguard and the Index Revolution
More From Morningstar
Vanguard’s Sara Devereux: Why It’s a ‘Terrific Environment’ for Bond Income
Salim Ramji: The Industry Uses Complexity As a Mask to Charge More
Morningstar’s Guide to Fixed-Income Investing
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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10 February 2026, 7:00 pm - 50 minutes 36 secondsSally Balch Hurme: Getting Your Affairs in Order as You Get Older
Our guest on the podcast today is Sally Balch Hurme. Sally is the author of Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans and Final Wishes, as well as several other books. She worked at AARP for 23 years and has written more than 20 law review articles on topics related to elder law. She has also served on the boards of the National Guardianship Association and the Center for Guardianship Certification, where she helped develop standards for guardians and reform guardianship policies and procedures. Before moving to AARP, she was a partner in a private law firm and held several other legal roles. She also served as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School, teaching elder law for eight years. She received her BA from Tulane University and her JD cum laude from the Washington College of Law at American University.
Episode Highlights
00:00:00 Working at the American Bar Association, AARP, and as a Caregiver
00:06:15 How to Get Started in Eldercare Planning
00:08:15 Final Wishes, Finding Your Roots, and Key Documents
00:26:31 Designated Beneficiaries and Medication Tracking
00:33:38 Home Deeds and The Power in Power of Attorney
00:39:48 Cleaning Up Digital Assets
Sally Hurme Books
Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans and Final Wishes
The ABA/AARP Checklist for Family Caregivers: A Guide to Making It Manageable
More From Morningstar
Beth Pinsker: Lessons From ‘My Mother’s Money’
Inherited IRAs: What to Know About Taxes, RMDs, and More
How to Tackle Estate-Planning Basics in 7 Steps
If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected].
Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.
If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights.
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3 February 2026, 8:00 pm - 52 minutes 56 secondsLeyla Kunimoto: Why Investors in Private Markets Need a Louder Voice
Our guest on the podcast today is Leyla Kunimoto. Leyla is the founder and editor of Accredited Investor Insights, a newsletter that helps investors navigate private markets. She writes about private equity, private credit, and real estate, focusing on the practical realities of evaluating alternative investments from the limited partner perspective. Leyla began investing in public markets in 2001 and expanded into private markets in 2020, with current holdings spanning public equities, real estate, and alternatives. She started her career in finance and management consulting after graduating from the University of Washington. She also worked in advisory services at a Big Four accounting firm.
Background
Private Equity, Private Credit, and Private Real Estate
“Inside the Black Box: What First Brands Teaches Us About CLO Risk,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Oct. 2, 2025
“Jamie Dimon Says Private Credit Is Dangerous—and He Wants JPMorgan to Get In on It," by Alexander Saeedy, WSJ.com, July 13, 2025
“PIK Is Whispering. Are You Listening?” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, June 12, 2025.
“Private Credit Interval Fund,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Aug. 24, 2025.
“Non-Traded BDC Meets Mr. Market,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Nov. 20, 2025
“The Problem With PME,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Oct. 9, 2025.
“Private Equity 101: What Every LP Should Know,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, July 31, 2025.
“Private Markets in 2026: What Changes, What Sticks,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Dec. 28, 2025.
“It’s NAV … Until You Want Liquidity,” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Jan. 8, 2026.
“Why Vanguard, Champion of Low-Fee Investing, Joined the ‘Private Markets’ Craze,” by Matt Wirz and Anne Tergesen, WSJ.com, July 2, 2025
“The Golden Doodle of Private Markets: Evergreen Secondaries” by Leyla Kunimoto, AccreditedInsight.com, Oct. 30, 2025.
Books Mentioned
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!, by Robert Kiyosaki
The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing, by Benjamin Graham
Mastering The Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side, by Howard Marks
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