Investing Insights

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?

 

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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

 

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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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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningstarinc/ 

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: 

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

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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LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/morningstar/posts/?feedView=all

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