Daniel Sotiroff, senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, explains how covered-call ETFs work along with the popular investment’s risks and rewards.

On this episode:

1. What are covered-call ETFs, and how do they work?
2. Why are retirees and other income investors drawn to these ETFs? What’s making them so popular this year?
3. Their yields look very high. What is driving them?
4. What types of trade-offs are investors making?
5. ETFs are known to be tax-efficient investments. What are the tax considerations for covered-call ETFs?
6. Should you hold covered-call ETFs in a taxable or tax-deferred account?
7. What’s the optimal retirement account to hold covered-call ETFs?
8. Let’s talk about covered-call ETF performance in 2025. What have you’ve seen?
9. Which covered-call ETFs do Morningstar analysts consider a solid choice for investors, and why?

Read about topics from this episode. 

Should You Own a Covered-Call ETF Like JEPI? 

Is It Time to Reconsider Dividend Funds? 

3 Great ETFs for Jittery Markets 

Covered-Call and Buffer ETFs: Stock Investing With Less Gain but Less Pain

Covered-Call and Buffer ETFs: Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?

100% Downside Protection ETFs: What’s the Catch?

Our 2025 ETF Predictions: A Midyear Review

Covered-Call Stock Funds Like JEPI Are Popular. Should They Be?

The Active ETFs That Led Inflows During 2025’s First Half

5 Charts on How Tariff Trouble Rocked US Fund Flows

Investors, Be Careful When Buying New ETFs

Tax-Efficient Retirement-Bucket Portfolios for ETF Investors

25 Top Picks for Tax-Efficient ETFs and Mutual Funds

How to Maximize the Tax Efficiency of an ETF Portfolio
3 Great ETFs for an IRA in 2025

The Best ETFs and How They Fit in Your Portfolio

What to watch from Morningstar. 
This Dividend Investing Strategy Deserves a Second Look

Market Volatility: Is Your Investment Portfolio Ready for a US-EU Trade Deal?

Market Volatility: 4 Key Factors to Track in Q3 2025

Is the International Outlook Brighter Than the US?

Read what our team is writing.

Daniel Sotiroff

Ivanna Hampton

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Amy Arnott, portfolio strategist for Morningstar Inc., discusses how a popular dividend investing strategy works, and who would or wouldn’t benefit from it.

On this episode:

• Let’s focus on when dividend reinvesting works as a strategy and when it does not. Who should consider reinvesting dividends?
• When shouldn’t an investor reinvest their dividends?
• Are there any differences between reinvesting dividends in a taxable vs a tax-deferred account?
• What types of dividends are taxable and non-taxable?
• How long you’ve owned a dividend-paying stock matters when it comes to taxes. Can you explain the differences between qualified and non-qualified dividends?
• What kind of record-keeping does reinvesting dividends require, and how does reinvestment affect the cost-basis?
• How are considerations different for stock dividends vs fund dividends?
• What’s the final takeaway for the audience about dividend reinvestment?

Read about topics from this episode. 

When to Reinvest Dividends (or Not)

These 4 Dividend ETFs Strike the Right Balance for Income Investors

10 Top Dividend Stocks for 2025

13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends

What Are Dividends?

The 10 Best Dividend Stocks

The Best Dividend Funds

What Makes a Great Dividend Fund?

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Market Volatility: Is Your Investment Portfolio Ready for a US-EU Trade Deal?

Market Volatility: 4 Key Factors to Track in Q3 2025

Is the International Outlook Brighter Than the US?

Digital Advice in 2025: What You Need to Know About Robo-Advisors

Read what our team is writing:

Amy C. Arnott

Ivanna Hampton

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Michael Field, European Market Strategist at Morningstar Holland, talks about tariff risks for key sectors and European stock performance as market volatility persists.

On this episode:

President Trump pushed his tariff deadline from July to August. How are global markets reacting to the uncertainty during this tariff watch?

The EU is one of America’s largest trading partners. How important is it for these two sides to strike a deal? 

And what’s at stake if they don’t before the deadline?

More than two dozen countries make up the EU. The bloc is seeking lower tariffs for a variety of sectors like aircraft, car parts, and spirits. Talk about that. 

So, what sectors do you think could be hit the hardest, and which ones could be spared?

The EU has presented a united front. However, some countries want a trade deal sooner than later. Can you talk about the debate you’re witnessing in Europe? 

Trade deals typically take years to be implemented, so any announcement would be a preliminary agreement. If a US investor has European companies in their portfolio, what would this framework mean for them in the long-term? 

Let’s shift to this year’s market performance of European stocks. What’s been winning? 

Which European stocks do Morningstar analysts consider undervalued, and why?

Read about topics from this episode.  

What’s Morningstar’s Outlook for Europe in 2025?

Why It’s Not Too Late to Add International Exposure

What Investors Need to Know About Tariffs

Here Are the Sectors and Industries That Are Vulnerable if Reciprocal Tariffs Come Back

Where Next for European and UK Stock Markets in 2025?

Best International Companies to Own: 2025 Edition

Find Morningstar's complete collection of tariff-related articles and analysis here.

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Market Volatility: 4 Key Factors to Track in Q3 2025

Is the International Outlook Brighter Than the US?

Digital Advice in 2025: What You Need to Know About Robo-Advisors

Demystifying Private Equity and Private Credit ETFs: What Every Investor Should Know

Read what our team is writing:

Michael Field

Ivanna Hampton

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Sarah Hansen, Morningstar Inc’s senior markets reporter, discusses the uncertain outlook for the third quarter and how investors should prepare for market volatility.

What Was Surprising From Q2 Market Volatility

Mixed Expectations as Trump’s Tariff Deadline Approaches

How Should Investors Prepare Themselves for Market Volatility?

How Tariff Uncertainty Could Affect Company Earnings

How Trump’s Tax and Spending Bill Raises Concerns About Federal Deficit

How the Fed’s Decision on Interest Rates Could Affect the Yield Curve

Should Investors Brace for More Market Volatility?

Read about topics from this episode.  

13 Charts on Q2’s Major Market Rebound 

Market Volatility: What to Watch in Q2 After Big Swings in Q1 

Has the Stock Market Reached Peak Optimism on Tariffs? 

What Investors Need to Know About Tariffs 

Tariffs Would Likely Hit These US Stock Sectors the Hardest 

What Investors Need to Know About the Budget Reconciliation Bill 

The Deficit is the Biggest Risk for the Bond Market, Says Matt Eagan of Loomis Sayles 

How Much Will the Fed Cut Interest Rates? 
How Healthy Is the US Economy? Here’s What the Top Economic Indicators Say 

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Is the International Outlook Brighter Than the US?

Digital Advice in 2025: What You Need to Know About Robo-Advisors

Demystifying Private Equity and Private Credit ETFs: What Every Investor Should Know

Market Volatility: Portfolio Diversification Is Winning in 2025

Read what our team is writing:

Sarah Hansen

Ivanna Hampton

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Two Morningstar research leaders join Investing Insights to discuss whether US investors should consider international stocks and fixed income. They are Dominic Pappalardo, chief multi-asset strategist, and Philip Straehl, chief investment officer for the Americas, for Morningstar Wealth, part of registered investment adviser, Morningstar Investment Management.

Key Takeaways:

How the Markets Have Been Handling Volatility in 2025

Why Economic Data Has Stayed More Stable Than the Markets During Volatility

Why the Timing and the Scale of the Tariffs Were a Shock to the Market  

Will International Stocks Outperform US Stocks?

Why Now Is the Time to Check Your International vs US Stock Allocation

Should Investors Broaden Their International Stock Exposure?

Why Global Consumer Stocks Are Poised to Perform Well During Market Volatility  

How Rising Yields in Fixed Income Can Create Opportunities for Investors  

How the Shape of the Yield Curves Have Shifted

How US Investors Can Mediate US Dollar Weakness With International Equity Exposure 

Key Takeaways on the US Market Outlook vs International Market Outlook  

Read about topics from this episode.  

2025 Morningstar Investment Conference: How to Invest Today 

Bull or Bear? Here’s How the Outlook for Stocks Stacks Up 

BlackRock’s Rick Rieder: Why the US Economy Is Going to Be Fine 

6 Charts on How Trump’s Tariffs Have Upended Global Markets 

Should Investors Rethink Global Diversification Amid Tariff Uncertainty? 

What Higher Bond Yields Mean for Markets in 2025 

Why the Bond Market Looks Brighter Than It Did in 2022 

The Trade Deals That Could Calm Wall Street 

Why Holding Assets Outside the US Dollar Has Paid Off in 2025 

Consumer Stocks Stand Out Among Opportunities for the Second Half of 2025 

For Investors Who Can Get Beyond Headline Risk, Opportunity Beckons in Bonds 

How Healthy Is the US Economy? Here’s What the Top Economic Indicators Say

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Digital Advice in 2025: What You Need to Know About Robo-Advisors 

Demystifying Private Equity and Private Credit ETFs: What Every Investor Should Know

Market Volatility: Portfolio Diversification Is Winning in 2025

13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends

Read what our team is writing:

Philip Straehl 

Dominic Pappalardo 

Ivanna Hampton 

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Lan Tran, manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services, discusses the benefits and limitations of digital investment advice. Plus, a look at the best and worst robo-advisors of 2025.  

What Is a Robo-Advisor?

Robo-Advisors vs. Traditional Advisors

Who Should Use a Robo-Advisor?

Benefits of Digital Investment Advice vs. a DIY Approach

Do Robo-Advisors Offer Retirement and Taxable Accounts?

Limitations of Robo-Advisors

Robo-Advisor Fee Structure

How Robo-Advisors Are Taking a Hybrid Approach to Financial Advice

How Morningstar Rates the Best Robo-Advisors of 2025

Do Robo-Advisors Control Security Selection in Your Portfolio?

Why Betterment Is One of Morningstar’s Top 3 Robo-Advisors of 2025

Why Fidelity Go Is 2025’s Runner-Up for Top Robo-Advisor

Why Vanguard Remains the Best Robo-Advisor in 2025

The Worst Robo-Advisor of 2025

Read about topics from this episode.  

Are Robo-Advisors Still Worth It?

Compare Robo-Advisor Performance & Assess the Best Options

The Best Robo-Advisors of 2025

Should You Be Using a Robo-Advisor?

Are Robo-Advisors Worth Your Investment?

Another Robo-Advisor Bites the Dust

What Is a Robo-Advisor?

5 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Demystifying Private Equity and Private Credit ETFs: What Every Investor Should Know

Market Volatility: Portfolio Diversification Is Winning in 2025

13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends

The Stock Strategies That Are Paying Off in 2025

Worried About Inflation? What to Know Before Buying TIPS ETFs

Read what our team is writing:

Lan Anh Tran

Margaret Giles

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Bryan Armour, director of ETF and passive strategies research for North America at Morningstar Research Services, discusses private equity ETFs and private credit ETFs. Armour also previews his session at the 2025 Morningstar Investment Conference featuring two ETF experts.

Hear From Experts on Private Asset ETFs at the 2025 Morningstar Investment Conference 

How Do Private Equity and Private Credit Investments Work?

Why Access to Private Markets Is Expanding

How Private Assets Pose a Challenge in ETFs

Private Asset ETF Performance: PRIV and XOVR

What Does Morningstar Think of Private Asset ETFs?

How Firms Are Pricing Private Portfolio Shares

Can Private Credit ETFs and Private Equity ETFs Improve Diversification?

What Investors Stand to Gain or Lose in Private Markets

Why Private Equity and Private Credit ETFs Are Here to Stay

Read about topics from this episode.  

Register for the Morningstar Investment Conference 2025

How Private Assets Impede the Benefits of ETFs

New Private Credit Funds Want Your Money. Here’s Why You Should Be Cautious

It’s Getting Easier to Invest in Private Assets. What Does That Mean for Investors?

What’s It Taking for Private Equity to Reach Smaller Investors?

Persistence of Performance in Private Equity

Unlikely Allies: Vanguard and Others Team Up to Offer Private-Market Investments

Private Markets Are Coming to Financial Advisors

Investors First: Unlocking Opportunities in Private Markets

Morningstar′s Guide to ETF Investing

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Market Volatility: Portfolio Diversification Is Winning in 2025

13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends

The Stock Strategies That Are Paying Off in 2025

Worried About Inflation? What to Know Before Buying TIPS ETFs

Read what our team is writing:

Bryan Armour

Ivanna Hampton

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Amy Arnott, Morningstar Inc. portfolio strategist, discusses the success of the 60/40 portfolio and how diversification is paying off during market volatility this year.

How Diversification Has Held Up Against Market Volatility in 2025

Which Asset Classes Have Been Strong Diversifiers in 2025?

Which Asset Classes Have Struggled as Diversifiers?

How Have US vs. Non-US Stocks Performed in 2025?

Can Investors Still Turn to Fixed Income During Market Volatility?

How Correlations Between Asset Classes Is Key to Diversification

60/40 Portfolio vs. Diversified Portfolio

Why the 60/40 Portfolio Outperformed in the Long Term

The Best Ways to Diversify Your Portfolio During Market Volatility

What Hasn’t Held Up as Portfolio Diversifiers?

How Tough Macro Environments Affect Diversification Patterns

Key Takeaways  

Read about topics from this episode.  

Diversification Landscape: Building Diversified Portfolios 

3 Assets That Might Not Diversify as Well as You Think 

Portfolio Diversification: Answers to Your Questions 

The Best Ways to Diversify Your Investment Portfolio in Today’s Market 

Should Investors Rethink Global Diversification Amid Tariff Uncertainty? 

For Diversification From Stocks, Cash Has Made a Good Case for Itself 

What Higher Inflation Means for Stock/Bond Correlations 

Morningstar’s Guide to Diversification 

Why Portfolio Diversification Has Helped in 2025 

Why Holding Assets Outside the US Dollar Has Paid Off in 2025 

What to watch from Morningstar. 
13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends 

The Stock Strategies That Are Paying Off in 2025

Worried About Inflation? What to Know Before Buying TIPS ETFs

Market Volatility: The Trade Deals That Could Calm Wall Street
 

Read what our team is writing:

Amy Arnott

Ivanna Hampton

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David Harrell, editor of Morningstar’s DividendInvestor newsletter, talks about the dividend stocks that earned a spot on the newsletter’s annual Dividend Growers list. Harrell also discusses how to approach dividend investing.

What Qualifies a Dividend Stock to Be on the DividendInvestor’s Annual Dividend Growers List?

13 Elite Companies With Fast-Growing Dividends

This part of the episode includes a correction: In an earlier version of this podcast, a section about companies included on the DividendInvestor’s DividendGrowers list and a follow-up question about companies that weren’t included was inadvertently cut during production. The episode has been updated to restore this information.

Why These Companies Failed to Make the Dividend Growers List in 2025

Which Companies Were ‘Near Misses’ for the Dividend Growers List?

Why Are Higher-Yielding Dividend Stocks Absent?

Why Dividend Growth Investing Can Benefit Investors With a Longer Time Horizon  

Is Double-Digit Dividend Growth Sustainable for Companies?

Which Companies Are on Track to Appear on Next Year’s Dividend Growers’ List? 

What Investors Need to Know Before Investing in Dividend Stocks

Undervalued Dividend Growers Stock Picks

Read about topics from this episode.  

Subscribe to the Morningstar DividendInvestor newsletter.

Stocks With 5 Years of Double-Digit Dividend Increases

7 Undervalued Stocks that Just Raised Dividends

10 Top-Performing Dividend Stocks

What You’re Getting Wrong About Dividend Investing

The 10 Best Dividend Stocks

These Dividend Aristocrats Provide Appealing Consistency for Investors

What to watch from Morningstar. 
The Stock Strategies That Are Paying Off in 2025

Worried About Inflation? What to Know Before Buying TIPS ETFs

Market Volatility: The Trade Deals That Could Calm Wall Street

Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Meeting Could Reveal Its Future Plans

Retirees: Here's How to Tweak the 4% Rule to Protect Your Nest Egg
 

Read what our team is writing:

David Harrell

Ivanna Hampton

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Dan Lefkovitz, Morningstar Indexes strategist and columnist, explains how factor investing works. And he discusses which stocks outperformed and underperformed during this year’s market volatility.  

What Is Factor Investing?

What Factors Have the Strongest Performance Amid Market Volatility in 2025?

Berkshire Hathaway and Other Low-Volatility Stocks Outperformed During Market Volatility

Why Lower-Volatility Stocks Help With Capital Preservation in the Long Term

Which Factors Have Lagged the Broader Stock Market in 2025?

Nvidia and Other Quality Stocks Underperformed During Market Volatility? 

How Factor Investing’s Performance in 2025 Fits Into Long-Term Trends

Why Diversification Is Key When Investing in Factors

How Often Should Factor Investors Check Their Portfolio?

How to Position a Portfolio for Future Stock Market Rotations

Key Takeaways

Read about topics from this episode.  

How Market Turmoil Made Low-Volatility Stocks Great Again

You’re a Factor Investor. You Just May Not Know It Yet

Paying Attention to Investment Factors? You Should Be

Why You Shouldn’t Panic Over Daily Market Swings

Why Quality Stocks Aren’t Doing Better This Year

2025 Market Outlook: Markets Are Priced to Perfection, but Will It Last?

Morningstar’s Guide to Diversification

13 Charts on Q1’s Dramatic Rotation in Stocks

3 Surprising Market Winners in 2025

What to watch from Morningstar. 
Worried About Inflation? What to Know Before Buying TIPS ETFs

Market Volatility: The Trade Deals That Could Calm Wall Street

Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Meeting Could Reveal Its Future Plans

Retirees: Here's How to Tweak the 4% Rule to Protect Your Nest Egg

Market Volatility: Which Investments Will Protect Your Portfolio in a Recession?
 

Read what our team is writing:

Dan Lefkovitz

Ivanna Hampton

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