The Death (and rebirth?) of the Morningstar Style Box

We don’t use Morningstar style boxes when building client portfolios. We spend a lot more time on true financial planning, quantitative risk and emotional assessment and other diagnostic or intangible measures in order to help the households we work for to achieve long-term financial success.

The industry is moving in this direction and Morningstar knows it. Scott Burns, Morningstar’s head of asset management client solutions (or AMCS if you’re into the whole brevity thing) said the following at an investment management conference this week:

After years of promoting the style box as a tool to help investors build more diversified portfolios, Mr. Burns said Morningstar firm is now emphasizing a “total wealth approach” that could result in dramatically altered investment recommendations for clients.

“The times are changing — we feel it, I know you feel it,” said Mr. Burns, who spoke at the annual conference of the Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. in Las Vegas on Monday.

So how should Morningstar change things up to get more holistic? I can think of a few ideas. Maybe they’ll call me. I’m certain they could convene a panel of my fellow investment bloggers and come away with dozens of great ideas. We are the people in the trenches, after all – working with clients every day to implement the right portfolios using the most appropriate strategies and products to get there.

Call me, guys!

Source:

Morningstar is ready to move beyond the style box (Morningstar)