Morningstar Announces Speakers and Agenda for 2013 Individual Investor Conference

CHICAGO, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, is holding its second annual Individual Investor Conference on Saturday, March 23, 2013. This year's conference is free and open to all investors, and will be held entirely in a webcast format. The live, online event will gather top personal finance experts and Morningstar analysts for informative dialogue focused on retirement savings and setting financial goals.

Conference panelists will provide investors with strategies, tips, and trends that can be incorporated in their own portfolios on a number of relevant topics, including stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, dividends, macroeconomics, bond investing, Social Security, retirement income, global investing, and evaluating a portfolio.

"Our first conference was a success, and this year we wanted to continue the discussion on the most pressing issues facing investors today," Jason Stipp, editor of Morningstar.com, the company's website for investors, said. "We've made it even easier for investors to attend online, ask questions in real-time during the panel sessions, and gain insights from leading investment experts that they can put to use in their own portfolios and household financial plans."

The conference will kick off at 9 a.m. Central time with an overview of the economy, "Deciphering the Big Picture," with Charles K. Bobrinskoy, vice chairman and director of research, Ariel Investments; Bob Johnson, director of economic analysis, Morningstar; and Katherine Nixon, chief investment officer, personal financial services, Northern Trust. The panelists will break down their economic and market forecasts for 2013 and what it means for investors.

Other sessions will follow:

• 10 a.m., "Practical Strategies for Today's Bond Market": Eric Jacobson, senior fund analyst, Morningstar, and Marta Norton, investment manager, Morningstar Investment Services, Inc., will share how an investor can set up a game plan for their fixed-income investments in a low-interest rate environment.
• 11 a.m., "Give Your Portfolio a Checkup": Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz will show investors how to test the balance of their portfolios for stocks, bonds, cash, and international investments; evaluate a portfolio's strengths and weaknesses; and identify which sectors look inviting in 2013.
• 12:30 p.m., "Top Picks from Morningstar's Strategists": In a roundtable session, Morningstar's newsletter editors and top strategists will take investors' questions about the current market and the best opportunities in stocks and funds. Panelists include Matt Coffina, editor of Morningstar StockInvestor; Russ Kinnel, director of mutual fund research and editor, Morningstar FundInvestor; Samuel Lee, ETF analyst and editor, Morningstar ETFInvestor; and Josh Peters, director of equity-income strategy and editor, Morningstar DividendInvestor.
• 1:30 p.m., "Smarter International Investing": With a recession in the Eurozone and growth concerns in China, Morningstar senior securities analyst Daniel Rohr and senior fund analyst Patty Oey will discuss opportunities for those looking to add international investments to their portfolios.
• 2:30 p.m., "Social Security: Your Questions Answered": Mary Beth Franklin, contributing editor and retirement columnist, InvestmentNews; and Mark Miller, editor and syndicated columnist for AARP The Magazine, Reuters, and RetirementRevised.com; will tackle ways investors can maximize their Social Security benefits and prepare for potential future changes in benefit payouts, as well as address investor questions on this important source of retiree income.
• 3:30 p.m., "How to Build Your Income Stream": Benz will close the conference by hosting a panel with John Ameriks, principal, investment counseling and research, Vanguard, and Harold Evensky, president, principal, and wealth manager, Evensky & Katz Wealth Management, who will explore ideas for generating income in an era of low yield.

Registration Information
Registration to the Morningstar Individual Investor Conference is free and available at the following link: http://www.morningstar.com/conference.

About Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on approximately 416,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 9 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its registered investment advisor subsidiaries and has approximately $149 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Dec. 31, 2012. The company has operations in 27 countries.

©2013 Morningstar, Inc.  All rights reserved.
MORN-P

Media Contact:
Shawn Malayter, 312-696-6050, [email protected]

SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.