Morningstar Canada Announces Speakers, Agenda for 10th Annual Investment Conference

Sessions to focus on value-added advice

TORONTO, May 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Morningstar Research Inc., a Canadian subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, is hosting its 10^th annual investment conference for financial advisors Wednesday, June 5, at The Carlu in Toronto.

This year's conference emphasizes value-added advice. Conference sessions will explore the factors that advisors can control in improving the investor experience, the tremendous opportunities for advisors who are willing to embrace today's challenges, the growing importance of advice during difficult market conditions, and holes in the retirement safety net.

The conference agenda features:

• A popular macroeconomic outlook session led by Douglas J. Porter, chief economist and managing director, BMO Capital Markets; Wilfred Hahn, HAHN Investment Stewards; and Nelli Oster, investment strategist, BlackRock.
• Michael S. Falk, CFA, partner at Focus Consulting Group, will discuss the future of the retirement market.
• David Blanchett, head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management, will explain how "gamma-optimized" portfolios can generate more income for retirees.
• Larry Siegel, director of research for the CFA Institute, will examine the long-term economic outlook for lower rates of population growth and higher per-capita income.
• A panel of Morningstar experts will discuss portfolio construction and views on best practices for serving retail investors. Panelists are Paul Kaplan, research director for Morningstar Canada; Christopher Davis, director of fund analysis for Morningstar Canada; Scott Burns, director of global fund research for Morningstar, Inc.; and Hal Ratner of Morningstar Investment Management.
• Margaret Franklin, CEO, Marret Private Wealth Inc., will explore how client needs and advisor services have changed dramatically.

"This is our annual educational showcase for advisors, and we've brought together a program that will inform, educate, and inspire those who attend," Rudy Luukko, conference chair and investment and personal finance editor for Morningstar Canada, said. "The financial advice industry is under scrutiny about how much it charges and how well it serves investors. We hope our conference program will be useful and relevant for advisors in helping them better serve their clients." For the full conference agenda, please visit: http://corporate.morningstar.com/caconf/2013_Morningstar_Investment_Conference_Agenda.pdf For all speaker biographies, please visit: http://corporate.morningstar.com/caconf/euconf_speakers.asp

Continuing Education Credits

The Morningstar Investment Conference will be seeking CE accreditation through Advocis™, IIROC, and La Chambre de la Sécurité Financière.

Registration Information

The Morningstar Investment Conference costs $329 per person, which includes breakfast and lunch. To register for the conference, visit the conference website or call Dijana Vojnovic at 416-484-7874.

Press Registration Information

Full-time members of the news media may receive complimentary registration to the Morningstar Investment Conference. If you are a member of the media and want to register for the conference, call Jaime Aitken at 416-484-7868 or email [email protected].

About Morningstar Research Inc. and Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Research Inc. is a Canadian subsidiary of Chicago-based Morningstar, Inc., 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 422,000 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 US$157 billion in assets under advisement or management as of March 31, 2013. The company has operations in 27 countries.

SOURCE: Morningstar Research Inc.