Michael Gates: Why More Advisors Are Migrating to Model Portfolios

Today’s guest on The Long View is Michael Gates. Gates is the head of model portfolio solutions for the Americas and the lead portfolio manager for target-allocation models at BlackRock. BlackRock’s target-allocation models have been adopted by a large and growing contingent of advisors in the US. Four of the model families within BlackRock’s target-allocation suite have been awarded Morningstar Medalist Ratings of Gold. In 2025, Morningstar’s manager research team nominated Gates for a Morningstar Award for Investing Excellence in the Outstanding Allocation Portfolio Manager category. Gates’ time at BlackRock dates to 1999, including his years with Barclays Global Investors, which merged with BlackRock in 2009. Before founding the model portfolio solutions group, Gates conducted quantitative trading research for equities in BlackRock’s global trading group. At Barclays Global Investors, Gates led the development and implementation of the firm’s quantitative approach in fixed-income and alternative asset investing. Gates earned a master’s degree in economics and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of California, Davis. He is a CFA charterholder. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 What Are Model Portfolios and How Do They Work? 00:08:19 How Tax-Loss Harvesting and Other Offerings Reshape Model Design 00:15:50 AI‑Driven Productivity and the Market Outlook 00:17:57 Rebalancing With Risk in Mind 00:24:56 Building AI Exposure Into Equity Models 00:35:39 Thematic Investing and Active vs. Passive Investing 00:42:07 How Technology May Shape Portfolios’ Future More From Morningstar Alpha Isn’t Dead. You’ve Just Been Measuring It Wrong Tax-Efficient Model Portfolios for Retirees and Retirement Savers Can AI Chatbots Build a Retirement Portfolio? We Tested Them If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is Harry Margolis. Harry has been representing seniors, individuals with special needs, and their families since he started ElderLaw Services, the predecessor of Margolis Bloom & D’Agostino in June 1987. His firm helps clients pay for long-term care, manage the incapacity of a family member, and plan for safe and productive futures for their children and grandchildren. Harry served as editor of the ElderLaw Report, a monthly newsletter for attorneys, for three decades. He has been selected as a fellow of both the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the American College of Trust and Estate Council. He has founded two websites and answers consumer questions online at www.askharry.info. In addition, Harry writes about eldercare issues on his Substack, Risking Old Age in America, also known as okayboomer.substack.com, and has a podcast with the same name. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Margolis’ Path to Elder Law 00:04:15 Aging Clients, Estate Planning, and Long-Term Care 00:08:29 Aging In Place and Medicare Misconceptions 00:15:45 Estate Planning Paperwork and DIY Planners 00:21:26 Power of Attorney Mistakes, Living Wills, and Healthcare Coordination 00:27:06 Caregiving, Money Conversations, and Common Financial Mistakes 00:31:51 Benefits of NORCs 00:34:07 Special Needs Planning: Housing, Trusts, and Expectations More From The Long View Sally Balch Hurme: Getting Your Affairs in Order as You Get Older Joy Loverde: Planning Ahead for Care Needs as You Get Older Beth Pinsker: Lessons From ‘My Mother’s Money’ If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is retirement researcher Wade Pfau. Wade is the founder of Retirement Researcher, an educational resource on retirement planning for individuals and financial advisors. He’s co-founder of the Retirement Income Style Awareness Tool and a co-host of the Retire With Style podcast. He’s a professor of practice at the American College of Financial Services and a research fellow with the Limra Retirement Income Institute. And he’s also a principal and director of retirement research for McLean Asset Management. Wade has written several books, including his most recent, a third edition of his Retirement Planning Guidebook. He holds a doctorate in economics and a master’s degree from Princeton University and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Iowa. He’s also a chartered financial analyst. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Updates to the Retirement Planning Guidebook 00:00:29 Do Retirees Today Have a Stronger Starting Spending Rate? 00:04:03 Asset Allocation, Annuities, and Target-Date Funds 00:08:11 Retirement Income Styles 00:15:07 Non-US Safe Withdrawal Rates and Flexible Spending Strategies 00:23:55 Probability of Success and Estimating Longevity 00:27:47 Underspending, Organic Income, and Mortgage Payoff 00:35:46 Exploring the Retirement Risk Zone 00:39:20 Equity Glide Paths, Sequence Risk, and Delaying Social Security 00:46:43 Annuities: Private Equity Concerns and Due Diligence More Retirement Research From Wade Pfau Exploring the Retirement Risk Zone Reducing Retirement Risk with a Rising Equity Glide Path More From Morningstar What’s Your Retirement Income Style? 8 Reasons You Might Need to Tweak Your Portfolio Wade Pfau: The Risks of Retirement Today If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today’s guest on The Long View is Pat Dorsey. Pat is the founder of Dorsey Asset Management, a boutique asset manager serving institutional clients. From 2000 to 2011, Pat was the director of equity research for Morningstar, where he led the growth of Morningstar’s equity research group from 20 to 90 analysts. Pat was instrumental in the development of Morningstar’s economic moat ratings, as well as the methodology behind Morningstar’s framework for analyzing competitive advantage. Pat is also the author of two books, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing, and The Little Book That Builds Wealth. Pat holds a master’s degree in political science from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in government from Wesleyan University. Pat is a CFA charterholder. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Defining Economic Moats and Moat Source Mistakes 00:05:34 Shifting Landscape for Returns on Invested Capital as a Metric 00:07:52 Inevitable vs. Noninevitable Moats 00:09:36 Moat Durability, Network Effects, and Lessons From PayPal 00:13:46 Management Quality, Founders, and Pricing Discipline 00:24:02 High-Quality Companies, “Too Hard” Bucket, and AI Uncertainty 00:29:29 Premortem, Behavioral Edge, and Opportunity Cost More From Morningstar AI Isn’t an Economic Moat Killer, but It Will Disrupt Industries Lawrence Lam: ‘The Types of Companies That Attract Me Are Founder-Led and Profitable’ How to Measure a Company’s Competitive Advantage If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is Bill Yount. Bill is a practicing emergency physician. He’s also co-host of a podcast called Catching Up to Fi, where he and Jackie Cummings Koski discuss pursuing financial independence later in life. Bill received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, his doctor of medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Northwestern University. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 From a Scarcity Mindset to the Hedonic Treadmill 00:10:04 The Wake-Up Call: Burnout, Lawsuits, and Turning 50 00:11:05 Finding FIRE Late: Catching Up to Financial Independence 00:13:44 Budgeting, Downsizing, and Boosting Savings Rates 00:20:56 Landmarks on the Way to Financial Independence 00:25:50 Life Planning, Risk Parity, and Calibrating Safe Withdrawals 00:34:51 Achieving FI and Knowing When It’s Time to Retire 00:43:44 Building Generational Wealth, Giving Early, and Advice to Late Starters More From Morningstar My Baptism by FIRE: Lessons on Financial Independence The Best Retirement Strategies for Leaving Money Behind Cliff Asness: ‘The Problem Was Never Beta. The Problem Was Paying Alpha Fees for Beta’ If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is Emily Guy Birken. Emily’s the author of The Five Years Before You Retire. She also co-authored Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, with Joe Saul-Sehy. Other books include End Financial Stress Now, Making Social Security Work for You and Choose Your Retirement: Find The Right Path to Your New Adventure. Emily received her master’s degree in education from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree in English from Kenyon College. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Emily Guy Birken’s Path to Money and Retirement Writing 00:04:26 Why the Five Years Before Retirement Are Crucial and How Much Is “Enough” Savings 00:10:31 How Expectations Can Shape Happiness in Retirement 00:13:14 Key Moves for Preretirees to Cover Retirement Savings Shortfalls 00:15:58 Social Security: Benefits of Delaying and Advice for Young Workers 00:27:06 Budgets in Retirement and Irregular Expenses on a Fixed Income 00:33:14 Why Long‑Term‑Care Insurance Rarely Pays Off Today 00:36:10 Pre-Medicare Health Insurance Options 00:40:17 Early Mortgage Payoff vs. Investing in Retirement 00:42:26 How Writing About Retirement Changed Guy Birken’s Own Planning More From Morningstar 5 Things to Do Today If You Want to Retire in 5 Years Dan Haylett: ‘The Retirement You Didn’t See Coming’ The Best Strategies for Consistent Retirement Spending If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guests on the podcast today are Jamie Hopkins and Bonnie Treichel, who are co-authors of a new book, Your Retirement Sketchbook. Jamie is the CEO of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors, Chief Wealth Officer of WSFS Bank, and founder of the FinServ Foundation. He’s a professor of practice at Creighton University and the American College of Financial Services. He’s also a contributor to Forbes and has been elected to the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Bonnie is the founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement, a consulting firm dedicated to solving problems for plan sponsors, advisors, and service providers in the retirement plan industry. She also serves as treasurer for the FinServ Foundation. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 The FinServ Foundation and Your Retirement Sketchbook 00:10:06 Understanding “Rewirement,” Mindset Shifts, and Behavioral Biases in Retirement 00:18:15 Why In‑Plan Annuities Are Emerging Inside 401(k) Plans 00:20:57 Retirement Bucket, Private Assets, and Reducing Sequence‑of‑Returns Risk 00:31:21 Risks to Social Security Benefits 00:33:17 Advisor-Client Dynamics in Retirement Planning 00:38:03 Retirement Planning Books and Podcasts Retirement Resources Mentioned Your Retirement Sketchbook Retirement Planning Guidebook Safety-First Retirement Planning Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Retiring Minds Podcast More From Morningstar Retirement Withdrawal Sequencing Rules of the Road Here’s How You Can Spend More During Retirement Jamie Hopkins: A Framework for Financial Freedom If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is David Bach. David is the author of 12 national bestselling books, including The Latte Factor; Smart Women Finish Rich; Start Late, Finish Rich; and The Automatic Millionaire. He just released the 20th anniversary edition of The Automatic Millionaire. David was a longtime contributor to NBC’s Today show and a featured guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also produced and hosted two public television specials, Smart Women Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire. David started his career at Morgan Stanley where he was a senior vice president and partner of The Bach Group. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Moving Abroad, Early Retirement, and the Shifting Media Landscape 00:11:46 The Importance of Sabbaticals and Health Expectancy 00:19:39 Saving to Spending, New Tax on IRA Withdrawals, and Long-Term Effect of Deficits 00:34:39 Key Updates to The Automatic Millionaire and Automatic Contributions 00:37:59 Why Everyone Needs Access to Being an Investor 00:42:02 How to Start Investing Young and How to Catch Up Later in Life 00:47:26 How Inflation Affects Retirement Goals and The Benefits of Homeownership More From Morningstar 6 Lessons From My 6-Week Mini-Retirement The Best Strategies for Consistent Retirement Spending 7 Steps to Estimating Your In-Retirement Cash Flow Needs If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today’s guest on The Long View is Hilary Wiek. Hilary is a principal analyst at PitchBook, where she leads PitchBook’s coverage of fund strategies and performance, publishing primary research on the alternative space. Hilary also leads PitchBook’s coverage of the ESG and impact investing space. Hilary has over 20 years of experience in asset owner, manager, and advisory roles. Prior to joining PitchBook, she was the director of investments at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations, where she handled portfolio management, impact and ESG investment, investment due diligence and monitoring, and investment operations. Before that, she worked in senior positions at Segal Rogerscasey, the South Carolina Retirement Systems Investment Commission, Buckingham Financial Group, Dayton Power & Light, and KeyCorp. Wiek received a master’s degree in finance and economics from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in business leadership and finance from the University of Puget Sound. She is based in PitchBook’s Seattle office. PitchBook is a Morningstar company. Episode Highlights 00:00:00 Background in the Private Markets and Joining PitchBook 00:04:49 Drivers of Private Market Slowdown in 2026 and Pockets of Outperformance 00:14:15 Key Lessons for Investing in Private Market Funds 00:18:12 Private Market Fees, Hidden Volatility, and Valuations 00:20:38 Evergreen Investment Growth, Interval Funds, and Questions Investors Should Ask 00:32:26 Is It Worth It to Invest in Private Markets? 00:36:50 ESG, Impacting Investing, and Key Themes for 2026 00:41:05 Private Market Exposure in 401(k)s PitchBook Reports Discussed Benchmarking and Returns: Why Are There So Many Numbers? Evergreen Funds: We Have Questions The Evergreen Evolution The New Face of Private Markets in Your 401(k) US Evergreen Fund Landscape 2025 Impact Investing Update If you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected]. Follow Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances. If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our guest on the podcast today is Jim O’Shaughnessy. Jim founded O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, a quantitative investment management firm in 1993. Franklin Templeton acquired the firm in 2021. Jim is also an author of several books, including Invest Like the Best and What Works on Wall Street. His latest book, Two Thoughts: A Timeless Collection of Infinite Wisdom, is a compilation of quotations from famous artists, writers and thinkers. Jim also hosts his own podcast called Infinite Loops. In addition, Jim is the founder and CEO of O’Shaughnessy Ventures, which provides financial backing and other support to individuals and projects.Episode Highlights00:00:00 Building a New Way to Analyze the Stock Market00:07:18 How Stock Brokers Sold Stories Before Quants00:12:19 Stock Price vs. Narrative and How Quants Avoid Stock Investing Pitfalls00:20:05 Long-Term Investing, Bonds, and Keeping Emotions Out of Your Portfolio00:29:50 Pre-Seed Investments, Finding the Right Founders, and Valuations Today00:40:08 The Making of Two Thoughts: A Timeless Collection of Infinite Wisdom00:47:29 Voices on the Infinite Loops Podcast00:53:12 “Statis is Death” and Lifelong LearningMore From The Long ViewNick Maggiulli: Climbing the Wealth LadderLawrence Lam: ‘The Types of Companies That Attract Me Are Founder-Led and Profitable’More From MorningstarHow to Determine What a Stock Is WorthHow to Build a Portfolio to Reach Your Financial Goals5 Ways Emotions Sabotage Your Investment SuccessFOMO Can Lead to Lower Returns. Don’t Fall For ItIf you have a comment or a guest idea, please email us at [email protected] Christine Benz (@christine_benz) and Ben Johnson (@MstarBenJohnson) on X, and Christine Benz, Amy Arnott, and Ben Johnson on LinkedIn. Visit Morningstar.com for new research and insights from Christine, Ben, and Amy. Subscribe to Christine’s weekly newsletter, Improving Your Finances.If you want more Morningstar podcasts, check out The Morning Filter and Investing Insights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.