Simple, but Not Easy

Creative Planning has been trusted with more than $700 billion in client assets under management and advisement. A simple truth? That doesn’t happen by accident. Jeff Stolper – the firm’s Director of Financial Planning – joined us to discuss how Creative Planning’s client-centric philosophy has helped the firm reach that scale. One key takeaway: wealth management is a people and relationships business. Before emotional intelligence, investment knowledge, or communication skills, the most important character trait may simply be being a positive, likable person. Be someone clients enjoy being around! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Creative Planning has been trusted with more than $700 billion in client assets under management and advisement. A simple truth? That doesn’t happen by accident. Jeff Stolper – the firm’s Director of Financial Planning – joined us to discuss how Creative Planning’s client-centric philosophy has helped the firm reach that scale. One key takeaway: wealth management is a people and relationships business. Before emotional intelligence, investment knowledge, or communication skills, the most important character trait may simply be being a positive, likable person. Be someone clients enjoy being around! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FINNY founder Eden Ovadia shares how the firm is tackling one of financial advice’s biggest challenges: organic growth. Advisors can spend up to 60 hours to win a single client – consuming their most valuable asset: time. And that doesn’t scale. FINNY’s approach – using AI to identify high-intent prospects and automate outreach – aims to change that. The goal? A more efficient growth engine, especially for advisors with clearly defined niches. In an increasingly competitive business, specialization and smart use of technology can compound over time – separating firms that grow from those that don’t. After all, if you’re not growing, you may be dying on the vine. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Savant Wealth founder and CEO Brent Brodeski shares the firm’s journey to $50 billion in assets under management. In short, compounding isn’t just an investment concept – it applies to building a business as well. The early years now look invisible on a long-term AUM chart, but they were arguably the most formative – defined by trying new things, iterating the process, and refining what worked. That foundation compounded over time and has put the firm on a trajectory to impact one million lives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Morningstar’s 2026 Investment Outlook is live, offering clear context on the forces that will shape the year ahead and beyond. If there’s one takeaway for investors, it’s this: Preparation beats prediction. Markets will keep shifting—tariffs, the Fed, geopolitics, and the rapid buildout of AI infrastructure—and trying to forecast every twist isn’t a strategy. Building resilient portfolios is. That’s why our outlook avoids bold predictions and instead focuses on rational, evidence-based decision-making across the issues that matter most to advisors and their clients. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It used to be simple: small companies went public, grew, and investors participated along the way. Today, companies stay private longer, and private markets have claimed many opportunities that once lived in public stocks. Historically a source of some of the strongest market returns, small caps have shred that reputation. The question becomes: Where did the small caps go? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Simple But Not Easy, we’re joined by Ryan Murphy, Morningstar’s Global Head of Behavioral Insights, to explore how financial advisors can help clients set better goals, avoid costly mistakes, and build lasting trust. We discuss why goals—not asset allocation or stock selection—should be the true starting point of an investment journey, and how a simple multi-step framework can uncover what really motivates clients. Ryan also shares insights from Morningstar’s Mind the Gap study, which shows how investor behavior often drags down returns, and explains how advisors can reframe conversations from performance to progress. If you want to better understand what drives investor decisions and how advisors can make the biggest difference, this episode is for you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our midyear outlook, we break down some of the biggest factors driving markets in 2025 — tariffs, AI, and the potential for rate cuts — and attempt to help investors sift through the short-term noise while keeping a long-term perspective. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As of late May, the US ranks 39th out of 44 global stock markets—firmly in the bottom 15%. Meanwhile, international markets are gaining momentum, with 7 of the top 10 performing countries located in Europe. This performance gap appears to be supported by improving fundamentals, favorable currency trends, and rising earnings expectations across the region. Can it continue? In this episode of Simple, But Not Easy, host Nick VanDerSchie is joined by Morningstar’s Paul Tait and international equity portfolio manager Nabil Salem to explore why now may be the right time to take a fresh look at international diversification. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When markets hit a rough patch—as they did in early April—investors often lose confidence. Emotions run high after paper losses, and that’s when many fall into the “ready, fire, aim” trap. Decisions become reactive, not disciplined. It’s common to see investors flee to cash or pivot to more conservative positions in an effort to feel safer. But more often than not, resisting that urge is the better path. In this episode of Simple, But Not Easy, we sit down with Morningstar’s Global Chief Research & Investment Officer, Dan Kemp, to explore how advisors can guide clients through uncertainty—not with bold predictions, but by remaining anchored to a clear investment philosophy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.