Morningstar 2012 ETF Invest Conference

Given ETFs' continued asset growth (about $137 billion in year-to-date U.S. ETF inflows, according to Morningstar Asset Flows data), there's no denying the persistent popularity of this investment vehicle. But what may be less clear is how exactly investors are using ETFs to build better portfolios and position themselves in today's uncertain market.

Morningstar's third-annual ETF Invest Conference, Oct. 4-5 in Chicago, shed some much-needed light on ETF investors' best practices today, including discussions about investing in low-volatility and high-dividend ETFs, unraveling the current market correlation conundrum, fending off the inflation boogeyman, implementing tactical commodity strategies, tapping the alternative ETF toolkit, and forging new frontiers in fixed income.

Among the conference keynotes, PIMCO's Vineer Bhansali discussed how the bond titan become comfortable with the active ETF structure ahead of launching the game-changing PIMCO Total Return ETF BOND, as well as the firm's vision for the future of active ETFs.

In addition, Russ Koesterich, global chief investment strategist for BlackRock's iShares business, discussed the increasingly intertwined relationship between the government and our economy, and Schwab chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders kicked off the conference with her take on the state of the economy.

And new this year: We heard from several ETF managed portfolio strategists. These registered investment advisors focus on building portfolios, mostly of ETFs, aimed at accomplishing specific investment strategies in one of the fastest-growing segments of the managed account space. We heard about where they're seeing opportunity today, when they're utilizing alternatives, and how they're employing tactical fixed-income strategies. (Click here to learn more about ETF managed portfolios or visit MorningstarAdvisor.com's ETF Managed Portfolios Center.)

For those who couldn't attend this year's event, Morningstar.com offered on-the-spot coverage and commentary, including analyst blogs on conference sessions and video interviews with panelists and presenters. Click here to see the full conference agenda and be sure to bookmark this page and check in over the next few days as we continue to post all the latest insights from the event.

Conference Coverage
U.S. Budget Woes Not a New Story
BlackRock iShares global head of investment strategy Russ Koesterich sees some parallels between the U.S. and the Roman Empire, but says our problems are fixable. (video)

Three Keys to Deficit Turnaround
Other countries that have stepped back from deficit brinks have faced pressure from the bond market, experienced a change of government, and delivered a mandate to truly deal with fiscal issues, says iShares BlackRock global chief investment strategist Russ Koesterich. (video)