2021 Target-Date Strategy Landscape

Jason Kephart, CFA, is director of multi-asset ratings for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He is responsible for Morningstar’s multi-asset ratings methodology and shares responsibility for research priorities. Kephart leads the firm’s global and North American multi-asset ratings committees. Kephart regularly contributes to Morningstar’s thought leadership on target-date strategies, 60/40 portfolios, model portfolios, and other multi-asset outcome-based products. He has been the lead analyst for multi-asset strategies from firms such as Vanguard, BlackRock, T. Rowe Price, and Dodge & Cox.

Before joining Morningstar in 2014, Kephart spent seven years as a journalist for InvestmentNews, Fund Action, and SmartMoney, reporting primarily on the mutual fund and exchange-traded fund industries.

Kephart holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Florida State University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Megan Pacholok is a senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She leads target-date strategy research and sits on the Morningstar Analyst Ratings Committee for multi-asset strategies in North America. Ms. Pacholok is an advocate for empowering investor success when saving for retirement and is a regular contributor to research on best practices for maximizing the potential of defined contribution and health savings plans. Her coverage responsibilities also include model portfolios, tax-managed strategies, and income-focused multi-asset funds.

Before joining Morningstar Research Services in 2019, she worked as a product consultant for Morningstar Direct.

Pacholok holds a bachelor's degree in finance and economics from DePaul University.