Leo Acheson

More From Leo Acheson

Morningstar Names Best 529 College Savings Plans for 2017

Thirty-four plans are Morningstar Medalists, and two receive Negative ratings.

Leo Acheson Oct 24, 2017

6 Upgrades, 3 Downgrades in Our New 529 Plan Ratings

Leo Acheson Oct 24, 2017

4 Health Savings Accounts With Low Fees

Look out for three common HSA expenses: underlying fund fees, maintenance fees, and investment fees.

Leo Acheson Aug 24, 2017

4 HSAs With the Best Investment Menu Designs

Diversification with minimal overlap is the best recipe for HSA investment menus.

Leo Acheson Jul 17, 2017

Room for Improvement in Growing HSA Plan Market

Leo Acheson Jun 29, 2017

How Does Your Health Savings Account Stack Up?

We evaluated 10 plans, and only one looks attractive for use as both a spending and investing vehicle.

Leo Acheson Jun 27, 2017

Asset Growth for 529 Plans Means Improved Scale, Lower Fees

Leo Acheson Jun 11, 2017

What's New With 529 Plans

During 2016, fees hit record lows, assets reached a new all-time high, and asset-allocation techniques improved.

Leo Acheson May 25, 2017

Fund Companies Making Layoffs

Outflows lead to shrinking investment teams among many active managers.

Leo Acheson Apr 17, 2017

What Fund Manager Bonuses Tell Us

Most investment shops reward managers for short-term results, and few consider risk-adjusted returns.

Leo Acheson Mar 9, 2017

6 529 Plans Suffer Downgrades in 2016

2 former Gold-rated plans slip, the list of Negative-rated plans grows.

Leo Acheson Oct 27, 2016

Morningstar Names Best 529 College-Savings Plans for 2016

Thirty-three plans are Morningstar Medalists, and three receive Negative ratings.

Leo Acheson Oct 25, 2016

Departures at GMO Spur Fund Downgrade

A manager change and organizational stress at GMO have led us to downgrade GMO Benchmark-Free Allocation from Silver to Bronze.

Leo Acheson Jul 10, 2016

What Should Drive Your 529 Plan Decision

Morningstar’s annual college-savings plan study highlights some of the industry’s most-pressing matters and how investors can pick the right plan.

Leo Acheson May 26, 2016

5 Funds Whose Trailing Returns Don't Tell the Whole Story

The bull market in equities since the credit crisis has masked the volatility of these funds.

Leo Acheson Apr 19, 2016

Who Is Really in It for the Long Haul?

Most investment shops reward managers for short-term results, and few consider performance beyond five years.

Leo Acheson Mar 8, 2016

Nominees for 2015 Allocation Fund Manager of the Year

Two candidates navigated last year's turbulent markets especially well.

Leo Acheson Jan 19, 2016

Rising Concentration Points to New Risks

These funds have become more concentrated among top holdings during the past three years.

Leo Acheson Dec 28, 2015

Many Concerns About Third Avenue

The Focused Credit fund prompts Parent rating downgrade, but other issues are apparent.

Bridget B. Hughes, CFA Dec 22, 2015

Third Avenue Focused Credit Returns to a Fund Structure

Returning to the open-end format provides more transparency for shareholders but changes little else.

Leo Acheson Dec 17, 2015

Morningstar Names Best 529 College-Savings Plans for 2015

Twenty-nine plans are Morningstar Medalists, and two receive Negative ratings.

Leo Acheson Oct 20, 2015

6 of the Most Popular Multiasset Income Medalist Funds

It's a heterogeneous group, and the strategies appear less sensitive to rising interest rates than expected.

Leo Acheson Aug 17, 2015

Do Tax Benefits Outweigh Higher Costs of 529 College-Savings Plans?

Morningstar finds federal tax savings give 529s an edge.

Leo Acheson May 28, 2015

Best Practices for College-Savings Plans

Morningstar highlights what moves a 529 plan from good to great.

Leo Acheson May 27, 2015

Nominees for 2014 Allocation Fund Manager of the Year

A dynamic market in 2014 gave allocation managers plenty of opportunities to stumble or soar.

Leo Acheson Jan 13, 2015

More About Leo Acheson

Leo Acheson, CFA, is director, multi-asset ratings, global manager research for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

He oversees Morningstar’s multi-asset ratings as well as the firm’s multi-asset and alternatives manager research team. The group covers a range of investment vehicles, including allocation strategies, alternatives, target-date funds, 529 plans, HSAs, model portfolios, and Mexican pension funds.

Before joining Morningstar in 2013, Acheson spent four years working for a Chicago-based investment consultant, conducting mutual fund and asset-class research to help corporations manage their investment programs.

Acheson holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.