Ask the Analyst, With Amy Arnott

When Morningstar portfolio strategist Amy Arnott created her Ask the Analyst column, she wanted to help readers feel more confident about investing, retirement, and personal finance. Since the column launched in April 2026, Amy has answered questions from readers every month on topics like taxes, bonds, credit default swaps, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, and a lot more.

Before you explore the columns below or send her a question, hear from the person behind the answers.

Get to Know Amy Arnott, Portfolio Strategist, Podcast Host

Valentina Djeljosevic: Amy, are you giving life advice in your column?

Amy Arnott: No, I’m not that Amy. I’ve been answering questions about age-based bond allocations, taxes, CD and TIPS ladders, which have been a popular topic, and more. I even answered a reader who wanted help getting his spouse more engaged with their finances. I guess you could say I’ve written a relationship advice column.

Djeljosevic: What experience and credentials do you bring to readers’ questions?

Arnott: I first joined Morningstar in 1991 as a mutual fund analyst and have had many roles since then. Today, I’m a portfolio strategist. I also hold the chartered financial analyst designation, which means I went through a specific program of study focusing on investing and finance. Plus, I have a bachelor’s degree with honors in English and French from the University of Wisconsin.

Djeljosevic: How does one go from a degree in English and French to being a mutual fund analyst?

Arnott: I was lucky to find Morningstar, which has always been open to hiring people with excellent critical thinking skills from a variety of educational backgrounds. I had also done some investing with my dad and used to read the newsletters he got in the mail from The American Association for Individual Investors.

Djeljosevic: What do you write besides your Ask the Analyst column?

Arnott: I write about portfolio construction, asset allocation, retirement planning, personal finance, and more. I also do research on many types of investments, ranging from tried-and-true core holdings to more esoteric corners of the investment world. A key part of my job is to comb through the evidence and help readers understand the pros and cons of various investment types.

Djeljosevic: One of your roles at Morningstar is co-hosting The Long View podcast. What surprising things have you learned about money, retirement, or life from the podcast?

Arnott: I’ve come to appreciate that a successful retirement isn’t just about money; it also involves a lot of soul-searching about how you want to spend your time and define the next phase of life. We’ve also talked to a lot of people about how to help your aging parents, and hearing their tips and suggestions has been quite helpful for me on a personal level as my parents and father-in-law get older.

Djeljosevic: What’s your personal investing style? Do you tinker with your portfolio, or is it more of a hands-off approach?

Arnott: My personal investing style is extremely hands-off. I almost never make significant changes to our portfolio beyond rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting.

Djeljosevic: What are your favorite resources for investors who want to broaden their knowledge?

Arnott: First off, Morningstar.com. I would also recommend some books from authors featured on The Long View. Christine Benz made a great list of those, and here’s mine. I follow 15 or 20 finance blogs, including The Big Picture, Humble Dollar, The White Coat Investor, and Kitces.com, to name a few.

Djeljosevic: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Arnott: My husband and I love traveling, especially if it involves something more active like hiking or biking. I’m an avid reader and read a lot of mystery novels. I have more time on my hands now that my two kids are grown, so I recently started taking a beginner mandolin class at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Djeljosevic: Above all else, what do you want your readers to know?

Arnott: I want them to know that money is a tool for our values and goals. As a writer focusing on finance and investing, I could easily get caught up in a scarcity mindset—that people should squirrel away every possible dollar to shore up savings for retirement, emergencies, or catastrophic events. Ultimately, though, the purpose of building wealth is to improve our lives and well-being. I try to relish life in the present and spend on things that are important to me, like travel, concerts, and visiting family members. And that’s how I want our readers to approach their money decisions, too.