Morningstar Launches Direct Advisory Suite, a Powerful, Modernized Software Solution for Financial Advisors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment insights, today introduced Direct Advisory Suite, a modern software application for financial advisors and investment professionals. The comprehensive application streamlines key tasks such as conducting research, building and analyzing portfolios, and generating client proposals. Direct Advisory Suite is built on the foundation of the Direct Platform and takes full advantage of the comprehensive capabilities across Morningstar Data+Analytics.

Direct Advisory Suite expands the capabilities of the current Advisor Workstation application, combining a more intuitive interface with enhanced features for a simplified advisor experience. It is designed to improve workflows and efficiency, empowering advisors to more effectively engage with clients and deliver greater value.

"Direct Advisory Suite represents the next evolution in advisor software," said James Rhodes, president of the Direct Platform. "By integrating a connected set of capabilities, it simplifies the complex workflows of today's financial advisors. Powered by Morningstar's robust data, research, and analytics, the suite empowers advisors to engage with their clients with personalized advice that is easy to understand."

Direct Advisory Suite offers a comprehensive range of features designed to enhance the financial advisory process:

• Comprehensive Research Tools: Layered with Morningstar’s top-quality database and independent ratings and research, advisors can screen, chart, and compare investments with ease.
• Investment Planning: Create custom investment plans that align with clients’ risk profiles and preferences, leveraging tools like the Morningstar Portfolio Risk Score.
• Proposal Generation: Generate client-friendly and compliance-ready reports with the Scenario Builder tool, helping showcase the advisor value.
• Portfolio Optimization: Streamline portfolio adjustments with a single click, saving time to focus on client engagement.
• AI-Powered Insights: Leverage Morningstar’s AI chatbot, Mo, to surface key insights, generate client talking points, and access data quickly to stay informed.

"Today's clients expect more from their advisors than ever before," said Rhodes. "Direct Advisory Suite meets these demands by providing a frontline solution for fundamental aspects of advisory services, from research and planning to report generation and portfolio analysis."

Direct Advisory Suite is the advisor application for the Direct Platform, Morningstar’s unified foundation of data, analytics, and research that supports its enterprise solutions. The Direct Platform is designed to enhance connectivity and information flow across Morningstar’s offerings, including data feeds, APIs, and software. With the addition of Direct Advisory Suite into the Direct Platform, Morningstar’s enterprise clients benefit from more efficient workflows—such as creating investment products or models and seamlessly delivering them to advisor distribution channels through Direct Advisory Suite. For more information on the Direct Platform, click here.

Direct Advisory Suite is currently available to advisors in North America, with plans to expand into additional markets in EMEA and APAC later this year. Advisor Workstation clients will be upgraded to Direct Advisory Suite throughout 2025. Learn more about Direct Advisory Suite here.

About Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and solutions that serve a wide range of market participants, including individual and institutional investors in public and private capital markets, financial advisors and wealth managers, asset managers, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and issuers of fixed-income securities. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $328 billion in AUMA as of Sept. 30, 2024. The Company operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in 32 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MorningstarInc.

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