Not what I expected. - Anonymous employee Morningstar Employee Review

2.0
Aug 9, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Truly a laid back culture. You can dress however you'd like (unless you're meeting clients). You're given the freedom to take up projects, meet whoever you'd like (senior management is very friendly and welcoming). The people are very, very smart and Chicago is great. Good general business experience Great products.

Cons

First role is veeeeeeeeery entry level. You're either placed in their call center as client service support for their products, or you're cleaning up data as a data analyst. It's very rare to get hired as a research associate and EVERYONE is trying to get those jobs internally. It can be surprisingly disorganized. All the pros of meeting whoever you'd like, or attending any training sessions, go right out the window if you're in client service. Then you're on the phones from 8-5pm with a 1 hour break in between. If you want to meet someone or take advantage of a class, it better be on that. Management in certain departments are reluctant to hire MDPs because they'll rotate away, so they are hesitant to invest. Training doesn't exist. It's a "figure it out" type company. Technology MDPs make almost 30K more than non-tech MDPs. (Yes, tech MDPs make 75K). The company is very, very, VERY cheap. Food runs out at the "patio parties". Bagel Day is the only free food you'll get. And they don't freakin pay you! Don't be surprised when they only want to give you $500 relocation. The technology we get to work with is terrible.

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Pros

good company work life balance

Cons

really no cons for the firm

4.0
Apr 14, 2026
Recommend
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Pros

Really kind people work here, for the most part everyone I have worked with is smart and I have learned so much from them. There are great benefits: unlimited PTO, 6 week paid sabbatical is earned after 4 years of employment, 6 month maternity leave. Great location of an office. Great work life balance.

Cons

Not very competitive pay and it is easy to hit a ceiling in your career development. New HR policies are kind of strange, will not promote you unless you make enough money to be promoted which they designed the system to make it so you cannot go up. HR has also laid people off because they make too much money without considering the consequences of removing senior employees with unique/not stored intelligence vital to the company. They also hired a bunch of remote employees, then implemented a 4 day required in office rule no matter if you live states away from an office, which pushed hundreds of people to quit, not receive their bonus, and not require M* to pay them severance. It didn't use to be this way but the last year or so has been strange.

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