Categories: Stocks / ETFs

Model Portfolios Gain Momentum in 2026: How ETFs Fit In

How are advisors and investors looking at opportunities within model portfolios these days? Well, recent research seems to suggest that model portfolios in the U.S. are certainly picking up steam.

Key Takeaways:

Model portfolios are picking up a significant amount of assets in early 2026, with Morningstar finding that third-party model portfolios are seeing assets 46% higher than last year’s numbers.
Meanwhile, investors are continuing to allocate billions in inflows towards model portfolios, highlighting the many advantages these tools bring to the table.
ETFs play a key role in model portfolios, and have outpaced mutual funds as the top underlying vehicle within them.

Back in June, Morningstar released its 2026 US Model Portfolio Landscape. This report examined how much attention model portfolios are getting, and what kind of assets are being added to them.

To begin, the report highlighted that third-party model portfolio assets are nearing $1 trillion, sitting around $943 billion as of the end of March 2026. Notably, this is a 46% increase over last year’s data, showing just how crucial model portfolios are suddenly becoming to advisors.

Notably, these assets are coming in as model portfolios see compelling inflows. Morningstar noted that across 2025, model portfolios accrued $42.6 billion in net inflows. These gains mark an increase of 42% over 2024’s numbers.

The Model Advantage

To be fair, the momentum behind model portfolios should not come as a particular surprise. After all, these investments offer a distinct set of benefits with broad appeal.

For starters, model portfolios make the overall investment process much more straightforward. Creating a portfolio from start to finish can be a daunting challenge, especially for new investors. Model portfolios offer a pre-built selection of securities, which saves time that would otherwise be spent researching companies, investments, and more.

Furthermore, folks can opt into model portfolios that better fit their needs, goals, and risk profiles. By doing so, investors can make sure they’re meeting their financial goals without spending as much time navigating the intricacies of the market.

Model portfolios can also provide an easy way to access diversification. When constructing a model portfolio, advisors can add in a wide variety of different securities and investment approaches. This allows investors to access a number of different avenues in the market, all within a single collection.

See More: Goldman Sachs Hires New Model Portfolios Head

That being said, it is not like model portfolios are without their downsides. Clients have limited control over their investments, given that advisors or portfolio managers navigate the portfolio for them.

The Growing ETF Presence

Keeping this in mind, what kind of investments are advisors putting into model portfolios as of late? Morningstar’s report found that between March 2021 and March 2026, ETFs have overtaken mutual funds as the top underlying investment vehicle. Across that five-year time span, model portfolios on average increased their ETF allocations by 13.1%.

In 2026, an average model portfolio holds 55.4% of its assets within the ETF wrapper. Meanwhile, mutual funds are still utilized heavily, but only constitute 34% of the average model portfolio’s assets. These numbers speak volumes about the momentum being the ETF wrapper itself, along with increased innovation in the ETF market.

A Future For Private Assets

Another part of model portfolios undergoing change is how asset managers view private assets. Considering the growing interest from the broader investment community in private assets, it’s crucial to understand how things are shifting for model portfolios.

69% of the firms that Morningstar surveyed have stated that they either already offer private market exposure within their model portfolios, or plan to do so across the next three years. This is obviously a large sum of respondents, and further reflects the diversification opportunities already present within the model portfolio structure.

Putting this all together, it’s becoming increasingly clear that model portfolios are undergoing a significant change, and at a rapid pace. Advisors who wish to stay ahead of the curve would do well to keep this in mind as they look ahead to the remainder of 2026 and beyond.

Originally published by Advisor Perspectives

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