Russel Kinnel is Director of Mutual Fund Research for Morningstar and Editor of Morningstar FundInvestor, a monthly newsletter for individual investors. He also oversees Morningstar's Fund Analyst Picks and Pans and writes the "Fund Spy" column for Morningstar.com. He joined the company in 1994 and holds a bachelor's degree in economics and journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of Internet, software, and print-based products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on more than 290,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles. The company has operations in 18 countries and minority ownership positions in companies based in three other countries.