Meet Murphy: A Q&A with Kara Murphy
Only three months in, and one thing about 2025 is clear – this will be a year of seemingly constant, and often contradictory, political and financial headlines. That can leave investors feeling concerned, confused, and exhausted. But when it comes to investing, the philosophy at Christopher Street Financial remains confident and unchanging. We will continue to maintain a long-term perspective grounded in diversification. We do not look to “beat” the market so much as participate in it. Bull and bear markets will come and go. And, yes, while the reasons for each market pullback are unique, history has shown us that the patterns of recovery are remarkably similar.
That does not mean that a disciplined investor is an uninformed investor. On the contrary, the team at Christopher Street Financial continuously watches the markets, assessing what changes mean for our models and ultimately your financial plan. But it can be challenging to spot the long-term trends among the daily noise. And having a trusted partner to test assumptions and conclusions helps us bring our best thinking to our clients.
Enter Kara Murphy! As the Chief Investment Officer for Kestra Investment Management, Kara leads a growing team of investment professionals who provide market insights and analysis that supplement our own thinking at Christopher Street. We have proudly considered Kara an honorary member of our team for years, helping us navigate the market highs, lows, and everything in between. Just as importantly, she is also a true friend and ally of ours. She knows that we are people before we are investors, and she recognizes that our community is not only worried about market returns but also how we are being affected socially and politically.
In short, she gets us. And we love her for it – both her brain and her heart.
While you may have seen her on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, read her quotes in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, or had the opportunity to attend one of her webinars, we wanted to take a moment to sit with Kara and ask her a few questions so that you can get to know her better. We’re confident you’ll love her too!
Kara – you are the Chief Investment Officer for Kestra Investment Management. What sparked your interest in investments as a career?
I was working in the World Trade Center on 9/11, which, as you can imagine, became a big personal challenge for me. But it also was a moment that provided clarity around my career in unexpected ways. The experience made me feel I had to earn the right to be here, and it helped me identify, then speak out loud, what I wanted in a career and in life. I decided to rededicate myself to investments, and I got my CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation.
What gets you out of bed in the morning – to go to work to be the CIO?
It is understanding and knowing the impact of my investment decisions and the effect those decisions are going to have on the financial advisors we work with at Kestra, and ultimately their clients. My favorite quote is Emerson’s, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” In my role, I want to be useful and honorable, not because Emerson says it’s a good idea, but because I find value in knowing that I am making an impact on people’s lives.
You’re great at making market information accessible to the “average Joe”. What is your approach? Do you visualize an ideal target client?
I am the daughter of two English teachers. From that – growing up around educators – I feel that is a large part of what I’m doing: educating financial advisors and/or clients. And there is the “English” part, which means I know how to craft a good story!
Describe your investment philosophy.
As complicated as the markets may seem, my philosophy is pretty straight forward. Focus on the long-term. Be risk aware. Simple is better than complicated. Cheaper is better than expensive. And transparency.
Kara – can we end with 5 rapid fire questions?
Bring it!
Cats or dogs?
There was a time in my life when I would’ve said cats, but I now have a 6 pound dog who has stolen my heart (and the home screen of my phone, supplanting my three children in the process.)
A fashion trend you participated in that you now regret?
1980s New Jersey-style big hair, but too be honest it’s more of a “sorry, not sorry” kinda thing.
Last book you read for fun.
Currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison for the third time. So amazing.
Something that always makes you laugh?
Andy Samberg on Brooklyn 99
Favorite meal?
Pepperoni pizza from Razza’s in Jersey City
Thank you Kara for taking the time to talk to us.
My pleasure!
Click here for Kara’s full bio.
You can see Kara in action Wednesday, April 23rd at 2:00 PM ET during an interactive webinar hosted by our friends at Kestra Investment Management. In this webinar, she’ll take us through a deep dive into the current state of the market and share in-depth insights on trade, tariffs, policy uncertainty, and market and economic impacts.