Katie Nixon, who runs $230 billion at Northern Trust, on big investor mistakes

Katie Nixon, who oversees $230 billion in assets for private clients and other investors as chief investment officer for Northern Trust Wealth Management, sat down with CNBC's Mike Santoli to discuss some of the biggest mistakes investors are making now.

"Many investors have been hoarding safety," said Nixon, explaining that most retail investors remain scarred from the 2008 financial crisis, and remain overly tilted toward safe investments such as fixed income. As a result, they are stuck receiving minimum returns.

"In a low-return environment, risk is a requirement," said Nixon. "A lot of investors are being forced to take more risk because the market environment is not going to give them the returns that they are going to need."

In this wide-ranging interview about wealth management, Nixon also touches on:

  • The most important decision in wealth management
  • How to set investment goals
  • How investors can deal with higher rates
  • Navigating the turbulence in the market
  • Passive vs. active investing

PRO subscribers can also read the entire transcript of the exclusive interview below.