Investing compass resources

Subscribe via your preferred platform

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Podcast Addict
• Amazon
• iHeartRadio
• Overcast 

Episode 229: Christmas gifts for investors 2024

In our Christmas gifts episode, Mark and Shani exchange Christmas gifts, discuss a stock pick and a few book recommendations from Mark. If you'd like to get Mark and Shani a Christmas gift, a podcast review on your podcast app would be the best gift you can give. Thank you for your support in 2024 and we hope you have a safe and happy holiday period.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Episode 228: Is this the best metric for income investors?

We explore yield at cost - a metric that can improve your results as an income investor. 

You can find the full article here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Episode 227: Increase your super balance by 25%

 A recent Vanguard survey showed that the best way for investors to take action with their super is to show them the actual difference it would make to their retirement outcomes. We run you through the steps that you can go through using a free, Moneysmart tool to model your own circumstances. You can find the tool here, or search for 'Moneysmart Retirement Planner'.

Find the full article here.

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 226: How to invest with a couple of dollars

An approach for investors that have just a few dollars to invest.

You're able to view the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 225: How to pick a super option

This listener requested episode goes through what steps you should take when considering the different options available within a super fund.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 224: Protecting yourself and your assets

A look into Power-of-Attorney and related documents to protect yourself and your assets, and why they're important.

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

 Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 223: 3 ASX growth stocks for the long-term

 Three high-quality growth companies that have wide moats and a history of good capital allocation.

You can find the full article here.

You can find information on whether growth stocks are for you here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 222: How to build a travel fund

Retirement aside, travel is the most common goal for many investors. We look at the best way to build a portfolio of passive income, that can be applied to any goal that requires a regular and sustainable income.

Read the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Episode 221: Replacing Hybrids

On this listener requested episode, we discuss the phasing out of hybrids and the way that investors can replace them in their investment portfolios.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 220: The Sandwich Generation: handling caring responsibilities on both ends

Are you part of the sandwich generation? We talk about how to prevent financial stress when caring responsibilities arise from children and parents. 

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 219: Chances are your estate will be contested. Here's how to protect it.

More than 50% of wills are contested. Here’s how to increase the possibility your wishes are honoured.

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 218: All in one ETF: VDHG deep dive

This multi-asset option is an all in one ETF. But investors may have negative tax consequences.

You can find the full article here.

 Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more of Morningstar's articles in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 217: The value of franking credits

We take a look at how much franking credits adds to an investor's returns, and whether the obsession with the tax credits is justified.

You can find the full article here.

 Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 216: The lessons of Dollarmites

Ever had a Dollarmites account? It teaches us some valuable lessons but not the ones CBA touted.

You can find the full article here.

 Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get more Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 215: Aussie stocks to hold forever

James Gruber goes through Aussie stocks he would hold forever.

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 214: Interpreting stock picks from experts

This week's podcast goes through how to interpret these stock picks and runs through two examples to help investors understand whether these opportunities are right for them.

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 213: Dollar Cost Averaging vs Lump Sum Investing

What is the meaning of life? Am I a cat person or a dog person? We try to answer an easier age-old question – dollar cost averaging vs lump sum investing.

You can find the article Shani wrote, as well as the graphs from the study here.

You can find the full article here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 212: Private Credit

We look at what the asset class is, why it has grown in popularity and whether investors should take on private credit in their portfolios. 

Click the following link for the 5-in-5 With ANZ podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/YEE71vpx

You're able to find Joseph's article here.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 211: Market Update: What should you do?

We go through what's happening in markets, and talk about the 'manic-depressive' episodes of Mr. Market.

Mark has written on how you should view the recent volatility in this article.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

We would really appreciate it if you would fill out our Investing Compass survey (approx. 5 minutes). Go in the draw to win a $250 Visa giftcard (closes 15 August 2024). You can find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/investingcompass

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast 

Episode 210: Hedging against risks

 Should investors hedge against risks like currency?

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 209: Your inheritance will likely be a house. What should you do with it?

We go through the implications of inheriting or bequeathing property.

We would really appreciate it if you would fill out our Investing Compass survey (approx. 5 minutes). Go in the draw to win a $250 Visa giftcard (closes 15 August 2024). You can find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/investingcompass

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 208: Shani's Investment Strategy

Shani's investment strategy is simple - she focuses on asset allocation and factors within her control, such as her own behaviour, fees, transaction costs and savings rates. She runs through the academic and circumstantial reasons for her strategy.

We would really appreciate it if you would fill out our Investing Compass survey (approx. 5 minutes). Go in the draw to win a $250 Visa giftcard (closes 15 August 2024). You can find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/investingcompass

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

You can read the full article here.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple

Get Morningstar insights in your inbox

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 207: Dividend Aristocrats

 A dividend aristocrat is a US coined term that denotes a company that has raised dividends for the last 25 years. There are none in Australia. We discuss the implications of investing in a market when no Australian companies meet the definition of a dividend aristocrat.

You can read the full article here.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

The best way to get more insights from the Morningstar team is to sign up to our newsletter.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 206: Why you shouldn't wait until 35 to take your super seriously

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

A recent Rainmaker study concludes that the best time to start taking super seriously is in your mid-thirties. We don't agree. 

Note: this podcast was recorded before 1 July, 2024. It is stated that the Super Guarantee is 11%, correct at time of recording. The Super Guarantee is now 11.5%.

You are able to view the accompanying article here which includes data and graphs to complement the discussion in the podcast episode.

The best way to get more insights from the Morningstar team is to sign up to our newsletter.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Episode 205: How to conduct a common sense check on a stock

According to the AFR, a lot of the interest and buying of Guzman was from retail investors -specifically, Gen Z investors. This is following the Peter Lynch philosophy of buying shares in companies you know.

When trying to figure out a business and the competitive forces in a particular industry it is a lot easier to explore products and services that you use. It allows you to think about what are the factors that cause you to buy a particular brand over a competitor and to think about the competitive advantages that might be at play for a company. 

However, using a product or service does not necessarily maketh a good investment.

The episode goes through a simple framework that investors can use to evaluate a share, and whether it may make a good investment. We use Guzman y Gomez GYG as an example.

Listen on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

For a deeper analysis, you can find a summary of our pre-IPO report.

Episode 204: Lessons from the top performing ASX share

Chasing performance can lead to poor results but investors can still learn from top performers. 

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Episode 203: Does timing the market work?

Time in the market? Timing the market? Going against the herd? Investing success requires a bit of thought to achieve your goals.

You can view the accompanying article here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Save 33% off Morningstar Investor^

Sign up for a FREE 4-week trial^ and check out with code: IC33 to save 33% off a 12-month Morningstar Investor subscription^ (Only $452.25. Normally $675).

Sign up for a FREE trial^: https://www.morningstar.com.au/products/morningstar-investor?utm_term=ic_link_sign_up_for_a_free_trial  

^The free 4-week trial offer is limited to new clients and cannot be used to extend an existing Investor Membership. This offer can only be used in combination with the promotional code: IC33. One free trial per household. Morningstar is licensed to provide our subscription service to Australian residents only. 

^Promotional code: IC33 cannot be used in combination with any other offers or to extend an existing Morningstar Investor subscription, with the exception of the free 4-week trial offer. This offer is for 33% off the first 12-month subscription of Morningstar Investor (Only $452.25. Normally $675). Sale ends 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 30th June 2024.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton. 

Episode 202: Boosting income with a covered call strategy

Many investors share with us that they are income investors. Some used covered call strategies to boost income. This episode explores the strategy and how it works.

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Save 33% off Morningstar Investor^

Sign up for a FREE 4-week trial^ and check out with code: IC33 to save 33% off a 12-month Morningstar Investor subscription^ (Only $452.25. Normally $675).

Sign up for a FREE trial^: https://www.morningstar.com.au/products/morningstar-investor?utm_term=ic_link_sign_up_for_a_free_trial  

^The free 4-week trial offer is limited to new clients and cannot be used to extend an existing Investor Membership. This offer can only be used in combination with the promotional code: IC33. One free trial per household. Morningstar is licensed to provide our subscription service to Australian residents only. 

^Promotional code: IC33 cannot be used in combination with any other offers or to extend an existing Morningstar Investor subscription, with the exception of the free 4-week trial offer. This offer is for 33% off the first 12-month subscription of Morningstar Investor (Only $452.25. Normally $675). Sale ends 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 30th June 2024.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton. 

Episode 201: The wisdom of Charlie Munger

Charlie Munger passed away recently at 99 years of age. We go through 5 of his best quotes and the lessons that investors can take from them.

You can access the accompanying article here.

You can access the lessons from market history article here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Save 33% off Morningstar Investor^

Sign up for a FREE 4-week trial^ and check out with code: IC33 to save 33% off a 12-month Morningstar Investor subscription^ (Only $452.25. Normally $675).

Sign up for a FREE trial^: https://www.morningstar.com.au/products/morningstar-investor?utm_term=ic_link_sign_up_for_a_free_trial  

^The free 4-week trial offer is limited to new clients and cannot be used to extend an existing Investor Membership. This offer can only be used in combination with the promotional code: IC33. One free trial per household. Morningstar is licensed to provide our subscription service to Australian residents only. 

^Promotional code: IC33 cannot be used in combination with any other offers or to extend an existing Morningstar Investor subscription, with the exception of the free 4-week trial offer. This offer is for 33% off the first 12-month subscription of Morningstar Investor (Only $452.25. Normally $675). Sale ends 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 30th June 2024.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton. 

Episode 200: How to retire early

Three things to consider when planning for an early retirement.

You are able to find the accompanying article here that includes data and graphs that complement the discussion in this episode.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Save 33% off Morningstar Investor^

Sign up for a FREE 4-week trial^ and check out with code: IC33 to save 33% off a 12-month Morningstar Investor subscription^ (Only $452.25. Normally $675).

Sign up for a FREE trial^: https://www.morningstar.com.au/products/morningstar-investor?utm_term=ic_link_sign_up_for_a_free_trial  

^The free 4-week trial offer is limited to new clients and cannot be used to extend an existing Investor Membership. This offer can only be used in combination with the promotional code: IC33. One free trial per household. Morningstar is licensed to provide our subscription service to Australian residents only. 

^Promotional code: IC33 cannot be used in combination with any other offers or to extend an existing Morningstar Investor subscription, with the exception of the free 4-week trial offer. This offer is for 33% off the first 12-month subscription of Morningstar Investor (Only $452.25. Normally $675). Sale ends 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 30th June 2024.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton. 

Episode 199: Why Aussies are better investors

Aussie investors have come out on top in a recent study. We explore some of the reasons why.

You are able to see the accompanying article here, which includes data and graphs that complement the issues discussed in this podcast.

Shani’s article on share market returns over the long-term can be found here.

Shani's article that compares investing as an individual, company and trust can be found here.

Mark's article on why he does not sell his investments can be found here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

Episode 198: How to incorporate an inheritance into your financial plan

The intergenerational wealth transfer is a hot topic. How should you incorporate any inheritances into your financial plan?

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 197: Key takeaways from Morningstar’s Mining Outlook

Chances are you've got heavy exposure to the mining sector if you're an Aussie investor. We go through the key takeaways from Morningstar's Mining Outlook report, including how to find opportunities in the sector.

You can read more about Morningstar's top opportunities in mining here.

You are able to read an explainer on the mining industry here that contains useful graphs and data to accompany the information from the podcast.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 196: Share deep dive: Nvidia NVDA

Nvidia is the stock every investor is talking about due to its meteoric rise. In this episode, we look at whether it is still a good investment and what our analysts think about the company.

Morningstar analyst Brian Colello justifies raising Nvidia's fair value in this article.

Firstlinks' James Gruber talks about how to find the next 100-bagger in this article.

View the latest articles and data on Nvidia. If you are a Morningstar Investor subscriber you can view the full research report, dividend forecasts and data here.

Interested in our investing course? Find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 195: Warren Buffet says he will hold these stocks forever

What our analysts think about the stocks that are forever holdings for Berkshire Hathaway.

You are able to read the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 194: How to make $100k in passive income

We go through what's needed to get to $100k in passive income. You're able to find a spreadsheet to try this activity yourself here.

You are able to find the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 193: Debt recycling

Should you leverage equity that you have built in your home to purchase an investment property?

You are able to find the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 192: This stock ticks all our boxes

A wide moat stock that is currently undervalued, has exemplary capital allocation and is fully franked.

You are able to find the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 191: Why Shani bought a house

Many long-time Investing Compass listeners have asked why Shani changed her mind about buying a house. Shani speaks about her decision.

The costs for Shani's first home are outlined in this article.

The recommendations from a buyer's agent for what to look in an investment property can be found here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 190: Three most popular ETFs in Australia

We look at the three ETFs you are most likely to invest in and what our analysts think about them.

You are able to find the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 189: How investors should think about business risk

Are you taking on too much risk in your portfolio?

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 188: A realistic retirement plan

Men and women experience different health outcomes which need to be taken into account during retirement planning.

You're able to find the spreadsheet referenced in this article.

You can find the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 187: A step-by-step investment strategy

Designing an investment strategy can be an expensive endeavour. Here is how to create one yourself.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 186: How to build a lazy portfolio with 3 ETFs

Our guest James Gruber discusses how to build a lazy portfolio with 3 ETFs, and the issues that you come across when you do this.

You are able to find the accompanying article here. 

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 185: Now all income is built equal

The argument for why investing is supported by the tax code. 

You are able to find the accompanying article here. 

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 184: How to build wealth with income investing

And why the arguments against income investing don't stack up.

Want to read Mark's full article? You can find it here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 183: The lesson from the most successful stock of the last 80 years

We go through the four factors that led to the success of Philip Morris, and what you can look for to find a strong opportunity today.

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 182: What to look for (and what to avoid) when picking ETFs

Our guest Steven Le, a manager research analyst at Morningstar, goes through what to look for and what to avoid with ETFs, and how investors can apply the Morningstar process themselves for choosing investment products.

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 181: Mark's top 10 holdings

We run through Mark's top ten holdings, how they fit into his investment strategy and when to sell shares. 

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 180: Beat the market by changing how you invest

We talk about how to have an advantage when investing.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 179: How to use behavioural science to become a better investor

Our guest for today's episode is Dr Ryan Murphy, Global head of Behavioural insights at Morningstar. Ryan's team spends their time helping individual investors and advisers understand the ‘you’ part in investing. It is about understanding why investors make the decisions that they do – often to their detriment- and practical ways for investors to reduce the likelihood of making decisions that will hurt their outcomes. Ryan joins us to discuss his latest research on how to better define goals.

You are able to view the accompanying article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 178: Christmas gifts for investors 2023

Our yearly episode of Christmas gift ideas for investors.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 177: Current opportunities

Our guest Dan Kemp who runs Morningstar's global investment management team shares thoughts on current opportunities,

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 176: Market update going into 2024

We talk about the current market environment, and how investors should position themselves going into 2024.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 175: LICs vs ETFs

In a listener requested episode, we look at LICs vs ETFs, and why an investor may choose one over the other.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 174: Are bonds back?

At our recent conference, many investment professionals touted the attractiveness of bonds. Are they back and should you invest?

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 173: Should you get involved in IPOs?

There's going to be an influx of IPOs in the near future. Should you get involved?

You are able to find the associated article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 172: The case for China

We recently spoke about where Morningstar saw undervalued assets in our 'Lessons from Japan' episode. One of these markets is China. In this episode, we go through how a downturn could impact other economies, China viewed as an investment opportunity, and how to get exposure.

You are able to find the associated article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 171: Share deep dive: Woodside WDS

In a listener requested episode, we take a deep dive into Woodside (ASX: WDS).

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 170: What is happening with Qantas?

We sit down with Morningstar Equity Analyst Angus Hewitt to speak about Qantas, A2 Milk and other stocks in his coverage. He lets us know the best opportunity in his coverage and the outlooks for the sectors.

You are able to find the article to accompany this podcast here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 169: Can you retire on dividends?

In a listener requested episode, we explore whether investors can rely solely on dividends to fund their retirement.

You are able to find the article to accompany this podcast here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 168: What can we learn from Japan?

There has been a lot of investor excitement around Japan. It is the tip of a decades-long story.

You are able to find the article to accompany this podcast here.

Join us in-person or digitally on 11-12 October at the Morningstar Investment Conference for Individual Investors. Click here to register today.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 167: What return are you actually getting from shares?

Episode 166: A debt time bomb

We discuss global debt and why investors should pay attention

Join us in-person or digitally on 11-12 October at the Morningstar Investment Conference for Individual Investors. Click here to register today.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 165: 3 steps to financial independence

Everyone’s definition of financial independence is different. We explore how to achieve the foundations of financial independence in three steps.

Join us in-person or digitally on 11-12 October at the Morningstar Investment Conference for Individual Investors. Click here to register today.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 164: Market oulook: are investors too optimistic?

Our market outlook looks at the current state of the market and themes investors should be aware of.

Join us in-person or digitally on 11-12 October at the Morningstar Investment Conference for Individual Investors. Click here to register today.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 163: What we think about the largest company in the world

We take a deep dive into the international stock you are most likely to own - Apple.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Research: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 162: The best lessons from 150 episodes

It's our 150th episode! We go through the best lessons from the last 150 episodes.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 161: Lessons from a CIO

Marta Norton, CFA is Morningstar Investment Managements CIO, Americas. She shares her journey and the lessons that she takes from her professional investing career to her personal. 

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 160: Structuring your portfolio for income

Mark speaks about how he has structured his portfolio for income.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Podcast: The advantages and disadvantages of income investing
• Article/Webinar: How to build an income portfolio
• Article: Building a dividend portfolio with ETFs

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 159: Doubling down on exposure

In a listener Q&A episode, we explore whether your exposure in your super should impact your assets outside of super. 

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 158: Interest rate and inflation proof investment

In this episode, we explore annuities.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Article: How to address risks facing retirees
  
  

Episode 147: Brian Han’s Outlook

Brian Han, is a Director of Equity Research at Morningstar Australia, as well as a comedian. In this episode, we see if he can take on a third job as a psychic. We keep him accountable to predictions that he made about the 2023 environment back in 2022. Brian explores key themes with M&A, cybersecurity and cryptocurrency.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Brian’s article with his predictions: Four fearless predictions for 2023
  
  

Episode 146: Share deep dive: Charter Hall Long WALE REIT

In a listener requested episode, we do a share deep dive on Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW).

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 145: When to rebalance

In a listener requested episode, we look at when investors should rebalance.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 144: Paying down the mortgage vs investing

The age old question. This episode goes through the main considerations between paying down your mortgage and investing.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Article: Should investors prioritise mortgage debt as interest rates rise?
• Article: Should You Pay Down the Mortgage or Invest?
  

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 143: Does where your ETF is domiciled matter

Thinking of purchasing an ETF listed in the US, the UK, or any country other than Australia? Listen to this episode first.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 142: Retirement in inflationary times

In this episode, we discuss the considerations for retirees in high inflation environments, and what they can do to combat it.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 141: How investors should actually think about ESG

ESG is often seen as a way to feel good about what you're investing in. We speak to Morningstar Director of Equity Research, ESG - Adam Fleck. He provides his a different perspective on how investors should consider ESG in their portfolio.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Morningstar Investor subscribers are able to access Sustainalytics data. You can also access our Global Sustainability Leaders filter to find our top ESG picks.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 140: Share deep dive: Fineos

We explore the competitive advantage and valuation of the insurance software provider. 

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Research: FINEOS Corp Holdings PLC Chess Depository Interest Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 139: Our favourite income ETF

We explore how we find good ETF investments, what investors should look for, and our best pick for Income ETFs with our guest, Associate Director, Manager Research - Justin Walsh.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Research: Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY) Manager Research Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 138: Picking an active manager

New research from Morningstar looks at where active managers fall down, and why they underperform. We go through these characteristics to help investors understand what to avoid when picking an active manager for their portfolio.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• You’re able to read the full report here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 137: State of the Market

This episode looks at the state of the market at the end of April 2023, and discusses whether investors should make any changes to their portfolio based on the current market.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial): 

• Research: Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) Analyst Report
• Research: Aristocrat Leisure (ASX:ALL) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 136: What would you do with some extra cash?

The stage 3 tax cuts will give high income earners a meaningful increase in take home pay. Regardless of whether you fall into this bracket, any increase in cash flow offers investors the opportunity to thoughtfully assess the best way to improve their financial position and quality of life. We provide an overview of the tax cuts, considerations for investors and hear from three members of the Morningstar team on what to do with an increase in cash flow.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 135: Future expected returns and where to allocate assets

A key to asset allocation is understanding future expected returns for asset classes. We're joined by Matt Wacher, Chief Investment Officer, Asia Pacific of Morningstar Investment Management. He discusses the process of calculating future expected returns, where he expects there to be opportunities in the future, and how investors should use this information to make asset allocation decisions.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial) 

• Our future expected returns can be found for most asset classes in our Investment Policy Statement feature.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 134: Creating a portfolio with one trade

A larger number of investors are seeking simplicity in their portfolio. In this episode, we explore multi-asset funds and whether they can provide investors with a ready-made portfolio solution.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

• Report: Vanguard Diversified High Growth ETF (ASX: VDHG) Analyst Report
• Report: Vanguard Diversified Balanced ETF (ASX: VDBA) Analyst Report
• Report: Vanguard Diversified Conservative ETF (ASX: VDCO) Analyst Report
• Report: Vanguard Diversified Growth ETF (ASX: VDGR) Analyst Report
• Report: Perpetual Diversified Real Return Z Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 133: Lithium

Lithium is a hotly followed investing theme, with many investors confident of a promising future. We take a deep dive into Lithium and its outlook.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 132: Small Caps

In a listener requested episode, we speak about whether small caps have a place in your portfolio.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

• Investing Compass Episodes: Swipe Right for Shares Part I, Part II, Part III 

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 131: Lessons for Investors from Silicon Valley Bank

The Silicon Valley Bank collapse has many investors nervous. In this episode, we look past the market noise to talk about the lessons investors can take from this situation.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 130: Morningstar's take on the Big 4 Banks

We’re joined by Nathan Zaia, Senior Equity Analyst who covers the Australian banking sector. He shares his thoughts on the current turmoil, how interest rates impact bank valuations and his outlook for the sector.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 129: International diversification with domestic equities

We explore the theory that you get enough international exposure with multinationals, and whether domestic equities provide enough diversification for investors.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Access the full report from our analysts exploring international revenue in domestic companies.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 128: How to evaluate investment performance

In this episode, we explore how investors should think about their portfolio performance.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 127: Super wars: Vanguard vs AustralianSuper

We explore Vanguard's new super offering and compare it to AustralianSuper in an interview with Morningstar's Annika Bradley. You can read Annika's article here.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Video: Vanguard and Australian Super compared in 2 minutes (Annika Bradley)

Article: Vanguard vs AustralianSuper: How they compare, Annika Bradley

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 126: The role of currency in global investing

We explore currency and how it impacts investments, and currency as an investment itself.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) Analyst Report

Research: iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IHVDA) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 125: Investing in public real estate

REITs have been laggard in 2022. We explore this asset class to determine if it is an opportunity.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Vanguard Australian Property Securities ETF (ASX: VAP) Analyst Report

Research BWP Trust (ASX: BWP) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 124: Asset allocation in Superannuation

We answer a listener question on asset allocation in Superannuation.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 123: The advantages and disadvantages of income investing

We explore income investing and interview Jody Fitzgerald, our Head of Institutional Portfolio Management and Solutions at Morningstar

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 122: State of the market 2023

We look at the state of the market entering 2023.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website. (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 121: How to build a portfolio with 3 ETFs

We simplify constructing a portfolio and show how to build one with three trades.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Vanguard MSCI International ETF (ASX: VGS) Analyst Report

Research: VanEck Australian Equal weighted ETF (ASX:MVW) Analyst Report

Research: iShares Core Composite Bond ETF (ASX: IAF) Analyst Report

Episode 120: Budgets to bring in the new year

Get the foundations right for your 2023 resolutions - we explore the different types of budgets.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here. 

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website. 

• Resource: Moneysmart budget planner (download the excel file)
• Resource: Morningstar personal cashflow statement

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 119: Sector spotlight: Financial Services

We take a look at the financial services sector - how it behaves, how you can get exposure and the main players.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 118: 2022 Christmas gifts for investors

We've been told to curb our spending - here's a few gifts for investors that won't break the bank.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ADR (NYSE: BUD) Analyst Report

Research: Invocare (ASX: IVC) Analyst Report

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 117: Sector Spotlight: Energy

We take a look at the energy sector - how it behaves, how you can get exposure and the main players.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Beach Energy (ASX: BPT) Analyst Report

Research: Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) Analyst Report

Research: Santos (ASX: STO) Analyst Report

Episode 116: Does crypto matter for all investors?

We explore currency and hope it impacts investments, and currency as an investment itself.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 115: Share deep dive: Berkshire Hathaway

In an Investing Compass special, we play the Warren Buffett drinking game as we take a deep dive into the listener requested Berkshire Hathaway.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B (NYSE: BRK.B) Analyst Report

Research: Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class A (NYSE: BRK.A) Analyst Report

Episode 114: Quality ETFs

In a listener requested episode, we explore quality ETFs - MOAT and QUAL.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) Analyst Report

Morningstar does not rate the ASX: MOAT ETF as we see it as a conflict of interest.

Episode 113: High conviction ETFs and what they hold

We look at high conviction holdings in ETFs, and what our equity analysts think of them.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email [email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the podcast here.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Fidelity Global Emerging Markets ETF (ASX: FEMX) Analyst Report
• Research: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (NYSE: TSM) Analyst Report
• Research: VanEck Australian Property ETF (ASX: MVA) Analyst Report
• Research: Mirvac Group (ASX: MGR) Analyst Report

Want to see whether you have any high conviction holdings in your portfolio? Use the Portfolio X-Ray tool to evaluate your asset allocation and sector weightings, uncover concentrated positions and view the stock holdings behind your managed funds and ETFs. Find the Portfolio X-Ray tool in the Portfolio View of Morningstar Investor.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

Episode 112: Top lessons from investment professionals

Morningstar's Investment Conference for Individual Investors was held on the 13th of October. Investment professionals and economists shared their insights and how to navigate the current environment. We discuss a few of the lessons we learned.

Our friends at Sharesight wrote a great article about their favourite insights from the conference. You can find them here.

To watch the episodes on demand, register here, or contact us via email.

To submit any questions or feedback, please email

[email protected] or leave us a voicemail to feature on the

podcast here.

Additional resources from our episodes are available via our website.

Audio Producer and mixer: William Ton.

We explore the most common question we get – how to choose a broker. 

Episode 106: One plus one might not equal two

We take a deep dive into Perpetual and assess the opportunity for investors as Perpetual and Pendal come together as one company

Episode 105: The Toyota Prius of podcasts

This episode is an explainer on Hybrids – what they are, how they work, and whether they have a place in your portfolio.

Join us virtually or in person at our conference. Purchase tickets at over 80% off with the code SUPERBIRD22 here: https://web.cvent.com/event/4fb4cee4-a9ff-4ff3-b03b-40bb50de562a/regPage:aff7e8f8-38a5-4e3c-b763-c674f956a86e?RefId=MIC_CPR&rp=6e942759-d352-40af-9436-888d733f50bc

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Vanguard Australian Fixed Interest ETF (ASX:VAF) Analuyst Report
  
  

Episode 104: How big should your slice of American pie be?

In a listener requested episode (with our second ever podcast guest), we explore whether valuations should impact asset allocation decisions.

Join us virtually or in person at our conference. Purchase tickets at over 80% off with the code SUPERBIRD22 here: https://web.cvent.com/event/4fb4cee4-a9ff-4ff3-b03b-40bb50de562a/regPage:aff7e8f8-38a5-4e3c-b763-c674f956a86e?RefId=MIC_CPR&rp=6e942759-d352-40af-9436-888d733f50bc

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Vanguard International Shares Fund
• Research: Vanguard International Shares ETF (ASX:VGS) Analyst Report
• Research: Microsoft Corp (NAS:MSFT) Analyst Report
• Research: Cisco Systems Inc (NAS:CSCO) Analyst Report
• Research: General Electric Co (NYS:GE) Analyst Report
  
  

Episode 103: The Ghost of Paul Volcker

Is the ghost of Paul Volcker haunting the markets? In this episode, we look at how central banks have acted to reign in inflation before, and the lessons that investors can learn from this.

Join us virtually or in person at our conference. Purchase tickets at over 80% off with the code SUPERBIRD22 here: https://web.cvent.com/event/4fb4cee4-a9ff-4ff3-b03b-40bb50de562a/regPage:aff7e8f8-38a5-4e3c-b763-c674f956a86e?RefId=MIC_CPR&rp=6e942759-d352-40af-9436-888d733f50bc

Episode 102: There's no place like home

In a listener requested episode, we discuss the property market.

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic

Episode 101: Do we want Santa to give us coal for Christmas?

In this Sector Spotlight, we explore the commodities industry, and what investors should think about when investing in the industry.

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic

Episode 100: Gone for a century instead of a duck

For our 100th episode, we reflect on what we believe are the core principles for successful investing.

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic

Episode 99: We’ve got 99 problems but super ain’t one

For our 99th episode, we explore fees. After our half-yearly portfolio check, we received quite a few emails asking for an explanation about what Shani considered as too much for fees on her investments. In this episode, we explore the impact of fees, how to decide what is too much, and focus in on super – when do the costs of operating and managing an SMSF make sense?

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: MoneySmart managed fund fee calculator

Tool: MoneySmart superannuation outcome calculator (including the impact of fees)

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Fund Investing

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic

Episode 98: Mark and Shani answer your questions

At last, the hotly-anticipated Q&A episode*. We've asked listeners to submit their investing questions for us to answer, and have our first ever guest on the podcast - and it's a listener!

*may or may not be hotly-anticipated

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic 

Episode 97: Half Yearly Review 2022

Mark and Shani have been reviewing their portfolios on a half-yearly basis to add transparency to portfolio monitoring and maintenance. Listen to the half yearly update for 2022 where they discuss what's changed with their portfolios in the last six months, how they're tracking towards their goals and what's important to focus on in the current environment.

Episode 95 and 96: Under pressure: pushing down on me, pushing down on you

In this two part series, we run through how rising costs impact companies and consumers, and how this will impact investors and investments. We forecast businesses will not be able to meet investor expectations in upcoming earnings seasons in the US and Australia, and what investors should do with their portfolio and investments, including exploring the merits and disadvantages of tactical allocations to cash during downturns.

Join the waitlist for our conference: https://go.morningstar.com.au/miic

Episode 94: Lessons from Greats (III)

In one of our most popular series', we do our third round of lessons from the greats. This episode goes into Jim Rogers, Seth Klarman and Henry Singleton.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free,four-week trial):

• Research: Vanguard International Shares ETF (ASX:VGS) Analyst Report

Further reading and resoures:

• Book: Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers, Jim Rogers
• Book: Commons Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings, Phillip Fisher
• Book: Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success, William N Thorndike
  
  

Episode 93: Share month: Deep dive into Westpac

As part of share month, we take a deep dive into highly requested share, Westpac.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Westpac (ASX:WBC) Analyst Report
  
  

Episode 92: Share month: Deep dive into Fortescue

As part of share month, we take a deep dive into listener requested share, Fortescue.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) Analyst Report
  
• Research: Teledyne Technologies Inc (NYS:TDY) Analyst Report
  
  

Episode 91: Share month: Deep dive into A2 Milk

As part of share month, we take a deep dive into listener requested share, A2 Milk.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: A2 Milk Co Ltd (ASX:A2M) Analyst Report
  
  

Episode 90: Share month: Deep dive into Tesla

As part of share month, we take a deep dive into highly requested Tesla.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Tesla (NAS:TSLA) Analyst Report
  
  

Episode 89: The one thing you need to know to invest successfully

Math anxiety impacts around 50% of the population. Join us as we help ease this anxiety, and work through how math fits into successful investing.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.
• Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.
• Tool: Portfolio projection calculator: See if you’re on track to reach your goals. If not, adjust the inputs to understand how you need to change your portfolio (or behaviour) to get there.
• Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.
  
  

Episode 88: Crypto crash and how low will the market go

We go through lessons from the crash of crypto coin Terra and a prediction of how far the market will fall. 

Episode 87: The case against ETFs

We all know the pros of ETFs - ease of access, trade intraday and in some cases, brokerage is free. So—we put up the case against ETFs.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: ETFS FANG+ ETF (ASX:FANG) Analyst Report (data)

Other reading and resources:

• Article: Market Watch: Don’t worry Jack Bogle, Investors aren’t overtrading ETFs
• Article: Financial Times, ETFs and overtrading, the mind Bogles
• Article: UTS study: The Dark Side of ETFs
  
  

Episode 86: State of the market: May 2022

It seems like markets have been teetering on the edge, and have commenced falling. If past bear markets are anything to go by, we're not even halfway there yet. This episode looks at the current state of the market, and the context in which it should be viewed.

Our previous podcast episodes, Disaster Response: Equity Markets and A Sale Worth Skipping

Episode 85: Make your money last longer in retirement

In this episode, we take a look at the bucket withdrawal strategy, a withdrawal strategy that was developed because most people do not have an asset base to generate a passive income without dipping into capital. We explore what it is, how they are set up and what they contain.

Further reading and resources:

• Article: The Bucket Approach to Retirement Allocation, Christine Benz
• Article: 3 Retirement bucket portfolios for minimalists, Christine Benz
• Article: A moderate ETF bucket portfolio for retirement, Christine Benz
• Article: An aggressive ETF bucket portfolio for retirement, Christine Benz

Episode 84: How to behave like a winner

Episode 49: The outsiders

In our first book review, we look at key lessons that we've pulled from William Thorndike's The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: AMP (ASX: AMP) Analyst Report
• Research: CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL) Analyst Report

Further reading and resources:

• Book: William Thorndike, The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success.

Episode 48: Finding a share that is right for you

The third part of the series on how to pick shares covers finding a share that is right for you.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Tool: Morningstar share filter

Further reading and resources:

• Book: The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham
• Report: Morningstar’s Equity Research Methodology

Episode 47: Fair value estimate

The second of our three-part series on how to pick shares covers valuing shares to find opportunities.

Further reading and resources:

• Article: Red Rooster line
• Book: The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham
• Report: Morningstar’s Equity Research Methodology

Episode 46: How to evaluate a stock

The first of our three-part series on how to pick shares covers finding great businesses.

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Report: Australian Equities Sector Wrap 2021
• Report: Global Liquid Alternatives Landscape in 2021
• Report: Fixed Interest Sector Wrap July 2021
• Guide: Morningstar Guide to Investing in Shares: Discover strategies to build wealth via share investing, benefits and risks of share investing and key Morningstar resources you can leverage to identify potential investment opportunities
• Research: Diageo PLC ADR (NYSE: DEO) Analyst Report

Episode 45: I guess you lose some and win some, as long as the outcome is income

We go through the factors to look out for in shares when trying to find sustainable income (and Shani finally gets her Drake lyrics into the episode title).

Morningstar Investor resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Income Investing and Morningstar Guide to Income Investing in downturns: Discover trusted strategies to pick the right securities and build a successful income investing portfolio. Our guide to income investing in downturns shows how market falls throw into even starker relief the importance of the company balance sheet and how an understanding of it can help you create a portfolio with sustainable income

• Research: Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) Analyst Report
• Research: AGL Energy Ltd (ASX:AGL) Analyst Report
• Research: Telstra (ASX: TLS) Analyst report
• Research: Facebook Inc Class A (NAS:FB) Analyst Report
• Research: Computershare Ltd (ASX:CPU) Analyst Report
• Research: Bapcor Ltd (ASX:BAP) Analyst Report
• Research: Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) Analyst Report
• Research: Microsoft Corp Analyst (NAS:MSFT) Report
• Article: Investing basics: 6 tips for finding sustainable dividends, Emma Rapaport

Episode 44: Cash rules everything around me

Are you a balance sheet? Are you an income statement? Are you confused by the question?

Further reading and resources:

Book: Liar’s Poker, Michael Lewis: is Michael Lewis’s first book when he talked about his experience on Wall Street. And he was talking about what all these very wealthy traders thought rich was. And rich to them was not a number, it was being able to afford the life they wanted on the income off of treasuries. And US treasuries are considered risk free so what they were saying was that if you could live the lifestyle you wanted off of interest from treasuries you were set for life and nothing could ever impact that lifestyle.

Episode 43: Turn your head and cough—time for your portfolio check-up

We walk through our mid-year portfolio review  to see if we need second jobs or are ready to retire.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Article: How to set up an emergency fund, Emma Rapaport

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Episode 42: If you can’t read the scoreboard, you don’t know the score

We explore how to measure success as an investor and advantages you have over professional investors

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Research: Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) Analyst Report

Episode 40 and 41: Devine Intervention (part 1 & 2)

Why all investors need to pay attention to the impact of finfluencers. 

Further reading and resources:

Article: Dob in phoney advice from ‘finfluencers’, says ASIC, Aleks Vickovich

Book: The Future for Investors, Jeremy Siegel: to understand that successful investing isn’t about results but about how results compare to expectations

Book: The Intelligent Investor (Chapters 8 and 20), Benjamin Graham: Warren Buffett called chapters 8 and 20 the bedrock of his investing philosophy

Article: The Super Investors of Graham and Doddsville: it’s short, and you need to learn about value investing because chances are you will either become a militant adherent or make fun of them for being curmudgeonly antiques.

Book: The Outsiders, William Thorndike: it is good to now that you are investing in a real company and that being a contrarian might actually pay off.

Episode 39: Shortcut to index funds

Index funds, or passive funds are low-cost investments that are professionally managed—but there's no stock picking. We dive into the types of indexes, and speak about where they have historically performed well and added value for investors.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Report: Active Passive Barometer report: A semi-annual report that measures the performance of U.S. active managers against their passive peers.
• Research: Betashares Australian 200 ETF (ASX:A200) Analyst Report

Episode 38: Does anyone look good in platforms?

The rising cost of advice has increased the amount of self-advised investors, and also the number of platforms trying to suit their needs and fighting for their funds.  In this episode, we explore different micro-investing, broker and managed investment platforms, looking at the risks and trade offs for investors to consider.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: T. Rowe Price Global Equity Fund Analyst Report
• Research: Lazard Global Listed Infrastructure Fund Analyst Report
• Research: Magellan Global Fund Analyst Report

Episode 37: You down with ESG? (Yeah, you know me)

Sustainable investing is growing in popularity, yet there remains a lot of confusion on the topic. We tackle the different variations, break down whether it has impacted investment performance and the future of sustainable investing.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Tool: Discover Investments—Sustainable investing filter
• Research: iShares Core MSCI Wld Ex Aus ESG Ldrs ETF (ASX:IWLD) Analyst Report
• Research: AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP) Analyst Report
• Research: Microsoft Corp Analyst (NAS:MSFT) Analyst Report
• Research: BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX:ETHI) Analyst Report
• Research: VanEck MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ASX:ESGI) Analyst Report
• Research: Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares ETF (ASX:VESG) Analyst Report

Episode 36: Risky Business

Ever taken a Risk Tolerance Questionnaire? Thinking about risk in the wrong way can have profound impacts on your investing outcomes.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Episode 35: Checking the barometer

We walk through considerations when deciding between active and passive strategies

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

• Research: SPDR S&P ASX 200 ETF (ASX:STW) Analyst Report

Further reading and resources:

• Book: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, John Bogle
• Report: Active Passive Barometer report: A semi-annual report that measures the performance of U.S. active managers against their passive peers.

Episode 34: Living the theme

Thematic ETFs use compelling narratives to sell investments. We explore whether they are worth the hype.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: ETFS Battery Tech and Lithium ETF (ASX:ACDC) Analyst Report
• Research: ETFS FANG+ ETF (ASX:FANG) Analyst Report (data)
• Research: Vanguard MSCI International ETF (ASX:VGS) Analyst Report

Episode 33: The four words every investor should know

We tackle whether a compelling story makes a compelling investment.

• Research: Tesla (NAS:TSLA) Analyst Report
• Research: Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE:PM) Analyst Report
• Research: ETFS Battery Tech and Lithium ETF (ASX:ACDC) Analyst Report
• Research: ETFS FANG+ ETF (ASX:FANG) Analyst Report (data)

Episode 32: Special episode: Inflation

Consumer prices in the US surged in April this year by the most in any 12 month period since 2008.  This episode covers what’s happening at the moment, how the market are reacting and how to find robust companies that can withstand inflationary changes, or have measures in place to protect them.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) Analyst Report
• Research: Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) Analyst Report
• Research: Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) Analyst Report
• Research: Starbucks (NAS:SBUX) Analyst Report

Episode 31: Are emerging markets worth the risk?

Jeremy Grantham recently said "Emerging markets in many ways are the growth that’s left in the system. They will guarantee to grow faster than the developed countries … they’re much cheaper, they haven’t been beat up, they don’t have as much speculative excess. They’re a respectable investment,”.  In this episode, we explore the opportunity and risk of emerging markets, and whether they have a place in your portfolio.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (AU) (ASX: IEM) Analyst Report
• Research: Capital Group New World Fund Analyst Report
• Further reading and resources:
• Report: Active Passive Barometer report: A semi-annual report that measures the performance of U.S. active managers against their passive peers.
• Article: Waiting for the last dance (GMO), Jeremy Grantham

Episode 30: Selecting investments to reach your goals

We go through Mark's decision-making process for how he has structured his portfolio to reach his goals.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Article: Journey through Bubbleville, Mark LaMonica: This is a three-part series that explores good-intentioned ignoramuses, self-interested manipulators and downright charlatans that have invaded investing markets. In the first part of our journey, Mark searches for signs of crazy investor behaviour. The second part explores the pay to play world of Instagram finfluencers and what happens when the teachers are only a couple pages ahead of the students. And finally, he looks at the long-term impact of getting started in investing during a bubble.

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

• Research: SPDR® MSCI World Quality Mix ETF Analyst Report
• Research: American Tower Corp (NYSE: AMT) Analyst Report
• Research: Constellation Brands Inc Class A (NYSE: STZ) Analyst Report

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Selecting Investments: Knowing how to navigate your choices and weigh up different asset classes and styles of investing will ensure you’re heading in the right direction.

Further reading and resources:

Webinar: Morningstar Investing Bootcamp: Preparing your portfolio for retirement—explores the bucketing strategy for retirement in further detail.

Episode 29: Bonds

We explore why bonds are worth paying attention to.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Report: Active Passive Barometer report: A semi-annual report that measures the performance of U.S. active managers against their passive peers.
• Webinar: Morningstar Investing Bootcamp: Bonds
• Research: Vanguard Australian Government Bond Index ETF (ASX: VGB) Analyst Report
• Research: iShares Core Corporate Bond ETF (ASX: ICOR) Analyst Report

Episode 28: How passive is passive investing?

We explore the risks of the increasing popularity of passive investing.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Apple (NAS:AAPL) Analyst Report

Further reading and resources:

• Book: The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham

Episode 27: Lessons from market crashes

Sometimes history repeats itself. Learn about past market crashes and see what lessons may apply today. We explore the nifty 50 and .com crash during this episode.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE:PM) Analyst Report
• Research: Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) Analyst Report
• Research: Bristol Meyers Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)
• Research: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC (NYSE:CCEP) Analyst Report
• Research: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) Analyst Report
• Research: PepsiCo Inc (NAS:PEP) Analyst Report
• Research: Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) Analyst Report
• Research: Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) Analyst Report
• Research: Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Analyst Report
• Research: General Electric Co (NYSE:GE) Analyst Report
• Research: Mastercard Inc Class A (NYSE:MA) Analyst Report
• Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.
• Guide: Morningstar Guide to Investing: Learn what it takes to be a Morningstar Investor

Episode 26: Have market conditions impacted how much you need in retirement?

4% has been heralded as the amount you can safely draw down each year from your retirement savings. We explore whether market conditions have changed this standard, and how you should be thinking about retirement goals.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Episode 25: What are top fund managers holding?

We take a deep dive into the top holdings of Ark's Cathie Wood, Magellan's Hamish Douglass, and Morningstar's Australian Fund Manager of the Year, Hyperion Asset Management. We stack them up against our Morningstar analysts, and see if they agree with where these managers have taken their biggest bets.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Hyperion Australian Growth Companies Analyst Report

Research: Xero (ASX:XRO) Analyst Report

Research: Tesla (NAS:TSLA) Analyst Report

Research: Magellan Global Fund Analyst Report

Research: Microsoft Corp Analyst (NAS:MSFT) Report

Episode 24: Morningstar take on Buy Now, Pay later

We zero in on Afterpay and Zip, exploring whether their current valuations are justified, and whether they'd make good long term investments.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Afterpay (ASX:APT) Analyst Report

Research: Zip Co Ltd (ASX:Z1P) Analyst Report

Episode 23: Shortcut to Diversification

We explain diversification, why it's important for your portfolio, and why too much of it can also be detrimental.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Magellan Global Fund Analyst Report

Further reading and resources:

Book: Investment analysis and portfolio management, Frank Reilly and Keith Brown (study on diversification)

Episode 22: SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies)

Is speculation getting out of control? Looking at the SPAC market may be an indication that we're in a bubble.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Article: Want to buy a SPAC? You might be the patsy—The touted investments tend not to end well for retail investors, Ruth Saldanha.

Episode 21: Tech stocks

Tech stocks have provided extremely attractive returns to investors, making up larger and more significant portions of market indices as they continue their growth.  We look at their business models, how they differ from the traditional, and their outlook.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Amazon (NAS:AMZN) Analyst Report
• Research: Facebook Inc Class A (NAS:FB) Analyst Report
• Research: Alphabet Inc Class A (NAS:GOOGL) Analyst Report
• Research: Apple (NAS:AAPL) Analyst Report
• Research: Microsoft Corp Analyst (NAS:MSFT) Report
• Research: Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER) Analyst Report

Episode 20: Is the market overvalued?

Market commentators have been heralding that the market is overvalued -we look at traditional indicators and where they sit compared to other significant market events like the GFC, Black Friday and the .com bubble. Then, we walk through how investors can find opportunities in these markets, and the strategies they should consider.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: Telstra (ASX:TLS) Analyst report

Tools: Monitor markets—view our price to fair values for regions and markets

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Research: Morningstar Global Equity Best Ideas List (updated monthly)

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Share Investing: this guide will go through some of the ratios that we mentioned, and how to use it to find opportunities, or monitor your portfolio to understand whether it is time to sell. Of course, our analysts also take the heavy lifting out for you and do this analysis in our research reports.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction and Morningstar Guide to Selecting Investments: If you’ve gotten to the end of this episode and you’ve found that you don’t have a goal, plan or asset allocation to refer back to, it’s worth going back and setting up your foundations to succeed. These two guides walk through the process step by step and ensure that you have built your portfolio around your goals, instead of the other way around.

Further reading and resources:

Report: Morningstar study: Mind the Gap—The global Mind the Gap report digs into investor return gaps in key markets around the globe and analyses the factors contributing to each region’s trends.

Episode 19: Shortcut to Financial Statements:

We explore the balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement. These are financial statements that you’ll find for any listed company, providing insights into their financial position and health. This episode will help you make more informed investing decisions based on what you can find on these statements.

Episode 18: Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a controversial topic that has split investors into three camps. Those that are fiercely for it, those that are fiercely against it, and those that don’t really understand it. This episode is for the third camp—we go through what Bitcoin is, where it came from and its mechanics, and then we put it into context as an investment.

Further reading and resources:

Book: The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham: Ben Graham was the man that literally wrote the textbook on investing—and he wrote Security Analysis and later the Intelligent Investor based on his observations from the stock market crash which preceded and led to the great depression. Ben Graham spent some time talking about the difference between speculation and investing. He said that “You must never delude yourself into thinking that you’re investing when you’re speculating”. The difference is simple: an investor looks at a stock as part of a business and the stockholder as the owner of the business, while the speculator views himself as playing with expensive pieces of paper, with no intrinsic value. For the speculator, value is only determined by what someone will pay for the asset.

Episode 17: Shortcut to Asset Allocation

Our shortcut to asset allocation explores this concept which has been found to contribute to over 90% of your investment returns.

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Further reading and resources:

• Report: Determinants of portfolio performance, Brinson

Episode 16: Morningstar take on the GameStop saga

A lot of people have made a lot of money in the last few weeks. Understand the mechanics behind GameStop, shorting and the impact of short squeezes in our special episode.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Gamestop (NYSE:GME) Analyst Report (Quantitative)

Episode 15: International Investing

This episode covers why you should have international exposure in your portfolio, then move on to how to invest internationally, covering some of the nuances around investing outside of Australia including currency risk.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Guide: Morningstar Guide for International Investing: discover trusted strategies to identify the right overseas investment for your portfolio.
• Research: Discover Investments: coverage on over 1,300 global companies
• Research: iShares Core MSCI Wld Ex Aus ESG Ldrs ETF (ASX:IWLD) Analyst Report
• Research: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (AU) (ASX:IEM) Analyst Report
• Research: Diageo PLC ADR (NYSE:DEO) Analyst Report
• Research: Magellan Global Fund Analyst Report

Episode 14: Shortcut to Valuation

The price of the stock doesn't always necessarily reflect its value. Our shortcut episodes explores valuation and why it’s important to invest with it front of mind, instead of price.

Research: Morningstar Equity Methodology

Episode 13: How to Select Funds and ETFs

For our second episode on Funds and ETFs, we go through what to look for when selecting a fund and ETF by going through a practical example.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Research: iShares Core MSCI Wld Ex Aus ESG Ldrs ETF (ASX:IWLD) Analyst Report

Research: BetaShares Australia 200 ETF Analyst Report (ASX:A200)

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Fund Investing: Pooling funds with other investors allows you to access professional managers, who can put your money in hard-to-access asset classes, which in turn may also diversify your risk.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to ETF investing: Exchange-traded funds are an easy and affordable way to gain exposure to a range of local and international asset classes and thereby diversify your portfolio, but like all investments, there are risks you should be aware of.

Further reading and resources:

Report: Morningstar study: Mind the Gap—The global Mind the Gap report digs into investor return gaps in key markets around the globe and analyses the factors contributing to each region’s trends.

Episode 12: Shortcut to Alpha and Beta

We cover alpha and beta—two investing ratios that can help you understand the performance and volatility of investments.

Episode 11: How to construct an investment portfolio

Ever wonder how to pick your first investment, or whether your portfolio is going to get you to your end goal? We talk through a four-step framework to align your goals to your investment portfolio.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Tool: Portfolio projection calculator: See if you’re on track to reach your goals. If not, adjust the inputs to understand how you need to change your portfolio (or behaviour) to get there.

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Selecting Investments: Knowing how to navigate your choices and weigh up different asset classes and styles of investing will ensure you’re heading in the right direction.

• Research: Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (ASX:VAS) Analyst Report
• Research: iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX:IOZ) Analyst Report
• Research: VanEck Australian Equal Wt ETF (ASX:MVW) Analyst Report
• Research: Altrinsic Global Equity Trust Analyst Report
• Research: Capital Group New Perspective (AU) Fund Analyst Report

Episode 10: What to do before you start investing

Making sure you’re in a position to invest is like laying the foundations on a house.  In this episode, we run through what you need to ensure your foundations are solid, allowing you to invest confidently and for the long term.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Tool: Portfolio projection calculator: See if you’re on track to reach your goals. If not, adjust the inputs to understand how you need to change your portfolio (or behaviour) to get there.

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Further reading and resources:

• Webinars: (Upcoming) Morningstar Investing Bootcamp webinar registration
• Webinars: (Previous) YouTube—Morningstaraus—Morningstar Investing Bootcamp
• Report: The ASX Australian Investor study
• Article: How to set up an emergency fund, Emma Rapaport
• Tool: Personal Cashflow statement template
• Article: ‘Warren Buffett's $300,000 Haircut Reveals a Brutal Truth About Success Few People Are Willing to Admit—How the combination of return and time should influence many of the decisions you make’
• Tool: Goal Planning worksheet
• Article: Moneysmart—Choosing your investments (required rate of return guidance)

Episode 9: Christmas Gift Ideas for Investors

Our Christmas episode goes through gifts you could give an investor at any part of their investing journey, from beginners to those who have been investing for decades. We'll go through some investments with low minimums, 3 stock ideas on our December Global Best Ideas List, and some books to further your knowledge.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

• Research: Morningstar Global Equity Best Ideas List (updated monthly)
• Research: Challenger (ASX:CGF) Analyst Report
• Research: Westpac (ASX:WBC) Analyst Report
• Research: Hanesbrands (NYSE:HBI) Analyst Report

Further reading and resources:

Book: The Little Book that Still Beats the Market, Joel Greenblatt: Greenblatt is an American investor and professor at Columbia Business School. He wrote this book so it was straight forward enough for his kids to understand. It introduces his Magic Formula to Investing which looks at findings shares with a high return on capital and high earnings yield. He also introduces some basic concepts so new investors can understand how they should think about evaluating the underlying companies.

Book: The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America: One of Warren’s many talents is that he can explain investing concepts in a straightforward manner. This is a big contrast from an industry that often makes things sound overly complex to try and intimidate people into thinking they need professional assistance. The Essays of Warren Buffet is just that—republishing some of his best essays that talk about investing of course but also several lessons on corporate America.

The Outsiders, William Thorndike: The book presents 8 case studies of CEOs and focuses on capital allocation decisions. Capital allocation refers to the decisions that companies make in deciding what they should do with cash that they either generate or raise from debt or equity markets. The importance of capital allocation decisions is underappreciated by many investors. At the end of the day owning a share is owning part of a business so the decisions management makes on what to do with the capital of a company is critical—because it is your capital. These decisions can be buying other businesses, investing in growth, paying dividends, paying down debt or buying back shares. The case studies in this book provide an interesting perspective on CEOs that took un-conventional approaches to capital allocation.

One up on Wall Street, Peter Lynch: Lynch was the portfolio manager for Fidelity’s Magellan fund which famously outperformed the S&P 500 for 11 straight years. One Up on Wall Street articulates Lynch’s investment philosophy which includes his famous call to invest in only what you understand. He also preaches that investors should do their homework and research an investment thoroughly and stresses that investors should focus more on a company's fundamentals than the market as a whole. Finally, Lynch encourages investors to focus on the long run and discard short-term market gyrations. All great lessons for investors who are trying to improve their knowledge.

Common Stocks, Uncommon Profits, Philip Fisher: This is a classic and talks about the 15 points that investors should look for when evaluating a company. Phil Fisher was focused on finding great companies that would compound investor’s wealth over the long term and his 15 points are a way to find well managed companies with great growth prospects.

The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham: In some ways, this book is approachable, but having been written in 1949 means parts are outdated. Calling something timeless is a bit of a cliché but there are some concepts that are introduced in the book that have stood the test of time—the concept of Mr. Market and the notion that prices can vary significantly from value is the bedrock of investing. He also introduces the concept of margin of safety. Warren Buffett called chapters 8 and 20 the bedrock of his investing philosophy—do you need more of an endorsement than that?

Episode 8: Improving Investing Outcomes for Women

The importance of saving and investing is not gender-specific—it's critical for everyone. Some issues, however, disproportionately impact women—including poorer retirement outcomes, a bias in financial advice and the failure to invest. This episode covers these gaps that women disproportionately face with investing and retirement, and some practical tips to help even the playing field.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Investing for Women Part I & Morningstar Guide to Investing for Women Part II: Women are less likely to invest than men, and when they do, they invest later in life, are beset by jargon and often receive inadequate advice.

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Better Investing Outcomes: Unlock the value of financial advice—whether you choose to use an adviser or not

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Further reading and resources:

Guide: Guide to Investing for Women Part I

Tool: MoneySmart Superannuation calculator: Find out your super balance at retirement, and understand how fees will impact your balance.

Tool: MoneySmart Superannuation Contributions Optimiser: understand which type of contributions will give you the biggest boost

Episode 7: How do interest rates impact investments?

We've been in a prolonged period of falling interest rates since the mid-80s, having impacts on investment returns from different asset classes. This episode covers how investors should think about interest rates and monetary policy, and the impacts of falling and rising rates on investments.

Webinar: Morningstar Australia Investing Bootcamp: How interest rates impact asset values

Episode 6: Unlocking the value of financial advice (even if you’re self-advised)

This episode will help people who use financial advisers understand where they can actually add value and how you can protect yourself as a consumer. For those that don’t use a financial adviser -  we want you to understand how you can get some of the benefits that advisers can provide, even when you are investing on your own.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Tool: Goal calculator: Input your circumstances into the goal calculator to understand the required rate of return that is needed from your investments. This input then feeds into your asset allocation.

Tool: Portfolio projection calculator: See if you’re on track to reach your goals. If not, adjust the inputs to understand how you need to change your portfolio (or behaviour) to get there.

Tool: Asset allocation models: When trying to accomplish a goal, an investor constructs a portfolio made up of different types of asset classes such as cash, bonds and stocks. The question at the heart of portfolio construction is the decision on what asset classes to include and how much of each to include. This process is informed by comparing the risk and return requirements to accomplish the investor’s goal and the risk and return expectations of each asset class. Investors can choose between growth assets and defensive assets. The asset allocation models guide investors depending on what their required rate of return is.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Investing for Women Part I & Morningstar Guide to Investing for Women Part II: Women are less likely to invest than men, and when they do, they invest later in life, are beset by jargon and often receive inadequate advice.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Better Investing Outcomes: Unlock the value of financial advice —whether you choose to use an adviser or not.

Episode 5: Investing during the US Presidential Election

The US Presidential election promises to be chaotic in more ways than one. We run through how the election may cause volatility in your portfolio, what you should do about it, and whether now is the right time to invest.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Article: US Election scenarios and what they mean for investors, Morningstar Analysts

Article: What could we expect from a Biden presidency?, Dave Sekera

Article: Presidential elections don’t matter (for investments), John Rekenthaler

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Portfolio Construction: A 4 Step framework to build a portfolio that is aligned to your goals.

Episode 4: What are managed funds and ETFs?

As an investor, you will have different goals and objectives to the next person—stocks are not always the right solution. In this episode, we discuss managed funds and ETFs, which may suit investors who are just starting out, or investors looking to gain exposure to certain asset classes. We tackle some of the misinformation around these investment products and run through a few scenarios in which they may suit investors.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Fund Investing: Pooling funds with other investors allows you to access professional managers, who can put your money in hard-to-access asset classes, which in turn may also diversify your risk.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to ETF investing: Exchange-traded funds are an easy and affordable way to gain exposure to a range of local and international asset classes and thereby diversify your portfolio, but like all investments, there are risks you should be aware of.

Further reading and resources:

Report: Active Passive Barometer report: A semi-annual report that measures the performance of U.S. active managers against their passive peers.

Book: The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing, John Bogle

Episode 3: Demystifying Investing Myths

We speak about if property beats stocks, whether ESG makes you trade performance for morals, or whether professional investors always know best. We run through becoming a more rational investor by taking a step back, and analysing investments based on whether they meet your goals.

Webinar: Morningstar Australia Investing Bootcamp webinar: Investing Myths. Mark covers a few more investing myths.

Episode 2: What is a dividend?

Dividends and distributions are cash payments from investments to investors. Learn what they are, how they can fit into your investment strategy, and the trade offs between current yield and future growth.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Income Investing and Morningstar Guide to Income Investing in downturns: Discover trusted strategies to pick the right securities and build a successful income investing portfolio. Our guide to income investing in downturns shows how market falls throw into even starker relief the importance of the company balance sheet and how an understanding of it can help you create a portfolio with sustainable income.

Note: Morningstar Guide to Income Investing in Downturns contains a comprehensive illustration of the Transurban dividend example in the episode.

Episode 1: What is a share?

Share, stock, equity. What is it and how can it help you reach your goals? This episode will look at three key concepts—owning a share means owning a part of a business, shares and the stock market are two inherently different things and the long term drivers of returns: earnings growth, dividends and changes in valuation levels.

Morningstar Premium resources (requires a subscription or a free, four-week trial):

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Share Investing: Discover strategies to build wealth via share investing, benefits and risks of share investing and key Morningstar resources you can leverage to identify...

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Income Investing and Morningstar Guide to Income Investing in downturns: Discover trusted strategies to pick the right securities and build a successful income investing portfolio. Our guide to income investing in downturns shows how market falls throw into even starker relief the importance of the company balance sheet and how an understanding of it can help you create a portfolio with sustainable income.

Guide: Morningstar Guide to Selecting Investments: Knowing how to navigate your choices and weigh up different asset classes and styles of investing will ensure you’re heading in the right direction.

Further reading and resources:

• Book: Common stocks, Uncommon profits, Philip Fisher
• Book: The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing, John Bogle
• Book: The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham