Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 328

The Morningstar team welcomes Firstlinks

Morningstar announced the acquisition of Cuffelinks today. As part of the acquisition, Graham Hand and his editorial assistant, Leisa Bell, have joined Morningstar. The Morningstar team and I are excited about the potential Cuffelinks, Graham and Leisa can bring to our readers and the broader business.

For Morningstar, the value of Cuffelinks, now branded as Firstlinks, can be attributed to quality, curated content, mission alignment and investor education.

Quality, curated content

The quality of the content and editorial attracted us to Cuffelinks and now Firstlinks. Personally, I am an avid reader of the weekly newsletter – as an industry professional but more importantly, as an investor – to support my own education and investing journey. I know many others in the Morningstar office share that perspective.

Whilst the availability of information has never been greater, so has the challenge of filtering the insightful from the everyday. Many of us are time poor and need to be selective about what we read. There is real value in curated content - timeless, common sense views from experts who have been around the blocks, seen the ups and downs of multiple cycles, and the evolution of the investment and regulatory landscape. Graham and his network of contributors deliver that every week.

Mission alignment

One thing was non-negotiable for us - the importance of mission, cultural alignment and 'doing it for the right reasons'. It became apparent very quickly in our discussions that we share a common set of values and beliefs, and those beliefs are embedded into the content and how we both operate. Together, Morningstar and Firstlinks believe in:

  • Putting the investor first and alignment around Morningstar’s mission to empower investor success.
  • The value of financial advice and the important role advisers play.
  • Taking a long-term, risk-aware approach to investing.
  • The value of education and financial literacy for investors on their path to financial independence, particularly in retirement.

Investor education

Today, the challenges in investment markets and the shifts in the Australian financial services industry are unprecedented. Education has never been more important – for individual investors managing their own portfolios, advisers and other industry professionals. There is a fundamental need to stay on top of the constant change, and as advisers can attest, increasingly it is a regulatory requirement.

Beyond our investment information and research, Morningstar takes its role as an investment educator very seriously. Our research and editorial teams both in Australia and overseas produce content on a wide range of themes – portfolio construction, retirement planning, behavioural insights, measuring risk, generating income and many more. Firstlinks broadens and deepens this educational material, it is highly complementary and well aligned.

The future

From day one, our intent is to free up Graham to do what he does best – write and edit the newsletter and site. He will continue to have editorial independence, oversight and editorial control over contributor and sponsored content. Morningstar will bring the resources to look after everything else and explore new and interesting ways to deliver the content.

Over time, we will look to integrate the content into the free version of Morningstar.com.au, which is in the process of being redesigned. This will give us the opportunity to more tightly align the content alongside Morningstar’s existing research and editorial, leverage new delivery mechanisms and make it available to a wider audience.

I’m looking forward to what we can achieve together.

We welcome Graham and Leisa to the Morningstar family.

We look forward to delivering more for you, the reader. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support.

 

Jamie Wickham

 

RELATED ARTICLES

Onward and upward

How to make the most of Firstlinks

10 ways to make the most of our new website

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Raising the GST to 15%

Treasurer Jim Chalmers aims to tackle tax reform but faces challenges. Previous reviews struggled due to political sensitivities, highlighting the need for comprehensive and politically feasible change.

7 examples of how the new super tax will be calculated

You've no doubt heard about Division 296. These case studies show what people at various levels above the $3 million threshold might need to pay the ATO, with examples ranging from under $500 to more than $35,000.

The revolt against Baby Boomer wealth

The $3m super tax could be put down to the Government needing money and the wealthy being easy targets. It’s deeper than that though and this looks at the factors behind the policy and why more taxes on the wealthy are coming.

Are franking credits hurting Australia’s economy?

Business investment and per capita GDP have languished over the past decade and the Labor Government is conducting inquiries to find out why. Franking credits should be part of the debate about our stalling economy.

Here's what should replace the $3 million super tax

With Div. 296 looming, is there a smarter way to tax superannuation? This proposes a fairer, income-linked alternative that respects compounding, ensures predictability, and avoids taxing unrealised capital gains. 

The rubbery numbers behind super tax concessions

In selling the super tax, Labor has repeated Treasury claims of there being $50 billion in super tax concessions annually, mostly flowing to high-income earners. This figure is vastly overstated.

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

Trump's US dollar assault is fuelling CBA's rise

Australian-based investors have been perplexed by the steep rise in CBA's share price But it's becoming clear that US funds are buying into our largest bank as a hedge against potential QE and further falls in the US dollar.

Investment strategies

With markets near record highs, here's what you should do with your portfolio

Markets have weathered geopolitical turmoil, hitting near record highs. Investors face tough decisions on valuations, asset concentration, and strategic portfolio rebalancing for risk control and future returns.

Property

Soaring house prices may be locking people into marriages

Soaring house prices are deepening Australia's cost of living crisis - and possibly distorting marriage decisions. New research links unexpected price changes to whether couples separate or silently struggle together.

Investment strategies

Google is facing 'the innovator's dilemma'

Artificial intelligence is forcing Google to rethink search - and its future. As usage shifts and rivals close in, will it adapt in time, or become a cautionary tale of disrupted disruptors?

Investment strategies

Study supports what many suspected about passive investing

The surge in passive investing doesn’t just mirror the market—it shapes it, often amplifying the rise of the largest firms and creating new risks and opportunities. For investors, understanding these effects is essential.

Property

Should we dump stamp duties for land taxes?

Economists have long flagged the idea of swapping property taxes for land taxes for fairness and equity reasons. This looks at why what seems fairer may not deliver the outcomes that we expect.

Investing

Being human means being a bad investor

Many of the behaviours that have made humans such a successful species also make it difficult for us to be good, long-term investors. The key to better decision making is to understand what makes us human and adapt.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.