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17 September 2026
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As the July school holiday break nears, here are some investment classics to put onto your reading list. The books offer lessons in investment strategy, financial disasters, and mergers and acquisitions.
Financial literacy equips women with the knowledge and confidence to build wealth and achieve long-term financial goals. By rethinking traditional approaches, we can find new ways to close the gender gap on this issue.
From a financial view, most earnings calls and stock picks are a waste of time. For most people, their investing would be better served in an index fund. So why bother with it? The best reason is because you enjoy it.
As Firstlinks enters its 10th year of publishing, there is a vast archive with thousands of articles on almost any financial subject of interest. Here is a quick summary of the free resources available to all.
When Barack Obama puts out a reading list with 19 of his favourites from 2019, it makes us realise we should spend more time reading books. Plus Morningstar's experts recall 2019 and preview 2020.
The journey began as a chat over lunch, and with the acquisition of Cuffelinks (Firstlinks) by Morningstar, the pieces are in place to take the publication to the next level.
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 and as an investor.
My thanks to our community of readers, writers and sponsors, as we join a global business committed to education for investors and advisers. Morningstar will grow our reach and services and Firstlinks will remain free.
As we transferred thousands of articles, White Papers and comments to our new website, we realised that our smart readers should know more about our vast archive of great material. Take a look around.
The recent fall in stock market prices worries many investors, but it is a normal part of exposure to shares. Nervous Investors need to understand how they think, set a plan and stick to it.
The main benefit a financial adviser can give clients is not in stock picking or selecting an outperforming manager, but acting as a wealth coach and helping to control emotions.
If you don’t want to settle for a managed fund’s performance letter once a year or have a mistrust for the long term, then these Ten Commandments are a less conventional approach.
Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think.
Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.
Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.
Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.
Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.
What begins as appetite, grows into excess and ultimately ends in spectacle. Millions of investors just discovered this the hard way.