Investing Compass

We run through the results of the State of the Australian Investor - an analysis of 7.5 million trades, 90,000 investors' portfolios and a survey of 1,500 investors.

You can find the PDF version of the report here, or the article here.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is available below. It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Terms and Conditions for Invest Your Way competition

Entries open at 06:00 on 17 October 2026, and close at 11:59pm on 9 November 2026. To enter, you must provide proof of purchase of the book ‘Invest Your Way’ by Mark LaMonica and Shani Jayamanne and proof of a book review. This is to be emailed to [email protected] to enter the competition. The prize is a choice of one $300 VISA Gift Card, to be sent virtually, or a choice of lunch or dinner with Mark LaMonica and Shani Jayamanne at a restaurant of their choosing in Sydney, up to $150 for the individual winner. Morningstar will not be liable for any travel costs incurred to attend the lunch or dinner if this option is chosen. Morningstar Director, Investment Specialist Shani Jayamanne will randomly select one winner on 10 November 2026. The winner will be notified by email address by 11:59PM, 10 November 2026 and must reply via email within 7 calendar days to claim their prize. A mobile number is needed to receive the gift card if this option is chosen. Failure to respond to the notification within 7 calendar days of the notification being sent will result in the prize being offered a second, randomly selected entrant by the Promoter on the date of selection. This process may be repeated as often as necessary until the prize is claimed. This competition is being conducted by Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544) (“Morningstar”), Level 3, International Tower 1, 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, NSW 2000, Australia. The VISA Gift Card prize is not transferrable and non-redeemable for cash. The lunch or dinner prize is not transferrable and non-redeemable for cash. You must be 18 years or older to enter. This competition is open to Australian residents only. Your privacy is important to us, read more at https://www.morningstar.com/company/privacy-center/privacy-policy/au.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the one year anniversary of Invest Your Way, we answer your questions.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is available below. It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Terms and Conditions for Invest Your Way competition

Entries open at 06:00 on 17 October 2026, and close at 11:59pm on 9 November 2026. To enter, you must provide proof of purchase of the book ‘Invest Your Way’ by Mark LaMonica and Shani Jayamanne and proof of a book review. This is to be emailed to [email protected] to enter the competition. The prize is a choice of one $300 VISA Gift Card, to be sent virtually, or a choice of lunch or dinner with Mark LaMonica and Shani Jayamanne at a restaurant of their choosing in Sydney, up to $150 for the individual winner. Morningstar will not be liable for any travel costs incurred to attend the lunch or dinner if this option is chosen. Morningstar Director, Investment Specialist Shani Jayamanne will randomly select one winner on 10 November 2026. The winner will be notified by email address by 11:59PM, 10 November 2026 and must reply via email within 7 calendar days to claim their prize. A mobile number is needed to receive the gift card if this option is chosen. Failure to respond to the notification within 7 calendar days of the notification being sent will result in the prize being offered a second, randomly selected entrant by the Promoter on the date of selection. This process may be repeated as often as necessary until the prize is claimed. This competition is being conducted by Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544) (“Morningstar”), Level 3, International Tower 1, 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, NSW 2000, Australia. The VISA Gift Card prize is not transferrable and non-redeemable for cash. The lunch or dinner prize is not transferrable and non-redeemable for cash. You must be 18 years or older to enter. This competition is open to Australian residents only. Your privacy is important to us, read more at https://www.morningstar.com/company/privacy-center/privacy-policy/au.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is no perfect investment strategy. Every choice comes with trade-offs and understanding them can be just as important as understanding the potential returns.Shani and Mark explore the trade-offs investors face when choosing between income, growth and different investment strategies. 

You can find the full article here.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a 24-year-old with no investing experience raises billions of dollars, borrows even more and makes concentrated bets on the future of AI?

In this episode, Mark and Shani unpack the extraordinary story of Leopold Aschenbrenner and his hedge fund, Situational Awareness. 

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do investors sell investments that have gone up while holding onto investments that have fallen? Shani and Mark explore the psychology of loss aversion and how it can lead investors into two very different but equally costly mistakes.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax changes can have a big impact on investors, but what happens when the desire to minimise tax starts driving investment decisions? Shani and Mark look at the latest ETF flow data and what it might tell us about how investors are responding to Australia’s recent CGT changes. Record ETF inflows in July included a significant amount flowing into fixed interest and income ETFs - are investors changing their portfolios because of their investment goals, or because they are trying to avoid higher taxes?

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We compare where Aussies are for traditional measures of wealth like net worth, income, savings rates and debt. Then, we compare it to the measures you should actually pay attention to.

You can find the article here.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We run through game theory - and how investors may underappreciate the impact of expectations on investment and market performance.

You can find the full article here.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We explore investment bonds - what they are, their tax advantages and the investors they may suit.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Use these ratios to understand risk in your portfolio when you're conducting reviews.

Would you like more free insights from Mark, Shani and the rest of the Morningstar team? You can find them here.

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

We’ve shared our journeys with you, and you’ve shared back. We’ve listened to what you’re after and created a companion for your investing journey. Invest Your Way is a book that focuses on the investor, instead of the investments. It is a guide to successful investing, with actionable insights and practical applications.

The book is now available! It is also available in Audiobook format from most sellers.

Purchase from Amazon or Purchase from Booktopia

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.