Danielle Labotka

2 weeks ago | morningstar.com.au | Danielle Labotka

This article originally appeared on our US site and has been amended for an Australian audience. Making a savings plan is one thing. It’s another thing to stick to it. If you’ve ever had trouble hitting a savings goal, you’re not alone. Savings rates have not recovered to pre-Covid levels, with many households struggling to build a savings buffer. Only 30% of Australians are on track for a comfortable retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA).

2 months ago | morningstar.com | Ryan Murphy |Danielle Labotka

Life—and investing—comes with its share of unpleasant realities. One of the most infamous of these is behind the latest reality that is roiling the markets: taxes. Tariffs are taxes on American consumers. They’re a blunt policy tool, often ill-suited for addressing complex real-world problems. The administration’s steep and reckless tariffs have sent global markets into upheaval and have been termed “a self-inflicted catastrophe” by Morningstar’s senior US economist.

2 months ago | afr.com | Danielle Labotka

New technology and emerging asset classes have fundamentally transformed how and what we invest in. With trading apps that simplify investing and the rise of attention-grabbing “trendy” assets such as cryptocurrency, there are more ways to invest than ever before. It truly feels like an exciting time to be an investor. Loading...

Mar 19, 2025 | morningstar.com | Danielle Labotka

No matter how well-crafted a client’s financial plan may be, there are some things that can’t be controlled—most notably, returns. This lack of control around returns may be troubling, given how fixated on them clients can be. Investors have the nasty habit of trying to chase returns, and poor returns are an easy scapegoat for clients who are unhappy with their advisor’s advice. Therefore, advisors may worry about proving themselves to their clients by providing good returns.

Mar 12, 2025 | morningstar.com | Danielle Labotka

Have you been hearing more from clients about private-market investing? You’ve likely heard the buzz about the increasing accessibility of private markets to retail investors. The boom in the private markets has not gone unnoticed by retail investors who find themselves eager to get in on the action—leading to changes in regulations and new product offerings intended to fill that demand. For advisors, this excitement doesn’t only mean staying on top of changing rules and products.