Sarah Newcomb

Sarah Newcomb is director of behavioral finance at Morningstar. She tweets at: @finance_therapy

Sarah Newcomb
Displaying 16 results
The most powerful financial motivator you’ve never heard of
NEWS OPINION DEC 06, 2021
The most powerful financial motivator you’ve never heard of

A client's mental time horizon — how far into the future they think about their finances — can affect how much they save and their overall financial health.

What we talk about when we talk about risk profiles
NEWS OPINION OCT 04, 2021
What we talk about when we talk about risk profiles

Client risk profiles can be messy and complex, and even the language is confusing. Here are guidelines advisers can use to properly vet the tools they use to create client risk profiles.

When knowledge backfires
NEWS OPINION AUG 03, 2021
When knowledge backfires

Understanding what a company does can skew our perceptions of the risk of investing in the company.

The inflation conversation
NEWS OPINION MAY 31, 2021
The inflation conversation

By failing to adequately explain how inflation, compounded over time, significantly reduces our spending power, we leave clients vulnerable to the false assumption that the income they have today will still be adequate in 10 or 20 years.

Alerting clients to dark patterns and sludge
NEWS OPINION APR 06, 2021
Alerting clients to dark patterns and sludge

Sludge is like an anti-nudge: Rather than removing friction to make a choice simpler, sludge adds friction or complexity to the customer journey for the purpose of entrapping or upselling consumers.

Emotions are information
NEWS OPINION FEB 01, 2021
Emotions are information

To help your clients make sound long-term decisions they can live and thrive with, work with them to think through options that will harmonize their financial and emotional lives.

Year in review: Pandemic edition
NEWS OPINION DEC 03, 2020
Year in review: Pandemic edition

By taking stock of what clients got right in this very weird year, you can set the stage for a strong start in the New Year

It's the end of the world as we know it
NEWS OPINION OCT 08, 2020
It's the end of the world as we know it

Investing amid this year’s turmoil requires mentally fast-forwarding to see what long-term trends may emerge as a result of the crises

Listening for the stories that drive client behavior
NEWS OPINION AUG 13, 2020
Listening for the stories that drive client behavior

Once we're conscious of the stories we’re working with, we’re in a better position to question, and if necessary, rewrite them

Helping couples who are experiencing financial discord
NEWS OPINION MAY 22, 2020
Helping couples who are experiencing financial discord

Financial therapists can help people to understand their own perspectives, values, hopes and fears