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Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Scott Phillips is The Motley Fool’s Chief Investment Officer in Australia. He is Advisor of The Fool’s flagship investment service, Motley Fool Share Advisor and the Portfolio Manager of Motley Fool Everlasting Income and Premier Portfolio, as well as running our most premium service, Motley Fool Platinum. He is passionate about investing, having managed his own portfolio for over 15 years. A dyed-in-the-wool Fool (in the best way), he has been a member of The Motley Fool since 1999. Scott holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Management) and a Graduate Diploma of Accounting. Before joining The Fool, Scott worked in various Sales and Finance roles in industry, which has allowed him to see the good, bad and the ugly of corporate management close-up. Giving him a great understanding of the way businesses run – and what separates the business wheat from the chaff – Scott wholeheartedly agrees with Warren Buffett when he said he was a ‘better investor because I am a businessman and a better businessman because I am an investor’. Scott left a successful career to follow his passion – helping our members achieve the best possible investment returns, and helping Australians learn to better manage their money. It’s no surprise he ended up at The Motley Fool.

Recent Articles

Motley Fool Take Stock

Retail smackdown: Few winners, many losers

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Retailers and retail landlords are fighting to keep their heads above water in a challenging industry landscape. Investors beware.

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ASX bank share price represented by white Piggy Banks on green background
Share Market News

Big Four Banks. Big Gains?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

What do you reckon was the average share price return for Australia’s Big Four banks over the five years to…

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gamestop shares represented by neon light saying let's play
Share Market News

Announcement: Motley Fool Launches FoolStop, Endorses Spelling of 'Stonks'

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

the recent speculative mania around GameStop (and the subreddit, Wall Street Bets) has convinced the company that the effort has…

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Share Market News

Where should I put my Super?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

How do I make sure I’m in the right Super fund? It is a cracking question. For a couple of…

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piggy bank wearing mask
Motley Fool Take Stock

They weren't telling you to buy? Ouch.

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

How you could have made a 48% gain by doing nothing.

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Two people in suits arm wrestle on a black and white chess board.
Motley Fool Take Stock

Has CBA found its Afterpay-killer?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has finally taken on buy now, pay later giant Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)…

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Woman in mustard yellow blouse on laptop holds both hands out to either side with graphic illustration of question marks above them
Motley Fool Take Stock

Want to be 'smart'? Or want to make money?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Who could’ve seen this coming? Me.

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A hand holding a sign which says HELP is buried in paperwork, indicating an overload of information
Motley Fool Take Stock

Struggling to ride the wave of constant investing news?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Too much information coming at you? Here's how not to miss the (investing) forest for the trees.

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A man in a business suit bangs his head against the wall of a city building.
Motley Fool Take Stock

Don't make Buffett's $10 billion mistake…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

I think I'm jinxed. Or Murphy's Law is real. Or both.

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graphic depicting international women's day 2021
Motley Fool Take Stock

Don't take it from me. Take it from them…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

On International Women's Day, we hear from some of the women of Motley Fool Australia about investing and pursuing a…

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cartoon of angry mob charging forward with pitchforks
Motley Fool Take Stock

Get your pitchforks ready…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The problem with throwing a kitchen sink at something is that, even if it’s warranted, someone has to clean up…

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A piggy bank is shaded by a sun umbrella on a beach, indicating a call to protect superannuation savings
Motley Fool Take Stock

Tell the government #HandsOffSuper

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The latest political spin urges Australians to gut their Super to buy a house. We tell the pollies #HandsOffSuper and…

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invisible asx share gains represented by giraffe standing against matching background
Motley Fool Take Stock

Some of my best gains last year were invisible

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

This investing game has a stark, unforgiving scorecard. Either you’re making money, or you’re not. There’s nowhere to hide.

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Motley Fool Take Stock

What gives, when profits rise, but share prices fall?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Overwhelmed by earnings season ups and downs? Here are some tips to help investors ride the waves and prosper in…

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A sunset scene though the fingers of two hands, indicating the bigger picture
Motley Fool Take Stock

What I'm paying attention to, this earnings season

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

One way to choose a winning ASX share that harnesses good returns is to look at the bigger picture and…

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ASX share investor sitting in front of lap top with head in hands
Motley Fool Take Stock

Don't make the same mistake I made

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Please, learn from my biggest mistake...

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social media shares represented by magnet attracting various emojis
Motley Fool Take Stock

What 'Facebook vs. The Rest' means for you

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Will Google get enough value for the money it’s paying? Will the media companies lose too many eyeballs by being…

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Piggy bank at the end of a winding road.
Motley Fool Take Stock

You need an investing roadmap

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

When investing, aim for the best returns you can achieve, but no more. Once you start to ratchet up the…

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a businessman looks into a graph on the floor as a tornado rises, indicating share market chaos
Motley Fool Take Stock

What does the market look like when things go back to normal?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Despite phenomenal sales growth, JB Hi-Fi shares and those of other COVID-beneficiaries are likely to be more volatile in 2021.…

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asx share price growth represented by hand holding hourglass surrounded by dollar signs
Motley Fool Take Stock

Wake me up… before you go-go?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Thinking about investing for the long term can feel challenging, but your future self will thank you and reap the…

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Liar loan ASX banks banker with calculator tries to make sense of the Big Four banks, indicating tough time ahead for banking shares
Motley Fool Take Stock

The banks are playing silly buggers with your savings

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

If your bank is your favourite charity, then by all means accept a crappy interest rate for your loyalty. If…

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A Bitcoin symbol sits atop a red question mark, indicating uncertainty over the value of crypto currency
Motley Fool Take Stock

Tesla invests $2b in Bitcoin. Has crypto finally arrived?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The puzzle of what Bitcoin is and how much it's worth jumped back into in the spotlight today. Bottom line:…

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Young man looking afraid representing ASX shares investor scared of market crash
Motley Fool Take Stock

Amazon's CEO quits. Time to sell?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Just as it would have been a mistake to sell Apple because it had a new CEO, I’m not intending…

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Motley Fool Take Stock

GameStop… or GameStonk? And what does it mean for you?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Share markets play host to dumb risks like GameStop about every 10 years. So it pays to remember that fortune…

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young woman sitting cross legged with large tub of popcorn and surprised facial expression
Motley Fool Take Stock

The moral of the GameStop story?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Mike Brady, Jed Clampett, Taylor Swift and GameStop...

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Motley Fool Take Stock

Speculation deathmatch: Short sellers versus day traders

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Get rich slowly by regularly adding to a well-chosen portfolio, and stay away from the dark side where risky gambling…

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investing and camping analogy represented by camp side next to ute
Motley Fool Take Stock

The first million (stars) are the hardest…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

I'm not sure 'invest like you're camping' will catch on. But as investors we are best to slow down and…

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Heroes in masks and capes stand before the ASX share market, ready to save the day
Motley Fool Take Stock

2021 has its worries… even for an optimist

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

What could possibly go wrong in 2021? A few things … so let's be prepared for a volatile year and…

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financial plans represented by boy sitting at old computer with dollar note hanging in front of his head
Motley Fool Take Stock

When was the last time you reassessed your financial plans?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Will your financial plans outlive you?

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a business exec making a grab for money
Motley Fool Take Stock

Are they really profiting from JobKeeper?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Companies aren't profiting from JobKeeper in the way many think... It's tricky, but in our circular economy, growth begets growth.

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Share price outlook a man raise his arms to the sun as it rises with the year 2021 in the background, indicating a bright future on the ASX share market
Motley Fool Take Stock

The right sort of optimism for an investor

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The challenges of last year will continue into 2021, but that doesn't mean it's game over. We can be realistic…

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man jumping from 2020 cliff to 2021 cliff representing asx outlook 2021
Motley Fool Take Stock

Simple steps to get financially fit in 2021

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

New Years Resolutions to help you take charge of your finances...

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lessons learned in 2020 concept
Motley Fool Take Stock

As we bid farewell to 2020, don't miss this lesson…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

We made it to the end of 2020! Just don't waste the lessons...

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Santa at the beach gives a big thumbs up, indicating positive sentiment for the year ahead for ASX share prices
Motley Fool Take Stock

Merry Christmas, and here's to a brighter 2021…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

It's been a tough year, but the future is still bright... And yes, as the most reprinted editorial in history…

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Motley Fool Take Stock

How do you live on bank interest when rates are this low?

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

If you want a better solution to interest rates near zero, my answer is a well-balanced portfolio containing dividend shares.

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asx shares to avoid buying represented by wooden blocks spelling do it or don't
Motley Fool Take Stock

I wouldn't buy this if I was you…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

In trying to create wealth, I wouldn’t be buying shares in a company whose product is trading at what I…

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A fit woman stands on a hill facing the water at dawn with open arms embracing the future
Motley Fool Take Stock

Investing advice from a teenager

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

A school motto offers a timely reminder for investors to keep striving in challenging times, and embrace the future with…

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woman looking worried as she holds a piggy bank, indictating a share investor holding on amid a volatile ASX market
Motley Fool Take Stock

How some people got a 10-bagger, despite COVID-19

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Want to snare a 10-bagger? Don't run away when the ASX market stumbles. Stay optimistic. Buy quality shares. And hold…

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A hand protecting a pink piggy bank from being smashed by a hammer, representing the prevention of bank or government raids on super
Motley Fool Take Stock

I thought I'd seen the worst financial policy in years. Then this…

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

Scrapping increases to Super payments is a money grab. Don’t let the government take a huge chunk of your retirement…

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Motley Fool Take Stock

Why every pessimist is right (often to their cost)

| Scott Phillips (TMFGilla)

The Pessimist's Creed: "There's (always) a hole in my bucket, dear Eliza"

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