Back in the days when alchemists roamed the earth, their ultimate challenge was transforming lead into gold. Looking at the chart below, that would have been the equivalent of filing down the corners of a fifty pence piece to make ten pence pieces. Lead has been a far more valuable investment than gold on many occasions. … Continued
“The truth is revealed by removing things that stand in its light, an art not unlike sculpture, in which the artist creates not by building, but by hacking away.” – Alan Watts There are two sides to every story with the truth lying somewhere in between. In the red corner we have US Consumer Sentiment, … Continued
“Perfection is unattainable, but if we chase perfection we catch excellence” – Vince Lombardi. Expediency or Excellence? I believe recent events have coerced us into adopting expediency over excellence. While much relates to the current environment, this trend has a long history. Consider music. Is the recording of a live concert better than being there? … Continued
“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” Amateur, competent, professional. The amateur always props up this list. Unfair. Amateurs bring energy, passion, and conviction into whatever they do. Put your money away, it’s just for fun. It’s the taking part that counts. Kids are great examples. Getting their help with gardening or painting can create mayhem, carnage. Secretly though, parents love to see them get … Continued
“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein. We had our garage roof replaced last week. Not newsworthy I know, but it highlights the impact of what appears to be a simple decision – replacing a garage roof. Discovery – finding out what is in the garage. Reflection – why is it still in there? Realisation – it’s all got to come out! One of … Continued
‘Picky or Difficult’ – We Prefer ‘Picky’. We think of ourselves as a people business, but how do we prove it? If people think of themselves as simply a number or item in a spreadsheet, then we’ve failed. The good news is that’s not what our clients tell us. Each year we participate in the largest global financial services client’s survey. It gives us priceless insight into what clients really think, value, and dislike about what … Continued
The only thing guaranteed in life is change… except from a vending machine! During lockdown, my clothes began shrinking causing me to examine our washing machine for signs of tampering. So, I joined my lovely wife’s healthy eating regime. More vegetables, fruit and fish all cooked from fresh, raw ingredients, less red wine, more water, more exercise. A couple of months later I feel so much better – fitter, slimmer and with more energy. Dietary habits are changing. Vegetarian roots go back to the formation … Continued
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Max Planck Some people think the world can never change, but it depends how you look at it. Sometimes, perception eclipses fact. The Mercator Projection was created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 and provides the map of the world … Continued
Kintsugi – the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold in the belief that by embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create a stronger, more beautiful piece of art. It reflects much of what is going on right now. How do we make the best of things, will we ever get … Continued
Challenge: Explain (simply) recent market dynamics and possible outlook. So here goes. Recent regulation, the snappily titled MiFID 2, created the requirement for discretionary fund managers and advisers providing portfolio management services to inform clients if their portfolio value falls 10% or more during a quarterly reporting period. But to what purpose? For us the … Continued
