Investing in Agreement With Your Beliefs
The case for aligning your portfolio with your outlook &
worldview.
Provided by: Ed Hawley
Do your investment choices reflect your
outlook? Are they in
agreement with your values? These questions may seem rather deep when it comes to deciding what
to buy or sell, but some great investors have built fortunes by investing according to the
ethical, moral and spiritual tenets that guide their lives.
Sir John Templeton stands out as an example. Born and raised in a small Tennessee town, he became one of the world’s
richest men and most respected philanthropists. Templeton maintained a lifelong curiosity about
science, religion, economics and world cultures – and it led him to notice opportunities in
emerging industries and emerging markets (like Japan) that other investors missed. Believing
that “every successful entrepreneur is a servant,” he invested in companies that did no harm and
which reflected his conviction that “success is a process of continually seeking answers to new
questions.”1
Among
Templeton’s more famous maxims was the comment, “Invest, don’t trade or
speculate.” Having endured the Great Depression as a
youth, he had a knack for spotting irrational exuberance.2,4
As the 1990s drew to a close, he
correctly forecast that 90% of Internet companies would go belly-up within five years. In 2003,
he warned investors of a housing bubble that would soon burst; in 2005, he predicted “financial
chaos” and a huge stock market downturn. To Templeton, a rally or an investment opportunity had
to have sound fundamentals; if it lacked them, it was dangerous.3,4
Warren Buffett leaps to mind as another example. The “Oracle of Omaha” is worth $70 billion, and Berkshire Hathaway’s market
value has risen 1,826,163% under his guidance – yet he still lives in the same house he bought
for $31,500 in 1958, and prefers cheeseburgers and Cherry Coke to champagne or caviar. He was
born to an influential family (his father served in Congress), but he has maintained humility
through the decades.5
Money manager Guy Spier dined
with Buffett in 2008 at one of the billionaire’s annual charity lunches, and in his book
The Education of a Value Investor (co-written with
TIME correspondent William Green), he shares a key
piece of advice Buffett gave him that day: “It’s very important always to live your life by an
inner scorecard, not an outer scorecard.” In other words, act and invest in such a way that you
can hold your head high, so that you are staying true to your values and not engaging in
behavior that conflicts with your morals and beliefs.5
Buffett has also cited the need
to be truthful with yourself about your strengths, weaknesses and capabilities – as you invest,
you should not be swayed from your core beliefs to embrace something that you find mysterious.
“You have to stick within what I call your circle of competence. You have to know what you
understand and what you don’t understand. It’s not terribly
important how big
the circle is. But it’s terribly
important that you know where the perimeter
is.”5
Speaking to a college class some
years ago in Georgia, he cited the real reward for a life well lived: “When you get to my age,
you’ll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you
actually do love you. I know people who have a lot of money, and they get testimonial dinners
and they get hospital wings named after them. But the truth is that nobody in the world loves
them. If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank
account is, your life is a disaster.”5
Values and beliefs
helped guide Templeton and Buffett to success in the
markets, in business and in life. For all the opportunities they seized, their legacy will be
that of humble and value-centered individuals who knew what mattered most.
Today, socially responsible investing looks
better than ever. Investors who want to their portfolios to
better reflect their beliefs and values often turn to “socially responsible” investments – or
alternately, “impact” investments that respond to environmental issues, women’s rights issues
and other pressing societal concerns. When they emerged in the late 1980s, people were skeptical
about how well such investments would perform; that skepticism is still around, but it appears
to be unwarranted. Since 1990, the average annual total return for the S&P 500 has been
9.93%; the Domini 400, considered the prime index tracking socially responsible companies, has
an annual total return of 10.46% by comparison. So aligning your portfolio with your outlook and
worldview looks like even more like a win-win these days.6
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of
the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed
to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of
future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional
services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent
professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may
not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a
solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service,
and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any
particular investment.
Citations.
1 -
forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2013/05/07/how-to-invest-think-and-live-like-sir-john-templeton/
[5/7/13]
2 -
record-eagle.com/news/local_news/jason-tank-finding-the-right-mindset-is-good-start/article_42c81b99-c7c9-5fa1-83b3-4fa2f9c1c641.html
[5/5/15]
3 - csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2008/0711/p09s01-coop.html
[7/11/08]
4 - crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2014/02/sir-john-templeton-the-last-yankee.html
[2/10/14]
5 -
observer.com/2015/05/ive-followed-warren-buffett-for-decades-and-keep-coming-back-to-these-10-quotes/
[5/4/15]
6 -
marketwatch.com/story/socially-responsible-investing-has-beaten-the-sp-500-for-decades-2015-05-21
[5/21/15]
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