Unprecedented events occur with some regularity
If there’s anything to be learned from the last few years, it’s that unprecedented events occur much more often than one would expect. This isn’t exactly a new concept – the idea is borrowed from famous investor Seth Klarman – but the events that have taken place recently have really driven this concept home.
Chasing the Past
If your house is like my house, you have a box of ear swabs that you use regularly for their intended purpose, cleaning your ears. But if you read the fine print on the box, you will find a warning. You are told that you must not put this product in your ear, that it is dangerous to do so, and whatever made you think to call cotton swabs “ear swabs” anyway?
An added bonus in 2021
The client comes first. That, in a nutshell, is the message of the Client Focused Reforms (CFRs) put into place by the Canadian Securities Administrators in 2021. As discretionary portfolio managers, able to buy and sell securities on behalf of our clients, we have always been subject to this principle. Now, the rules have been made more explicit, and new standards have been put in place in the areas that can be broadly defined below.
Extreme Buy and Hold
There are lots of investment styles, and it is certainly the case that no one way of doing it will be best for everyone all the time. Some people are really traders, not investors, and seldom hold a position for more than a day (some not even overnight). Some people like following momentum, and will ride a hot name until it seems to fizzle out. We like the style usually called “buy and hold”.
2022 New Year’s Investing Resolutions
At the beginning of every year, many of us (myself included) resolve to eat healthy, exercise more, watch less Netflix, read more books, be more productive, etc. I always start off the year with good intentions, but within a couple of days, I'm back to my old habits. Don’t make the same mistakes with your investments. Here are some investing resolutions that we believe, if applied properly, will pay dividends for your portfolio for years to come:
Client Focused Reforms – Client Communications
The following 2 communications were provided to clients of Baskin Wealth Management regarding the launch of the Client Focused Reforms in 2021
Webinar with Barry Schwartz – Do you want a good quarter or a good quarter century?
On Thursday November 11th, our Chief Investment Officer, Barry Schwartz gave a webinar about how we invest for our clients. In this insightful presentation, Barry reviewed the investment approach we use to find the best businesses to own for the long-run.
The autumn leaves of red and gold
In September the days grow shorter, the nights are cool, and the stock market gets crazy. The first two are easy to explain but the third is a mystery. However, this year was a good example. In the last ten days of September the Dow Jones Industrial Average had four moves of greater than 500 points. That compares to only three such moves in the previous four months. Clearly traders came back from summer vacation ready for action.
A Cottage Romance
Our family owned a cottage for 12 years. Our kids were little and we used it a lot, four seasons a year. Then, as happens, our kids grew up. They started going to camp in summer and had hockey or swimming or other activities in the other seasons. By the end, I was going up by myself to cut the grass in summer and get the snow off the roof in winter. We sold out more than twenty years ago. Do we miss it? Sure. The sunsets over the lake, the joy of jumping into the cool water, the pure pleasure of canoeing on a windless day. Can’t beat it. But things have changed. We paid less than $100,000 for our place. Now, the same property would likely go for close to $1 million. Would it still make sense to buy? Here is some advice I gave to a client who asked us just this question.
Does value still matter?
In the early 1720’s, exactly 300 years ago, all of England was overtaken by a surge of stock market speculation which we now know as the “South Sea Bubble”. Ignited by a monopoly granted by Parliament to a company to trade in South America, all manner of companies suddenly were brought to the market, and their shares were purchased with wild abandon by all and sundry. Two strong emotions ruled; today we call them “FOMO – fear of missing out” and “YOLO – you only live once”. No idea was too bizarre and no scheme too outlandish.
The kids will be all right – How to save for your kids’ and grandkids’ futures
Generous parents and grandparents frequently look for the most beneficial ways to give their descendants a head start, often by putting funds aside in an investment for their benefit. This has perhaps become more common during the pandemic, as those who have been fortunate enough to have continued employment, and retirees, have seen their expenses decline with a corresponding rise in their savings. There are a number of different approaches available, each with its own pros and cons, and this article will expand on each.
Always think like a business owner
At Baskin Wealth Management we never stop learning. We always strive to improve our investment approach and to learn from our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others. However, in our lifelong pursuit to become better investors, we strictly adhere to one important rule: Always think like a business owner.
