First of all Happy National Day for everyone.
Although it falls on a Saturday, I think National day means different things to different people. But for many, hopefully you get a good rest.
I received a question recently from a longer time reader. The main part of his question is this:
I notice that your investment approach has evolved these years, especially after you joined Providend. You are evolving from compounding mainly using dividend stocks and undervalued shares, to using a lot more diversified ETFs these days.
I understand from Providend’s literature the advantages of using a minimal alpha diversified portfolio for the busy professional or those with basic financial knowledge. However, you are one with an excellent financial knowledge and clearly enjoys doing your own research.
Can you please help me understand why did you evolve to this investment approach, from your personal point of view.
I think this might be something that long time readers are thinking but it will be interesting what goes through how they look at it. Just like if we present a couple’s financial situation, there can be many interpretations.
My colleague but also my designated wealth adviser in Providend (as a company benefit) Isaac asked me a few days ago personally: “Why did you switch wholesale? Do you know to many people you fit the personal profile that we are least likely to influence to see from our investment perspective?”
My colleague Sudhan gave a rather chill internal introduction to all our colleagues and as we made our way back home, he lamented that he wish he could spend more time to share more about his deeper thoughts why he made the same switch as I have, after diving so deep into fundamental investing for so long.
I thank my reader for his question but admittedly my answer to him is rather brief. I had the whole ride from Outram to Buangkok to explain to Sudhan why more of his team members in his advisory team would benefit from hearing his experience.
But I spend the longest time explaining the context, my thought process, what lead to my decision, the struggles, the nuances to Isaac because he is willing and open to listen and also because I feel strongly he needs to hear from my perspective and process my words himself. I shared with Isaac that when my podcast interview with my CEO Chris came out, some find it mind fxxk enough that someone would switch all into just ETFs that they privately confirm with me if that really happen.
I don’t want to explain too much why I did it today again because I am too lazy to type out. If someone wishes to learn about this, I am always willing to share but it is just that if people don’t want to hear, I would also not like to be that person that will keep telling people about it.
I think if they can truly process that, it will allow them to have a deeper connection with their clients, prospects.
If you don’t have a deep enough connection, its like a minus point in someone’s eyes in a technical financial area. It is a big minus point if that area… is an area that is close to someone’s heart.
If a client or prospect shares how they invest in a portfolio of individual stocks is better, and show that they are confident with how they invest and have gotten good results, I will hear a different version of the same spew. I met my fair share of advisers who wants to sell things to me during my time as an individual investor and also hear some of what is presented during adviser conferences.
Many lack the confidence to hold the conversation.
Usually it ends up like if your returns of investing is good, then you can do it on your own. But I can help you with other services that is not about investing.
I wonder why these advisers do not have the confidence to engage in a deeper conversation with the client or prospect about the way they invest. I understand sometimes this is a meeting time and space thing that could prevent an elaborate discussion but I tend to think investors who are deep in their craft will feel connection with someone who are unafraid to venture into that part of investing.
One of the reason is a personal lack of competency, or what you say out sounds stupid to others who know their craft. Naturally, people feel less confident to venture to that conversation. If we fail to build connection there, then we would not get their investment assets. This is why I think Sudhan has a less common skillset then his peers that allows him to build and harvest a unique client base.
Sharing and convincing people that your way of investing might be better for the life that you want going forward is a tough thing to do but ultimately, it might also be financially more rewarding.
If you manage to make a person see from your perspective, there might be a tilt in their degree of conviction that it will make ready top ups. After all , who doesn’t want to not top up what they know is the best strategy out there, in fundamentally sound instruments?
As we were about to get off the MRT train Sudhan and I explored what I think is the most vital part of the discussion.
Sometimes, we know for ourselves where the flaws of our current investment strategy but don’t have enough vulnerability to admit that to ourselves. And the reason we don’t change and stick to something that is still working but is less compatible with our lives is also because we didn’t know there are better strategies that will also help us fulfill our financial goal. The combination of these two is perhaps why many don’t switch.
Those with enough introspection and vulnerability would eventually start looking.
But you have to speak in their “investment language” to make them see there are other ways to express that investment philosophy but end up really more passive.
There are some hard meta portions that is difficult to put into writing that investors may have to go through. Being vulnerable enough to yourself might be the first step in trying to figure that out and I want to do that for both Sudhan and Isaac so that they can be introspective enough about the meta part.
I shared with my Havend colleague Joanne that most of the time we kind of know if something is more.. right or wrong in our gut but that might not really help us unless we uncover and see things the way it is. Usually, these are less popular and talked about topic such as “How are we suppose to do planning for an evolving life when most of the insurance recommendation feels like recommending with a snapshot view?”
It might not be easily for each of us to piece things together (if you are someone who is interested in the topic), but like why it is a good idea to get off being your own retail fund manager, there is value in tackling the hard things.
And the first step is being vulnerable enough so that it becomes strong enough that it forces you to confront that challenge.
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Kyith is the Owner and Sole Writer behind Investment Moats. Readers tune in to Investment Moats to learn and build stronger, firmer wealth foundations, how to have a Passive investment strategy, know more about investing in REITs and the nuts and bolts of Active Investing.
Readers also follow Kyith to learn how to plan well for Financial Security and Financial Independence.
Kyith worked as an IT operations engineer from 2004 to 2019. Currently, he works as a Senior Solutions Specialist in Insurance Start-up Havend. All opinions on Investment Moats are his own and does not represent the views of Providend.
You can view Kyith's current portfolio here, which uses his Free Google Stock Portfolio Tracker.
His investment broker of choice is Interactive Brokers, which allows him to invest in securities from different exchanges all over the world, at very low commission rates, without custodian fees, near spot currency rates.
You can read more about Kyith here.
