WELCOME TO A WORLD YOU’RE ALREADY PART OF
I want to start this book with two assertions:
We all invest, often on a much larger scale than we realize. On average, as a species, we’re not doing too poorly at it.
Let me dive straight into the first assertion. If you think investing is not your thing, or if your idea of investing is limited to buying stocks, I’d like you to consider the list below. Mentally answer “yes” or “no” to whether each applies to you:
- You have a bank account.
- You have insurance policies.
- You contribute to a pension scheme for your retirement.
- You pay taxes.
- You’ve bought a house.
- You own valuable items at home (paintings, watches, fine wine, stamps, Pokémon cards, or other collectibles).
By this point, you’re likely grasping my argument. Every item on this list is an investment in disguise. The money you deposit in your bank account finances various projects. The premiums for your insurance policies and contributions to pension plans are put to work in financial markets by pension funds and insurance companies. Your taxes contribute to public works, services, and infrastructure. Real estate is more than just shelter; it’s a significant investment, often accounting for about 60% of an individual’s wealth. And those collectibles at home? They’re not just sentimental treasures; passed down through generations, they can become incredibly valuable.
So, unless you’ve managed not to engage in any of the above, you are, consciously or not, investing. And most of the time, it is a good thing.
This leads me to the second assertion. Overall, as a species, we are not doing a bad job at investing.
And I shall offer the best proof of that: the world keeps turning. Thanks to investments, many of us can look forward to retirement, observe social progress for the next generation, see new businesses emerge, and witness innovation unfolding.
Not everything is perfect—far from it. Sadly, there are excesses and inequalities, but overall, the world has been moving forward. This suggests that, on average, we are capable of directing money to the right places and getting a return on our investments.
If, as a species, we might be doing alright, on an individual level, the story often unfolds differently. Many of us are put off by the world of investments, choosing instead to ignore the significant role they could play in the economic fabric. And even the most adventurous among us may feel that, despite earnest efforts, the investment realm remains enigmatic.
In all honesty, I can’t really fault anyone for feeling disinterested or discouraged about investments, especially after initial setbacks. A part of the blame rests with the financial industry itself. We, the financial community, are guilty of several unflattering practices:
- We often only believe in and promote the investments we’re allowed to sell.
- We make simple investments sound unnecessarily complex and complex investments too readily accessible.
- We promote fleeting trends to encourage more gambling than thoughtful investing.
- We emphasize the importance of investing and suggest you follow our methods without truly explaining how to select investments on your own because, in the end, we’re the ones selling them to you.
This creates a gap—an unnecessary distance between you and the empowering world of investing.
And that’s why I decided to write this book, to achieve two things:
- To make you at least as proficient in investing as the average human being.
- To remind you of your inherent economic power, perhaps forgotten.
How? By introducing you to what I term a “universal framework” for assessing any investment opportunity, distilled from the complexity to the essence of what truly matters.
Hopefully, with this framework, you’ll come to appreciate that:
- The investment landscape is broader and more diverse than you might imagine.
- Investing is neither easy nor risk-free, but it can be truly enjoyable.
- The key to success is not just understanding why you should invest but how to choose your investments wisely.
Before we begin this journey, I want to highlight an important point: if you feel that you’re not capturing your fair share of the world’s wealth, it could also be because your expectations are unrealistic. However, adjusting those expectations is a task you must undertake yourself. This book doesn’t offer miraculous solutions. My aim is to build your confidence in investing, steering clear of get-rich-quick illusions.
As we embark on this journey together, remember that you’re not alone. With each page, you’ll gain not just knowledge but also the confidence to apply it, transforming how you view and engage with the world of investments.
So, are you ready to reclaim your rightful place in the investment world?