The things we do over and over and over again…
Tradition is critical for bridging the gap from generation to generation. It’s the tie that binds.
The Oxford Club’s annual Investment U Conference has become just that – tradition.
Now entering its second generation, this annual event bridges the gap between time-proven investing strategies like momentum, income and value…
And new, disruptive market trends and innovations like cannabis investing and multifactor exchange-traded funds.
In fact, many of the same Members come back year after year to lap up every word of the best investment training found anywhere… and to keep up the deep relationships they’ve built with the Club and one another.
Tradition also brings together old and new ways of thinking. Our CEO and Executive Publisher Julia Guth kicked off the 21st Annual Investment U Conference yesterday, saying that in order “to keep things fresh, you also need to do something new.”
Then she introduced “the best financial writer in the business.”
Our very own Chief Investment Strategist Alexander Green is not exactly unknown to conference attendees (far from it). But for the first time he wanted each of them to analyze their personal psychology.
In other words, he challenged them to think differently.
“I’m going to give you the best investing advice. But first,” he said, “I need to upgrade your worldview.”
Alex is an eternal-yet-practical optimist who has steered Members through many crises, including the crash of 2008.
Yet, as he noted, fewer people are investing now than when the Great Recession began 10 years ago.
Many, understandably, are scared. Unfortunately, they have also missed out – and continue to miss out – on one of the longest and strongest bull market runs in U.S. history.
You see, when you get into a cycle of negative thinking, it’s difficult to unwind from it. That’s especially true when the mainstream media seems to beat the doom-and-gloom drum – and only that drum – on a daily basis.
Alex told attendees – in no uncertain terms – that they will never maximize returns if their portfolios are cracked by pessimism.
The media doesn’t create an accurate picture of the world, and it doesn’t intend to. (The axiom “If it bleeds, it leads” exists for a reason.)
Which is why Alex wants investors to think like the great investors of our time: John Templeton, Peter Lynch, Warren Buffett…
And focus on the trend lines, not the headlines.
After all, as Alex has written about several times over the past few months, investors (and most people in general) have never had it better. What some call “serious problems” or “crises” are often opportunities in disguise.
That’s not to say there aren’t problems in the world. There are.
But Alex believes your investment philosophy is influenced by your sense of the future.
If you’re optimistic, the world is your oyster…
If you’re not, you’ll be too afraid to shuck it.
Good investing,
Donna
P.S. Want to know what sage advice Nicholas shares with attendees tomorrow? Check back in on Monday.