by David Atwood “All intelligent investing is value investing – to acquire more than you are paying for.” Charlie Munger  Fans of any challenging pursuit appreciate reducing the complexities down to the simple and obvious.  Warren Buffett, Munger’s business partner, is known for distilling financial complexity into down to earth simplicity.  Buffett is often quoted […]

Adventures of the Intrepid Investor by David Atwood February 8, 2018   After a roaring start to 2018, equity markets are reminding investors that price swings are an inherent part of investing.  There are those who are surprised by the spectacle of falling prices and stop in their tracks, looking up together to see if […]

MyTalisman – Live the Life You Love! Logging flights as a student pilot taught me the importance of following a checklist.  When everything is going as expected, its easy to become complacent and to overlook something important.  Confirming there is adequate fuel for the flight and the weight of the load comes to mind.  Financial […]

Growth and Service Milestones Welcome to the opening weeks of 2017 and the 1st day of the rest of your life!  Thank you for sharing this important part of your journey with us here at Talisman.  Some of our best clients have decades of experience investing with us and they have witnessed quite a transformation […]

Low interest rates are the spawning ground for a number of different economic shifts and upheavals.  The more obvious examples are the impact on savers, largely those pensioners who may have been relying on rates in the mid single digits or higher.  Many retirees may have thought they had enough savings to carry them through […]

The definition of a cynic is, according to Oscar Wilde, “A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.” Understanding the difference between price versus value can result in social and economic outcomes that are remarkably different than those experienced by a cynic.  A cynic is more likely to be inclined toward […]

You may know someone who would rather not think about anything that upsets their impression of who they are.  Who am I kidding, it happens to all of us at one time or another!  Speaking for myself, I have a reputation to uphold and I don’t want to look dumb, weak, or to lose face.  I […]

When our currency is devalued, our purchasing power is eroded and many of us are uncomfortable with the implications.  Last week it was reported that a head of cauliflower was selling for $7.00 in Ottawa and Toronto.  Travelling out of the country is costing 30% more than it did only 18 months ago.  Bottled water […]

Reading time, 3 minutes, 5 seconds Another of the more pronounced human behaviours to influence our personal and investment outcomes is the urge to do something. The Do Something Syndrome may do more harm than good so it is worthy of consideration. Have you ever been delayed by traffic and quickly created “plan B” to […]

Diversification is what fools do to hide their mistakes. Warren Buffett According to the world’s greatest investor, Warren Buffett, and his best friend and business partner, Charlie Munger, there are really big flaws in what is being taught about investing in finance schools. In 2005 at the Berkshire Hathaway AGM, Munger commented, “modern investment theories […]