When you are preparing to invest, one of the very first – and the most important – decisions that must be made is determining who to trust with your money. Once you have done so, you will be able to move forward more easily with all of the other essential investment-related decisions.
That sounds simple enough, but getting it done right is a different story. One important step, that’s easy to miss, is evaluating the fundamentals. When you assess investment ideas, strategies, and approaches for inclusion in your investment plan, be purposeful about evaluating the fundamentals.
For example, consider the stated core values and whether the results indicate that the core values are truly honored for any investment you are considering. In other words, trust, but verify, that the fundamentals are actually put into practice. Some of the core values we look for include:
- A defined, high-quality research process that is actually used and favors long-term investors like you.
- An even-handed or reasonable balance between cost and return. Be willing to pay a fair price for the type and level of returns that you expect or desire. Don’t be fooled by low-cost investments with low returns or high-return investments with high fees. Pay attention to the returns that are left in your account after fees are paid and don’t forget to adjust your cost and return expectation to match the right amount of risk for you and your family.
- A consistent and strong emphasis on continuing education. This is especially important in the financial services industry due to the constantly changing rules and regulations that safeguard you as an investor.
- Always be guided by a total commitment to honesty and integrity.
While these core values may not include in-depth mathematical formulas for choosing the proper investments based on numerical factors, they are actually more important in many ways. Trust and integrity are things that cannot be bought – they have to be earned.
So, before investing your hard-earned money, be sure to check out the core values, management team, long-term history, results, fees and overall track record of where you plan to place your investment funds. You will sleep much better at night knowing that your money is with a company that you trust.
Please email us at info@selahfs.com if you would like to know the specific ways the Selah team brings these core values to the table for you.
