Spectrum takes the lenses off.
"Spectrum" at the Bangkok Post takes the lenses off by allowing to publish the same slanted views to its readers.
Financial and investor illiteracy persists in part because publishers want it so.
Often people of many different walks of life ask me where can they get more information, know how, expertise on being a more astute individual successful investor? Surely its not taught in high schools, nor at most business universities.
Yet, at the British International Boarding School (BIS) here in Phuket, Thailand’s most expensive private boarding school, has just accepted my volunteering such a short course to its Baccalaureate program seniors.
Populaces all over the world realize there are only 2 ways to earn money: you at work and your money at work. Why then is this subject so difficult to grasp, to so many?
Some rightly say that money is not the root of all evil, but financial illiteracy is.
One key reason for this poor coverage is that its not really in the press or most other publications’ interest in explaining it all too thoroughly; another is that its not in everybody temperament to make investment decisions. For example for some people just investing into different funds and going on with life is a good alternative for them. But for many of us, investing directly into different stocks has a long history of superior returns, even if there are set backs or more volatility to these articles’ always so advocated alternatives.
The problem with most of the press is that its staged full of so called wealth advisors and senior investor consultants which, in their own interest, advocate only one way to invest and that is through those funds they offer in fancy forms with neat statements. Funds, which also can command high-up front fees, front loading expenses, annual administrative expenses and some even multiple year lock-up periods. The potential investor is then fear-mingled in ever clever ways to go this route alone -as all others likely “lead to losses”.
“There is time to gain back losses taken in high risk areas”, so claims Andrew Wood in his latest punt -and yes he has just the fund for you. Mr. A.Wood has the regular and only investor column for some time in Bangkok edition “Spectrum Section”, a Sunday weekly 20+ page insert with high & quality content and so readership due to usually in-depth insights; but alas not when it comes to investing with a balanced view. As a suggestion by some of you, I have offered to write the other viewpoint, but with no interest received back.
What about many whom don’t have “taken losses”, what about those like us here where many can show good returns for years already? Its implied we don’t even exist by this BBK Post exclusive “net worth” column. 3-4 years ago the SET index was around 500 now its close to 1100, why not show that graph?
Fact is, that longer term investors whom can tolerate some ups and downs, have patience and invest with diversity often do generate nice returns, so often above the funds. Many of us command a long history to superior returns and its not by day trading or speculating. Its the old fashion work of finding and then investing in a few good stocks.
Funds, due to their size, can usually invest only in the largest of companies and so for the most part must ignore 2/3 of Thai GDP, as some 70% of economic activity in Thailand -as in many countries- is here generated by smaller companies. Most Funds, besides their fees or lock-up periods, which are rarely discussed, have other disadvantages…but again none of these are ever mentioned in these kind of articles we keep enduring week after week. It so becomes a one side affair to the detriment of the newspaper, where most readers keep seing the same slanted/biased view points. These publications through their lack of diversify, seem to have a vested interest in just keeping up, or indirectly endorsing, these same type of prejudiced views.
From time to time I try to make a difference in offering to explain other more sanguine investor viewpoints beyond the funds -but as this mail to the Spectrum shows there seems no interest. The offer remained unanswered even after sending it again 2 weeks later. Why does this not surprise me anymore? Today more members realize why its a long shot to our many views rarely published -and so why most still miss out to superior returns.
From Paul Renaud paulren@thaistocks.com via gmail.com
dateTue, Jun 14, 2011 at 1:20 PM
subject Contribution to your newspaper. mailed-bygmail.com
To the Senior Editor of the Spectrum Section of your fine Newspaper:
My name is Paul A. Renaud, I have been on location analyzing the Thai stock market since 1989. Since 1997, I have the leading web portal here, on all aspects of responsible/successful Thai stock market investing.
Between the years 2000 and 2002, I wrote a number of articles for your Newspaper on this topic. You can see some of these article at the following link:
/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=2&pid=117
Before this, I was a very successful licensed broker for Morgan Stanley in Chicago and New York. You can see my professional resume at this link:
/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=2&pid=208
Would you be interested in me submitting one article for your Spectrum section? As I think many readers are confused what to do with their savings and how Thai stocks, as seen from a value investor, could help to a better understanding.
Best Regards,
Paul A. Renaud.
--
Renaud & Associates Ltd. Unbiased Thai Equity Research.
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Paul A. Renaud. - from Morgan Stanley, USA - to over 20 years on location analyzing the Thai Stock Market.
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E-mail: paulren@thaistocks.com or, paularen@gmail.com
