The Sloth Investor

Brought up by a single mother and grammar school-educated, Joe Seddon found himself with £200 left over from his student loan. He was confronted with a choice. Spend the money on a night out with friends in Leeds or put it to better use by investing it wisely. His choice of the latter decision has had a compound effect on the lives of thousands of other students. This is the story of how Joe's company, 'Zero Gravity', has helped thousands of students from disadvantaged backgrounds obtain a place at elite British universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge.

In episode 30 of the Sloth Investor podcast my co-host Jay and I interview Jamie Gordon. Jamie is a writer for ETF stream. ETF Stream is the leading media brand for everything ETF-related in Europe. Jamie started at ETF Stream as a reporter in January 2021. Previously, he was a senior journalist at the UK Investor Magazine, Investment Observer, UK Startup Magazine and UK Property Journal.

In episode 29 of the Sloth Investor podcast my co-host Jay and I discuss the 5 bedrock principles of a 'Sloth Investor'. These are: Simplicity Low Fees Owning the World Time Headstrong If you're keen to listen to a more in depth discussion of each of the 5 bedrock principles, then you may want to listen to episodes 1-5 of the podcast, in which Jay (my co-host) and I discuss each in turn.

INTERMISSION

The purpose of this brief audio clip is to inform you that Jay and I will be taking a break from the podcast for the summer as we will be travelling home to see family and friends in our home countries.

Due to the strict Covid related restrictions that have been in place here in Hong Kong within the last few years, it’s the first opportunity that we’ve both had in a considerable amount of time to see our family and friends back home.

Regular listeners of the Sloth Investor podcast will know that Mr. Sloth's investing philosophy is a compound creation of everything that he's read, listened to, discussed, and experienced about investing. 

In particular, though, there are several key individuals that have played a pivotal role in the formation of my 5 bedrock principles.

One of them is Warren Buffett, a profound influence on the Sloth Investor. Indeed, a line in Buffett's 1990 letter to shareholders provided the inspiration for Mr. Sloth's name.

Tasked with sculpting the equivalent of my own investing Mount Rushmore, a monument to honor significant giants of the investing world, a key pick would undoubtedly be Warren Buffett.

Therefore, it's an honor for me to select Buffett as the second inductee into the Sloth Investor hall of fame.

Jay (my co-host) and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

There has been an increasing focus on ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing in recent years. Sometimes referred to as sustainable investing, this form of investing has certainly increased in prominence.

The release date of episode 14 is particularly prescient, given that COP 26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) begins just a few days after its release. 

During this episode, Jay (my co-host) and I explore the rise of sustainable investing and also outline some investment options for sustainably oriented investors.

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 13 of the Sloth Investor podcast, we take a slight diversion to our normal line of discussion by considering how we, as consumers, can best spend our money in order to achieve greater happiness in our lives.

Mr. Sloth and Jay discuss what the research tells us and we also reflect upon our own use of disposable income.

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 12 we turn our attention to one of the most illuminating investment books that the Sloth Investor has read. The book is 'Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World's Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life' by William Green.

In particular, we focus on three core takeaways from the book.

Jay (my co-host) and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 11 of the Sloth Investor podcast, Mr. Sloth and Jay explore a number of reasons why it is important to invest. 

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

Regular listeners of the Sloth Investor podcast will know that Mr. Sloth's investing philosophy is a compound creation of everything that he's read, listened to, viewed, and experienced about investing. In particular, though, there are several key individuals that have played a pivotal role in the formation of my 5 bedrock principles.

Undoubtedly, the most influential individual is Jack Bogle.

This is what Warren Buffett, arguably the world's most famous investor, has to say about Bogle's life and immeasurable influence:

“If a statue is ever erected to honor the person who has done the most for American investors, the hands-down choice should be Jack Bogle. For decades, Jack has urged investors to invest in ultra-low-cost index funds…In his early years, Jack was frequently mocked by the investment-management industry. Today, however, he has the satisfaction of knowing that he helped millions of investors realize far better returns on their savings than they otherwise would have earned. He is a hero to them and to me.”

Tasked with sculpting the equivalent of my own investing Mount Rushmore, a monument to honor significant giants of the investing world, my first pick would undoubtedly be Jack Bogle. 

Therefore, it's an honor for me to select Jack as the inaugural inductee into the Sloth Investor hall of fame.

Jay (my co-host) and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 9 of the Sloth Investor podcast, Mr. Sloth and Jay discuss ETFs. 

From the Motley Fool to Jim Cramer, a whole number of significant parties within the realm of investing recommend broadly diversified ETFs for beginner investors.

During the episode, we'll answer questions such as:

What is an ETF? How does it differ from an index fund?

What are the advantages of owning an ETF for the individual investor?

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

As we near the start of the Tokyo Olympics, the Sloth Investor podcast presents an Olympic-themed special this week.

Throughout episode 8, you'll hear us make various analogies between the world of sport and the realm of investing.

Who knew there were so many connections between the two?

Jay (my co-host) and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 7 of the Sloth Investor podcast, we discuss part 2 of our mini-series on investing anti-models.

For those unfamiliar with this term, the inspiration for this two-part episode theme originates from this quote by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

“People focus on role models; it is more effective to find anti-models - people you don't want to resemble when you grow up”.

In this episode, you’ll hear us discuss four more ‘anti-model investors’, i.e. investors that you should not seek to emulate.

On several occasions during the episode, you'll hear the Sloth Investor quote from 'The Behavioral Investor', by Daniel Crosby, a fantastic mentor text for beginner investors.

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 5 of the Sloth Investor podcast, my co-host Jay and I talk about the importance of being ‘HEADSTRONG’, the 5th bedrock principle of the Sloth Investor. 

Commonly, the biggest obstacle facing investors is what they see when they look in the mirror. Therefore, the ability to be 'HEADSTRONG' when confronted with the volatility that is a characteristic feature of the stock market is crucial.

Jay (my co-host) and I are based in South East Asia and this quote from Confucius (also referenced during our discussion) lends itself nicely to the theme of this episode:

‘He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.’

We also explore the role that ‘action bias’ can play in compelling some investors to make decisions that are not in their best interest.

We hope that you enjoy this episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 4 of the Sloth Investor podcast, my co-host Jay and I talk about the importance of ‘TIME’, the 4th bedrock principle of the Sloth Investor.

Early on in this episode, you’ll hear my views concerning how the FAANG stocks (and others) have conditioned us to immediate gratification and the potential consequences that this exerts on our ability to invest for the long term.

On several occasions during this episode I refer to this quote by Brian Portnoy:

“One of the greatest skills in investing is patience, the Stoic ability to do nothing deliberately. In our money lives and well beyond, those who have mastered the art of delayed gratification are more likely to excel.”

The quote is taken from Portnoy’s book ‘The Geometry of Wealth’.

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Mr. Sloth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/

In episode 1 of the Sloth Investor podcast, you’ll learn a little bit more from Mr. Sloth about why he considers himself to be the best animal to characterize successful investing.

The Sloth Investor is joined by a friend, colleague, and fellow advocate of sloth investing, Jay Prohaska.

Over the course of the next five weeks, Jay and the Sloth will discuss the 5 bedrock principles of the Sloth Investor.

This means that we’ll kick off our inaugural podcast with a discussion of ‘SIMPLICITY’, the 1st bedrock principle of the Sloth Investor.

During this podcast series, we’ll hold discussions concerning topics such as investment books, podcasts, and our favored investing luminaries to ensure that you understand the philosophy that underpins the bedrock principles of the Sloth Investor.

We hope you enjoy episode 1.

The Sloth Investor.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloth_investor

Substack: https://theslothinvestor.substack.com/