If someone 100 years ago teleported into today’s life they would be amazed by how far we’ve come. If you look at what’s on my desk or the apps on your phone, they’d swear we were living in a sci-fi novel. We have little metal boxes in our pockets which allow us access to cameras, TV shows, movies, banking, information, real time global updates and artificial intelligence.
Everything has changed. And yet, when we sit down to talk about your life, your goals, and your fears, it becomes clear: nothing has really changed at all.
The Information Illusion
We are drowning in data. Information hits us from every angle now. The news, radio, phone, TV, laptop, smart watch…. We have more access to “the truth” than any generation in human history, yet we still struggle to listen.
Take fitness and AI, for example. It can give you a perfect, calorie controlled meal plan and a bespoke 12-week exercise plan in less than five seconds. By that logic, we should all be walking around with six packs and perfect cardiovascular health.
Claude and Chat GPT are now making big moves in the personal finance world, offering investment and tax advice. We should all be rolling in it and bringing an end to our jobs.
But we aren’t. Why? Because the problem was never a lack of information; it was the discipline to act on it.
I still speak with clients and potential clients who just want me to take away the hassle and be there to do it for them, to let them get on with their lives. That’s why I’m not sure if we’ll ever be replaced.
Advice is Everywhere (and it’s older than you think)
We often think the “answers” are new discoveries, but advice has always been there for those who have been looking. People have been singing and writing them for decades.
- Songs: Remember the 90s hit “Wear Sunscreen” by Baz Luhrman? I remember this on the radio when I was 7, and I didn’t get it at all. I thought it was the stupidest thing to be on radio. But recently, I saw a thread where younger users today thought the song and lyrics were generated by a sophisticated AI prompt for “life advice.” In reality, it was a 1997 song based on an essay in a newspaper column. So I went back and listened to it again. And now with a bit more life experience, I get it. The advice: don’t worry about the future, be proud of your appearance, don’t compare yourself to others because sometimes you’ll be ahead, sometimes you’re behind, look after your knees, look after your relationships with your friends and family, wear sunscreen….. it’s as timeless as it gets. Seriously, go back and listen to it.
- Poetry: Now I don’t know much about poetry, but there is one poem I’m aware of which is “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. It’s a poem about the dates on your grave. It will have your name, and the date of your birth and your death. But the poem is about how the only thing that actually matters, what anyone remembers about you, is the tiny little line in between them. The Dash. It’s about filling your life with experiences and relationships rather than just accumulating years.
- Social Media: My Instagram feed is full of “clean eating” hacks and “optimal training splits” for “skinny fat dads who are too busy working and with kids to exercise and build muscles”. My Tiktok feed is full of caravan tips, websites that are so useful they should be illegal, and Microsoft Office tips and hacks. My X (Twitter) is mostly just football which isn’t all that useful if I’m honest… But we have information everywhere. There seems to be more fitness influencers than gym members (I exaggerate obviously) yet the secret remains what it always was; move more, eat less processed food, and stay consistent.
The Investment Crisis of the Week
In the world of investments there is a semi-permanent “end of the world” narrative.
In my lifetime, which is only 35 (almost 36) years so far, I’ve seen the panic of 9/11, the systemic collapse and global recession of 2008, the global shutdown of Covid-19, the inflation crisis we blame on Liz Truss, Trump’s Trumping with Tariffs and the constant geopolitical fallouts in the Middle East, and more recently Ukraine and Iran. Each time, something “new” arrives to threaten our stability “because this time, it’s different…” But it isn’t.
Even specifically in the investment world, we’ve had the complexity of CDOs (Collateralised Debt Obligations) – watch the movie The Big Short – or the new sexy assets like Crypto or remember the Bored Ape NFTs. How did that one work out for you Justin Bieber? Spoiler: he paid $1.3million for a digital picture of a bored ape, but apparently it’s now worth around $12,000 which is a loss in value of 99%. That would sting almost anyone but, in fairness, probably not Justin Bieber – credit where it’s due.
When these events hit, our impulse is to find a new solution for the new world. But the data tells a different story.
Why We Stick to the Old Ways
Despite the noise, the most successful investors aren’t those chasing the latest digital token or trying to hedge against the apocalypse. They are the ones who stick to what has always worked: Global Equities.
Owning a part of the world’s most profitable, innovative companies is a strategy that has survived world wars, pandemics, and technological revolutions. The “everything is different” crowd will tell you that the old rules don’t apply, but the “still kind of the same” reality is that human ingenuity and global trade continue to drive value over the long term.
The Bottom Line
Technology changes the how, but it doesn’t change the why. You still want security. You still want to provide for your family. You still want experiences. You still want a “dash” you can be proud of.
Our job isn’t just to give you more information – AI can do that. Our job is to help you filter out the “different” so you can focus on the “same”: the timeless principles of patience, discipline, and a well diversified global portfolio.
Stay the course. It’s worked before, and it’s working now.
If you want to talk about any of this with us over a coffee, even if it’s just to reminisce about old music, get in touch.
And one last thing: the sun’s coming out now, so make sure you stick on some sun cream