Our primary focus is investing in individual stocks; however we will consider individual bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts and commodities when appropriate.

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Here are five important principles of our stock investing approach:

1. We typically invest in 5-25 companies (stocks) at any given time. This reduces the risk of permanent loss because we are able to know our investments very intimately.
2. We create starter positions and invest in great companies as long as the stock price is not overvalued.
3. We intentionally keep some cash ready in order to aggressively invest and take advantage of market downturns.
4. We believe that stocks are not simply pieces of paper that are traded, or an electronic price that changes in value. Stocks represent an opportunity to become a part owner in a business.
5. Most stock investors focus on short term market movements. Our long-term perspective allows us to capitalize on short-term overreactions caused by fear and greed.

We don’t typically invest in bonds, but when we do these are our three key guidelines:

1. We prefer not to invest in bond funds, because it is subject to higher interest rate risk compared to holding individual bonds to maturity.
2. We typically invest in fixed income using a bond ladder approach. Bond maturities will be based on your individual needs.
3. We focus on safety of principal when investing in bonds. We don’t try and reach for higher yields that may increase the chances of losing money.