What doctors can teach investors

Newspaper reporters who interview centenarians on their landmark birthday cannot seem to avoid the temptation to ask how they have lived so long. Because most people haven’t the faintest idea how they have reached 100, they tend to attribute their good health to something like a weekly tea dance.

Medical professionals will say that the most likely reason for a long life is a combination of favourable genetic and environmental factors, access to reliable medical care and a healthy dose of good luck. It follows, therefore, that anyone serious about improving their chances of a long life is better off seeking the credible advice of a doctor, not taking speculative tips from a pensioner.

The treatments doctors use to keep us healthy are tested by a process of empirical research and clinical trials. Considering health and wealth are both high on the list of priorities for many people, it is a shame that the investment industry is typically less rigorous than the healthcare industry.

Most people turn to the investment industry to help them research their investments. This is the same as asking a pensioner how they have lived so long. The industry’s self-analysis can range from outlandish to plausible, but it will almost never be based on scientific study.

We take a different approach; one that is based on scientific rigour and hard evidence. This approach identifies the sources of investment return and we aim to deliver them to you.

This gives us confidence that we understand why your investments behave the way they do and why we are more able to design investment portfolios that suit your needs.