We sadly learned the news that Charlie Munger, investment lion, passed away November 28th at the age of 99. Munger was about a month shy of his 100th birthday (January 1st). He was not as widely known as some of the bigger names in the industry (Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Carl Icahn, George Soros), and many of those who were aware of him thought he was merely Warren Buffett’s sidekick or lieutenant. Charlie’s role and influence was vastly greater. In many ways Warren Buffett owes his investment philosophy to the lesser-known man. Munger shared both his knowledge and inspiration with Buffett. Do not take my word for it, but those of Buffett himself. “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price. Charlie understood this early; I was a slow learner.”
For us personally at Curran, we owe a debt to Munger because his views on investing and his investment philosophy are similar to our own. Buy great companies at reasonable prices. Concentrate and focus your investments on your best ideas. Remain patient, disciplined and rational, especially during times of market and company specific stress. Perform your own research independent from Wall Street. Invest in companies for the long term, many years. And always be reading and learning.
Much of what we have learned from Munger will never prove fashionable or popular because his views on life and investing were by his own admission simple. He even conceded that to many, his views may even sound trite. But how could it be in a world containing so few men like Charlie Munger? I will end with what we refer to as “Mungerisms”. Here are two of my favorites; “Capitalism without failure is like religion without hell.” “The fundamental algorithm of life: repeat what works.” At Curran we believe that quality endures, and, like Munger, will repeat what works.
Best,
Kevin Curran
Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer
At Curran we value service over sales and believe quality service yields happy clients. Below is our 4-step process (the first three steps at no cost to you).
A short introductory call for us to get to know one other. During this call we will discuss your financial goals, concerns and hopes for the future.
In this meeting we will go over your current financial situation, take a deeper look at your goals, discuss your risk tolerances, and collect the data necessary to build a formal proposal.
Based on our data gathering session, our Private Wealth Managers will present you with a custom proposal tailored to your needs. We encourage individuals to take the time to evaluate this proposal.
If you are comfortable with the proposal and choose to invest with Curran, our team will be there every step of the way assisting in opening the recommended accounts and facilitating all necessary parts of your onboarding process.
