Sorry.
Yesterday, I emailed you to let you know I was going to hold a YouTube LIVE today at midday, AEST.
And then the emails started coming in.
Apparently there’s a soccer game or something at the same time…
I jest… there is a very important World Cup game at midday between the Socceroos and Paraguay.
Naively, I knew the game was on today, but I didn’t check the time. Our last game was at 5am AEST, and it didn’t occur to me that today’s game would be at midday.
I should have checked. As they say, you know what happens when you assume.
So… please accept my apologies for the false start. We’ll reschedule.
But it won’t be for a few weeks.
The reason is that I’m taking some annual leave.
As I do pretty regularly at this time of year, we’re about to kick off a family road trip, this time heading up to Cape York.
We’re spending three weeks doing the loop from Cairns to The Tip (the northern-most point of mainland Australia) and back.
What about the investment services I work on? What about my portfolio?
Good questions.
If you’re a Motley Fool member, please know that we have a strong team in place, and you’ll see no impact on your membership or the delivery of content.
Also, we’re long term investors.
Sure, there’s a chance that at some point while I’m away, there’ll be some news that does impact our view on a recommendation.
And if that happens, our team will evaluate the new information (and I’ll be contactable while I’m away, if they need me).
But the odds of that are pretty low.
Share prices might move… but they always do.
Sentiment might change… but it always does.
Will things happen that change our expectation of the long-term prospects of the companies we’ve recommended you own?
That’s far, far less likely.
Which is also precisely why I’m not doing anything to my portfolio before I leave.
Because yes, share prices might fall.
But also, they might rise.
News could be bad.
Or it could be good.
And remember… over time economies tend to grow, profits tend to rise, dividends tend to rise and share prices tend to rise.
The next few weeks will be me walking the talk.
I write – and yes, talk – regularly about long-term investing. About buying quality companies at decent prices, and letting time do the work.
If you’re a sceptical person, you might think ‘well, it’s fine for you to say that, but what happens when the rubber hits the road?’.
And the next few weeks will be exactly that.
Not only literally – we’ll be doing quite a few miles – but metaphorically, because you’ll see me living that approach in real time.
I suspect you’ll probably hear from me while I’m away, too. No promises – and I’ll try to avoid sporting events! – because it’s a family holiday and I want to be present.
But I’m often up earlier or killing some time while the family is doing other things. So if I have the chance, and have the inspiration, I might just pop up here, while I’m away.
A few weeks feels like a long time, when you’re going through it.
When prices are volatile, when headlines are shouting, when talking heads are prognosticating, and when politicians are doing, well, politician things, a day can feel like a week and a week can feel like a month.
But I took a similar holiday at this time last year. Do you remember what happened during that time? I didn’t think so. Me either.
The year before? The year before that?
Exactly.
It can be really hard to keep perspective at the time, but I find it helpful to think back to those times to remind myself to not get caught up in short-term volatility.
The market might be higher when I get back. Or lower.
My portfolio might be larger… or smaller.
My recommendations might be worth more… or less.
But my – or your – presence or absence won’t change that.
That’s the key lesson.
(And go the Socceroos!)
