Investing is one of the most morally charged and important things we can do. If we’re privileged enough to be among the few who have more money than is necessary to survive, we must be careful about how we allocate that excess capital. Ultimately, it could determine how the world works for our family for generations to come. So as you’re building your watchlist, keep in mind that you are buying businesses, NOT stocks.For instance, although the marijuana industry is starting to grow, you would still have to ask yourself if it fits within your values if you were considering investing in a marijuana production company. Are you proud to own the business as if it were your own? These are all things you have to ask yourself while analyzing companies in any industry.You also must consider the predictability of a company in the marijuana industry, since they are typically younger and therefore carry more risk. In these cases, there is typically less public information about those companies, making it harder to perform a proper analysis in your initial researching phase of investing. The essence of Rule #1 is “don’t lose money,” but what that means in practical terms is to invest with certainty. Certainty comes from this: buying wonderful businesses at attractive prices. In Rule #1 investing, the word ‘wonderful’ actually encompasses four simple elements, which we call the Four Ms. First, the company must have Meaning to you. This refers to understanding the industry, and if the industry has meaning to you, then you understand the environment in which the business competes.The next M is Moat, which refers to the durability of the business—or the competitive advantage a company has over other companies in the same industry. Just as Moat protects a castle from attack, a durable competitive advantage protects a company. The third M is Management. Rule #1 investors only support businesses that have a CEO who is service-oriented, passionate about their business, honest, and experienced. While you can make money from a business with just Meaning and Moat, when you add in good Management, you’re less likely to suffer through a period when a traitor is running the show poorly and costing you money.Finally, the last of the Four Ms is Margin of Safety (MOS). MOS is essentially a large discount on the sticker price or intrinsic value—typically around 50% off.Understanding how to determine a company’s true value is so critical to stockpiling. Investors have gotten very rich buying companies, but unless they were very lucky, they only got rich because they knew the value of those businesses first. That’s why today, Phil and Danielle answer fan questions regarding business analysis, and discuss why it’s important to invest in companies that reflect your personal values. If you want to learn more about analyzing companies on your watchlist, download Phil’s Four Ms for Successful Investing Checklist: https://bit.ly/2FJNAuw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the core Rule #1 investing principles is to buy wonderful companies at attractive prices. This helps take the risk out of investing and makes it easier to get fantastic returns. However, there are other factors that you must consider before you commit to any companies on your watchlist.A great company encompasses four simple elements, and we call these elements the “Four Ms of Investing.”First, the company must have Meaning to you. This means you understand the business as if it were your own, you’re proud to own the business, and the business reflects your values. Meaning is often the factor that differentiates between truly investing in a company with confidence and simply gambling on whether or not they will grow in value.Next, the business must meet certain criteria in terms of financial strength and predictability. This is considered Moat. The business needs to have something that prevents their competition from coming in and stealing away the control they have over their market. By investing in a company with a Moat, you can ensure that you don’t lose your investment due to that company being watered down by competition.The third factor is Management, because every company is only as good as the people who are leading it! Far too often, companies are sunk due to dishonest or poor management. This is why it’s important to take your time to research the people who are leading a company, and make sure they have a track record of integrity, as well as success.Last, the business must have a large Margin of Safety (MOS). MOS essentially means you can buy a dollar of value for fifty cents. If you know what a business is worth, you must be able to buy it at a cheaper price. This will lead to high returns, and can eventually make you very rich.There are also red flags to consider when analyzing companies. For example, you should always be wary of CEOs that are selling off their shares of the company. This is tied to insider trading, or the trading of a public company's stock based on nonpublic information about the company. When people hear “insider trading,” they probably think of situations like Martha Stewart going to jail for this practice. But, what a lot of people don’t realize is that insider trading is essentially legal if the CEO in question notifies the SEC that they’re doing it within 48 hours of the sale.Do you understand the company and why their mission is important? Does it have a genuine, tangible competitive advantage? Is it run by good people? Is it on sale? By getting the answers to these critical questions, you’ll know whether or not you should invest in this company.Today, Phil and Danielle answer fan questions regarding company valuation, and explain why it’s important to do your research and due diligence before committing to any companies on your watchlist. If you want to learn more about analyzing companies, download Phil’s Four Ms for Successful Investing Checklist: https://bit.ly/32aNNQz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Invest in what you understand. Sounds simple, right? Shouldn’t everyone be investing in what they understand? Warren Buffett once stated that defining your circle of competence is the most important aspect of investing. Circle of competence is tricky to define, but is essentially built by the things you are passionate about, what you’re talented or good at, and things you spend money on. It could even be related to the industry you currently work in and are knowledgeable about. The goal is to be proud of the companies you own, and how your money is being used to support those businesses.In many ways, defining your circle of competence comes naturally. However, as you live your life, your interests will change and expand, and you can apply these new interests to your investing strategy.Take Warren Buffett for example. Much of the reason why he invested in Coca Cola is simply because he appreciates the company and enjoys the product. It aligns with his values, thus making it a great fit within his circle of competence. Let me give you another example. I’m a fan of motorcycles, so researching and investing in Harley Davidson was a natural choice for me. Since Harley Davidson is a company that is within my circle of competence, I enjoyed learning about them, I understand their business more easily, and am happy to have owned the company.Investing in your circle of confidence will help you reduce risk and makes your initial stages of research much more enjoyable. Although, it’s an often overlooked factor since many investors feel that they can make money with any company—regardless of whether they understand it or whether it aligns with their values. Today, Phil and Danielle dive deeper into the concept of circle of competence, and why it is a critical part of successful investing.If you want to learn more about your own circle of competence, download my FREE 3 Circles Exercise Guide. It will help point you in the right direction so you can invest in businesses you understand!: https://bit.ly/3luGI4V Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Rule #1 investing, we call “buying on sale” purchasing stocks with a Margin of Safety. All you have to do to get a big MOS is know the value of the business you are buying—as a business—and then wait to buy it until the market drops much lower than the value. Today, Phil and Danielle dive deeper into Margin of Safety valuations, and explain why understanding how to value a company is critical to stockpiling. For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A powerful way to arrive at the margin of safety price is the “How long before I get my money back” method—aka Payback Time. If you buy the whole business and pocket all the earnings, Payback Time is the time it would take you to get your investment back. Once you get all of your money out of the business, you have no risk. Today, Phil and Danielle discuss this concept in depth, and explain why knowing Payback Time eliminates many fears of investing.For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve done the initial Four Ms analysis of companies on your watchlist, but your work is not complete. The next step in the researching process is critical, and tells you whether or not the business is worth purchasing. Being at this point in your analysis means that you’re highly confident that the company is going to be larger and more productive in ten years. Today, Phil and Danielle discuss this next step in the research process, and cover how to calculate margin of safety using the ten cap valuation process. For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the researching phase of investing, it’s important to understand who the major players are and who else owns shares of the companies on your watchlist. However, insider disclosure rules are changing and will change the way this information is presented to the public. In today’s episode of InvestED, Phil and Danielle discuss factors that indicate large investors stepping in to purchase stocks, and the reasons why small investors have an advantage.For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Management is one of the key factors to consider when looking for companies to purchase, and that involves analyzing the CEO’s compensation. You must understand how management gets compensated, and know that they are getting paid for building a better company—not for having a better stock price. This week on InvestED, Phil and Danielle discuss why it’s important for CEOs to get compensated for having low debt, high free cash flow, high owner earnings, and expanding the moat to protect against competition. For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Ackman’s checklist is straightforward and reflects the basic principles of Rule #1 investing. But sometimes a company’s story has changed, so you must research further to determine if you need to hedge, or even exit a position. This week on InvestED, Phil and Danielle discuss Ackman’s checklist more in-depth, and explain why keeping things simple is ultimately the best route to go in an investing situation.For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Ackman is a successful investor who we can learn from. Although his checklist slightly differs from the traditional value investing checklist, it still aligns with the principles of Rule #1 investing. He believes that an excellent company is simple and predictable, has a dominant market position, and a limited exposure to intrinsic risk. This week on InvestED, Phil discusses Ackman’s list in-depth, and explains why he has adopted this style of investing himself.For show notes and more information, visit www.investedpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices