Why do so many value investors live modestly, drive unfashionable cars, and get strangely excited about discounted groceries?

In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, we explore the surprising connection between frugality and value investing — and why the principles taught by Benjamin Graham often extend far beyond the stock market.

From dented tins of beans to £5,000 sports cars, we examine how concepts like margin of safety, intrinsic value, and capital allocation quietly reshape everyday decisions.

Why did Warren Buffett remain in a modest home for decades?
Why do value investors resist status-driven spending?
And what does supermarket discount hunting reveal about investing temperament?

This episode explores:

• The psychology behind frugality
• Margin of safety in daily life
• Status signalling vs intrinsic value
• Optionality and financial resilience
• How value investing rewires perception

Because investing is not about brilliance in isolated moments — it’s about temperament over time.

And once you truly internalise the difference between price and value, you begin to see mispricing everywhere.

Including aisle seven of the supermarket.

If you’re interested in value investing, behavioural finance, Warren Buffett’s philosophy, or the mindset behind long-term wealth building, this episode is for you.

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In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, we explore one of the most frustrating experiences in investing: watching carefully chosen undervalued stocks underperform for months — or even years — while speculative assets surge.

Drawing on the teachings of Benjamin Graham, widely regarded as the father of value investing and mentor to Warren Buffett, we examine why value investing can feel ineffective in the short term — and why that discomfort may actually be part of the strategy’s long-term edge.

We revisit Graham’s timeless insights from The Intelligent Investor, including the famous “voting machine vs. weighing machine” analogy, and explore real-world case studies:

• Buffett’s early investment in GEICO
• Graham’s experience managing the Graham-Newman Partnership during the Great Depression
• The prolonged value investing slump following the 2008 Financial Crisis

Why do undervalued stocks sometimes keep falling?
Why does the market reward speculation over fundamentals?
And how can disciplined investors stay the course when value strategies lag behind growth stocks?

This episode breaks down the psychological challenges of value investing, the role of patience in long-term returns, and the critical difference between price and intrinsic value.

If you’re a long-term investor struggling with underperformance, market volatility, or doubts about your strategy, this episode will reinforce a timeless truth: value investing isn’t broken — but your patience might be tested.

Stay disciplined. Stay rational. And let the weighing machine do its work.

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Warren Buffett is widely celebrated as the greatest stock picker of all time. But what if that popular belief misses the real source of his success?

In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, David Coombs explores a provocative idea: Buffett’s enduring advantage is not stock selection — it is capital allocation.

From his early days applying Benjamin Graham’s value investing principles to the transformation of Berkshire Hathaway into a permanent capital allocation machine, we examine how Buffett evolved from elite stock picker to master allocator of capital.

You’ll learn:

• Why capital allocation matters more than stock picking
• How insurance float gives Berkshire a structural advantage
• The difference between investing and intelligent capital deployment
• Why doing nothing is often the most rational decision
• What individual investors can learn from Buffett’s discipline

In a world obsessed with hot stocks, bold predictions, and constant activity, Buffett’s real edge lies in patience, restraint, and rational capital deployment.

If you want to think like a long-term investor — not a market speculator — this episode will change how you view investing.

Stock picking can make you rich. Capital allocation determines whether you stay that way.

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In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, we step away from stock prices, market forecasts, and short-term noise to explore how one of history’s greatest investors actually thought.

Charlie Munger, long-time partner of Warren Buffett and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, believed that investment success was not driven by complex formulas or superior intelligence—but by sound judgment, emotional discipline, and the consistent avoidance of obvious mistakes. His influence fundamentally reshaped modern value investing.

This episode explores Munger’s most important mental models, including inversion, circle of competence, incentives, second-order thinking, opportunity cost, and the psychological biases that cause investors to make repeated errors. Rather than focusing on what to buy, Munger focused on how to think when uncertainty is unavoidable and emotions run high.

You’ll learn why Munger emphasized temperament over intellect, why avoiding stupidity can be more powerful than seeking brilliance, and how clear thinking—not prediction—can become a durable edge in investing. These principles aren’t about constant activity or clever trades. They’re about patience, discipline, and positioning yourself to benefit from long-term compounding.

Whether you’re a long-term investor, student of value investing, or simply interested in better decision-making, this episode offers timeless insights into how great investors approach risk, uncertainty, and opportunity.

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What does it take for a company to survive—and thrive—for the next 100 years?

In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, David Coombs introduces the 100-Year Stock Test, a long-term value investing framework inspired by the principles of Benjamin Graham and enduring business fundamentals. Instead of chasing short-term market trends, this episode challenges investors to think like long-term owners and focus on resilience, durability, and structural strength.

You’ll learn why most companies fail within decades—and what sets the rare survivors apart. We explore the key traits shared by century-long businesses, including durable demand, economic moats, financial discipline, risk management, and adaptability without abandoning core principles.

From consumer staples and healthcare to utilities and essential infrastructure, this episode explains which industries are most likely to endure—and why businesses built on hype, excessive debt, or fragile models often fail. You’ll also discover how corporate culture, conservative balance sheets, and thoughtful innovation contribute to long-term survival.

Whether you’re a value investor, long-term shareholder, or simply looking to reduce risk and invest more intelligently, the 100-Year Stock Test offers a powerful mental framework for evaluating business quality beyond price charts and short-term performance.

If you believe investing is about preserving capital, compounding wealth, and owning strong businesses, this episode will help you sharpen your decision-making and avoid common investing mistakes.

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In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, we explore the dark side of finance by examining some of the worst balance sheets in modern corporate history. Instead of celebrating great businesses, we analyse how Enron, Lehman Brothers, and WeWork—once admired, widely owned, and highly praised—were ultimately destroyed by weak financial foundations.

Each of these companies appeared successful on the surface, but beneath the headlines and hype were excessive leverage, hidden liabilities, poor cash flow, and dangerous balance sheet structures. Drawing inspiration from the timeless principles of Benjamin Graham and value investing, this episode explains why the balance sheet reveals truths that income statements and growth stories often conceal.

You’ll learn:

• Why complex balance sheets and off-balance-sheet liabilities are major red flags
• How excessive debt and leverage turn small problems into catastrophic failures
• Why great stories and rapid growth can’t compensate for weak financial discipline
• What value investors should look for when analysing balance sheets today

From Enron’s accounting deception, to Lehman Brothers’ extreme leverage, to WeWork’s cash-burning business model, these case studies offer powerful lessons on risk, survival, and long-term investing success.

Markets may reward hype in the short term, but history shows that financial reality always wins. For investors who care about capital preservation, resilience, and intelligent decision-making, the balance sheet remains the most important financial statement of all.

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Are net-net stocks—Benjamin Graham’s most extreme value-investing strategy—still alive in today’s hyper-efficient markets?

In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, David Coombs revisits the legendary net-net investing strategy, a deep-value approach made famous by Benjamin Graham, and examines whether it still works in 2026. Once considered the purest form of margin of safety, net-net investing involves buying stocks for less than their net current asset value, often paying less than liquidation value for an entire business.

You’ll learn:

• What net-net investing really is (and why it’s so misunderstood)
• Why net-nets nearly disappeared from public markets
• Where net-net stocks still exist today—including microcaps and foreign markets
• How modern investors can apply Graham’s logic in 2026
• The real risks of net-net investing, including value traps and zombie companies
• Why human psychology still creates deep value opportunities

We explore real-world examples from U.S. microcaps, Japanese equities, and distressed industries, showing how fear, neglect, and boredom continue to produce statistically cheap investments—just as Graham predicted decades ago.

If you’re interested in value investing, Benjamin Graham principles, deep value stocks, or finding opportunities where others refuse to look, this episode will challenge how you think about risk, patience, and intelligent investing.

🎧 Subscribe to Intelligent Investment Today for more timeless investing lessons inspired by Benjamin Graham—applied to modern markets.

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What would happen if the stock market shut down for an entire year — no trading, no price quotes, no daily volatility?

In this episode of Intelligent Investment Today, we explore a powerful thought experiment inspired by Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing and mentor to Warren Buffett. By imagining a world without market prices, we strip investing back to its essentials and confront the timeless distinction between price and value, speculation and investment, and activity and intelligence.

With markets silent, which assets would still make sense to own? Which businesses would continue to generate real value? And how many modern investment strategies rely more on liquidity, psychology, and constant repricing than on fundamental worth?

This episode examines:

• Why cash flow matters more when markets are closed
• How liquidity can be a luxury rather than a guarantee
• The psychological impact of investing without price feedback
• What a true margin of safety looks like in practice
• Why patient ownership, not constant action, lies at the heart of intelligent investing

Rather than predicting crises or market shutdowns, this discussion sharpens your understanding of long-term ownership, discipline, and clarity — exactly as Benjamin Graham intended.

If you want to invest with confidence even when markets are quiet, this episode is for you.

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