Comments on: Financial Bloggers: The Conscience of Wall Street? http://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/ Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control Fri, 25 May 2012 21:31:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rick Konradhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18382 Rick Konrad Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:36:04 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18382 David, I share much of your sentiment. Being a proud CFA charterholder myself, I recognize its value in what actually is a very broad body of knowledge. The ability to dissect financial statements, to understand accounting choices, and to do financial analysis are well-honed skills for most charter-holders. However, they are hardly an exclusive province for CFA charterholders. Getting a CFA charter is a very tough hurdle which tells the outside world that you have achieved an above average level of investment knowledge.But that, in and of itself doesn't make you a superior investor anymore than possession of a driver's licence prepares you for Indy. Interpretation of a company's strategic direction, understanding the nature of competition, and most importantly understanding the competitive advantage period for a business are skills that evolve from experience and insight and are derived from mosaic theory. A liberal arts or science education provides great insights into logical thinking and writing. Your blog does represent in my opinion, a high quality resource that exhibits not only the acumen of the CFA Body of Knowledge but also a high caliber of interpretive thought. Keep up the good work! David, I share much of your sentiment. Being a proud CFA charterholder myself, I recognize its value in what actually is a very broad body of knowledge. The ability to dissect financial statements, to understand accounting choices, and to do financial analysis are well-honed skills for most charter-holders. However, they are hardly an exclusive province for CFA charterholders.

Getting a CFA charter is a very tough hurdle which tells the outside world that you have achieved an above average level of investment knowledge.But that, in and of itself doesn’t make you a superior investor anymore than possession of a driver’s licence prepares you for Indy.

Interpretation of a company’s strategic direction, understanding the nature of competition, and most importantly understanding the competitive advantage period for a business are skills that evolve from experience and insight and are derived from mosaic theory.

A liberal arts or science education provides great insights into logical thinking and writing.

Your blog does represent in my opinion, a high quality resource that exhibits not only the acumen of the CFA Body of Knowledge but also a high caliber of interpretive thought.

Keep up the good work!

]]> By: Markhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18372 Mark Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:28:40 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18372 The site has such great content ... perhaps some 'looks' to go along with it. The site has such great content … perhaps some ‘looks’ to go along with it.

]]> By: David Merkelhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18371 David Merkel Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:24:18 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18371 What would you be looking for in a site upgrade? What would you be looking for in a site upgrade?

]]> By: Markhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18369 Mark Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:36:58 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18369 Of course Aleph Blog is up there with the best quality sources for analysis. I hope a site upgrade isn't out of the question though! Of course Aleph Blog is up there with the best quality sources for analysis. I hope a site upgrade isn’t out of the question though!

]]> By: David Harperhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18368 David Harper Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:49:56 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18368 I don't think the article implies "CFAs are better investors than bloggers." Rather, it merely implies CFAs don't use blogs to make work product. If blogs are the latest form of (conversational) media, isn't the question: do advisors (if CFAs are a fair sample) use blogs any more/less than other public media sources (e.g., newspapers)? Maybe CFAs take to heart Standard V re: diligence and reasonable basis; i.e., blogs tend to be secondary on secondary sources.` I don’t think the article implies “CFAs are better investors than bloggers.” Rather, it merely implies CFAs don’t use blogs to make work product. If blogs are the latest form of (conversational) media, isn’t the question: do advisors (if CFAs are a fair sample) use blogs any more/less than other public media sources (e.g., newspapers)?

Maybe CFAs take to heart Standard V re: diligence and reasonable basis; i.e., blogs tend to be secondary on secondary sources.`

]]> By: Paul in Kansas Cityhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18365 Paul in Kansas City Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:27:21 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18365 Great blog today. I do miss your Real Money stuff though! David you are an inspiration to all of us to improve the quality of our work. Great blog today. I do miss your Real Money stuff though! David you are an inspiration to all of us to improve the quality of our work.

]]> By: David Merkelhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18364 David Merkel Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:03:42 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18364 Barry and Prieur, what a pleasant surprise. Thanks for coming by and commenting. Barry and Prieur, what a pleasant surprise. Thanks for coming by and commenting.

]]> By: Prieur du Plessishttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18363 Prieur du Plessis Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:54:55 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18363 David, congratulations on a well-argued and sincere response. The quality of your blogging speaks for itself. David, congratulations on a well-argued and sincere response. The quality of your blogging speaks for itself.

]]> By: Barry Ritholtzhttp://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18362 Barry Ritholtz Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:41:38 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18362 I couldn't agree more! I couldn’t agree more!

]]> By: A.S.http://alephblog.com/2008/08/21/financial-bloggers-the-conscience-of-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-18360 A.S. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:12:22 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=823#comment-18360 David, Your blog IMHO ranks in the top percentile of the many, many financial blogs I scan daily. Not because of the quality of writing only, but quality of analysis based on experience, discrimination and independent thinking. There are too many claiming to be financial writers who regurgitate what they've read elsewhere, esp. on the "consolidator" financial websites. Thanks for taking time to share your valuable insights via your blog, which surely must be taking time from other important tasks. David,
Your blog IMHO ranks in the top percentile of the many, many financial blogs I scan daily. Not because of the quality of writing only, but quality of analysis based on
experience, discrimination and independent thinking.

There are too many claiming to be financial writers who regurgitate what they’ve read elsewhere, esp. on the “consolidator” financial websites.

Thanks for taking time to share your valuable insights via your blog, which surely must be taking time from other important tasks.

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