The first reason I admire Warren Buffett is he is renowned for being one of the world’s most successful investors. The second reason I look up to the Oracle of Omaha is he has personal wealth exceeding $102bn, making him the world’s fifth-richest man.
The third reason I’m a huge fan of Warren Buffett is, together with Bill Gates, he is one of the world’s most generous philanthropists. ‘Uncle Warren’ has already donated tens of billions of dollars to good causes — and he intends to give away 99% of his entire wealth before his death. And the fourth reason I worship Warren is for the homespun, folksy, and yet powerful wisdom he freely shares with the world.
How I’d invest today the Warren Buffett way
If I were starting out today as a newbie investor, here are four quotes from Warren Buffett I’d use to invest £5,000 into an ISA:
1. “The worst investment you can have is cash. Cash is going to become worth less over time”.
Currently, UK inflation (the rising cost of living) is running hot at 9.4% a year. Over time, rising prices will erode the value of my savings. Therefore, I would put them to work in the stock market, by buying fairly valued or cheap shares in great businesses. And I’ve been doing this aggressively since June.
2. “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price, than a fair company at a wonderful price”.
In the first half of 2022, as global share prices fell, I invested very little into stocks and shares. But Warren Buffett showed me that it’s okay to pay fair or even premium prices to invest in quality companies. For example, I recently bought into America’s second-largest supermarket chain, after its shares crashed almost 50% from their 52-week high. It’s a great corporation and I think I bought its shares at a bargain price.
3. “Never invest in a business you cannot understand”.
Since 29 June, my wife and I have invested a chunk of cash into 10 new shares. These include well-known UK banks, insurance companies, a housebuilder, and a global miner. To me, these are all simple, easy-to-grasp firms with clear and simple business plans. What’s more, all generate plenty of cash flow and pay generous dividends to shareholders. No loss-making, ‘jam tomorrow’ tech stocks for me, thank you.
4. “The best chance to deploy capital is when things are going down”.
Warren Buffett made this comment in an interview about share buybacks in February 2018. For me, this approach is a key part of my investing strategy. I love buying market-down shares at discounted prices, much as I enjoy buying discounted consumer goods. Indeed, many of the 10 shares we bought lately had fallen 25% to 50% from their previous highs. As an old-school northerner, I just love a bargain, me.
To sum up, my investing goal is to — as Warren Buffett said way back in 1991 — “Just buy something for less than it’s worth”. By buying shares inside an ISA and holding them for years, my cash dividends and capital gains (selling profits) can snowball tax-free. And this boring, safe approach to ISA investing has served me well over the last 35 years!
Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.
