Baggot Street Investment Partners - Peter Brown.

[Always Learning]

Hi All,

Probably a long shot but has anyone here used his services? If you could provide any feedback on your experience that would be great. I've met with them and liked what I heard, but lots of people can talk the talk. Some insight on their performance / capabilities from someone who knows would be a great help.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

There is no reason why he should be any better or worse than any other general financial advisory firm.

However, I think you are better off going to a Certified Financial Planner which is the highest form of qualification e.g. Steven Barrett who contributes to Askaboutmoney is one.

Our Story - Bluewater Financial Planning

At Bluewater Financial Planning, our goal is to work with you over your working lifetime and into retirement. We will help you along the way as your life changes and your plans and ambitions change too. We will show you what changes have to be made to stay on track. We will worry about the […]

www.bluewaterfp.ie

I don't know if Peter Brown is one, but from listening to him on the radio from time to time, I doubt it.

Brendan

 

[joe sod]

I have never used them but Peter Brown is always on the ball, he was well ahead of most finance guys in Ireland in warning about the over valuation in the US and government bond markets and the prospect of inflation returning. Sure the Irish central bank was pooh poohing high inflation rates as recently as a year ago

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Peter Brown is always on the ball,

Hi Joe

I really don't think you can say that without documenting all his forecasts over the last ten years and comparing them with the outcomes.

So the best you can say is that "Peter Brown is sometimes on the ball".

I doubt that he has any supernatural abilities. He probably gets some calls right and others wrong.

Brendan

 

[joe sod]

@Brendan Burgess well I meant he is prepared to make bold predictions and go against the consensus, it was pretty bold to be advising people to stay away from tech and bonds 2 years ago and that inflation was returning. Nobody else in the Irish financial commentary was saying that.

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Hi All,

Probably a long shot but has anyone here used his services? If you could provide any feedback on your experience that would be great. I've met with them and liked what I heard, but lots of people can talk the talk. Some insight on their performance / capabilities from someone who knows would be a great help.

I would be very wary of dealing with a smaller provider like that.

I put people like Peter Brown and Paul Sommerville in similar buckets, i.e. shock jocks with some media profile who terrify investors and get airtime with their regular predictions of doom in markets.

It drives the worst kind of investor behaviours.

I give people like that zero credit for anything they’ve said about inflation or tech stocks over the last two years because they’ve been saying the same thing for the last 10 years!

 

[Steven Barrett]

Hi All,

Probably a long shot but has anyone here used his services? If you could provide any feedback on your experience that would be great. I've met with them and liked what I heard, but lots of people can talk the talk. Some insight on their performance / capabilities from someone who knows would be a great help.

Do you want an active or passive investment strategy?

Financial advisors have zero impact on fund performance. They shouldn't receive praise when markets go up and shouldn't be blamed when markets go down. Both are outside of their control.

What they should do it guide you through the maze of financial products and funds, finding the one most suitable for you. And helping you plan for your future, so you have enough money to enjoy life.


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie

 

[Early Riser]

I really don't think you can say that without documenting all his forecasts over the last ten years and comparing them with the outcomes.

Does this also apply here?

I put people like Peter Brown and Paul Sommerville in similar buckets, i.e. shock jocks who terrify investors with their regular predictions of doom in markets.

 

[Always Learning]

Do you want an active or passive investment strategy?

I will split the investment strategy. Some will be allocated toward a more active approach, Peter's business partner David seems to look after that aspect and picks the stocks. Obviously with input from from the investor if they have certain parameters or ethical motivations. The other half would be more passive, pick some funds / stocks, try to leave them alone for the most part and hope that compound interest does it's thing over a 20+ year period.

What they should do it guide you through the maze of financial products and funds, finding the one most suitable for you. And helping you plan for your future, so you have enough money to enjoy life.

I've spoken with financial planners and gotten (what I deem to be) good advice. They quizzed me in depth about what I want to achieve, appetite for risk, what I consider I need to be comfortable etc. etc. I found it to be quite thorough. I was given a plan which outlined the steps I need to take in order to achieve the goals that I mentioned and I was happy with that document. Part of that plan was investing in stocks, part of it was investing in property and other ventures.

Property and other ventures, I have some experience in and can navigate those minefields with a degree of confidence. The stock market, I have zero experience in and not much knowledge other than the books and articles I've been reading since deciding to invest. It's that aspect I'm considering going to Baggot Street for help with.

 

[ClubMan]

@Brendan Burgess well I meant he is prepared to make bold predictions and go against the consensus, it was pretty bold to be advising people to stay away from tech and bonds 2 years ago and that inflation was returning. Nobody else in the Irish financial commentary was saying that.

Does he do horoscopes as well?

 

[Gordon Gekko]

@Brendan Burgess well I meant he is prepared to make bold predictions and go against the consensus, it was pretty bold to be advising people to stay away from tech and bonds 2 years ago and that inflation was returning. Nobody else in the Irish financial commentary was saying that.

And what was he saying 4/6/8/10 years ago?

 

[Steven Barrett]

@Brendan Burgess well I meant he is prepared to make bold predictions and go against the consensus, it was pretty bold to be advising people to stay away from tech and bonds 2 years ago and that inflation was returning. Nobody else in the Irish financial commentary was saying that.

Article I wrote in July 2020.

Will all this stimulus lead to inflation? - Bluewater Financial Planning

Inflation is good for economies as it drives consumption. If you think something will be cheaper tomorrow, you will hold off buying it until the price falls. Production will fall and people will be laid off. Companies can then pay staff less as they can be easily replaced. By prices increasing...

www.bluewaterfp.ie

I am not an economist or investment analyst. It was widely reported that the longer QE went on, the more likely the chances of high inflation. Then when it did arrive, there was a big debate as to whether it was transitory or not. Economists were split on this, with differing opinions that both held weight.

I don't know the people of Baggot Street Investments. But if making bold predictions is their thing, they have a very different investment philosophy to me. I avoid making bold predictions at all costs (again, I am not an economist or investment analyst). When you make bold predictions and they work out, you are a genius and you make your clients lots of money. When they don't, you are responsible for taking unnecessary risks with clients money and the big losses that they have suffered as a result of your bold predications.

If clients get the average returns of the market, they will make money. That's my job, to ensure they make money through prudent investment.


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie

 

[joe sod]

And what was he saying 4/6/8/10 years ago?

He was probably a bit early with regard to the US markets and US dollar being overvalued in 2020 but he was bang on about inflation and the bond markets and Europe.

I actually had a post about his thoughts from listening to an interview with him on newstalk back in 2020, remember we were at the start of the covid lockdowns so predicting that inflation was coming and that us tech was overvalued was pretty radical especially in Ireland where all these guys just sit on the fence and never say anything interesting.

I was actually surprised at the vitriol and disdain I got from people on this site about him , I'm thinking maybe there must be a personality issue or something there as Dublin is a small place in the financial world.
Never met him or never used his company just basing my thoughts on interviews and articles he has done. All he is doing is getting investors to look at the big picture and position their investments towards undervaluation and away from overvaluation

 

[Brendan Burgess]

I was actually surprised at the vitriol and disdain I got from people on this site about him

When was that? I can't find occasional mentions of him on Askaboutmoney but no vitriol.

Most people on Askaboutmoney believe you can't beat the index by active investing so would have no time for people who claim that they can or who run courses to teach people how to do it.

And the future is uncertain and unpredictable. So when someone comes on the radio and tells the listeners confidently what will happen, they probably get treated with disdain by many on askaboutmoney.

Brendan

 

[joe sod]

When was that? I can't find occasional mentions of him on Askaboutmoney but no vitriol.

Maybe vitriol is a bit strong but definitely disdain and ridicule of his viewpoints.

 

[Always Learning]

Interesting, I didn't realise he was known as a "Doomsday Prophet" kind of guy. I must say he certainly didn't come across like that to me when we met. In contrast to say Paul Sommerville whom I spoke with also, but I immediately got that impression from him which turned me off. What I heard from Peter is that while a lot of the market is / was overvalued, there is still a lot of value to be had out there, just not in the same areas we are used to.

I just Googled a few articles and I don't see the doom gloom warnings either. Granted it was just a quick search! Perhaps there are loads
@Gordon Gekko - is it possible you've tarred him with the same brush as Paul Sommerville unfairly? Or is that really his thing?

Again, I know next to nothing about investing only what I've began reading in the last 6 months. So perhaps he is another shock jock, I just wasn't aware of that. Any one else had any experience with him or opinions on him?

 

[ClubMan]

He was probably a bit early with regard to the US markets and US dollar being overvalued in 2020 but he was bang on about inflation and the bond markets and Europe.

"A bit early" presumably means "wrong"?
So he's got a 50:50/as good as chance track record on predicting the future?

 

[Early Riser]

I just Googled a few articles and I don't see the doom gloom warnings either. Granted it was just a quick search! Perhaps there are loads
@Gordon Gekko - is it possible you've tarred him with the same brush as Paul Sommerville unfairly? Or is that really his thing?

He is often interviewed during the business section of RTE lunchtime news. Just commentary and analysis and no "doom gloom warnings". I have no idea what he is like as an investment adviser but the pejorative labelling here is just nonesense (or "shock-jocking", maybe).

 

[Brendan Burgess]

definitely disdain and ridicule of his viewpoints.

Hi Joe

Most of use would disagree with him.

I would prefer to recommend an advisor who doesn't claim superhuman forecasting powers. It means that they recognise their own limitations. When I hear someone making confident forecasts, I realise that they don't recognise their own limitations.

Brendan

 

[Gordon Gekko]

He is often interviewed during the business section of RTE lunchtime news. Just commentary and analysis and no "doom gloom warnings". I have no idea what he is like as an investment adviser but the pejorative labelling here is just nonesense (or "shock-jocking", maybe).

Peter Brown: Worst year for investors in a generation

Exclusive reporting on Munster, national and international business news and how it impacts Ireland and the poeple who live here.

www.irishexaminer.com

See above re “overvalued stocks” on 23 December.

Peter Brown and David Flynn: Why Irish pension savers will need to be wary of Wall Street

There are good reasons that battered Irish pension funds for both those who are still at work and saving toward retirement and those who have already retired should be wary of the outlook for US stock markets — despite the huge rally in recent weeks.

www.irishexaminer.com

See above warning investors about overvaluation in the US.

Trade wars are like a bar fight. Things can go seriously wrong very quickly

Stock markets have enjoyed substantial gains and until last September the rally looked set to continue.

www.irishexaminer.com

Negative again above.

Is a stock market meltdown imminent?

Years of stock market mayhem could be just around the corner if governments don't take action now to halt a fresh economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned earlier this month. Should this financial crisis erupt, shares in Britain, the United States, the eurozone and China...

m.independent.ie

Is a stock market meltdown imminent above, using words like “catastrophic” and “collapse”.

Plastering over cracks but economic wounds haven't healed

There has been a fundamental change in the way financial markets function since the crash in 2007. The solution to the crisis and the subsequent actions by central bankers distorted normal supply-and-demand economics and changed the indicators we rely on as an outlook to the future.

m.independent.ie

Negative above in 2014.

Summer of volatility on markets if trade talks stall

Trade talks are the one concern facing stock markets at the moment and, if the talks go awry, there could be a summer of volatility ahead on markets.

www.rte.ie

“A summer of volatility” above.

Peter Brown: This economic crisis is very different to 2008, but more complex

We are in an environment where nobody is questioning price increases, so everybody is doing it. Inflation is the great excuse to increase profit margins

www.irishexaminer.com

“Economic crisis”

The Financial Dangers Lurking Beneath - Baggot Investment Partners

Stock markets have enjoyed substantial gains this decade and up until September last year the rally looked set to continue. What upset the equity market was the downgraded outlook for global growth and a US ten year bond rate in excess of 3%, which acted as an attractive alternative to stocks...

www.baggot.ie

“The Financial Dangers lurking beneath”