Some people love driving; others hate it. Some like to drive the car, whilst others prefer to be driven. Some go for a manual car, and others go for an automatic. Driving can be about experiencing the views, the silence, the confinement, the speed. But, it can also be about getting from one place to another as quickly and painlessly as possible.
We all have different feelings about driving, and that’s most likely why there are so many car makers and lines of vehicles in their available fleets. Not only that, within a car range we can choose petrol or diesel, and in some cases, electric and hybrid. There are on-road, offroad and crossovers too.
Investing is not too dissimilar from how we choose to move from here to there. In fact, when we increase our wealth, it’s often referred to as becoming upwardly mobile, and when we talk about different investment products, we can refer to them as vehicles.
This crossover of mobility can help us understand and communicate our preferences and approaches to investing. The similarities are startling, from sustainability-conscious driving with lower emission vehicles and ESG investment vehicles to high-performance roadsters and high-return, high-risk investment portfolios.
Regardless of the vehicle, often, at the end of the day, it comes down to how we engage with that vehicle, or – our choice of transmission. Do we go with the manual or the automatic?
Some people enjoy the control of the engine at their fingertips (and toe tips…). They like to hear the engine and shift transmission according to the prevailing conditions and their personal choices. They often want to see just how far they can push their vehicle to get the most out of it.
Others want a comfortable, stable and predictable ride, so choosing automatic transmission suits them well.
Just like life, it’s never as clear cut as one or the other, and sometimes there may be a hybrid between the two as we diversify options (or even Automated Manual Transmission or Continuously Variable Transmission!). Some choices in our portfolio can be manual and more engaged, whilst others are more in the automatic line.
At WellsFaber, our goal is to help you find the best fit for your life that works for you and your current needs on your journey towards (or in) upward mobility. Our independence means that we can help you select and engage with funds and assets that align with your deeper philosophical ideals whilst engaging with your need-for-speed tolerance.
Whether you like automatic or manual on your drive, we’ll help you thrive.