I keep a well-worn copy of Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor on my desk. Every time I return to it, I’m reminded of how clearly it captures the essence of intelligent investing — and how difficult it is to truly live by.

Graham, often called the father of value investing and mentor to Warren Buffett, published this classic in 1949. More than seven decades later, his ideas remain remarkably relevant — but equally challenging to implement in real life.

1. The Three Principles of Intelligent Investing

In one of the book’s most striking passages, Graham outlines three business principles that every investor should apply:

- Know what you are doing — know your business.

For investors, this means understanding a company’s value as thoroughly as a manufacturer                      understands their products.

- Supervise and trust carefully.

Don’t let anyone else run your business — or your money — unless you can monitor their work or have exceptional confidence in their ability and integrity.

- Avoid poor risk–reward bets.

Never enter an operation unless the numbers show a fair chance of reasonable profit, and avoid situations where you have much to lose and little to gain.

2. The Real Challenge: Implementation

Graham’s wisdom sounds simple but demands deep work.

When he said investors must “know their business,” he was describing a level of analysis that few individuals can realistically perform. Understanding a company’s true worth means evaluating its competitive position, financial health, management quality, and long-term prospects.

For professionals balancing careers and family, that kind of rigorous analysis is nearly impossible. That’s where the gap lies — between Graham’s principles and their practical implementation.

3.  Bridging the Gap with Research-Based Investing

This gap is exactly what we set out to bridge when we built Value Research Stock Advisor.

Our goal wasn’t to add more complexity, but to make Graham’s philosophy usable for everyday investors. We created a process that applies his principles systematically and converts them into ready-made, research-backed portfolios that anyone can follow confidently.

Our research team does what Graham advised — understanding security values as deeply as possible. We study annual reports, evaluate management integrity, analyse competitive advantages, and track industry and regulatory changes.

It’s not a side task — it’s a full-time profession.

When a company is considered for our Aggressive Growth Portfolio, we go beyond short-term performance. We assess its business model, debt levels, cash flow, and growth sustainability. We ask hard questions — Can it sustain its margins? Is management trustworthy? What could go wrong?

This disciplined process is what Graham meant by “knowing your business.”

4.  Principles in Action: Quality, Oversight, and Patience

Graham’s second principle — about supervision and trust — is at the core of our approach.

When investors use Stock Advisor, they aren’t blindly following tips or depending on unknown analysts. They’re engaging with a transparent process backed by verifiable performance and detailed reasoning behind every decision.

You maintain control over your investments while benefiting from professional-grade analysis.

The third principle — avoiding poor risk–reward situations — is deeply built into our screening. We eliminate businesses with high debt, weak governance, or unsustainable growth models.

Recent market scandals, like the Gensol–BluSmart episode, prove how vital this discipline is. No matter how exciting the story sounds, if governance fails the test, it’s not worth owning.

5.  Different Goals, Same Discipline

Our three model portfolios — Long-Term Growth, Aggressive Growth, and Dividend Growth — each apply the same principles with different objectives:

              - Long-Term Growth focuses on companies with steady, proven business models and calculable profit potential.

              - Aggressive Growth targets faster-growing firms but never compromises on management quality or financial strength.

              - Dividend Growth favours companies with long histories of rewarding shareholders — true examples of partnership-oriented businesses.

And the best part? At just ₹9,990 per year, investors get access to research that earlier required costly wealth managers or years of learning.

No Shortcuts — Just Structure

Stock Advisor isn’t a shortcut. It’s a structured way to apply time-tested investment wisdom.

Graham insisted on patience, systematic investing, and long-term thinking. Those fundamentals haven’t changed. Markets will always test your emotions, and some years will feel disappointing. But intelligent investing isn’t about reacting — it’s about staying consistent.

Our job is to make it easier to stay disciplined.
Your job is to stay invested.

Investing Like a Business Owner

Graham concluded that successful investors base decisions on arithmetic, not optimism.
That’s what our research process ensures — analysis over emotion, facts over feelings.

Through this approach, investing transforms from speculation into business ownership. When markets fluctuate, you can stay calm knowing you own parts of sound, profitable companies — not just ticker symbols.

Even after 75 years, The Intelligent Investor remains essential reading for anyone serious about wealth creation. But reading it and implementing it are two very different things.

At FunTech Wealth, our mission is to help you do both — learn intelligently, and invest intelligently.
Invest wisely. Live peacefully.