Editorials
Austin's editorials cover a range of topics, including personal matters, biblical themes, his take on current events and even...investing.
With the stock market showing meager gains over the past 10 years, many are talking about it having been a "lost decade" for investors. Sound like bad news? Dig beneath the surface and you'll find the seed of some very promising news for the next 10 years.
Putting this market ideal into practice is tough on the emotions, but ultimately rewarding for your pocketbook.
If you've got seven minutes, this year's Easter meditation will lift your spirits.
Austin shares four things that encourage and comfort him when periods of distressing stock market losses suddenly arrive.
How does SMI founder Austin Pryor invest his own money? Take a peek behind the curtain at his personal investing plan for 2008.
Christmas is approaching, and we've got a gift for you! It's a book that offers a brief look the author was given into heaven's wonders and the welcome awaiting us there. Here's an excerpt, as well as all the details on how to receive this free gift.
It looks likely that this will be SMI's 9th straight year beating the market with a relatively simple and easy to implement investing strategy. So why do so few readers engage and end up sticking with this system?
The thrill of the hunt and the prospect of big gains has lured many investors to their ruin in futures and options trading. Austin tells of his experiences in that arena and offers some words of caution to those who might consider dabbling there.
You're probably aware that the source of the recent market upheaval has been a crisis in the credit markets. For most people though, the details are pretty cloudy as to what has really gone wrong. Here's a plain English version of recent events. It's a version you're not hearing much in the regular media, so the details may surprise you.
Time has a way of slipping through our fingers. Our routine of waking, living, and sleeping lulls us into feeling it will always be so. But it won't. "Teach us to number our days," wrote Moses, a plea for a sense of urgency in living we would be wise to emulate.
Have I really surrendered 100% to God, or am I merely asking Him to join me in what I'm doing? It's an important question that can lead to surprising outcomes.
What's the difference between a puzzle and a mystery? The answer has profound implications for our investing lives.
The recent film "Amazing Grace" has awakened renewed interest in the life of William Wilberforce, the evangelical member of Parliament who fought tirelessly for the abolition of slavery in Britain. Despite countless setbacks and obstacles, he endured and kept fighting for this righteous cause. What sustained him? Joy.
Mustering the courage to start investing is a difficult hurdle for many people. We have encouraging news to report in this regard. By carefully adjusting your asset allocation and time horizon, you can stack the odds dramatically in your favor.
What can we do apart from Christ? Nothing of lasting value. But how much can Christ do through us? Everything. This has huge implications for every area of our lives, including our finances.
We're making a significant change in the way we classify mutual funds within our SMI risk categories. Find out what's changing and why.
Christmas is approaching, and we've got a gift for you! It's a book that offers insight into how to listen to God. Here's an excerpt, as well as all the details on how to receive this free gift.
The holidays are a busy time of year for everyone. Thankfully, SMI's website offers a number of features that can help you make better and faster financial decisions.
In investing, as in most areas of life, our perceptions don't always match the underlying reality. Things that are bad for us often appear to be good, and vice versa. Austin provides five examples of this from the investing arena, and explains where our confidence must ultimately be placed.
This month marks the fifth anniversary of 9/11, and the West continues to be at war with the militant wing of Islam. These are difficult and worrisome times. Blessedly, we have these assurances from our God that He is ever near His children.
With the fresh outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East recently added to already nerve-wracking economic news, it's no wonder investors are skittish about the stock market's prospects. But how much impact do these type of news "events" really have on the market's direction? Austin explores this question and offers three lessons history can teach us.
Our giving practices often reveal clues about the depth of our response to God's incredible commitment to us. Prompted by his faithfulness, we can move in the direction of becoming the kind of cheerful and grateful givers that delight His heart.
After two decades of nearly unbroken prosperity, Americans seem to expect the good times will continue indefinitely. How have you used this period of abundance? With long-term economic storm clouds rumbling on the horizon, the biblical story of Joseph offers wisdom we can put to use today.
In our guru-enamored financial culture, predictions can make or break an investing career. But are these predictions really helpful, or harmful? Austin suggests there's a better way to align your portfolio for success than by following the predictions of so-called experts.
The promise of eventually being "home" with the Lord in heaven is incredibly powerful and encouraging. In this Easter meditation, Randy Alcorn does a great job of describing what lies ahead for every believer.
What if? That question can be both an investor's best friend and worst enemy. On the positive side, it can force you to consider all the angles when formulating an appropriate investing strategy. But it can also paralyze with fear of the unknown. Here Austin explains how adding a "worst-case contingency plan" within your broader personal investment strategy may offer the security to step up to an appropriate level of stock market exposure.
How does SMI founder Austin Pryor invest his own money? Take a peek behind the curtain at his personal investing plan for 2006.
What can the movie Chariots of Fire teach us about handling our finances from a biblical perspective? For starters, that if you're pursuing financial stewardship merely because it's expected of you as a disciple, you've only got half the picture.
Christmas is approaching, and we've got a gift for you! It's a book that answers the uncomfortable question of what to do when we don't desire God the way we should. Here's an excerpt, as well as all the details on how to receive this free gift.
Quitting sometimes gets a bad rap. Austin explains how quitting these six behaviors will help in your pursuit of becoming a successful investor.
The Bible contains over 2,500 verses dealing with money and finances. If you had to pick just one, which of these passages would you say is the most important? Austin proposes an answer that's likely quite different than you'd expect.
Do you have a big vision for your financial stewardship? Your financial decisions have the potential for life-changing blessings and eternal impact. Making good ones helps us live to our full potential, and brings a smile to the face of the Father.
With SMI's next "big new thing" taking shape on the horizon, Mark and Austin need some help. Perhaps God can use you to fill this critical opening at Sound Mind Investing!
Your giving is a tangible indicator of your zeal for God, your gratitude for the cross, and your trust in His faithfulness—whether you want it to be or not. Does that strike you as good news, or make you wince? In either case, we've got a free gift to offer that can help you excel in this grace of giving.
To make us more usable God doesn't make us stronger, He makes us weaker. Austin recounts his personal experience with this truth as he reflects on the first 15 years of SMI.
If you haven't gotten off to a great investing start, don't despair. Investing, like sports, is all about recovery. Here are four keys to getting back on track.
Some market analysts believe the bull market of the past two years has been nothing more than a brief respite in a continuing bear market. We briefly examine their argument and present five keys to preparing and prospering even if the bear market resumes.
A study of God's provision in scripture brings to light an incredibly encouraging truth: God can absolutely be counted on to provide everything necessary for us to carry out His plans. He knows exactly what resources we need to be in His will, and He always makes them available.
The measure of a life can look dramatically different when viewed through the lens of eternity. There's tremendous value in gaining that perspective now, while time remains to craft a legacy you can be proud of forever.
Have you ever wondered how I invest my money? C'mon, fess up. You're too polite to ask, but you're curious all the same: "Does this guy invest for his retirement the same way he tells me to invest for mine?" Well, since you've finally gotten up the nerve to ask, I'm happy to tell you about it.
