By Christpher S. McMahon.
Lost to most people’s attention, perhaps, in all the news of that long calendar year 2020 was the death at the age of 96 of Freeman John Dyson in February, just as COVID became the dominant story. Dyson was one of the most brilliant physicists and mathematicians to have ever lived: at age four he calculated the number of atoms that make up The Sun. His contributions to both now-existing and still-theoretical technology are immeasurable, many of his concepts are so advanced that they will only be realized by future generations when mankind’s technical capacities catch up to Dyson’s intellect and imagination.
One of Dyson’s most famous quotes is one that I like a great deal personally, and would resonate with my everyday hard-working friends and neighbors in Western Pennsylvania a great deal despite their distance from the physics labs of Cornell or Princeton where one could usually find Dyson throughout his life:
“There is a great satisfaction in building good tools for other people to use.”
Like Dyson, I believe strongly in the power of technology to improve the human condition. Technology has been the basis of my professional accomplishments as an early incorporator of computers and digital technology into financial services. He and I also share a recognition that technology – like any other tool – can be used for good or for evil. Like a hammer that can be used to either commit battery or build a house for a homeless family to live in, technology is an amoral instrument. It is the person who wields it that turns it towards the darkness or the light.
For the most part, technology has been good to me. It has propelled my business, made life more convenient, and made it simpler to share ideas and learn. My children live far from me now, but I can see them and talk to them almost like they are in the same room because of cell phones, for instance. Now I intend to use technology in a more impactful way that I ever have before.
At Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠, we developed an artificial intelligence tool to analyze investor holdings and summarize certain morally objectionable practices that are being supported through investments in publicly traded companies. This summary report, which we call the Faith & Finance Score℠, can be completed in minutes and is free of charge. We are on a mission to fully inform faith-based investors across America. We hope that once investors realize what their investments are involved in, including abortion, adult entertainment, gambling, and Planned Parenthood donations, among others, they will make the decision to work with Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠ to align their faith and finance.
Lately, I have been extremely concerned about our nation’s future and the course of our civilization. Not long ago, corporate America was seen as a bulwark and safeguard against the atrophy that has afflicted so many institutions including the media, academia, and popular culture. America’s corporations had been places were ingenuity, hard work, and meritocracy stood strong. Things have changed a great deal. Today, wokeness, radical leftist ideology, and irresponsible leadership have entered the C-Suite and the boardroom. The annual meeting participants of a multi-billion-dollar public company today are as likely to spend an hour talking about which pronouns to use or how much to increase the corporate contribution to Planned Parenthood as they are to review the balance sheet.
As it has so many times before, technology will provide the solution. No longer will a shroud of secrecy conceal what is really going on. Through the technology that my team and I have developed – and surely other technologies others will deploy as well – the truth will be revealed. As more and more investors discover what is going on, they will likely make allocation adjustments commiserate with their values and beliefs. Those corporations that have lost their way will face a choice: return to the straight path or face severe financial consequences. In time, I am hopeful we will see a correction to much of the insanity that has defined recent years especially. I understand the incentives and disincentives that large corporations actually respond to. Public relations and approving media stories are among them, but they pale in contrast to actual assets on hand and stock valuation.
Despite my concerns, I am becoming much more hopeful and bullish on America’s future. Technologies like the Faith & Finance Score℠ are the reason.
Disclosures:
Advisory services are offered by Moralis Technologies, LLC d/b/a Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠ (“Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠”), a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠ may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for a corresponding exemption from such requirements. For information about the Aquinas Wealth Advisors℠ registration status and business operations, please consult the firm’s Form ADV disclosure documents, the most recent versions of which are available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
The information provided is for illustration purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed or used as, investment, tax or legal advice, any recommendation or opinion regarding the appropriateness or suitability of any investment or strategy, or an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any interest in any security.
All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. There can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful and no guarantee of positive results.