Today, we are living through an
era that is just as significant as the Industrial Revolution was so many
years ago. In these modern times, change is being created almost at the speed
of light - and, with these changes, there are both big challenges and
opportunities that are presenting themselves for long-term investors.
While some of these changes may be
slow to develop, they are having profound implications for the entire world
economy. One example is the evolution of a middle class in developing
countries. Many of these individuals have gone from lacking opportunity to
creating opportunity, by establishing their own businesses and moving forward
financially. Literally hundreds of millions of people are being affected -
and it is likely that the effect will continue to build.
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Other changes have burst onto the
scene quite rapidly, such as smart phones and the Internet. Today, people from
all corners of the globe have more access to information than ever before - and
that is powerful. This is something that was unimaginable even just a decade
ago, but today is common.
While we may not see inventions like
hover boards or flying cars any time in the near future, the inventions that we
do have such as the Internet and instant communication have created significant
opportunities - for people and for investment - worldwide, for both the short-
and the long-term horizon.
"Knowledge is power.
Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every
society, in every family" -
Kofi Annan