Here at Investment U, we’re passionate about sharing unique and useful ideas. We strive to uncover some of the best investment opportunities. To do this, we’re constantly scouring the internet. Although, we can also learn a great deal in-person. That’s why I recently attended the FreedomFest conference.
The event is usually in Las Vegas, but this year it was in Rapid City, South Dakota. It had a record attendance with visitors from around the country. Mt. Rushmore was also not far away and a nice side stop for visitors.
This was my first time at FreedomFest and it didn’t disappoint. It was four days packed full of activities and ideas. Some of the top minds in finance and politics spoke at the event. And I’ve pulled some highlights from some of these experts.
To start, let’s take a look at the FreedomFest conference as a whole. Then we’ll dive into some key takeaways from the speakers this year…
What is FreedomFest?
FreedomFest is an annual conference that celebrates “great books, great ideas and great thinkers.” The FreedomFest website says it’s a non-partisan event that isn’t affiliated with any organization. It attracts people of all walks of life and across the political spectrum. Although, it does pull in a large libertarian audience.
No matter your political stance, there are plenty of investment speakers and takeaways. One key theme was freeing up businesses to create value. But a few discussions also covered big tech companies having too much control. On top of that, cryptocurrency was a common theme. Here are some more highlights…
FreedomFest 2021 Speaker Highlights
Mark Skousen on the Minimum Wage Debate
This is a divisive topic but Mark Skousen brought common sense to the stage. He highlighted the spectrum of headlines and explained them with economic logic. With a simple supply and demand chart, he showed that each headline focused on different parts of the equation.
Some outlets focus on the benefits of higher pay, while others focus on lost jobs. Both are important impacts but there’s a third as well. More people apply to the jobs that wouldn’t have applied at the lower pay. Nonetheless, businesses get the short end of the stick…
Businesses that have thin profit margins usually have to lay off workers. The people that lose their jobs then tend to blame the businesses. And for those that get the wage hike, their gratitude tends to go to the government.
Mark Skousen is an economist and teacher. He’s also the founder of FreedomFest, along with his wife Jo Ann Skousen. At the FreedomFest conference, he played a large role and helped moderate other debates.
Alexander Green Tracks Insider Trading
Alexander Green gave some insight into one of his top investment strategies. He tracks insider trading to uncover stocks with great upside potential. He’s been doing this for many years and has a strong track record to back the strategy.
Since company insiders have more info than the general public, they can make more informed decisions. And with their increased insight comes a requirement to file a Form 4. You can find these on SEC.gov and they show us how many shares insiders are buying and selling.
Alexander Green showed us that insider selling doesn’t give us much insight. Executives and other insiders might sell for a wide range of reasons. Although, when they buy a large amount of shares at market prices, that’s a positive indicator. It’s also important to look at the insider’s track record and other metrics before following suit.
To learn more about Alexander Green’s investment strategies, you can sign up for his free e-letter below. It’s called Liberty Through Wealth and it’s packed with investing tips and tricks.
John Mackey Delivers Value to All Stakeholders
John Mackey debated the purpose of business. Businesses that deliver value for all stakeholders have a much higher chance of success. That’s compared to those whose only purpose is to maximize profits.
Some companies will cut corners to drive profit higher. However, that isn’t sustainable. Instead, focusing on each stakeholder can lead to better products and services. John Mackey has shown the success of this approach with Whole Foods. He’s the co-founder and CEO of the company.
John Mackey has also written a book called Conscious Capitalism. He shows readers that successful organizations today are creating value for all stakeholders. This includes customers, employees, suppliers, investors and the environment. It’s worth a read and John Mackey has also appeared at our Investment U conference. Here’s a list of some of the top investment conferences.
Jo Jorgensen and the Future of Capitalism
Jo Jorgensen spoke a few times at the FreedomFest conference. She was the 2020 presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. Going through that process gave her some unique insight to share.
One of the panels Jo Jorgensen spoke on covered the future of capitalism. And with history as a guide, capitalism has produced some of the best outcomes. Of course, there are challenges. But with free market enterprise, companies only succeed when they find ways to add better value for their customers.
As an investor, this should resonate well and anyone can invest in some of the world’s best businesses. You have the freedom to choose where you spend your money and how to invest. With advances in technology, the playing field is more level than ever before.
Final Thoughts
There were some great takeaways from the FreedomFest conference. And with these highlights, I’ve barely scratched the surface. Whether you’re looking for investment or political ideas, I recommend checking it out next year.
As mentioned above, you can also sign up for Liberty Through Wealth below. It’s a free e-letter that delivers some of the top investing opportunities. You’ll hear directly from Alexander Green, a bestselling author. He’s also worked as an investment advisor, research analyst and portfolio manager on Wall Street for 16 years.