Things that even enterprising investors should avoid. (Benjamin Graham) 1

Graham’s view of a conservative investor is very conservative. Focus primarily on big, blue chip stocks that pay a dividend and counterbalance that with roughly an equal amount of bonds. Very conservative, indeed.

But what about those of us who are less conservative and want to seek out other investments? After all, isn’t The Intelligent Investor supposed to be a guide to value investing, not just “buy blue chips and wait”?

Graham starts to head down this path here as he turns his sights from the very conservative investor to the … less conservative investor, the type of person who would actually follow value investing principles and seek out investments that show every sign of being undervalued – and then invest in them.

But first, a chapter of cautionary advice. Graham is nothing if not cautious, after all. The focus here is on things that even enterprising investors should avoid.