Faith in Space

The Catholic Thing · Jun 18, 2026 · 6m

By Michael Pakaluk During the high point of investment clubs – back in the dark ages, long ago, in 1998! – mom and pop investors would gather and use a tool such as the NAIC's "Stock Selection Guide," to pick stocks based on a ten-year record of sales, earnings, and profitability. These sober "retail investors" wouldn't even look at a prospectus. A newly launched company was simply too speculative. They were looking for long-term plays, as reliable as interest on deposits, but with better returns. Their problem was not, "How do we make 20 percent in a few days?" but "What company deserves our…