BNK Company History:

 • In 1998, a value investor specializing in buying the stocks of mutual banks at prices below their book values, desired to create a web site for bank investors.

 • A team was assembled, and the group became partners in the business

 • BankInvestor.com was launched and grew in popularity

 • The BankInvestor.com community specialized in banks, but other investment ideas were discussed as well, one of which was another type of lender organized under a new model called the "Business Development Company" (BDC)

 • The stocks of Allied (ALD) and American Capital Strategies (ACAS) developed high short interest and were at the forefront of conversations

 • We launched BDCinvestor.com in 2002

 • A member who was impressed by how we adapted the BankInvestor system to BDCinvestor suggested we apply the same technology to a new site with a more broad focus on value and income

 • This same member was a participant in a group of value and income investors who needed a "home" on the web

 • We launched ValueForum.com in 2003, with the initial member base consisting of individuals from this group, along with members of BankInvestor and BDCinvestor

 • BankInvestor.com became a closed community, with new members accepted by application only

 • The Coffee Shop companion site was launched for all "off-topic" discussions not focused on investments

 • BDCinvestor.com was merged into BDCs.ValueForum.com, one of several "Portals" into the VF Experience such as also REITs.ValueForum.com

 • The MY.ValueForum.com customized portal was launched in 2006. "My ValueForum" lets users customize their VF experience to the specific topics and people desired

 • Looking to the future, we aim to apply our software to new site ideas, including expanding the ValueForum concept globally to other stock markets stocks messages boards


ValueForum Mission:

The goal at ValueForum is to create an active online community with a broad focus on value and income, for value-oriented investors to participate in discussion of dividend/income instruments (including REITs, BDCs, preferred stocks, high-yield bonds, and closed-end funds), special value situations, and general investment topics.

We aim to create a premier destination for a community of investors, where discussion is monitored to prevent abuse and the Terms of Use are strictly enforced. The creators of have all attempted at one time or another to participate in some of the larger public discussion forums out there, and were discouraged to find an environment where multiple aliases are abused, and individuals both long and short use the forums solely to further their own position and opinion. In this type of environment, discussion between individuals who seriously want to talk and learn is difficult.

ValueForum must be a safe and trusting community of investors where discussion is not stifled, people don't have to wonder whether they are talking to one person or various aliases, the environment is respectful, and nobody is attacked for expressing their point of view.

ValueForum will be supported by income from "passes" (we prefer to use these versus "subscriptions" where members are automatically charged), at an amount small enough to be easily affordable to serious investors while large enough to discourage those who would join only to spam. When a "pass" expires, the member may elect to purchase a new one.