Final answer:
The term NOT characteristic of valuable information is 'economical,' as the other options 'timely,' 'relevant,' and 'comparable' are essential for quality decision-making. 'Economical' relates to the cost of obtaining information rather than its intrinsic value.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic that is NOT a trait of valuable information is economical. Valuable information must indeed be timely, relevant, and comparable to assist in effective decision-making within an organization. Timeliness ensures that information is available when it is needed to make a decision, relevance ensures the information is appropriate to the decision being made, and comparability allows for the information to be used in relation to other data.
However, being economical is not a characteristic of the information itself, but rather a principle guiding its acquisition. In the context of economics, decisions are often made based on scarcity and the optimal use of resources, which is why information must be accurate and delivered in time, allowing for the most effective allocation of these scarce resources.