My Commitment
As your investment consultant, I will work to establish a long-term relationship with you based on mutual trust. To me, nothing matches the elegance of a well-designed, flexible plan which produces the results my clients seek — and it is my mission to do that for you. Furthermore, as an independent consultant, I am immune to pressures which, in large brokerage firms, can distract focus from my clients' unique, individualized needs. I am driven to create and manage investment plans that specifically address your circumstances, your needs, and your dreams.
My Influences
- A family tradition
- Experience in large brokerage houses
- Teaching
At a very early age, I was exposed to and imbued with the ethic of saving and investing. My father, a highly successful broker with a major investment firm, first taught me the power and importance of wisely managing one's assets. Both of my grandfathers were inveterate investors, who, by their examples, infused me with a healthy respect for frugality and discipline. Even my older brother planted seeds that would indelibly affect my life's direction when, at the age of eleven, he purchased a few shares of Dow Chemical stock and then — repeatedly and unmercifully — flaunted his steady, if precocious, enrichment.
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I gained much practical knowledge about the art and science of investing during my internships at large brokerage firms. However, those experiences also had some unintended — yet very positive — effects. My commitment to personalized service comes, in part, from the first-hand knowledge of how a large firm can distract a consultant's focus from the client's unique needs. That same commitment stems from — and has been cultivated by — highly rewarding experiences as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University. Whether the subject matter is literature (which it was at Harvard) or investing, the guidance I offer is a combination of my own expertise and the desire and ability to impart understanding to others.
My Lessons
- Patience is effective; emotion is ineffective
- There are no easy answers
- Weathering the storms of volatile markets requires discipline
My experiences both as an investor and as an investment consultant have taught me, time and again, that markets are and will always be volatile — and that that's okay. There are no easy answers — no quick fixes, no overnight bonanzas that won't burst and disappoint, given just a little time. I have come to understand and accept — and it is my job to help you understand and accept — that an insightful and well-designed investment plan that is pursued with patience and discipline has the best chance of helping you achieve your goals.
My Style
- Measured and steady
- Vigilant but nonintrusive
- Philosophical yet practical
Much like the sea turtle I have adopted as a mascot, I approach the task of growing my clients' wealth by taking measured and steady steps whose effects are enduring and should be measured over great spans of time. I will vigilantly follow your progress — I will even insist that you document actions you take that depart from my advice!— but will do so respectfully and without ever being intrusive. The sometimes-philosophical bent to my guidance will always be tempered by a sense of practicality to help you succeed.
