I am not a writer; though, writing is helpful. For me, writing is the best way to confirm my own understanding of a subject. It forces me to organize my thoughts and more carefully consider alternate views to ensure my beliefs are reasonable and consistent. So, this blog is as much for my own professional development as it is for any audience. A journal of sorts, without the discretion usually afforded to one’s own musings.

I am also not a reporter. I have no expertise in politics, social issues, or cultural trends. What is more, my sixth sense is not more reliable than anyone else's when it comes to predicting the economy or near-term investment outlook. So, you won’t find much, if any, commentary of this sort in my posts. It is not that I am uninformed about current events or financial markets – I am an avid reader and podcast enthusiast. However, I believe there is little value in throwing around loosely held opinions on such topics. Our typical investment horizon is decades, not months or years. Consequently, there is rarely a reason to be overly concerned with current headlines. Private wealth management has a very long news cycle – forever – or at least, your forever. That is why the things I focus on professionally are not tied to current events; they are evergreen. This blog will explore those timeless ideas.

I often think about the unfulfilled aspirations of many professional service businesses. Real estate, investment management, insurance, or various other consultants often promote their own unique value proposition. Yet, it is hard to find a cohort of professionals who actually offer unique perspectives or a distinct advisory process. Take ten minutes to review ten different investment advisor websites. You will be lucky if you stumble across anything out of the ordinary or unique. In contrast, I hope this blog is quite revealing. While you may not agree with all our ideas, I hope you will accept the invitation to think about things a little differently. I hope it becomes clear to the reader that our team runs a thorough advisory practice – one grounded in a cohesive set of beliefs which are regularly being refined to offer the best service and advice in our discipline.

We often say that we want to hear your story; here, I am setting out to tell our story.

Lou and I are not wired like everyone else. Importantly, we don’t strive to be. During our early days at TD, we met potential clients who ultimately chose to work with another team, noting that our personas were not formal enough for their liking. Surprisingly, we took it as a compliment!

In our experience, open conversations and meaningful connections unfold in comfortable environments, not corporate ones.

Several years later I remember attending a practice management conference and being asked to share with the audience a few words that should come to mind when clients or prospective clients think about our advisory business.  Instinctively, I yelled out: 

“FRESH” …. “YOUTHFUL” …. “RELAXED” …. “THOUGHTFUL”

These are not adjectives usually associated with private wealth management. And yet, they are the most congruent with our offering. Lou and I do not look, act, or sound like most of our peers. This is not to say that we are better or worse for it. But we are different; we are unique.

I hope this blog becomes a useful resource for our existing clients, prospective clients, and business partners. Through time, I hope to paint a clear picture of our team’s views on private wealth management. Ideally, each post can stand alone, discussing a specific topic in sufficient detail to be of value without the compliment of what was written before or after it. In aggregate, though, I hope the collection will feel more like chapters in a book, with each successive post building on the previous one.

If you find that our ideas resonate, please reach out. If you are nodding along in agreement paragraph after paragraph, post after post, please reach out. We are currently expanding our practice. Lou and I want to connect with people who may benefit from working with our team. Let’s have a conversation to see if we are a good fit for one another.