Wealth Management

I received a text from a young man who wanted help with his investments. Jackson is in his early twenties, married, and a business owner. New to investing, he asked several great questions. He is excited to start generating his wealth, despite the current economic environment.

China is closed. The world’s second-largest economy is shut down due to the Coronavirus, and life is at a standstill. According to several news reports, the number of deaths from the virus has now surpassed the number of deaths from SARS – a frightening thought, and the uncertainty is making the situation worse.

This decade is off to a tough start. The Coronavirus is disrupting global trade, travel, markets, and economies. The 2020 U.S. Presidential election will also add to the uncertainty and confusion. With increasing risk, should you buy, sell, or hold your existing investments?

I work out at my local gym twice per week, mostly to lift weights. The amount I lift today is a fraction of what I used to lift while playing football in college, but it keeps me in shape.

My friends and I would ride our bikes (Schwinn’s) to Thrifty’s Store to get ice cream. Thrifty’s ice cream was the best, and it was economically priced for young kids – 5 cents for a single, 10 cents for a double, 15 cents for a triple. Thrifty’s used an ice cream gun to produce near-perfect cylinders, ideal for stacking a triple scoop in a sugar cone. My three go-to flavors were mint chip, chocolate chip, and rocky road – in that order.

The Baylor Bears are enjoying an excellent football season. They currently rank 9^th in the polls after trouncing The University of Texas. With a record of 10-1, they’re headed to the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in school history for a rematch against Oklahoma. Hopefully, they’ll be able to avenge their gut-wrenching loss.

The stock market is soaring this year with index returns topping 20 percent. The NASDAQ, S&P 500, and Dow Jones have risen 27.3%, 23%, and 18.4%, respectively. It’s a good year to own stocks despite Brexit, The Trade War, and the Boeing disasters.

While working at Morgan Stanley, I hired scores of individuals for the firm’s financial advisor training program. Directly or indirectly, I talked to hundreds of individuals about our firm. To hire hundreds, I reviewed thousands of resumes.

November is the beginning of the giving season. From now until the end of the year, charities and non-profits will receive much-needed dollars to help fund their mission. For several organizations, the money they receive in the next few weeks will subsidize most of their annual budget. Individuals typically wait until the end of the year before they give because they don’t have a giving or philanthropic plan.

Webster dictionary defines endurance as the “ability to withstand hardship or adversity, especially