The right moves for your financial future

Life was simple growing up in a small town in northern Michigan. My father, a science teacher and school administrator, taught me to hunt, fish, play sports, and work on cars. My mother, an English teacher, read me poetry and encouraged me to lend a hand to those in need. Imagine their surprise when I won a stock-picking contest in junior high, became fascinated with the capital markets, and dreamed of working on Wall Street. After 30-plus years of living that dream, I'm still fascinated, still learning, and truly grateful for the relationships in my life. Clients have become friends, friends have become clients, and even current and former colleagues have become clients. You might say my avocation and vocation are united, where love and need are one.

When I packed up for Chicago after college with my girlfriend (now wife), we knew very few people. At my first job, I was handed a zip code book and told to smile and dial. The relationships I built from that day remain the foundation of our business. In fact, we just started a college savings account for the great-grandchild of one of those first clients. What a privilege it's been to have successful business owners, professional athletes, corporate executives, and a few schoolteachers share their motivations, fears, aspirations, and passions with me. By listening earnestly to their needs, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and, more importantly, where I can make a difference.  I'm convinced there are no shortcuts to long-term financial success. It's like catching the fish of a lifetime: you will only get it with a good plan, a lot of humility, and endless patience.  

I still hunt and fish, and now that my children are grown and starting their careers, I'm planning to work on cars again. Wealth means something different at every turn in life.  You need someone to help you through the ups, downs, fears, and fads to keep the plan on track.  As Warren Buffett so wisely put it, “Investing is simple, but not easy.”