Financial and Investment Advisors to Families

In a financial world where clients have become mere account numbers, and the new emphasis rests on mass-marketing investment products and gathering “Assets Under Management,” we continue to deliver the attentive personal service of a knowledgeable and dedicated family advisor.

We believe that we are better investors because of our heritage as advisors to families and the long-term perspective it requires, and we are better family advisors because we possess the deep understanding and experience of real-life, active investing.

FOURTH-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Articles
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Forever or For Now

April 14, 2021

When I think of forever versus for now, I can’t help but picture Bill Murray’s 1990s movie, “The Groundhog Day.” I learned over the years that this innocent comedy has proven to be quite controversial. Some either love it, others the opposite. His character, Phil, a Pittsburgh weatherman, has to endure a work trip to report on the groundhog tradition in the town of Punxsutawney. The groundhog appears, and its shadow predicts earlier or later spring. Phil’s least favorite day repeats every morning, though, and his tolerable “for now” seems to have become his increasingly unpleasant “forever.” In investing, it pays to be able to tell the difference between what could be forever and what’s just for now.
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Between Curiosity and Caution

April 7, 2021

Recently, Megan and I had the rare opportunity to join a research boat for a day and watch humpback whales from afar. We wore face masks, used hand sanitizer, had our temperature checked, and then social distanced. COVID realities aside, we got to see a mother and a calf, a male whale breaching again and again, and a pod of whales doing circles around the bay sometimes heading straight towards the boat only to dive under us at the very last moment. We had close encounters with big sea life before, but this one was in a category of its own. Witnessing the mother and a little one made me think of the curiosity and caution that guide us in life and investing.
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Beyond The Headlines
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What’s Essential?

March 31, 2021

Last week, my wife Megan and I enjoyed the company of a German-Brazilian couple who also found refuge in our quaint seaside town. They sail and surf and have navigated the COVID travel realities getting stuck places and changing plans quickly. We compared notes and shared our experiences. We thought we pack light, but they pack even lighter. Megan brought up the topic of searching for what’s essential in the last 12 months. Beyond health, family, friends – what else is truly essential?
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Kicking the Tires: The Future of Due Diligence

March 18, 2021

I remember sitting in a pilot seat of a massive Boeing 777 cargo plane. It was just me with no co-pilot by my side. I wrapped my fingers around the control yoke; I reached for the throttle with my right hand. In my mind, I was ready for takeoff. It wasn’t a dream! It happened almost a decade ago. As a small perk of my research work investigating companies, I got to visit the FedEx facilities in Memphis, Tennessee. I shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the founder and CEO, Fred Smith. Then I joined a group of portfolio managers on a small bus to the airport. I love planes and airports; they didn’t have to ask me twice. We got to see a new Boeing 777. We were kicking the proverbial tires and doing our due diligence, and those were some big tires to kick!
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