Macro Minute: Week of November 25, 2024
A few weeks ago, we had our 30th anniversary celebration. It was so much fun seeing a room full of people that has made Longview possible. I want to say a huge thank you for trusting us to help you and for you making such a huge impact in our lives. As I listened to Andrew, Jessica, and J.J., I thought to myself that it would be good to share my Longview journey. I know that I have shared a lot of it in the past, but I want to give a more complete telling here.
I guess to begin I must start with my childhood. Growing up I was an undiagnosed dyslexic who loved basketball. I was always good with math but I was a very slow reader and therefore did not read for pleasure. I honestly believe I was in college when I read my first book that was not required for school. I have since learned that I am an audible learner and have an extensive audible library. I am giving this background so that you can hopefully see how I fit at Longview. In basketball I was a utility/glue guy. I was a player that did whatever was needed for the team to succeed. I was not the star player but I could do a bit of it all. I could score if needed, but I didn’t feel like I had to score to contribute. I would help relieve pressure and bring the ball up. I rebounded, defended, and loved to pass the ball. I could guard just about any position. I am not bragging; I was not the best at any of these things. I only want to let you know that I would try and do what was needed and I really liked helping my teammates shine. My faith has also been extremely important to me.
At 17 years old, I lost both of my parents in a church van accident. A tire separated while traveling down the interstate, causing us to flip multiple times. Luckily my parents were the only fatalities that day. Afterwards I found myself in the need of financial guidance. I had my uncle and grandmother that helped me through the estate process with the assistance of a local law firm, but none of them were qualified to provide the help I needed. However, my lawyer Jim Turnbach knew that Jeff Cedarholm was starting his fee only financial planning firm. He was able to connect us and I became a client of Jeff’s. Through the financial planning and investment process, Jeff helped me a lot.
My college experience was a little bit like my basketball playing. I took a lot of courses trying to figure out what I liked. After thinking I wanted to do math and then history, I stumbled into a business course. I was drawn in pretty fast, especially when I took my first economics course. It was like the study of common sense to me, and it was a blending of math, history, and social behavior. After graduation I went on to get my Master’s degree from The University of Alabama in financial planning. Soon after graduation, I began working with Jeff, first as an intern then an employee. To me it was all about a desire to help people. I wanted for the rest of my life to be one of helping people in the way that I had been helped. I knew that when I was adrift without any knowledge of how to handle finances, I was helped by a financial planner. I wanted to provide that kind of help to others.
For several years, I did what I had done in basketball. I did whatever was needed to help Longview. I fell into helping with software systems and technology, and helped Jeff on investment research and trading, all while staying in the background and helping my coworkers. When Jeff retired in 2021, I was able to step in and take over the management of investments as Chief Investment Officer. Through my whole experience I have had one desire, to help people. My objective is to help clients meet their goals and provide a peace of mind with their portfolios. I want to thank you for allowing me to do that.
DISCLOSURES:
Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by Longview Financial Advisors, Inc.), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this newsletter will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this newsletter serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Longview Financial Advisors, Inc. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. Longview Financial Advisors, Inc. is neither a law firm nor a certified public accounting firm and no portion of the newsletter content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of the Longview Financial Advisors, Inc.’s current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request.