To Inform:  On my desk is a copy of Anthony Sampson’s book, The Seven Sisters. The book details the history of seven of the largest oil companies that formed in the years after the breakup of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. It highlights some of the drama and political intrigue behind the discovery and exploration […]

To Inspire: Matt Palmer recently shared insights with us on the importance of gratitude (What I Am Grateful for Today). His backdrop was the multi-car pile-up that included his daughter. There was considerable property damage, but no injuries. He was incredibly grateful. I for one need to be more mindful of my own gratitude, but […]

To Inspire: Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. Plato Do you love music? For many, music is a great pleasure that brings a sense of well being and happiness. Music can encourage a sense of calm and fight depression and stress. Music […]

To Inform: Let us propose a thought experiment. Suppose that fussy old Prince John has usurped governorship of Ohio and he’s taxing you hand over fist. You and your spouse decide that you want to stick it to that criminal curmudgeon, so you take $1,500 of your taxes owed and give it to the private […]

To Inspire: July and August are great months for vacations. And I hope that many of you reading this have been able to get away for a vacation this summer. Rest is one of the reasons we all take a vacation. It give us an opportunity to unplug from our busyness and normal routines and […]

To Inform: An up or down move of 20% is commonly used to define bull and bear markets. By that definition, the NASDAQ index, which is heavily weighted toward technology stocks, is in a new bull market. The NASDAQ index hit a low of approximately 10,646 on June 16 and traded at 12,854 on August […]

To Inform: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This line from Romeo and Juliet highlights a very important principle – what matters is what something is, not what it is called. There’s been some debate over the meaning of the word “recession” over […]

To Inspire: Gratitude is such an important part of living a great life. I (Matt) am particularly grateful today as our youngest daughter was in a multi-car pile up on the interstate yesterday and came out of it with no injuries. Nor were any others hurt. She was headed to Greenville, SC for the wedding […]

To Inspire:   Social scientists say that, generally, older adults report higher levels of happiness than younger adults, and often cite reason such as better financial stability and more stable relationships. Writer and social scientist Arthur C. Brooks says that happiness doesn’t happen by luck, but comes from personal work and careful attention. Brooks notes […]

To Inform: Last night I had the privilege of attending the meeting of a local investment partnership. This group of savvy business owners and professionals meets monthly to enjoy amazing food, allocate capital within their investment fund, and serve as a “think tank” for local and global economic conditions. Part of the meeting involves reviewing […]