Waking up this morning to see my name on Michael Johnston’s 50 Best Investing Insights of 2015 was a pleasant surprise. Seeing my name with my colleagues, Josh, Barry, Mike, Ben and Kris is quite flattering.
The rest of the list Bill McBride, Cullen Roche, James Osborne, Jason Zweig, Morgan Housel, etc., speaks for itself. Especially when I thought the only two people who read this post were myself and my wife Dina!!
Being a former history teacher is a huge plus in my current position heading the 403(b) division at RWM. In the words of my friend and colleague Barry Ritholtz, “Knowing what has happened in the past (and how often) is an enormous advantage when it comes to investing. It informs you of the range of possibilities, allows you to conceptualize possible outcomes to various scenarios and provides a framework for thinking about market cycles.”
Going forward in 2016, I intend to take lessons from the past and use them to fight the good fight. Reforming the illicit practices found in many teachers retirement plans is front and center.
Like Caesar, I will enlist many allies. The boyz at RWM have my back. Scott Dauenhauer and Dan Otter have been doing this for years. Their expertise in these matters will be priceless as we begin our march into uncharted waters.
Fighting the vested interests will be a grueling campaign. The Vandals and Barbarians at the gates know they will be fighting for their very survival. We are prepared to stay the course until victory is proclaimed and our fiduciary flag flies over the remnants of our conflicted vanquished foes.
Like another Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridus once ordered his legions, “Prepare to unleash hell.” We are ready for the battle ahead of us. In the words of Caesar as he crossed the Rubicon to engage in a battle for the soul of the Roman empire, “The die has been cast…”
Here is the full version of this earlier post…
