Many of our clients, friends, and team members have pets…dogs, cats, horses, fish, and many others. Our family has been blessed with a wide range, including fish, turtles, bearded dragons (Puff & Flame), a rabbit (Thumper), and a European Blue Butt Potbelly pig (Corny)…topping out at 350 pounds plus.

Sadly, last week, we lost our closest and most senior family pet, Teddy the Miracle Yorkie, after 15 amazing years of love and companionship. Teddy was a miracle because I’m allergic to almost every dog…except Teddy! We populated many of our friends’ homes with our six prior attempts at living with a dog. Jeana is a true Master Trainer, and she bore most of the pain as these dogs brought joy to others. Most of them lived long, wonderful lives with their ultimate family, and we had the opportunity to see them regularly…just not under our roof.

Teddy remains the best birthday present my wife, Jeana has ever received, and Teddy was a blessing to all of our kids. I could go on about his gentle nature and soul, his warm and friendly demeanor, and his ability to bark like a dog ten times larger than his 9-pound frame. If I continue, I will cry more than I am now. So, I will turn you over to a friend of our firm who you’ve heard from before, John Jennings, who also recently lost a dog, Dylan. John eloquently shares ”Six Life Lessons from Dogs,” which he originally wrote in 2022.

We’d love to hear your pet story!

Congratulations to our own Matt Hall,  who is featured in Schwab’s new national ad campaign!

As mentioned in a post back in July, Matt was selected to participate in a series of ads highlighting the advantages independent advisors bring to our clients. Here is the first in a series airing over the next few weeks and months.

In the 30-second spot, Matt and the other advisors zero in on a few of the crucial promises independent advisors make when we work with our clients. Schwab is essential in our ecosystem for safeguarding our clients’ securities and is the leading custodian working with independent advisory firms.

The independent model is superior to the other options available to investors because of its fiduciary standard for clients. We work for you, and only you, and avoid the conflicts that exist with big banks and brokerage firms.

Thanks, Matt, for representing Hill and the broader advisor community genuinely looking to serve others now and in the longer view!

I’m a long-time fan and follower of both Dr. Peter Attia, a Stanford and John Hopkins-trained physician focused on “healthspan,” and the investment philosophy of David Booth, Co-Founder and Chairman of Dimensional, our core investment partner. Both Attia and Booth espouse our “take the long view” philosophy that is at the core of what we, and our clients, believe is the optimal path forward. That’s great news…because the longer you live, the more important it is to have an investment plan and portfolio that outlives you, and hopefully those you love. Enjoy David Booth’s 1-pager on the parallels between these two important plans and how they apply to your own life, including:

• No one-size-fits-all solution,
• No quick fixes, i.e., “take the long view” and
• It is better to prevent problems rather than fix them later.