When Odds On was born, we quickly realized that one of the powerful benefits of having a book in hand is it gets our foot in the door at public and professional venues alike. By having opportunities to “teach the teachers” about evidence-based investing, we could spread the word faster through the power of exponential word of mouth.

That’s one reason it was fun and fulfilling to present “The Evolution of Evidence-Based Investing” to a group of attorneys at the century-old, St. Louis law firm Lewis Rice earlier this month. (The awesome view of downtown St. Louis, Arch and all, didn’t hurt any either!)

Looking back to the 1950s, it’s eye-opening to realize how far investing has come since then. That was back before computer-generated data was available to help us understand the powerful efficiencies available in our capital markets. It meant that trying to pick this or that stock was not only the typical way to invest … it was mostly the only way possible. Low-cost index funds weren’t even available until the 1970s, but what a ride, as today we’re nearing 40% of the market resembling our approach.

Are you looking for a speaker for one of your organization’s events? Let us know if we can tell you more about the evolution of investing. Not to worry: Having an awesome view is optional.

PS: Are you wondering about that weird square drawing in the photo above? Check out our “Illustration of the Month”  post. 

We’re big on celebrating milestones here at Hill Investment Group. Along those lines, what better excuse for cake and bubbly than the one-year anniversary of the “Odds On” book launch?

That’s what my HIG colleagues thought when they threw me an April 12th surprise party to celebrate. Our team is truly inspired by the way “Odds On” has allowed us to share a message of evidence-based hope to investment advisors and investors alike.

As I expressed in the first sentence on the first page of the book’s intro: “I want this book to change your life.”

I can’t tell you how exciting it’s been to see it do just that for so many who have been kind enough to let me know what the book has meant to them. I have collected some of my favorites and now have more than 21 pages of feedback and more than 100 reviews on Amazon. Here’s what one reader shared with me recently:

“Matt: I started reading your book this morning and now find myself emailing you after just finishing the entire thing. As a young financial advisor, very new to the business and working for a wire house firm, I too noticed everything you described in the opening chapters. … Until I picked up your book, I was losing hope for our profession. Work was dreaded. The days long. My outlook bleak. But after reading your book, I realize there is hope. There are people out there who understand and care. Your book gave me a much needed breath of fresh air. Now, more than ever, I am excited to help others and build a business centered around evidence based investing.”

To have the opportunity to impact other financial professionals who want to do right by their clients? I don’t know if I could ask for much more out of life.

Beyond leveraging “Odds On” to reach out to readers, we were also delighted to begin donating the profits from all of the sales to charity. We’ve already made our first donation and look forward to making many more as book sales continue.

So, happy first birthday to “Odds On,” and many more!

In March we took a break from our regularly scheduled e-newsletter and blog programming to share an annual Hill Investment Group overview.

Dear Friends,

You’re used to getting the Hill Investment Group newsletter now every month. We put a lot of thought into those newsletters, curating the best stories to help you stay focused and keep the odds of success on your side. I want to do something a little different this time.

The investment industry is in the midst of a major transformation. Independent advisors like Hill Investment Group are growing 15% annually, as investors are becoming smarter than ever and learning to focus on evidence over hype. As our firm evolves alongside the industry, I want you to know that we’re holding on to the core values that have gotten us where we are today—and that we intend to protect, fiercely, for the future.

Since our founding in 2005, we’ve thought of ourselves as a small firm with big ideas. To preserve this mentality even as the firm grows, we’ve worked hard to create a very specific culture that’s rooted in three core areas:

The character of our people – Everyone at Hill Investment Group has authentic passion for our work and our clients. We make new hires very intentionally, looking for people who share that strong desire to serve. Then, we strengthen engagement in many ways throughout the year, such as annual family and team parties and even daily lunches. In fact, lunch here is more than just a meal—it’s a vital work session where we tackle everything from big questions about the future to little details that make our office run better.

[Editor’s note: Speaking of those daily lunches, Matt was pleased to talk about them recently in a BBC Business Daily broadcast exploring today’s business lunch culture. You’ll find his sound bite at (appropriately) around 12:00 in this “Out to Lunch” radio podcast.]

Our dedication to service – We’ve created a client service culture that’s extravagantly thoughtful and detail-oriented. This approach not only ensures a consistent experience for every client, it’s another way to show how much we care. Remember the television show “Cheers” where everybody knows your name and can anticipate what you order? That spirit has been and will always be a part of the fabric of our firm.

Our commitment to the evidence – We are results oriented and data-driven. Everyone on the team—even those with many years of experience—is hungry to learn more. To that end, we strive to be leaders in our community and to forge connections that help us advance our professional development. That way, we can continue offering clients the best possible service.

These values are written into our company mission statement, and more importantly, they underpin every decision we make for our business and our clients. I could reel off hundreds of anecdotes illustrating our culture in action—and actually, I captured a lot of those stories in my book, Odds On. As I was working on this letter in March I headed out to visit Hill Investment Group’s Houston office, which opened in 2014. Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight, I realized that our expansion was another example of how our culture guides our actions.

The challenge of staying true to our values as we grow is both exciting and humbling— it’s why we do what we do. We started Hill Investment Group to help change lives, and we work hard, every day, to live up to that mission. I hope these thoughts on our culture help clarify how we make decisions. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I’m always happy to talk.

Take the Long View,

Matt Hall, President
Hill Investment Group