This is the time of year we tend to remind ourselves of all we have to be grateful for. Over the Thanksgiving break, I recalled the highlights of my year in different categories. What were my professional high points, personal milestones, family memories, and noteworthy developments in my community? One moment that stood out was a note I received (unprompted) this summer from a long-time client of our firm. Our client’s sentiment is at the heart of our work and why our entire team finds meaning in our service. No organization is perfect, but when we get it right, we are lucky enough to help people achieve better outcomes with less worry. And when it happens and is recognized, it’s one of the sweetest feelings we get in our profession – knowing that we have quieted the noise and helped someone take a longer view in their journey toward real wealth is as good as it gets for us at Hill Investment Group.

“Hi Matt, just FYI…I told John Reagan yesterday in our annual touch base I spend about 15 minutes/month thinking/worrying about investment stuff. It took me a while to get there, but thanks to Hill, I made it. My wife continues to say you folks saved our lives from stress as I drove her nuts stressing before our Hill days. So here’s an example of what I stress about now…woke up yesterday morning at 3 am worrying if I should put the giant blow-up pool slide out this weekend for the final summer blast of 30-40 people at our pool. The grandkids will terrorize the adults launching off it into the pool! But if it’s not there, the kids will be so disappointed! So these are the types of stress thoughts Hill has driven me to! I never went back to sleep.”

On behalf of our entire firm, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives. We are grateful for the role you allow us to play and deeply value your continued trust!

Hill Investment Group

This testimonial was provided by a current client. This client was not compensated for this statement.

Earlier this month, we had our first-ever movie event. It was a special screening of “Tune Out the Noise,” a documentary by the acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris. Clients, friends, team members, fellow advisors, and even a few Washington University finance students were in attendance. It was a wonderful evening of education and entertainment.

The Hill team gathered lots of feedback after the movie, but my favorite came through an email stating: 

I’m sending a belated thanks for your invitation to the screening of Tune Out The Noise. It’s just another reminder of how you are different from other financial advisors. I describe Hill to my friends as “the Apple of the investing industry.”

The Hill team is inspired by the work highlighted in the film and finds it especially satisfying because the stars are not Hollywood actors but real people, many of whom crossed paths at the University of Chicago in the early 1970s. Their work has changed the financial lives of many, and the compounding benefits go well beyond any blockbuster we’ve ever seen.

After the screening, we discussed the film’s themes and unique approach with our special guest, Dave Butler. Dave is the co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors, which Barron’s ranked as the #1 fund company in the world just last year. Dave is a past podcast guest and a heck of a nice guy. We covered questions like how the movie came to be, what it’s like to be interviewed by Errol Morris, and when the movie will be accessible to the public.

While the answer to the last question is uncertain, we do know that our plan is to share the movie in both Houston and Nashville in the coming months. It’s also worth noting that at the St. Louis screening, we had attendees from as far as Wyoming join us, so whether you’re based in Houston or Nashville shouldn’t stop you from considering one of the next showings if interested.

Stay tuned and keep on “tuning out the noise”!

Best,

Matt