We are thrilled to announce that our CIO, Matt Zenz, is officially joining our leadership team and becoming a partner. Matt’s extensive experience in our evidence-based approach to investing makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team.

Matt has an impressive background in systematically managing assets across multiple strategies. His career includes significant roles such as Chief Investment Officer at Hill Investment Group (past 3 years), Product Specialist at Stone Ridge Asset Management, and Portfolio Manager at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he managed over $80 billion in U.S. small and mid-cap equity assets.

Matt holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the Ohio State University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s degree in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. His academic accomplishments are bolstered by his practical experience in and deep knowledge of multi-factor investing and asset pricing.

Throughout his career, Matt has been dedicated to engaging with clients, ranging from sophisticated institutional investors to families and individuals. His ability to clearly communicate and implement our research-based approach has been instrumental in building strong client relationships with clients and HIG teammates. 

When asked about why Matt loves his work and what it means to him he said “I care about and seek truth in all things – I just happen to love doing that most within investing. Helping clients find that truth about their financial situation brings me great satisfaction.”

Matt will continue to leverage his extensive expertise and leadership skills as a partner to drive our firm’s mission of delivering exceptional evidence-based investment solutions. His addition as partner marks not just a new chapter but a potential turning point for Hill Investment Group as we strive to enhance the quality of our services and help achieve your long-term goals.

Please join us in celebrating Matt Zenz as our third partner!

(Matt Hall and Nell Schiffer are the other firm leaders and owners) 

Stay tuned for more updates and insights from Matt and the rest of our team as we strive to excel in serving our clients and the broader financial community!

As the summer season approaches, we are thrilled to welcome a new Hill Investment Group family member. Our new intern, Kellen Williams, is excited to spend the summer with us, and we are equally happy to have him on board.

Kellen joins us from Lindenwood University, where he is currently pursuing a degree in Finance, and he is expressing interest in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program. His passion for finance and investments started when he was only 14 years old after purchasing his first share of stock! Combining his eagerness to learn and contribute with his keen interest in Hill Investment Group makes him a perfect fit for our team.

“I had a very warm welcome from the team during my first week,” Kellen shared. “I’m looking forward to immersing myself in different parts of the business, learning new skills, and assisting in any way I can. I’m especially excited to see how client portfolios are managed and optimized.”

Throughout the summer, Kellen will work closely with our team, gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of our firm. From operational projects to assisting in the backstage service area, he can apply his academic knowledge in real-world scenarios.

At Hill Investment Group, we believe in nurturing young talent and providing a supportive environment for growth and development. Our team is committed to mentoring Kellen and ensuring he gains valuable insights and skills to benefit him in his future career while also serving our most crucial asset…our clients.

Please join us in welcoming Kellen to the Hill Investment Group team. We look forward to a productive summer with him.

Stay tuned for updates on Kellen’s journey with us, and, as always, thank you for your continued trust and partnership.

That’s the thing about most patterns—they don’t predict the future; they just describe the past.

We’re so good at recognizing patterns that we often see them where they don’t even exist.

One of my favorite examples of this is some research done by David J. Leinweber at Caltech. Apparently, he figured out how to predict the stock market using just three variables:

1- Butter production in the United States and Bangladesh.
2- Sheep populations in the United States and Bangladesh.
3- Cheese production in the United States.

Amazing! Right?

It turns out these three variables predicted 99% of the stock market’s movement!

#TimeToStartAHedgeFund.

Just one problem: The joke’s on us.

While well-intentioned, the constant pursuit of patterns is one of the big behavioral mistakes we make time and again. We look for patterns. And guess what, they absolutely exist. Right up until you try to invest your money based on the pattern. Then *Poof!* They vanish into thin air.

We think if something happened a certain way in the past, then it will surely continue into the future. We start to believe—we desperately want to believe—that this pattern will have predictive value.

But it doesn’t. And that’s the thing about most patterns—they don’t predict the future, they just describe the past.

While some of these silly data mining tricks might be interesting to talk about, they don’t actually help us.

Turns out the only thing that does help when it comes to investing success is good behavior. Day in, day out, year after year.

Now that’s a pattern I can endorse.

-Carl Richards (friend of HIG)