Do me a favor.

Try to remember a time when you read or heard something about money in the news, you acted on it, and then, with the benefit of hindsight, you were glad you did.

This could include any number of things: the latest IPO, bear markets, bull markets, mergers, market collapses.

Go ahead, I’ll wait. Close your eyes and think about it.

I’ve done this experiment hundreds of times around the world, and I’ve only had one person come up with a valid example. It was news about a change in the tax law.

That’s it.

Isn’t that interesting?

Think of all the financial pornography out there, think of all the dental offices that have CNBC playing in the background, think of the USA Today Money section. Almost all of it is noise. Almost none of it is actionable.

Sure, every once in a while, there is this little teeny tiny speck of information that might be useful. But you sure have to wade through a lot of garbage to get to it.

This leads to one obvious question: Why are we paying attention to the noise in the first place?

It might be fun, if you’re into that kind of thing. You know, like going to the circus. But most likely, it’s just a waste of time.

What if, instead of obsessing over the news, you used that time to work on that list you have…

You know, “The List.” The one that has all the really important things you actually want to do with your time.

Doesn’t that sound so much better than spending another hour watching the news?

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

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.