Michael Kafoglis is an Advisor in responsible for serving Hill Investment Group’s Hill and Hilltop clients. Michael comes to Hill Investment Group with seven years of experience at one of the largest investment institutions in the country, where he served as an advisor to high-net-worth families in corporate America. Michael focuses on education and making families’ financial lives simple and worry-free so they can focus on what they care about most.
As the son of a consultant turned teacher turned financial planner, I grew up with a unique view of investing. The concepts of compounding, diversification, and patience were taught to me at a young age. I saw the power of discipline at work in 2008 when my dad explained why he wasn’t panicking.
Years later, as an advisor, I found that my financial education was not the norm but the exception. After recognizing the lack of clarity and simplicity in the ever-expanding universe of investment products, I found myself aligning with Hill Investment Group to help bring the same confidence in the investing principles that I was taught to the select clients we get to serve.
The Kafoglises (or the “Kafogli”) are a very tight group. My sister, Clare, and I, both live within minutes of our parents in Houston. My oldest brother Dan lives north of Chicago with my two young nephews. We all come together at least once a year at the family lake house in Antioch, Illinois.
I don’t have children of my own, so all that attention gets redirected to our dogs – Mac and Pippa. Mac is a German Shepherd mix who doubles as our home security system (but is easily corrupted with peanut butter). Pippa is a white Labrador retriever with an unhealthy addiction to tennis balls and a
serious snoring problem. We try to bring them
on as many trips, hikes, car rides, and lake visits as possible. I grew up around dogs and will always be endeared by their empathy and loyalty.
I had always anticipated going to college somewhere far away from Houston to experience another part of the country – but then the reality of winter in the Midwest or Northeast set in, and I decided Dallas, TX, was far enough for me. I ended up at Southern Methodist University and left with not only a degree but also lifelong friends, a painful love for SMU Mustangs football, and a great partner for life – Andrea (oddly enough, we both graduated in the same class, but I never met her until after college).
I was extremely fortunate to have a grandmother whose passion in life was travel. She encouraged us to have an open mind about the world and was generous in bringing me and my siblings on as many trips as possible. In the summer of 2008, she took me on a
once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour Russia. We started in St. Petersburg, and a riverboat took us to Moscow, with several smaller stops along the Volga River. Some notable sights included the Kremlin, the Hermitage Museum, and a wooden church constructed with one axe and no nails (Church of the Transfiguration in Kizhi).
I helped with a summer program at my former elementary school. I ran gym class and was absolutely drained by lunchtime. I have endless respect for teachers.
Vinyl – I inherited my dad’s 1970s-era Panasonic turntable years ago. It still sits in my living room with hundreds of albums from The Grateful Dead to Barbara Streisand and everything in between.
Houston Restaurants –I rarely find a new restaurant in Houston that I don’t like. It’s also hard to go to the same restaurant twice – there’s always something new to try.
The NFL – college football only in my house.
A mentor once told me that people who work with their minds relax with their hands.
When I’m not at the office, I have trouble sitting still. There’s a good chance you’ll find me in the garage or the yard on Saturday morning hammering, sawing, or trimming something. During the week, I like to start my mornings at the gym – when my physical health is off, everything else feels off.
Anything by Michael Lewis – but notably Boomerang and Flashboys
Freakonomics (the book and Podcast) by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt
The Indicator (NPR podcast) – quick but deep dive into a weekly economic topic (for the economics geeks like me)
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