Since graduating as an Economist from the University of Maryland in 1998, I have always worked. Come to think of it, even before and during my college education I was working. I don’t know what an unemployment check looks like. Thank God.
I started my career in banking in 1996 during my college years when I worked part-time for NationsBank (now Bank of America) as a teller. I have worked for several major banks in the Washington D.C. region in investment banking and Wall Street. Before working for these banks, I spent almost three years working overseas in Europe traveling to all countries in Central and Eastern Europe. I helped major banks implement credit policies and procedures, trained lenders and make recommendations to bank presidents and boards. Prior to my travels in Europe, I worked for the World Bank helping banks and financial institutions in Latin America extend credit to businesses. You can say I have seen it all when it comes to lending, investing and risk management.
In 2008, when the financial crisis hit everyone hard, yeah you remember, I decided to go solo and start my own investment firm. Perfect timing right? Yes, I was lucky if 25% of my clients moved over with me. Yes, I was struggling to get that business up and running. Then, in 2012 I decided to launch a second business unrelated to investments or Wall Street. It was difficult at the beginning but after three years it was profitable. Now I generate income from these two businesses, the stock market and a rental property I own. You can say I have been able to create a nice portfolio of passive income.
Now, I launch this personal financial blog in the hopes of helping anyone that would like to get help in getting to financial independence. As a Washingtonian, I proudly launch it on Saturday, July 4th 2020, Independence Day of our great nation, U.S. of A. All in the spirit of hoping this blog website helps you gain your financial independence.
I have been lucky to obtain a comfortable lifestyle. I live in Maryland in one the five richest counties in the United States according to Bloomberg and a city where the average household income is $250,000 and is ranked the seventh-most top-educated American small town. I have been blessed with a lovely wife and two beautiful young kids. I think you can make it too if you follow some of my ideas in my blog posts. Yes, the posts will not be perfect, nor will be my grammar but as long as you learn something and start, that’s enough to make me happy or more importantly, you happy.
I enjoy helping and educating people. I volunteer for a Catholic radio station. Every week, for half an hour, I talk about investments, economy and general advice. I don’t get paid, but I just love hearing people thank me when they call the radio station or they mail me a handwritten letter. It’s a blessing. If God gave me this brain and the ability to understand complex financial concepts why not help others. God always returns our deeds in ways we never expect.
I don’t wish you good luck because you don’t need it. You will make it if you read my blog posts, use my knowledge and techniques. What I do ask of you is to never, never play the victim card and always, always learn from your failures and blame no-one, not even you. See challenges and failures as the cost of learning and make note to not repeat the same failure twice. I have added a Quote of The Day to my blog website so it can inspire you to learn good financial habits and make better choices in life.
More importantly, always remember that money and wealth will never, never replace the love and gift from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Money is a tool, an instrument created by men to either enslave you or free you. No matter how much wealth you accumulate, without the love, appreciation and belief in God, you will always, always feel lonely and empty. No wealth will every fulfill that emptiness. Like I always tell people, if God takes away all my wealth and money, I would still be happy as long as I have the blood of Jesus Christ in me, my lovely wife and children, my family and real friends. I have no fear of living financially poor. But I do of living spiritually poor.
I hope you keep visiting my blog as I will post weekly now, every Thursday you will find a new post. Sign up to receive the Economy Chief Newsletter. Tell your friends and family about the blog and give like to our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/TheEconomyChief
Sincerely,
Economy Chief