We’ve got this challenge that we’re doing around here where our advisors have to open one of our white elephant gifts, and then based on whatever’s in this bag, they will have to give financial advice that’s related to that thing.
James: I feel like I’ve already accomplished a pretty impressive challenge by making an ugly sweater for Christmas even uglier by making it a vest. So I feel like I’m already ahead of the game for everybody else that’s going to do this. But let’s see what I got. I’m going to pick the big one.
Playing cards! Well, these are massive playing cards. So, oh man, this is easy. So many times people think of investing like a poker game, like they got to somehow strike it rich or get the right hand or pick the right card and somewhere in there they’re going to find the magic bullet that shortcuts the process of wealth creation. This is not a card game. Wealth takes time and time takes time. There’s no shortcuts. There’s no easy way to make a bet on something that no one else has thought of before that somehow magically makes you rich. It’s just about discipline and doing the hard things over and over again.
Megan: Pick this one here. I like stripes. Wacky waving inflatable tube guy. You know what? I guess what’s sort of sticking out to me is even when I turn it on, it goes up and down. And so even when we have a good financial plan, when we do everything right, you know sometimes the market is going to be up and down. It’s going to shoot up, and we can be really excited. And sometimes even when it’s on and you know we’ve done all the right things, sometimes it goes back down before it goes back up. And we still have a smiley face because we’ve done our planning. So let’s be excited when we do our plans.
James: Oh no, what am I supposed to do with this? It is a bag of hands. Alright, you guys got me on this. Alright, so let me think. The goal, particularly this time of year, is to be openhanded with our resources and help others who are struggling, who need a leg up, need some help to make it through. And so, random rubber tiny hands, yeah, that speaks generosity to me. Let’s be generous this year. Merry Christmas!
