Page 21 - Investment Advisor January/February 2022

in the stock market but do so in a Today, our team has the opportu- 8. What book are you reading now
less risky way. This was a big reason nity to be back in the office together. and why?
for building the Innovator Defined We, of course, have health protocols in I am currently reading The Sign. It is a
Outcome ETFs. place, but ultimately our shareholders book written by Bob Van Kampen, the
Inflation ultimately moves through and employees have benefited from the late founder of Van Kampen Funds. It
the stock market positively but with collaborative environment that is taking isn’t for the faint of heart and is more
bouts of volatility. Buffer ETFs allow you place in person again. like reading a textbook. It is very insight-
to invest in the stock market but with a ful regarding the history and plight of
built-in buffer against downside loss. 6. What’s your biggest hobby, and the Jewish people and the signs of the
Another, more technical note is that what was the last activity you did end of days.
with these ETFs, volatility can actu- related to it?
ally be beneficial. The higher the mar- I spend a good amount of time at the 9. Any New Year’s resolutions?
ket volatility when the ETFs’ options family “farm” in Northwest Illinois, I’m not much of a New Year’s resolution
positions are entered into, the person.
higher the upside potential. While market volatility can If we see a goal we want to
In our view, this market envi- attain business-wise, we get
ronment is excellent for these hurt a portfolio, inflation and after it pretty quickly. To that
types of products. taxes can sap portfolio value end, we have some interest-

4. Who or what critical (and retirement longevity) ing ideas we’re working to
bring to market in 2022, so I
source of information do guess that could be considered
you track, or follow online, much faster and are risks that a resolution.
to keep up with this or
other trends? must be addressed. 10. Any other piece of
For us, our information sourc- advice or thoughts you’d
es mainly come from raw data, and then where I grow grapes, fish and hunt in like to share with our advisor
we have good people and partners help the company of my loved ones. It’s been audience?
analyze and act on that data. So you a great getaway for our family. Advisors have a tremendous oppor-
can probably guess the typical culprits: We’ve been fortunate to plant a vine- tunity and responsibility to grow and
Bloomberg, Federal Reserve Economic yard on the property (with the first protect their clients’ wealth and be
Database (FRED), realized and implied vintage coming of age this year!) and a a clear voice in an uncertain market.
volatility data, skew, and interest rates, fishing pond. Hunting season is in full The variant-laden pandemic environ-
to name a few. swing right now, so we’ve been enjoying ment has brought many challenges
that reprieve whenever time allows. that have the potential to negatively
5. Are you changing any of your impact wealth: labor shortages, supply
work habits at this stage of the 7. How about your latest community chain struggles, inflation, high equity
pandemic? activity? valuations, volatility and rising rates,
We consider our people and investment When my partner John Southard and to name a few.
products to be part of the stabilization I sold PowerShares back in 2006, it To me, one of the best ways to manage
of the economy and the financial health allowed my family and me to set up a through these risks is to own stocks, but
of our investors, as well as value-adds to charitable foundation called the Bond in a risk-managed way. Until a few years
the advisors who allocate client money Family Foundation that is still going ago, this was not possible for the average
our way. strong today. investor. The tools available to advisors
We were well prepared to work While we don’t publicize the work today, exemplified by ETFs, are plenty.
from home as COVID-19 moved of the trust, I can say we have been for- Now, it’s a matter of seeking out and
through our local community in 2020, tunate to be part of some great causes, using the right ones at the right time to
and I’m very proud of our people’s helped change many lives, and the bless- solve client problems.
work ethic and commitment to their ings we’ve received as a family from this
families, the financial advisors we work far outweigh any monetary gains Editor-in-chief Janet Levaux can be reached at
serve, and the community. this world has to offer. [email protected].

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 INVESTMENT ADVISOR 19