September 2008. My first month with my investment license. The world was falling apart, and I had a front-row seat. That baptism by fire shaped everything about how I think about markets.
Over the next 17 years, I’ve advised and managed wealth for families all over the country. My time at Merrill Lynch was truly formative. I sharpened investment philosophy, constructed portfolios, and selected individual securities for one of the largest wealth management practices in the country. Ultimately directly responsible for $1.25 billion in client assets.
Today, I'm a Partner at Prime Capital Financial in San Antonio, where I continue to advise and manage wealth for families.
I started my career as Lehman Brothers collapsed.
Early in my career, I recognized I had a credibility problem. Harvard or Wharton weren’t in the cards, so I needed another path. I stumbled on the CFA® designation: beyond rigorous, globally recognized, and a true meritocracy. The exams are competitive, failure rates are usually over 50%, and the three levels must be completed in sequence. Fail a level, and you have to wait for the next exam window, at the time it was a year later.
For a young person in San Antonio, about as far away from a financial hub as you could get, this was my ticket.
I obtained the designation in 2014 and it was the best decision I ever made.
Why I earned the CFA® Designation
Why I write
Most financial media is noise, designed to attract attention. Hot takes generate clicks. Jargon designed to confuse.
Don’t get me started on social media.
I started the Practitioner’s Brief because I wanted to share how I actually think about markets, the same frameworks I use. Just a practitioner’s perspective, delivered clearly.
My goal isn't to tell you what to buy. It's to help you think better. And if you ever want help, I’m here.
Beyond Markets
I live in San Antonio, with my wife Kaycee and two children, Edee and John Kelly. When I’m not thinking about markets, I’m probably at Jiu Jitsu, on a run, or at the ball fields cheering the kids on.