Bravo 4 Financial

03/17/2026

25 years ago, the role of a financial advisor was completely different. It was an esteemed profession with access to capital markets and qualified information. Professional designations mattered. And there weren't many of them, designations or advisors.

That has all changed. You can access capital markets and qualified information from your phone. Designations have been cheapened as the backing organizations have turned into profit-centers. Everyone is a CFP® now. And there are advisors everywhere. I live in a town of 5,000 people and there are 5 here that I know of, and that's not including insurance agents that hold securities licenses.

The traditional financial advisor is dead. The public just doesn't know it yet. The industry isn't going to tell you because they don't want you to know.

If you believe your advisor is still worth it because of their portfolio management and routine check-ins, you might be using a dead advisor. In 2-3 years tops, you'll realize it. Everyone will.

The conversation regarding technology, systems, AI, automation, and humans isn't a 2-sided coin. It's a 20-sided die (that's for you David Samson). I'm certainly not an advocate for replacement. But I'm absolutely an advocate for enhancement.

Just this morning, I checked in on a 7-figure taxable account. Yesterday a $30k 5% muni bond was sold for $34,022. A $30k 5% muni bond was subsequently purchased for $33,441. That's nearly $600 in easy money for my client without changing the allocation of the portfolio. And it wasn't a trade I researched or placed. It also wasn't placed by a computer. It was the product of an enhanced system of people and technology.

If your financial advisor is still on here barking about tax efficiency, or being pro/con life insurance, or what you need to retire confidently, they are behind. That guidance used to be a service. Then it became standard. Now we're passed that. Valuing a professional on things like that would be like getting excited the car you're buying has power windows.

And if the question you would ask me next is, "so what SHOULD my advisor be doing for me," you're already behind also.

03/12/2026

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

So much of how your investments perform can depend on timing. It's not something many advisors talk about because it's not as attractive of a conversation of asset selection itself.

I can't tell you how many times I've had clients tell me, "I want to own what you own. Put me in those investments."

First off, I own a restaurant and I highly discourage that, regardless of circumstances.

Second, I don't have a list of secret investments I keep in the back reserved for those who know to ask about them.

Anyhow, today a client got lucky! Weeks ago we initiated the rollover from her 401(k) and because of the provider, they required a check be sent by mail. (Side note: for real, it's 2026. Can we be done with checks in the mail, please?)

It was a little frustrating playing the waiting game for delivery of the check, but as it turns out... the assets sold out of her 401(k) came before all this volatility, but the deposit is now happening during. Score.

Like I said. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good!

03/09/2026

Here's the BLUF this week:

BLUF: Avoiding AI and technology isn't cautious — it's ignorant.

The world is changing fast, and I'll be the first to admit some of those changes are concerning. It's getting harder to know what to trust, and that can easily lead to a fear-based rejection of technology itself. "If I can't trust it in this arena, it shouldn't be trusted at all."

I understand that sentiment. I really do. But I'd be cautious about adopting that mindset.

Technology and AI are capable of doing things that aren't humanly possible. Processing and analyzing massive amounts of information are two of them. I'm an advocate of humans using technology — not of technology removing the need for the human element.

But abstaining from it altogether? That's going to leave you more vulnerable, not less. And it's likely going to leave you behind or short-changed.

The question you should be asking your colleagues and the professionals you work with isn't "Are you using AI?" It's "How are you using it?"

And if their answer is "I'm not" — that's reason to be concerned.

03/06/2026

It's Friday. You know what that means. 🫡

In the Army, before anyone gets released for the weekend, we'd get a Safety Brief — where leadership says the things you'd think are common sense, but they say them anyway because someone always does something that makes you question what they were thinking.

So gather 'round, it's time for the Safety Brief:

Be sure to check who's on a group email or group text before you Reply All. Don't just assume it's the same group that normally comes through. Because you might just reply with a message about your father-in-law… and he's on the thread.

Don't do anything that ends up in a formation Monday morning. Bravo 4 out. ✌️

03/04/2026

My daughter turned 10 this past weekend.

But in our house, birthdays aren't a day — they're a week. (Thank you, Aunt Brianne...)

When I met my wife, I was introduced to a tradition from her sister called Birthday Week. Seven wrapped gifts are set out on display, and every morning you choose the one you want to open. Not all of them are elaborate — one year I got a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, which was honestly a great gift. You can imagine what this does to a kid who already wakes up early. During Birthday Week, they're basically spring-loaded.

When I first heard the concept, I'm sure I gave a flat reaction complete with a side-eye glance. Not that my family didn't celebrate birthdays — we did — but this was more than I was used to.

A decade later, clients, friends, and acquaintances all know about Birthday Week. This year, my daughter's version somehow stretched into a birthday half-month — two friend get-togethers, two family get-togethers, a hyped-up 100-chicken-nugget-and-fries dinner, shopping trips, and more laughs and giggles than I could count.

It set a high bar for the rest of the 2026 birthdays in our family.

Here's what I've realized though — memories aren't crafted from perfectly polished moments. They're built from traditions that make ordinary days feel special.

My kids won't remember every gift they received. They may not even remember what they did each year. But they'll remember Birthday Week.

And I fully believe that one day, they'll introduce it to their own families. Who knows how far it spreads or how long it lasts.

To me, that's what transcendence looks like — a connection and a core memory they'll share and never overwrite.

02/23/2026

Using a sniper team analogy, The Spotter, Not the Shooter shows why effective investing relies less on picking individual assets and more on experience, systems, and seeing the full picture.

Independent wealth management built on precision, discipline, and daily oversight. Bravo 4 delivers clarity and strategy for lasting results.

02/12/2026

First Man In uses a combat training story to explain why some investments aren’t meant to shine—but to absorb risk—showing how portfolios built with purpose, not performance alone, are more resilient when conditions change.

Independent wealth management built on precision, discipline, and daily oversight. Bravo 4 delivers clarity and strategy for lasting results.

02/06/2026

Stocks climbed in January as solid economic data offset geopolitical tensions. The S&P 500 rose 1.37%, the Dow gained 1.73%, and Canada's TSX picked up 0.66%, setting multiple record highs early in the month. The Fed held rates steady as expected, with all eyes now on the March meeting. From \$27.5 billion spent in the U.S. to \$97.80 per person in Canada, Valentine's Day spending spans the globe. Check out this month's by-the-numbers.

Independent wealth management built on precision, discipline, and daily oversight. Bravo 4 delivers clarity and strategy for lasting results.

02/06/2026

Just a few months ago, we had someone share with us he was essentially liquidating all his assets of every kind and going all-in on Bitcoin.

"It's essentially fail-safe," he said.

He even expressed to us how he had recently chewed his parents' financial advisor out because he didn't have them invested in Bitcoin.

This isn't meant to be a case for or against Bitcoin whatsoever.

But it absolutely meant to be a case for diversity. In your tax types. In your investments. In your income streams.

Going all-in on any one investment is unwise, be it Bitcoin or otherwise.

Bitcoin has shed more than 40% of its value since October, and analysts cited by Reuters link the current selloff to the nomination of perceived fiscal hawk Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve.

02/05/2026

One of our core pillars is:

Strong communities needs strong contributors.

We believe success carries a responsibility to make an impact.

We're proud to share that we've recently partnered with Foundation for Financial Planning through the Coordinated Assistance Network and Wings for Widows.

High-quality financial guidance can sometimes feel like a gated community—but there are programs that connect people to qualified professionals when they need it most. We're honored to give back and be part of that bridge.

https://canportal.org/
https://ffpprobono.org/
https://www.wingsforwidows.org/

Wings for Widows provides a compassionate community and comprehensive resources to empower widows and widowers to confidentially navigate the financial crisis most experience following the loss of a spouse.