Once Upon a Time…
Welcome to the very first post on the blog!
I'm glad you found your way into my little corner of the internet, now pull up a chair and let me try to tell a story that's worth your time. A story that hits close to home, directly from our own history books.
There's always a "silver lining" to the unfortunate and evil events that take place in our world, and that includes World War I. War has a way of forcing countries to innovate or die, since both sides are developing weapons as fast as possible and any new invention could turn the tide of a battle. When it was all over and the dust had finally settled, American manufacturing companies took a look at what war had turned them into, and they liked what they saw. Products flew off their assembly lines and it seemed like there was always a newer model to be bought. Washing machines, refrigerators, televisions, shinier cars, more powerful airplanes, everything was getting bigger and better. The economy exploded upwards, quality of life increased, patriotism was through the roof, and the era was nicknamed the "Roaring 20's".
Anyone that knows American history reads that paragraph and knows that this story doesn't end with "happily ever after". The economic tidal wave had to end at some point, and like all tidal waves, it ended in complete disaster. So what happened that could possibly trigger an end to the "bulletproof" economy?
Greed.
People saw the economy's growth and did everything they could to get a bigger slice of the pie, including mortgaging their own homes to purchase more stock. When your home is on the line, it's easy to see why one would panic at even a small downturn. That's exactly what happened. A small economic downturn caused a massive disturbance and quickly spiraled into the famous extended recession we still learn about in the 7th grade, the Great Depression.
Dreams were crushed. Hopes were dashed. Poverty was everywhere and the one thing on everyone's mind was "when will I eat next?". Understandably, the American people stopped trusting their own government and massive political reform was pushed through D.C.. What the American people needed was someone to speak to them personally and explain what was happening to their country in plain English. Someone who understood what had happened, and more importantly, had a plan to fix it and prevent it from happening again. That need was answered by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who spoke directly to the people over the radio through programs that became affectionately nicknamed "fireside chats".
That's what this blog is intended to be; Personal, informal, down-to-earth, and understandable.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no Roosevelt. I'm just someone who has dedicated their time to understanding the market and planning for the future. My occupation gives me insights that may be of value to you, but that's for you to decide. There will always be opportunity somewhere. Unfortunately, everyone is looking for it and that makes the market a minefield of questionable financial products, salesmen, conflicts of interest, and empty promises.
My goal with this blog is to be a resource, a guide, and a source of free information to help you avoid the financial pitfalls and ultimately help you become more successful than ever before. Or maybe just give you a good laugh at the scams people are falling for nowadays. That Nigerian prince can be pretty convincing. Either way I'll keep it laid back and simple. A fireside chat.
Something on your mind? Opportunity that seems suspiciously too good to be true? Investing concept that seems overly complicated? Chances are if you have a question, someone else has the same one. Come on, challenge me.
brett@centennialsec.com
