What's in store for you:

1. Photo From My Life
2. Financial Thought: Doing Nothing
3. Life Thought: Digital Practice
4. Good Sh*t: Best Whole Foods Ever

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Photo From My Life:

Financial Thought:

Doing Nothing: It may be obvious, but it's worth reiterating. Doing nothing is usually the best investment decision.

Assuming you have a real plan in place, doing nothing is perfectly rational behavior. There are constant temptations though. Markets move around. Headlines catch your attention. You start thinking, maybe I should adjust this. Maybe I should move more to cash. Maybe I should buy that thing everyone is talking about. Most of the time, these impulses are a distraction.

The modern investing experience is an endless buffet. Thousands of stocks. Thousands of funds. When there are a million possible improvements, your mind starts to assume you must be missing something. And if you are missing something, you should probably do something. That’s the trap.

The news flow makes it worse. It’s constant, it’s emotional, and it’s designed to feel urgent. The thing that matters for your long term results rarely shows up as breaking news. I believe outcomes are driven by savings rate, asset allocation, costs, taxes, discipline, and time. There's a problem though. It's not sexy.

To be clear, I’m not saying you should never make portfolio changes or trades. It’s not about doing nothing for the sake of doing nothing. If your plan is wrong, fix it. If your life changed, update it. If your portfolio is a random pile of ideas with no purpose, reallocate.

But if you have a sound plan and your urge to change things is being driven by fear, excitement, envy, or headlines, your best move might be no move.

Life Thought:

Digital Practice: VDB Wealth is what people in the industry call a "digital practice." I work with clients across the country (and even the world) without needing to be in the same room. It’s a model that works well for me. I’m more productive. I waste less time commuting. I can drop into deep work without the friction of bouncing between meetings or driving across town. I genuinely enjoy it.

But earlier this week, I hopped in the car and drove a few hours to Daytona Beach to meet with a client in person. As I was having lunch with them, I remembered why these visits are so important.

There’s something intangible that happens when you’re face to face with someone. You connect differently. The conversation opens up in unexpected ways. The relationship deepens. It’s not always about solving something specific in that moment. It’s about building trust, reinforcing that you care, and reminding both of you that this is a human relationship and not just a service or transaction.

Sometimes, the best use of my time may look the least efficient on paper. Sure, my to-do list got pushed back a day. I got behind on emails. But I walked away with a stronger relationship, more context, and a renewed sense of purpose for the work we’re doing together.

As I continue to build this remote practice, I’m also committing to face to face meetings. I’m going to make it a point to see every client in person at least once per year. I’ll travel quarterly. Not because I have to, but because it’s worth it.

Good Sh*t:

Best Whole Foods Ever: If you ever find yourself driving between Melbourne and Daytona Beach, there is a Whole Foods in Viera that is absurdly nice. It might be the nicest Whole Foods I have ever been to. The layout is great, the selection is elite, and it somehow feels calmer than every other grocery store on Earth.

If you are within 30 to 50 miles, it may honestly be worth a small detour. I am almost tempted to make the 1.5 hour trip today just to stock up on more Honey Mama’s.

Yes, I realize this is a crazy recommendation, but if you ever get there, you'll understand that I'm not crazy.

Disclaimer: VDB Wealth is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

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