What's in store for you:

1. Photo From My Life
2. Financial Thought: Curation of Information
3. Life Thought: Grateful
4. Good Sh*t: The Pitt

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Photo From My Life:

Financial Thought:

Curation of Information: Someone asked me recently why I do not write more about investing. It's a fair question. I am a wealth manager....

There are two main reasons:

1. Generalized investing advice does more harm than good. Your situation is not the same as the person sitting next to you. Your risk tolerance, tax picture, time horizon, liquidity needs, and goals are uniquely yours. When I see blanket investing takes, it feels irresponsible. It assumes everyone is playing the same game with the same rules. That is not true.
2. The bigger issue is what the constant market commentary does to your brain. The market is up 2%, down 3%, this sector is hot, that one is dead. It pulls your attention to exactly the wrong place. Long term investing requires discipline and patience, not constant tinkering based on last week’s headlines. Overdramatizing short term swings is a disservice to the goal.

So what do I want to write about this week?

We live in a world of unlimited information. Want to understand a backdoor Roth conversion? Five minutes on Google. Curious about the tax treatment of qualified small business stock? It is all there. Information is power. It is also paralyzing as hell.

I see it with my clients. Smart, capable people overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things they feel like they should be doing. Should I be doing tax loss harvesting? What about a donor advised fund? Should I refinance? Am I leaving money on the table. Most families are missing the forest for the trees. A handful of factors drive the vast majority of your family’s financial success. If you get those right, you're 90% of the way there.

Everything else is optimization around the edges. And sure, optimization can be worth it. But not if it comes at the cost of clarity, simplicity, or your peace of mind. That last minute tax strategy that saves you $5,000 but adds three layers of complexity and a fresh compliance headache every single year? Maybe it is worth it. Maybe it is not. That is the conversation worth having.

I view my job as curating the right information and tools for a client's specific situation. Not everything that is possible is worth doing. Not every strategy that works for someone else will work for you. My role is to focus on what actually matters, tune out the noise, and build a plan that is resilient, tax smart, and most importantly aligned with how you actually want to live your life.

It is not a job I take lightly.

Life Thought:

Grateful: I took my son swimming on Monday night. We were both wearing goggles, diving under, and making ridiculous faces at each other through the water. I don't know what clicked, but all of a sudden I zoomed out. My perspective totally shifted and I finally recognized the situation. I only thought of one thing. This is so f*cking cool.

I don't have enough of these moments. I'm rarely fully present. I'm typically thinking about the next thing on the list or what needs to happen tomorrow or whether I remembered to respond to that email. But, for the minute or two in the pool, I was just there. Feeling so grateful and lucky.

My wife and I are in it right now. Two young kids at home. Both of us chasing careers we care about, trying to make time for friends, for health, and for hobbies. It's a lot. Some days it feels like we're just trying to keep our heads above water (pun intended).

But, I know I'm going to miss these days. Two unbelievable kids at home. Moments like the one in the pool. I feel incredibly lucky.

No grand lesson here. No takeaway or framework. Just gratitude.

Good Sh*t:

The Pitt: I wrote about The Pitt after watching Season One. I'm halfway through Season Two, and I'm bringing it back! I don't watch a lot of TV, but I'm addicted to the Pitt. It's the modern day ER/Grey's Anatomy, but more "real" (according to my good friend who happens to be an ER Doctor). It's dramatic, heavy, but also funny.

My only issue? They release episodes at 9pm on Thursdays. Who can stay up until then to start a show?!

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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