Green Thumb vs. Brown Thumb Investors

Have you ever noticed how some people make a lot of money from investing while others do not? There are some individuals who are like "master gardeners" when it comes to their portfolios.  They have a "green thumb" for picking stocks, bonds, mutual funds etc.  Where they put their money it grows.  On the other hand, there are individuals who are the opposite. These people have a "brown thumb" for picking stocks, bonds, mutual funds etc.  In my line of work, I hear from individuals who fall into each category but especially the latter.  So what is the difference between "green thumb" and "brown thumb" investors?  Here is what I have noticed.

Green Thumb individuals are long-term investors, who are not looking for a quick profit.  They buy quality investments and hold them.  During market downturns, they stay calm, look for opportunities, and in many cases put more money into their current investments while the price is low.  Green Thumb individuals diversify their investments.  They do not put their "eggs in one basket". Finally, Green Thumb investors stay on top of their holdings, reviews their statements, educate themselves and seek professional guidance if needed.

Brown Thumb individuals are not long-term investors. They are constantly buying and selling hoping to make a quick profit. They buy speculative or "hot" stocks that "can't miss".   During market downturns, they panic, sell everything, and sit in cash refusing to take advantage of low price buying opportunities.  A Brown Thumb investor's portfolio is rarely diversified and often sector heavy. Finally, a Brown Thumb investor rarely checks their holdings, reviews their statements, and insists they know everything about investing.

Investing money takes time, patience, understanding, and discipline.  If you want to be a Green Thumb investor, you will have to develop the character of this type of individual.  There are plenty of resources including plenty of financial professional who are willing to help you develop that Green Thumb.

Exciting Announcement

I am pleased to announce that I.F.S.G. has migrated operations to Google Apps. This change will streamline client service, improve communications, and allow for more collaboration between clients and advisor. I am excited about  the potential for the business and its clients which come from this switch.

The  following is a list of the apps being employed:

1. Gmail - I.F.S.G. has had a Gmail address as a backup for several years now.  It will now be the primary contact address.  It is matthewdressel.ifsg@gmail.com.  The contact@independentfinancialsolutionsgroup.com address still exists but it will be used to receive professional mailings from investing and business journals.  

2. Hangouts - is a video and voice app that can be used for individual and group appointments.  Hangouts allow for secure VOIP conversations and the ability to share my screen to review information as well as collaborate on client financial strategies.  Hangouts will benefit clients whose schedules make it difficult to come to the office for an appointment as well as those who live out of the area or the state.

3. Google Voice - has been in use for several years.  The number 252-515-0242 was provided by Google as a backup to the business’s toll-free number.  As time went on, this number was used for text messages to communicate with clients and provide account updates.  Over the past two years, it was being used more and more for phone calls to the point that it became the I.F.S.G. primary number.  This number will now be the only number for the business.  The 866-671-6896 phone number has been discontinued.  Please note, all incoming and outgoing calls and text messages are logged by Google Voice for record keeping purposes.

4. Google Docs and Google Sheets - are word processing and spreadsheet apps very similar to Microsoft Word and Excel.  What makes these apps unique is they are cloud based; document or sheet revisions are saved in real time and can be accessed through “File” on the menu bar. Documents can be shared for collaboration, comments, and further revisions without having to use “Save As”.

5. Google Forms - allows the advisor to create questionnaires to deepen client relationships and enhance communication. Questionnaires are created and stored online.  They can be completed at the office or sent via email to be completed and submitted in real time.  Client responses will be integrated into a personalized spreadsheet.  The client information form, risk tolerance test, and financial priorities survey have been converted to Google Forms.  In the next several weeks additional forms for requesting appointments, client follow up and others will come into use.

6. HelloSign - has proven to be a “paper saver”.  HelloSign allows for documents to be sent to clients for electronic signature in a secure setting.  This means no one has to print off a document, sign it, re-scan it, and email or fax it back. You just sign it on the screen.

7. Google Keep - is for taking notes. It is being used for appointments and daily record keeping.  Notes can be saved as a Google Doc and stored in Google Drive.

8. PDF Merger - is used to combine multiple documents from different sources without having to print them off individually and scan them as one file.

9. Google Drive - is being used for cloud based storage.  Documents created by Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, PDF Merge, and HelloSign are automatically saved to Google Drive. Attachments received through Gmail can be saved to Google Drive. In addition, notes taken on Google Keep can be saved to Google Drive as a Google Doc.   

I hope you are as excited as I am about this switch to Google Apps. I believe you will enjoy the most efficient service that these apps will provide. Feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions at matthewdressel.ifsg@gmail.com, 252-515-0242, or reach out to me on Hangouts.