Presidential Parallels
As we approach the transition to new leadership on Inauguration Day, we felt it timely to reflect on the wisdom and inspiration of some of our former Presidents. Their leadership not only offers lessons on resilience and vision, but we also found some insights and quotes that align closely with our values and worldview.
We hope their words inspire you to embrace these values as we continue building a future filled with meaning, impact, and possibility together. As you explore this piece, be sure to hover over the Presidential photo to read their insightful quote.
Barack Obama
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
When reading former President Obama’s quote regarding our true potential being related to things bigger than ourselves, with think of one of Yeske Buie’s core values – Give Big. We define Give Big as: We believe sharing unconditionally is the path to abundance. By sharing selflessly with others, we honor the impact others have had on us.
To Give Big is to give of yourself and what you’ve received fearlessly and without worry. To do so is to trust that giving in this way improves our welfare and that of those around us. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts.
George H.W. Bush
“No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy, and the untiring hope of the human spirit.”
The economy, at its core, is simply the summation of you and me and everyone we know going about the business of our daily lives – we spend, save, gift, and invest. Our approach to investing starts with our worldview. We believe that human beings are fundamentally growth-seeking, ingenious, and resilient. Given that the economy is simply the summation of all of us, we believe that the U.S. and world economy are ultimately resilient and biased towards growth. We think President George H.W. Bush’s quote on the human spirit accurately reflects our view on the world.
John F. Kennedy
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
In thinking about former President John F. Kennedy’s words, we’ve reflected on how financial planning can serve as the guideposts for our Clients’ purpose. Applying it to our work at Yeske Buie, we find that through our discovery process, we are able to begin to understand who and what matters to you. Not only do we learn about your past, and the hard work that has gotten you to where you are today, but we also begin the process of dreaming with you and envisioning what your future could look like. From there, we create a plan that gives you direction and a path forward, and we continue to revisit that path to make sure it still aligns with your dreams and goals.
Franklin Roosevelt
“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”
In other words, “it’s about the size of your life, not the size of your wallet®! This is the epitome of Live Big®. To Live Big is to be present on the journey of life. It is to have a limitless vision of your life, and to pursue it. First you must have the courage to dream and then you must strive to achieve it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
Former President Eisenhower eloquently captured the way we think about financial planning at Yeske Buie. You may have heard one of the financial planners on our team talk about how financial planning is an iterative process or emphasize that financial planning is a verb, not a noun. The work we do is always changing. Perhaps it is due to changes in policies or laws, or maybe the life circumstances of our Clients have changed. Either way, the power and magic of financial planning comes from the continuous monitoring of what is happening in the world, and the commitment to exploring different paths as new opportunities and hurdles arise.
Jimmy Carter
“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”
You’ll often hear us say that we have an Investment Approach That’s Stable, Not Static, meaning that we are constantly evaluating what is happening around the world and, when presented with a grounded and evidence-based reason for a change in our portfolio model, we take action. In connecting the “principles” that former President Jimmy Carter mentioned in this quote to our investment philosophy, we look at the deep regularities within the market and global economy that we harness through the way we invest. These regularities are: (1) Risk and return are directly related; and, therefore (2) stocks have higher returns than bonds over the long run; and, similarly (3) small company stocks have higher returns than large company stocks and(4) stocks with lower prices relative to earnings or assets (“value” stocks) have higher returns relative to more expensive stocks; and, finally, (5) systematic rebalancing increases returns. By sticking to these principles, we remain grounded in our underlying philosophy while always monitoring the reality of the world and research around us.
The wisdom of these leaders offers timeless guidance that resonates deeply with the values we hold at Yeske Buie. Whether it’s the importance of remaining resilient in the face of challenges, pursuing a life of purpose, or continually adapting while staying grounded in core principles, their words remind us of the broader vision of life. As we move forward into this new chapter, here are some additional resources and commentary on the correlation (or lack thereof) between presidents and the market:
Webinar: Does The Market Care Who’s President?
In the Media: The Markets Don’t Care Who’s President
We will also be hosting a webinar on January 30th at 11am PT/2pm ET where we will recap 2024 and discuss our outlook for 2025.