Paul Manders - Updates from Ecuador

As some of you may know, I was away in Ecuador with my 13 year old daughter, Holly, on a service trip through the WE charity organization.  To say this experience was amazing, would be an understatement and the fact that I was able to share it with my daughter made it even more special.  

 The combination of a great group of 14 people (nine kids and five adults) in a remote jungle setting for one week, learning the history and issues of the indigenous population in the country, and building 12 concrete columns for a new classroom for the local community made it truly unforgettable.  However, the biggest highlight was watching our kids interact with the local kids on our last work day as they enjoyed a game of soccer and playing other various games together.  

I have included a few photos below, but please reach out if you would like to hear more about this amazing trip.  I would highly recommend the whole experience. 

We can also discuss the other events of last week with respect to the financial markets and the effects on portfolios.  It appears as though my first truly “disconnected” week was not a good one to be away.  Thank you to all of the JMRD Watson Team members for being here to help while I was gone.  It seems like volatility and some uncertainty have made their way back into financial markets.  In my experience, it is this uncertainty that leads to the opportunity of future returns, once calmer markets return.  We will be revising and screening our models and baskets to ensure we are still in the best possible areas to protect capital, and to enhance future returns.  

When we ‘re-connected’ to the world after after being without communication for the seven, after seeing the results for the week, one of the parents asked, “Don’t the markets stress you out?”  My answer was that the markets don’t really stress me out.  After nearly 25 years doing this, it is the stress I hear in client voices and emails that makes these times challenging.  As always, we are committed to being here for you during the tougher times, and we will also be here when they pass.