I grew up in a very small town called Alvadore. It’s about ten miles west of Eugene, Oregon. My dad was self-employed, so he had to set up his own retirement plan. It was an IRA account. IRAs were a new thing in the mid-1980s. He would receive account statements and lots of items in the mail about the various investments owned. I would read everything he received and was fascinated with the investments. This was the start of my great interest in the financial markets. I knew early on investments where an area I wanted to be involved with.
I went to the University of Oregon and earned a degree in Finance. As a college student, I opened my own brokerage account. During my early investing, the great stock market crash of 1987 happened. If you are under the age of 50, you may not remember this. It was, and still is the largest single daily decline on record. I learned a lot from going through it even with the little amount I had. It shaped my view. Valuable lessons were learned which have served me well over the years.
After earning my degree, I took a job with a large transportation company in Portland at their administrative headquarters. The work wasn’t the direction I wanted to go, but it was a good job. Most importantly, I met my lovely wife there.
In a few years I had an opportunity to pivot toward the direction I wanted to go. I became a stockbroker. I was in this role for seven years.
It became apparent an important ability for a stockbroker is having excellent selling skills. I didn’t enjoy it. Sales weren’t my thing. I just wanted to manage investments. So, I took another leap and started Gabriel Capital, LLC in 2005. It was the best choice I’ve made, and I’ve never looked back.
University of Oregon – B.S Finance
University of Portland – MBA
University of Portland – Executive Certificate In Financial Planning
CFP Board – CFP® certification
My wife & I were blessed with two daughters who have become fine young adults. We live with our dog Mario on the west side of the Portland metro area. When not at work, or thinking about markets, I enjoy riding my bike, taking long walks, reading, and spending time with my wife on the Oregon coast.
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