It all started in 2006 on a rainy day in the basement of a historical colonial home in Smithtown, New York, a township in Suffolk County Long Island. At the time I was living in Brooklyn, NY and commuting to Long Island daily to see patients. Being in a different country, on a student visa, with hundreds of thousands in student loan debt, made me quickly realize that if I wanted to thrive in America, I would have to learn about the financial markets, learn how to manage debt, and to most importantly establish a sound financial intellectual framework so that I could start making better financial decisions.
I grew up in Canada to loving parents that did their utmost best for my well-being and to help me succeed. But for the worse, there was zero financial education growing up. Poor financial decisions were made because of a lack of financial education, inadequate emotional discipline, with the fast eddies capitalizing on this lack. I had a very strong desire to become self-reliant financially and gain the knowledge necessary, so that I didn’t fall into the same traps my parents did.
I knew I needed help and somehow, I was introduced to a Wall Street legend by the name of Ron. He had a very successful career on Wall Street, and now, after meeting me on several occasions, was willing to train me. Ron only trained those without a conventional financial education. He found joy in being a mentor and I thrived as his protégé. Over the course of 5 years, every weekend I would take the train from my place on Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan (next to the NYSE) to Smithtown Long Island to learn from an investment legend. He would regularly tell me that I was receiving a million-dollar education, and I relished the opportunity to improve.
Ron totally transformed my outlook by helping me build a sound financial intellectual framework, foster strong emotional discipline, and gain the confidence to recognize the fast eddies. I went from having zero understanding of the financial markets to selling put options on high quality stocks during the financial crisis. The absolute best investment I ever made was in myself for my financial education.
Over the last two decades, I have had many investors contact me for my insight into the markets. The Practical Contrarian is a boutique financial consulting firm designed to help hedge funds and family offices maximize their potential. As a steward of capital through all markets, The Practical Contrarian wins by applying a thoughtful, thorough and disciplined approach.
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