April Edition

Meet Our New Partner: Nicole Bailey

 

Driven by her passion for promoting females in financial services, it’s no surprise Nicole is Moneta’s youngest female partner. Her motto, “Love what you do and be authentic.”

Once you meet Nicole, you will quickly realize why you  want her on your team. She has all the qualities that impress and shine on paper, but more importantly, in person, she exudes genuine character.

Nicole’s career trajectory at Moneta helped pioneer the financial planning firm’s position as an industry leader in succession planning. She passionately pursues the best long­ term outcome for her clients, her team, the firm and herself.  Helping families plan for their children, watching them grow up and then serving those future generations directly is one of the most rewarding aspects of Nicole’s role as a Family CFO. Nicole’s rise as a next-gen leader at Moneta generated fresh energy and progress internally while building trust and confidence amongst the families she serves.

Outside of Moneta, Nicole is an active board member of the American Red Cross, Greater St. Louis and co-chairs the Biomedical and Society of Women Leaders Committees. As a trustee of the Moneta Group Charitable Foundation, she rallies behind the mission of the Foundation which provides funding for 50l (c)(3) organizations with a primary focus on children, education, the elderly, and/or community needs.

“Life throws curve balls,” and in order to take care of others, Nicole is a firm believer you must take care of yourself.  If you are looking for Nicole outside the walls of Moneta, you  will likely find her at the local gym, enjoying dinner with friends and family or traveling with her husband, Todd.

Nicole earned her Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Accountancy degrees from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Prior to joining Moneta, Nicole worked at KPMG in the Federal Tax Department, where she worked with high net worth individuals and privately held financial institutions. Looking to expand her challenging and interesting work to all areas of a client’s life, she eagerly joined Moneta in 2009.

 


 

Matt Manies: Advisor

 

 

 

 

Matt Manies began working at Moneta in October 2019, joining the Pietroburgo Bailey team as an advisor. Drawn to navigating clients through today’s complex financial landscape, Matt delivers personalized advice that is focused on each clients’ unique financial situation and goals. Upon returning to their hometown of St. Louis, Matt and his wife planted roots in Kirkwood and have two boys who keep them on the move. In between sports and school activities, Matt enjoys staying active, traveling, hiking, and hitting the batting cages with his son.

 

Keva Glenn: Client Service Manager

 

 

 

 

Nakeva Glenn who goes by “Keva” joined the Pietroburgo Bailey Team at Moneta in July 2019. She was drawn to the company because of its consistent rating as a Best Workplace year after year. She also was inspired by their belief and support in expansion and diversity. She graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration from UMSL in 2017. She has described herself as adventurous and someone who enjoys taking risks unless it involves heights.

 

Natalie Merli: Executive Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

Natalie began working at Moneta in October 2019. Prior to that, she worked as an Executive Assistant at Microsoft. Natalie shares the same passion of giving back to the community as Moneta does with its Charitable Foundation. It’s easy to see that Natalie shines when meeting people, team building and organizing events. When she’s not in the office, she gets outside for hikes or bike rides with her two children. She also represents her cultural heritage at different international festivals by dancing with the Colombian folkloric dance troupe, Grupo Atlantico. In sum, you’ll rarely find Natalie without a smile on her face.

 


 

New Kids on the Block! Oh Baby, Baby!

 

Anne Haudrich

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne and her husband Darryn had their first child, Henry Michael Haudrich on December 3, 2019 at 6:14am weighing in at 7lbs. 1oz. and 20.25 inches long. Anne and Darryn have enjoyed cuddling little Henry and getting settled into a new routine.

 

Michael Warner

 

 

 

 

 

Luca John Warner was born September 9, 2019. He is a funny little man who likes to laugh and grab anything that you put in front of him, including his mom’s beer as you can see. He also loves his older brother, Leo, and can’t take his eyes off him whenever he’s in the room.

 

Linda Pietroburgo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mario Michael Pietroburgo was born on February 27, 2020 weighing 8lbs. and 7oz. This is Linda’s first grandchild, and she could not be more thrilled.

 


 

New Year < New Focus

 

Staying Focused on Long Term Goals int he face of Short-Term Distractions

As the first quarter of 2020 has (thankfully) concluded, we wanted to seize the opportunity and provide a much-needed diversion from recent news. Though our world and the market are largely being driven by headlines, we would like to provide you with a few team updates, as well as reasons to remain positive.

To cap off a monumental 2019 in the way of market growth, the Pietroburgo Bailey team has also experienced a great deal of expansion! For starters, Nicole Bailey, a Senior Advisor at Moneta for over 10 years, was made Partner just prior to year-end. Nicole has worked tirelessly for this opportunity and is admired by colleagues and clients alike, congratulations Nicole! Natalie Merli and I are both thrilled to have joined the Pietroburgo Bailey team in October and grow its number to 10. Separately, we have several members of our team who are also increasing their numbers at home! Mike Warner and his wife Amye had their second child, Luca, in September. Anne (Droese) Haudrich and her husband Darryn welcomed their first child, Henry, in early December. And our very own, Linda Pietroburgo became a grandmother for the first time at the end of February. A huge congratulations to all!

How about you? How are you coping with record-setting volatility? We have spoken to most of you and thought it would be helpful to summarize a few observations.

As investors, as humans really, we all have a natural fear of the unknown. Uncertainty can occupy the minds of the most steadfast investors. How will the market react to lower interest rates, to higher rates, a new President, the same President? Year after year, there are countless occurrences that we can point to as validation for our belief the stock market will move one way or the other. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately), as most investors and analysts come to realize, our worst fears often never materialize. It’s uncanny how anxiety fades as soon as a risk drops out of the headlines – only to be replaced by another. Is anyone worried about the trade war with China or the unprecedented US budget deficit?

To better illustrate, we couldn’t ask for a more perfect case study than in 2019. Financial reporters focused on tariff negotiations, geopolitical tensions, monetary policy speculation, and countless predictions of imminent recession due to an inverted yield curve. While these were all valid concerns, they were overcome by a strong U.S. economy. The U.S. labor market continued to show tremendous strength. Consumer spending, which represents 68% of our GDP, helped to provide a stable floor for economic growth. At the end of 2019, unemployment was at 3.5%, the lowest since the l960’s.

While this particular virus is irrefutably unique, the effect it has had on the markets is not. The phrase “this time is different” has been used countless times in our past. For historical perspective, during the Stagflation and Oil Shock of 1973- 74, peak to trough, the S&P 500 Index lost 48.2%. In 1987 on Black Monday, the market dropped 33% over a three-day period. Most recently, during the 2008-09 Financial Crisis, the S&P 500 fell 56.78%. In every instance, the subsequent bull market that ensued was remarkable.

Inevitably, financial independence is neither determined nor surrendered by one pandemic, one election, or one market cycle. Financial independence is achieved through decades of hard work, prudent investing, a consistent savings strategy, a reasonable risk-adjusted rate of return, and time. As advisors, it is our responsibility to create an investment framework that matches a clients’ personal risk tolerance and ability to save, with their goals in retirement, education, and philanthropy. Equally as important, however, is our job to help navigate clients through the emotional angst that give so many investors pause.

So, for 2020, we want to remind you that we are here to listen and hold you accountable to your stated goals. We are here to understand what’s important to you and your families. And rather than adopting ad-hoc responses, we are here to help you focus your time and resources on a longer-term vision that you, more or less, control.


 

The Pietroburgo Bailey Team: We Simply Go Further

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the greatest joys of our business is meeting new people and learning about their unique situations. Please know we are always open to “no expectations” conversations with prospective clients and will always be respectful in all communications and encounters with friends, family and colleagues of yours. We appreciate your continued trust and confidence in our team.

Moneta Main Line: (314) 726-2300

pietroburgobaileyteam@monetagroup.com

 

© 2020 Moneta Group Investment Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. These materials were prepared for informational purposes only. You should consult with an appropriately credentialed professional before making any financial, investment, tax or legal decision. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. These materials do not take into consideration your personal circumstances, financial or otherwise.

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