Some people like playing baseball, but as a child, I loved collecting baseball cards. It wasn’t the game that intrigued me; rather, it was my first introduction to a type of investment. I loved looking up each card in the baseball card price guide to see how much it was worth and then trading or selling my cards for other cards.
Eventually, my baseball card collecting hobby transformed into a business. In my local community, there was a collectibles store where I bought and traded baseball cards, and in middle school I started working at the store selling sports cards. This provided me my first experience in the business side of sports collectibles. I started buying and selling baseball cards at sports collectible shows, which ultimately led me to discovering the stock market.
With the money I had earned from selling baseball cards, I opened a brokerage account and started researching and buying stocks. The same fascination I had with baseball cards extended to the stock market and I enjoyed trying to find the next stock that would increase in price.
My newfound interest in the stock market turned into a passion when I studied finance in college, which eventually led to an internship at Prudential Securities.
Starting My Career
After college, I became licensed in 2001 while working at FSC Securities as a Business Development Manager. During my career here, I worked with nearly 50 OSJs to help them become better small business owners.
When one of the OSJs I was working with retired due to health problems, I had an opportunity to buy his business and and started working directly with clients. Several years later, I teamed formed a partnership with Shawn McGuire and we purchased the business from another advisor in Roswell, GA and formed our wealth management firm, Live Oak Wealth Management, in 2009.
While I was initially on the business development side, it made sense for me to transition to the advice side of the business. My mother was a teacher and my dad was in the insurance industry selling bonding and insurance to construction companies. Growing up, my parents were hard working but didn’t save much money or contribute to a retirement account. We were the typical American middle class family.
I believe that the combination of this desire to help families like mine, my passion for the finance industry, and my family history of educators led me to become an investment advisor representative. As an advisor, I’ve made it my goal to help families who are busy raising a family and working a full-time job plan for their future, ensure they’re being proactive with their retirement planning, and make educated decisions while providing providing independent advice in a fiduciary capacity.
My Career Today
Being an investment advisor representative isn’t an easy job. It can be difficult managing clients’ emotions and expectations, especially since people often have a greater adverse reaction to losing money rather than making money. I want to make sure I set expectations for my clients to help them navigate the volatility of the markets.
Despite the difficulties, there are many more benefits. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 20 years and I can’t imagine having another career. It’s so fulfilling to see clients progress toward their goals and feel more confident in their future. Regardless of the services I’m offering my clients, my greatest goal is helping them pursue their unique objectives. My value is designed for those individuals who desire advice and guidance specific their situation and an advisor who can work with them for the long-term to adjust their strategies as their life circumstances change or the markets fluctuate.
Next Steps
To get started, I suggest you take the time to meet with me. You can learn how I may be able to help personalize a financial and investment strategy and guide you through many available options that are designed to help you reach your unique financial goals. There is never a fee, charge, or obligation for your first meeting. Call my office at 770-552-5968 or go to https://liveoakwm.com/contact-us/ to SCHEDULE A MEETING.
About Matthew
Matthew Gaude is an *investment advisor representative and the co-founder of Live Oak Wealth Management, a financial services firm in Roswell, Georgia. He serves the planning and investment needs of corporate employees, those approaching or in retirement, and 401(k) plan sponsors. Working first as a commodity broker and then as a Business Development Manager for a national broker-dealer, he has the insights and experience to help clients understand the complexities of the market and implement strategies to minimize risk. To learn more about Matthew, connect with him on LINKEDIN or visit WWW.LIVEOAKWM.COM.
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