Brian Berenz
Founder of Berenz Wealth Management, LLC
Personal Bio:
I was born in Madison, WI and grew up in Colorado Springs, CO. I attended Coronado High School. There I played varsity golf and was the captain of our varsity ice hockey team. My father was the president of a local bank, and my mother worked in the IT industry. When I went to college I became a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. During college I found a passion for aviation, and after college I pursued a career in aviation as a pilot. Unfortunately, the market for pilots after September 11th and the regulation extension for the pilot age made it extremely difficult for new pilots to find employment. I then pursed a career in the investment industry and was hired by Edward Jones. After working for Edward Jones, I was offered an opportunity to work back in the aviation industry with Jeppesen, a Boeing company. I started Berenz Wealth Management, LLC (BWM) in addition to working at Jeppesen in 2006. In 2007, I agreed to be a compliance supervisor for another independent advisor, while maintain BWM. While working for Jeppesen and running BWM, I completed my MBA with an emphasis on accounting, passed all 3 enrolled agent exams and received my EA status, and I passed the level 1 CFA exam. I have two small children and a wonderful wife. When I am not with my family or working, I still enjoy playing ice hockey, and I am addicted to golf.
Education Bio:
I graduated from Colorado State University in 2001 with a BA degree in Economics and a minor in the Performing Arts. Upon completing my undergraduate degree, I attended Comair Aviation Academy in Stanford, FL and obtained my Private, Instrument, and Commercial aviation pilot’s licenses. I continued my aviation education in Denver and earned my Certified Flight Instructor’s license and Multi-Engine Commercial pilot’s license. I passed my life insurance and series 7 and 63 security exams while working for Edward Jones Investments. After working for Edward Jones, I passed my series 65 and series 24 exams. I completed my MBA with an emphasis on accounting at Keller Graduate School of Management, with distinction. In addition, I passed the level one Chartered Financial Analyst exam and have obtained my Enrolled Agent status (highest credential awarded by the IRS).
Investment Philosophy:
Invest in sound financial companies with quality management. Make sure you understand the investment as well as the investment vehicle as these are two very different things. I believe in keeping it simple, so stocks, options, bonds, ETFs, and/or mutual funds all sold on major exchanges are enough to design a quality portfolio. When analyzing investments, logic needs to accompany the data. Data cannot stand on its own in a investing world where humans make the decisions to buy or sell an investment. If you are investing you will participate in investments that lose money and make money, so be comfortable with your decisions. Learn from past decisions, but remember you made the best decision at the time the investment was made or exited with the information you had.
Investment Strategy:
Being in the industry for some time now, I have seen a number of different strategies that make money, and I have seen those same strategies lose money. I have also participated in some of the most volatile bull markets and bear markets we have had in our history.
In my opinion, an effective investment strategy needs to be designed first around a particular individual’s defined risk tolerance and goals. Having the goal’s time horizon and dollar amount defined helps insure the portfolio does not take on undo risk. Then strategies need to incorporate the right investment vehicles, sound financial companies, analysis of market timing, and diversification. Diversified portfolios are not just based on sectors or asset classes, but they should also be based on unforeseen market events (both positive and negative). The end result is that there is no one strategy, rather the strategy needs to be customized for the individual, defined so the investor can be disciplined, and flexible to take into account market changes.
My Recommended Investment & Economic Books of Interest:
- Anything by Nassim Taleb
- Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd
- The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
- The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
- Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt.