There I was in the middle of a perfect conversation with a 401(k) participant who obviously knew what he was talking about. His knowledge of investments nearly surpassed that of one of those 24-7 Wall Street wunderkinds. And he was a mere shop worker on a factory floor!
I've spoken to hundreds of people just like this guy. They come from modest means, earned a modest education and live a modest living. In fact, they're background is not that much different than the typical financial professional. The only difference is they don't punch computer keys at some desks, they punch the buttons that drive those mechanical beasties which build much of the world's manufactured goods. In other words, they work the kind of jobs that built America. And they're smarter than their often given credit for – especially when it comes to retirement savings and investing.
That shouldn't surprise you. After all, successful retirement savings and investing requires one thing above all else – discipline. You don't need a PhD. in rocket science to know discipline. You just need guts, self-confidence and good old-fashioned determination. These are traits formed in the playgrounds, sandlot fields and, yes, even the streets of our vast nation.
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Christopher Carosa
Chris Carosa has been writing a weekly article and monthly column for BenefitsPRO online and BenefitsPRO Magazine since 2011 and is a nationally recognized award-winning writer, researcher and speaker. He’s written seven books, including From Cradle to Retire: The Child IRA; Hey! What’s My Number? – How to Increase the Odds You Will Retire in Comfort; A Pizza The Action: Everything I Ever Learned About Business I Learned By Working in a Pizza Stand at the Erie County Fair; and the widely acclaimed 401(k) Fiduciary Solutions. Carosa is also Chief Contributing Editor of the authoritative trade journal FiduciaryNews.com and publisher of the Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, a weekly community newspaper he founded in 1989. Currently serving as President of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and with more than 1,000 articles published in various publications, he appears regularly in the national media. A “parallel” entrepreneur, he actively runs a handful of businesses, including a small boutique investment adviser, providing hands-on experience for his writing. A trained astrophysicist, he also holds an MBA and has been designated a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Share your thoughts and story ideas with him through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/christophercarosa/)and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChrisCarosa).
