Category Archives: Team My Portfolio Guide

Marijuana Stocks: Growing like a weed?!

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Dear Mr. Market:th

Many of our “letters” to you are with a cautionary approach so that readers of this blog fully understand the risks and rewards of engaging with you. With your erratic personality perhaps the last thing you need is a drug to add to your volatile ways. That said, we also attempt to sprinkle in some humor and puns to get our point across…even if you’re at an all-time high (first pun in case you’re not paying attention!).

Whether you are a proponent of legalizing marijuana or not there is no denying that the cannabis industry is real and here to stay. Would it surprise you to learn that cannabis is the United States’ second largest cash crop? Believe it or not it is the second most valuable industry next to corn and is worth over $40 billion! Several reports earlier this year also estimate that legal cannabis sales could grow by at least 30% in 2018.

The marijuana industry is predicted to grow like a weed (second pun). All kidding aside, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects over 250,000 new jobs in this industry by 2020 which is far more than those expected from manufacturing! By 2024 the BLS actually forecasts manufacturing jobs to decline by 814,000. Ignoring the potential growth in this industry or that it has fast become a major economic driver and job-creation force in the U.S. economy is a mistake.

Public opinion is still divided (not a surprise nowadays…) but it’s rapidly changing. A poll conducted by CBS News in July of 1979 revealed that only 27% of those surveyed thought marijuana should be legal; that number by mid 2017 is now at 61%. Even with this momentum there still remains some obvious hurdles: (1) Marijuana is still illegal at the Federal level and (2) Congress has plenty to focus on right now with healthcare and tax reform so legalization is a lower priority for now.

So…how do you play this opportunity, or should you???th-11

If you’re a true investor as opposed to a speculator we’ll begin by letting you know there are major risks in this budding sector. (please tell us you caught that pun?!) Continue reading →

Team MPG : Ironman for Charity

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Dear Mr. Market:

You’re notorious for beating up investors and making even the brightest and the best mind on Wall Street feel broken. Next week a group of regular guys will be making an investment that will also beat them up…but in a different way and for a higher purpose. We would like to take a few moments to share something that is much bigger than the market…giving back and making a difference in other people’s lives!

As a firm we have always taken pride in the fact that we give back not only monetarily but more importantly with our time and energy. We prefer to roll our sleeves up and get our hands dirty rather than simply writing a check and walking away. Last year we decided to take our game to a new level  – we created a team of individuals to raise funds and awareness for charities and compete in Ironman Arizona (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and then a 26.2 mile marathon run – that is 140.6 miles, all in one day!). Sure, there are plenty of financial firms that support some very impressive foundations but how many put their time, money and actual bodies on the line?

TeamMPG

Our journey began the weekend of November 17, 2013 as Team My Portfolio Guide (Team MPG) gathered in Tempe, AZ. We volunteered at an aid station helping athletes as they completed the biking portion of their 140.6 mile race. After that day each member of Team MPG began training and raising funds for a charity of their choice. The amount of hours spent in training are enormous but what carries even more of an impact is the story behind each athlete and the impact that these charities have made in both their individual and family’s lives!

After our team completes Ironman Arizona on November 16th we will be presenting the following charities with the funds we have raised to help them with their mission statements: Continue reading →