Prologue
Before I begin this episode, I’d like to express my deep and sincere thanks to anyone and everyone who has donated to the “Hal Walker Needs Our Help” GoFundMe page. The success of this campaign has helped me pay for caregivers, doctors visits, medications and living expenses. Thanks to these funds, I’ve been free of the financial devastation that comes so readily with severe chronic illness. Thank you. I am so grateful. You’ve given me so much.
Today’s post is about money. In large part due to the GoFundMe, I have some. Because I have this money, I get to decide what to do with it — where to put it, how to spend it and how to earn from it. I have to tell you that I’ve really enjoyed the luxury of making these decisions. I realize that not everyone has this luxury. I realize that many people, especially people living with ME/CFS, are in dire financial straits and have nowhere to turn for help.
James Strazza is a wonderful musician living with very severe ME/CFS. James lives with his mom, is unable to play music and could use your help in reaching his GoFundMe goal of $25,000. You can read James’ story and donate here. Click the Spotify below to hear some of James’ music.
Hal Walker, Financial Advisor
Except for one particular phrase, we didn’t use bad words in my childhood home. We didn’t use God’s name in vain and we didn’t use bad words — except for one phrase, that is. It was a phrase I heard many times coming out of my dad’s mouth. I can still hear it now in his voice. “Money is s**t.” My sisters will tell you. We grew up with that phrase. I’m not exactly sure what it means, but my memory connects it somehow with Dad's admiration for Francois Mitterrand, the socialist leader of France from 1981 - 1995. There must've been more to it than just the three words, but I missed my opportunity to ask. It's one more conversation that will have to be had in another realm someday. I miss you, Dad.
I got my first paying job in junior high school. I delivered the Record-Courier to 50 customers around the Beech Drive/Norwood Street Circle. I remember how diligent I was about putting every cent that I earned in my savings account. It was so exciting to watch that savings grow. I saved enough that in high school, I bought a Commodore 64 computer with my own money. I lugged that computer to college with me in 1984, but I never plugged it in. It was the 80’s. I wrote all my papers on an electric typewriter.
For the next 40 years. I spent everything that I earned. If there was a “spending generation,” I was definitely a part of it. Now I'm left with an attic full of stuff that I don't need. I mean what's a guy who's "bed-based and homebound" gonna do with four guitars, three guitar amps and two folk harps… and a Harpeji. It's interesting how chronic illness has changed my priorities. I no longer want stuff. I want financial security. To be honest, what I really want is 15% lesser symptoms. But in terms of finances, I’ll take a more mature, responsible approach to spending. It’s time to take seriously how I use the money that I've got. I think I’m done filling the attic.
On the subject of financial planning, I have a great story of serendipity to tell you! Truly, the timing of this particular phone call couldn't have been more perfect. But before I launch into the story, I'd like to give you some unsolicited financial advice…
If you’re in the U.S., I encourage you to go right now to TreasuryDirect.com and buy yourself an “I Bond.” The minimum purchase is $25. Buy one for your kids and if you've got 'em, buy one for your grandkids, too. For the next six months, you'll earn a whopping 9.65% APY interest. Six months from now, the interest rate will change according to the inflation rate, but inflation will likely stay high. Trust me on this one. There's no simpler way to get into investing. Take that little bit of cash you've got stored away and buy as much as you can. You can thank me later. :)
It was Monday, Aug 9. I was researching a fixed interest annuity online and I stumbled upon I Bonds. Within minutes of my discovery, I had registered for an account and purchased my first I Bond. Today I'm earning 9.65% APY interest on that money. Let me put it this way. While I'm sitting here writing my next Substack, my money is earning money. For a guy who, in the last year, has lost significant earning ability due to illness, this is a very good thing.
On Tuesday, I spent the morning learning more about I Bonds. I sent texts to my family encouraging them to buy now. When my sister Caroline discovered that my tip was a good one, she lovingly referred to me in a text as "Hal Walker, Financial Advisor." I accepted the role readily and I let KK know that she had just given me the title for my next Substack.
Tuesday afternoon, I headed down the rabbit hole of I Bond YouTube videos. With the help of Jennifer from the Diamond Nest Egg Channel, I came up with an elaborate strategy for how to get the most from I Bonds within the legal limitations. As the strategizing took over my brain, it occurred to me that maybe what I really needed was to talk with someone who knows more about this subject than I -- an actual financial advisor. Maybe…
On Wednesday, I started the day with a call to a friend. We talked about financial planning. She let me know that she and her husband were quite happy with their financial advisor and she offered to share his contact with me. I declined. I knew I wanted to talk to someone, but I wasn't really ready to pay somebody. That little voice of resistance in my head said, "With a little more research, maybe I can just do this on my own."
As you may know, I’m in a 12-step program. My next call was with my sponsor. She, too, shared with me her positive experience of working with a financial advisor. She encouraged me to go in search of one of my own to have a conversation. Again, I was interested, but that edge of resistance persisted. "I'm good at this kind of thing. How's a financial advisor really gonna help me anyway? Heck. I’m already my sister Caroline’s financial advisor!" But a part of me knew my sponsor was right. I needed to talk with someone with more experience just to see where the conversation might lead. The truth is that when I’m willing to ask for help, I never know what kind of magic might happen. On Wednesday morning, I became willing. I was ready to start asking around for recommendations.
At four o'clock that same day, I got a call from an unknown number in Akron, Ohio. I answered the phone and the person on the other end of the line introduced himself as Caleb Taylor, a financial advisor with Stratos Wealth Partners in Akron. He was contacting me to see if I needed a second opinion on any financial matters. "What?! How could this be? How did you know?!" I exclaimed. Apparently, about three years ago, on a Dave Ramsey website, I filled out a request to be contacted by a financial advisor. Of all the days to finally get around to calling me, Caleb Taylor chose THIS day -- not the day before, not the day after, but THIS day -- the day that I became actively ready to seek a financial adviser, the day that my sponsor suggested that I go find one, the day that I was willing to admit that I needed one. Caleb and I set an appointment for a Zoom meeting on Thursday.
The very next day, I met with Caleb and his boss, Sam Lupica to discuss my financial situation. It was a very pleasant conversation. We talked about TikTok and my illness and we made an inventory of my finances. I liked both these guys a lot -- especially when they agreed with me. They agreed that my I Bond strategy sounded like a good one. They agreed that putting some money in a fixed interest annuity was a good idea. They're gonna send me some ideas of what to do with the rest of the money and they let me know they're always available for questions. I decided not to mention my socialist father’s phrase, “money is s**t.” I didn’t feel like I had the facts to back it up. But when I emphasized the serendipity of their phone call the day before, we all agreed -- God moves in mysterious ways. Doesn’t she though.
Who knows. Maybe I've found myself a financial advisor in Stratos Wealth Management or maybe it was just confirmed that I make some pretty good financial decisions on my own. I'll let you know how it unfolds. In the meantime, go buy yourself an I Bond. Trust me on this one. If worse comes to worse, you can use it as toilet paper. (lol)
Thank you so much for being here. I hope you’ll leave a comment below so that I know you’re out there. Just click the button below. If you haven’t done it already, you’ll have to create a profile on Substack first. It takes just two minutes.
Have a great Saturday! I love you. No, for real. ❤️ Hal