Brandon Kou -American Private Wealth

Brandon Kou -American Private Wealth Independent financial planning that always places Clients first. Our firm recognizes that financial planning is a process, not a product.

At American Private Wealth we create ‘Bespoke Wealth Strategies’ – plans designed to fit your life. Our doors are open whether you are already established, just getting started, or are seeking help with a specific topic. We pride ourselves on our independence as a firm, as we are not aligned with any product manufacturer. Therefore, we have the freedom to use a multitude of sources to develop stra

tegies that are distinct and align with your objectives. At American Private Wealth, we know that wealth management is not "one size fits all", therefore we are dedicated to developing genuine client-advisor relationships with recommendations tailored to your specific situation and needs. Clients of American Private Wealth can trust their assets, in all capacities, are in qualified, responsible hands. If you would like to know more of the services and expertise American Private Wealth has to offer, please visit our website http://www.americanprivatewealth.com

Securities & Advisory Services Offered Through LPL Financial, A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. finra.org, sipc.org

Third party posts found on this profile do not reflect the views of LPL Financial and have not been reviewed by LPL Financial as to accuracy or completeness. The financial professionals associated with LPL Financial may discuss and/or transact business only with residents of the states in which they are properly registered or licensed. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident of any other state.

Wendy’s new CEO Bob Wright has admitted that the company has been pursuing cost savings and efficiency, AKA profits, by ...
08/28/2026

Wendy’s new CEO Bob Wright has admitted that the company has been pursuing cost savings and efficiency, AKA profits, by shortchanging ingredient quality. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has been eating at Wendys on a semi-regular basis for the past few years.

Welcome back to another Friday Financial Foolishness and this one is aimed at business owners or potential entrepreneurs seeking to enter a business!

When you make the decision to offer your services or products to other people, you are putting forth what is called a Value Proposition. It states what you will give people in exchange for money. All of us then must individually determine if this price is worth it.

What is true across the board regardless of how you feel about Wendy’s or any other company, is that if they start skimping on quality and not only charging you the same, but more money, you’re going to be upset.

Fast food especially has a very unique position in American culture. It is looked down upon many, but it is also a core memory for most people because of the accessibility it used to bring.

The value proposition for Wendy’s was simple: Fast food prices, fresh never frozen ingredients. This is food you wouldn’t feel bad feeding to your parents or children because it was healthy enough.

But the company got big, and suddenly big shareholders wanted to squeeze more money from the already thin margins from the industry. In 2019 Wendy’s Stock ended the year priced around $22.21, whereas today the stock price is sitting around $8.18.

If you plan on being a business owner, don’t lose sight of how you make money. Wendy’s sole revenue driver is food; it is an insane idea to cut back on food quality when that is part of your market differentiator. That’s not to say they should go crazy and offer A5 Wagyu burgers with artisanal small batch potato fries. But it’s clear there was a pursuit of short-term gains at the expense of the company’s health.

This isn’t rocket science or a new venture. This is just greed and hubris affecting an otherwise beloved company that garnered massive social media goodwill by being ahead of the curve.

U.S. AI-related debt issuance reached $220 billion in 2026; this is roughly $207 billion higher than a comparable period...
08/22/2026

U.S. AI-related debt issuance reached $220 billion in 2026; this is roughly $207 billion higher than a comparable period last year where it totaled $12.5 billion (Reuters). This coincides with investors demanding higher yields for these bonds and in response Amazon’s latest $25 billion bond sale is around 1.2% greater than Treasury Bonds, this spread would have only been about half as much last year according to analysts.

Welcome back everyone to Friday Financial Foolishness and today we’re talking about AI and how that relates to realistic expectations.

Whether you hate it or love it, it seems like AI has become a part of every facet of our lives. Regardless of your stance on the subject, it’s undeniable that the amount invested is becoming a point of concern.

There is an expectation whoever finds the magic bullet use case for AI will make at least a trillion dollars. To ground this ridiculous number, Google’s market cap or total value is somewhere around $4.15 trillion dollars. If Google is the company to figure out that use case or acquire the company that does, their company will receive revenue that’s equal to roughly 25% of their total value.

These massive increases in funding pale in comparison to the potential gains. Even if it goes nowhere, AI has several valid use cases for knowledge workers, but none of these currently offer potential revenue of $1T.

What does this mean for us, the individual? Do not be greedy. There’s a reason it is a sin across many cultures and religious systems. It is an insidious state of mind fueled by excessive desire allowed to run rampant, much like the spending on AI.

We all have a destination in mind for that next phase of our life, but to get there we must remain financially disciplined and constantly check if our goal is still tenable. Don’t lose the moon while counting stars or you’ll be lost in a space of what-if’s, punctuated by the void of regret.

Mass Lottery announced two weeks ago that their mobile app has a ‘welcome’ bonus. If you deposit money (minimum $10) the...
08/14/2026

Mass Lottery announced two weeks ago that their mobile app has a ‘welcome’ bonus. If you deposit money (minimum $10) they’ll match up to $100 and give you 25 eInstant game plays ($12.50 value/50 cents a game) for free. This coincided with the massive Powerball prize that rose to $1.04 billion won earlier this week.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of viewing the lottery or any form of gambling as a calculated risk, or even worse an investment. As the saying goes the house always wins and we’re here to talk about the lottery for today’s Friday Financial Foolishness.

The odds of winning any prize in Powerball are roughly 1 in 25 at $2 a play. Let’s assume we’re not going to do Powerplay and spend all $200 to purchase 100 tickets.

Using Powerball’s own website, we are likely to win $12-16, these come from matching 3-4 PB number or Match 1 + PB. That is an abysmal return for using $100 of our own dollars and receiving $100 from the state.

Yes, you have the potential to win a ridiculous sum of money, but the odds have always been stacked against every player. This is a tax on those who are greedy, poor, uneducated, and/or lacking self-discipline.

The eInstant game is even worse, your top prize at 50 cents is $2,500, however the return to player is calculated at 92%. This means for every dollar you spend, on average you’ll receive 92 cents back. Using RTP, you’re likely to receive $11.50 from that offer.

So, let’s view it at our most optimistic but realistic odds, for $100 we’ve received $27.50 back. That is a return of -72.50%. In no world would anyone willingly enter a deal with those as expected returns. But for the lottery and casinos, we somehow view this as acceptable.

A says, if you’re going to gamble do it at a casino. At least they have free drinks and attractive people to look at. Do not engage in this madness where the state is taking your hard-earned money under the guise of trying to ‘help’ you win beaucoup bucks. This is financial natural selection, and you should not participate.

Pictures made by Ellsworth & Associates CPAs, .

Gold prices have increased this week, according to Yahoo Finance from July 31st it closed at around $4,049, and at the t...
08/07/2026

Gold prices have increased this week, according to Yahoo Finance from July 31st it closed at around $4,049, and at the time of this writing it is trading around $4,411. Doing a little bit of basic math, that’s roughly a 9% return over the course of a week. Clearly this means we should invest in Gold or Silver, right?

This is Friday Financial Foolishness, and we are here to talk about the lie that never dies: Gold and Silver are good investment vehicles.

Look I get it, many of us have seen Scrooge McDuck’s massive vault full of gold coins that he swims in. Or other media where there’s a vault full of gold bars showcasing the massive wealth of the owner. It’s hard to resist the allure and prestige gold has in the human psyche.

But we are not an entrepreneurial duck with a gigantic vault full of gold coins to swim in. We’re rational investors who have limited time to make the best decisions for our future.

So, let’s address two things you’ll hear about Gold and sometimes Silver before getting into the data.

Gold keeps with inflation and retains purchasing power. This is true! Looking at the CPI Inflation Calculator, we can see that $115 in September 1976 is worth about $665 in June 2026. Compared to Gold’s price of August 2026 when this chart parsed the data was at $4168 that’s a clear winner.

But in that same timeframe, let’s look at the S&P 500, which technically had less value than Gold in 1976, but had the biggest growth over 50 years of roughly 7,307% compared to Gold’s 3,597% and Silver’s even smaller performance of 1,293%.

Theoretical Growth of $1,000
Gold: $35,970
Silver: $12,930
S&P 500: $73,070

The data doesn’t lie; Gold and Silver compared to the stock market just doesn’t hold up. As my professor says “The only reason you should own gold is if you wear it like I do.”

Don’t buy into the false hype because these commodities have cycles of ups and downs which are traded by very sophisticated firms that will take you to the cleaners with no remorse. Invest sensibly and speak with a true fiduciary financial advisor who won’t lead you astray if you’re uncertain where to begin.

For those in Massachusetts please stay hydrated these next several days! There has been a heat advisory issued and it is...
08/07/2026

For those in Massachusetts please stay hydrated these next several days! There has been a heat advisory issued and it is no joke. Humidity anywhere from 90-100% along with temperatures staying consistently above 85 degrees reaching the low 90s. In anticipation of that, our meet-up of Boston Hackers this month had 2 packs of water instead of our usual refreshments which we made sure to stress to attendees to take some before leaving!

We just wrapped up an awesome Boston Hackers meeting yesterday as always, a shout-out to my friend Joshua Dow for inviting me every time, his awesome workplace Scorpion Labs for generously hosting us along with paying for the pizza + drinks for our attendees, and to our speaker David who gave a wonderful presentation on IoT vulnerabilities, specifically a router his friends decided to examine during the height of Covid in 2020.

Final thing to note, for those interested in hacking or wanting to learn more, next year there will be MinuteCon hosted by Josh’s friend Ori Zigindere. and I urge you to check it out! It’s going to be two days from April 30th to May 1st full of great speakers like David who will share their genuine passion for this industry which I promise is cross-discipline applicable!

Heat advisory map courtesy of US National Weather Service Boston MA Weather Service Boston. Josh on the right in the picture, David our speaker on the left. MinuteCon Logo courtesy of their website Minutecon.org.

Microsoft achieved the largest single-day market value gain in stock market history yesterday on July 30th, adding rough...
07/31/2026

Microsoft achieved the largest single-day market value gain in stock market history yesterday on July 30th, adding roughly $450 billion or increasing their share price by about 15.5%. This is wonderful news for anyone with money invested in Microsoft, but before let’s not forget an important fact: Stock prices are irrelevant until you buy or sell.

This is another Friday Financial Foolishness and today we’re talking about why it’s an awful idea to stare at your portfolio value more than necessary.

Many of us are excited when we see that our accounts have increased in value. Some of us will then conflate this notional value as realized gains, AKA this is actual money that I have access to.

Yes, regardless of what type of account it is, you do indeed have access to this money. But if these are in retirement accounts (401ks, IRAs) or those with penalties during the surrender period (annuities), then you can be subject to early withdrawal fees.

Once this idea takes hold in our heads that our portfolios are actual money, naturally most of us will start to get anxious. We start to tell ourselves things like:

“Oh no, Microsoft went down today 10% which means I just went down several thousand dollars.”

Or

“Awesome! Microsoft just increased another 5% today which means I just broke 100k. Drinks are on me tonight!”

Let’s say it all together: Stock prices don’t matter until we buy or sell! Notional value is NOT realized gains or losses.

So how do we determine what is an appropriate number of times to look at our portfolios?

At a minimum we should check them once a year, preferably near the end of the year for records keeping and planning.

In addition, whenever you have a major life event and need to have the most up-to-date numbers for planning purposes: switching jobs, getting married, having kids, moving homes, receiving an inheritance, etc.

Stop stressing yourself out unnecessarily. Pay attention to the news, but don’t be glued to your screen over a notional number that doesn’t matter until you’re buying or selling.

Infographic created by

07/24/2026

It's not what you're born with, but what you choose to do that matters most!

I was surprised and delighted earlier this week to see Jimothy grace my news feed. He shares a great name with my older brother, it very much feels like a breath of fresh air and levity to watch him move.

It's even more heartwarming to see so many people rally around this fighter. One article I read stated that raccoons usually abandon their young who are disabled/disfigured, but Jimothy's mother did not do so and according to experts he is not only capable but thriving.

Americans love a good underdog story, it's in our cultural DNA. Much like Jimothy the Raccoon, there are many of us who feel that we've been given a financial disability when we compare ourselves to other people. Whether this comparison is even fair or not; it doesn't change the fact at the end of the day your retirement planning isn't a competition, nor is it a sprint, it is a marathon.

Steady progress and steps will make it much easier to identify and cross the right finish line for you! I gave you a hypothetical scenario in a Money Myth Monday of who is better off, a person making 1 million dollars or a person making 100 dollars. I then clarified the 'millionaire' was only able to save 1 dollar, while the other saved 99 dollars.

The math doesn't lie. The more time you have, the better off your investments will be. Start early and start light! Be more like Jimothy who didn't let his short spine stop him from becoming the best raccoon he could be. Why are you letting your preconceived notions of not making enough money get in the way of the future you deserve?

Video courtesy of

Just because it's an ETF/Mutual Fund, doesn't mean it's a good idea!We've been so conditioned at hearing the words mutua...
07/24/2026

Just because it's an ETF/Mutual Fund, doesn't mean it's a good idea!

We've been so conditioned at hearing the words mutual fund or ETF that there is an automatic assumption these are good products to invest our money in.

Yes, by the nature of these investment vehicles they can be diversified, but today I want to start a new series called Friday Financial Foolishness. These are pitfalls any of us can fall into if we're not careful and don't apply our critical thinking skills where it matters most.

We talked briefly last time that getting into IPOs is a bad idea historically speaking. If you truly believe in a company, you're better off waiting at least 1-3 months for the IPO hype to die down before purchasing shares and holding for the long haul.

We've also talked about why you should invest in Mutual Funds/ETFs and not individual stocks: Diversification -> less risk -> more stable returns -> less stress for you.

It is insanity that these ETFs exist, let alone the fact that many of them are leveraged products. Your gains and losses are amplified twice as much in this case which sounds great until you're holding the short end of the stick!

These strategies are not for investors, they're made for traders. Don't be a fool and lose all your money because of short-sighted greed.

Come support your local veteran community!If you’re in the Brookline area this Saturday, consider stopping by Hamilton’s...
06/05/2026

Come support your local veteran community!

If you’re in the Brookline area this Saturday, consider stopping by Hamilton’s and purchasing a ticket for Winging It for Warriors! I will be there competing with two fellow veterans and my wonderful friend Joshua Dow as we do our best to eat 75 buffalo wings and 25 incredibly spicy wings faster than any other team.

Josh and I have made a pact that if we win this contest, we will donate our portion of the prize pool back sans entry fee to the who is hosting this event and does great work with aiding the veteran community here in Massachusetts.

On that note too, next Friday .like.a.girl and I will be down at the 21st Annual Stand Down in Worcester! We’ll have a table and offer our expertise to any veterans who stop by. I am proud that Private Wealth supports our service members and to put our money where our mouth is, the first meeting is always free for active service members or veterans.

Last week was incredibly busy, but an amazing time!Monday and Tuesday I was invited by my friend Shari L.S. Worthington,...
03/30/2026

Last week was incredibly busy, but an amazing time!

Monday and Tuesday I was invited by my friend Shari L.S. Worthington, PhD to speak to students at for their Employers in Residence Program. It was an honor to be able to speak with and learn more from these young professionals what they believe are important skills for the future job market.

Almost all of the questions asked weren't about material compensation, but instead things like "How do I find a career that I truly love and enjoy," or "What do you think is the most important skill to be successful?" They were focused on being better people, enriching their communities, and solving problems that others could not. It was so wonderful to see the next generation will be better than the previous one because they are picking up where we left off and going even further than we could imagine.

Then of course Tuesday night I spent my evening with members of at Tavern of Tales. Frost Call is a nonprofit organization that seeks to connect veterans in the Massachusetts area through video gaming, board games, and tabletop roleplaying games. We were blessed as always to have Lou, a professional DM and expressive therapist come teach us how to make characters before running a wonderful one-shot RPG with those characters in record time.

Wednesday and Friday I had weekly check-in meetings with three separate clients. It’s awesome to see each of them progress with the plan we’ve made together and if any obstacles come up, we discuss it at length before deciding on a course of action.

Saturday, .like.a.girl and I were at the Northshore Mall for the 22nd annual Life, Home and Lifestyle expo. We got to talk to a lot of people about our mission at American Private Wealth and had great conversations not just about the market but what’s going on in peoples lives.

Finally on Sunday I rounded it off by attending Pax East with my girlfriend. We got to see so many vendors and awesome games coming out before volunteering at the Frost Call room. She ended up winning a small Gengar from the raffle while I got an awesome pin. Can’t wait to see what this week brings and the rest of the year!

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