05/28/2026
I named this firm Blackwater for a reason most people don’t expect.
Growing up, I spent summers at my grandparents’ cottage in Branford, Connecticut. My grandfather taught me to swim in water that, to me, was dark and murky, almost black, even on the clearest days. Locals had a name for that beach. They called it Scum Beach. Not exactly the stuff of postcards.
But it taught me everything.
Every single time I got near that water, my grandfather said the same thing: “Always respect the water.”
I was a kid. I just wanted to jump off the rocks.
But he meant it. And as I got older, I understood why.
The water doesn’t care how confident you are. It doesn’t care how many times you’ve swum in it before. It rewards preparation and punishes overconfidence—every time.
Thirty years in this business have taught me that investing works the same way.
I’ve watched people lose serious money not because they picked the wrong stock, but because they stopped respecting the market. They got comfortable. They stopped planning. They assumed last year’s calm meant next year would be the same.
Right now, bond yields are at levels we haven’t seen since 2007. Equity markets hit records earlier this month and wobbled the very next week. Uncertainty isn’t going anywhere.
None of that is a reason to panic. It’s a reason to plan.
That’s what we do at Blackwater. We enjoy the ride, but we always respect the water.
Even at Scum Beach.
If you’ve been meaning to get your financial plan reviewed, now is a good time. Link in bio to schedule a call.
Stay Steady.
– Mark
