We are continuing to settle into our new home. We have started constructing the pickleball court, and it should be finished by next week. Now we need to plant some large palm trees for shade; otherwise, I’ll have to wake up at the crack of dawn to play!
We met our neighbors, who have four very young children. They are also passionate about nature, like us. They have a variety of fruit trees, flowers, and ornamental trees. Their oldest child, Victoria, who is six, informed us that they don’t have any cats or dogs, and that her dad steals cookies AND popcorn from the pantry.
Our dogs are visibly losing weight. They race around the property and love to chase the golf cart. They seem so happy.
I didn’t realize how incredibly sensitive orchids are to direct sunlight. While we were moving, I accidentally left one outside in the grass for just six hours. It’s important to ensure that they are in dappled shade or under a pool screen. You can see the results below.
The Quiet Privilege of Stock Ownership
Did you know that about 10% of Americans own nearly 90% of all U.S. stocks?
It’s a striking number. And while it might sound like a statistic from a political debate stage, I want to reframe it in a way that speaks to the opportunity—and the responsibility—that comes with owning stocks in a free-market system.
When you invest in the stock market, you’re not just putting money into abstract symbols on a screen. You’re becoming a partial owner of real businesses—companies full of employees working hard every day to bring products and services to the world. You may not be clocking in at 9 AM to help design the next smartphone or deliver packages across the country, but as a shareholder, you do benefit when those businesses succeed.
In other words, you’re earning money from the success of companies you don't do anything for—not in a predatory way, but in the way capitalism is designed to function. The system rewards those who put capital at risk. By owning stocks, you are getting rewarded for taking on some of the risk, but as we've discussed ad nauseam, a diversified portfolio of stocks profoundly reduces that risk.
One of the most amazing things about America is that you don’t need to be a millionaire to participate. You can start with just a few dollars.
Here are a few other stats that add context:
•Only 61% of Americans own any stock at all, including through retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs. That means nearly 40% of the country isn’t participating in long-term corporate growth at all.
•Over the last 100 years, the S&P 500 has returned an average of about 10% annually—yet many hardworking families miss out because they’re never taught how or why to invest.
That’s why I often tell my clients: If you own stocks, consider it a privilege. It means you’ve been given access, through knowledge, savings, or opportunity, to one of the most powerful tools for wealth-building in history.
And here’s the hopeful part: this privilege can be shared. You can teach your children how to invest. You can help others learn. You can be generous. Because ownership isn’t just about accumulation—it’s about stewardship.
Markets go up. Markets go down. But being in the market at all? That’s the opportunity so many people never get.
Be Blessed,
Dave