First Post: The Man Behind the Keyboard

My name is Patrick Manning and I have been interested in finance since a young age. My parents opened a Money Market account when I was in grade school and I was hooked. There’s nothing more satisfying than a yearly return of 0.5%, am I right? As a kid I was thrilled money could turn itself into more money and so the journey began.

I graduated from Florida State University with dual degrees in Finance and Marketing. I also commissioned as a Transportation Officer into the Army Reserves. Throughout college, finance was my passion. Unfortunately, I had little free time, and equally little money to put into the markets. My intro to the markets was playing stock trading simulation games for various classes throughout my Junior and Senior years.

Since graduating I have worked in the Transportation/E-commerce industries working for both Amazon and Walmart E-commerce. Thankfully, while working at these companies I was able to save some side money and create a portfolio of my own. Over time it has grown, and I have adapted to the fluctuating markets over the last 5 years.

What caused me to start this blog? It is truly due to my passion for finance and following the markets. I also felt like I needed an outlet to rationalize my thoughts. Time and time again I have heard intelligent people say the best thing they ever did was write. Whether it was a book, a blog, or a newsletter I continue to hear this from professionals across many industries. So this is my attempt to impress myself, and maybe a few friends and strangers along the way.

My goal behind this blog is really for the educational and social experience. I hope to engage people in a fun way and have some open discussions about the global markets and economies. I am looking to breakdown the markets based on my understanding of it and the world around me, and tell the tales of my highs and inevitably the lows along the way.

I am by no means a finance expert and nothing on this website should be taken as financial advice. You should always speak with a Financial Advisor/Professional before making any investment decisions.