The Fed Giveth and The Fed Taketh Away

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I know that I sometimes get overly concerned, but I assure you it's not just for me. I worry about the dollar and interest rates, and more importantly, what this is going to look like for my 29-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old baby in 10 or 20 years. 

I was raised in an Irish Catholic family with six girls and four boys. Growing up, I liked playing sports, and believe it or not I was a very good left-handed catcher and an excellent swimmer. I was raised that you “don't hit girls” and that only by going to school could you better yourself. That second part all changed when Riley Printing Company went out of business. 

I was graduating from high school and had plans to go to college, but I couldn’t put that further financial stress on my dad so I headed down to the trading floors of the CBOT and CME. 

While I beat out the well-educated guys on the floor from JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi Bank, Merrill Lynch, and others, I still look back and ask myself what if I had gone to Notre Dame like my dad and my brother? 

I had no problems getting into hedge funds and banks, but I always wonder if I would have gone further if I had a degree. I know, I know…a degree does not mean you are going to be successful. Somehow though, the educational part — or lack thereof — is what pushed me to work harder than the other guys. When things went bad at my S&P desk, I worked harder. 

To summarize, we all have been dealt a hand of cards. We get to choose where we go in life; do we do it sitting down or do we fight? Like the PitBull always says, if you want to make the money, you gotta do the work.