Self-Directed Investing The Journey
by Jason DeBono, NuView Trust L ooking back to 2005, it’s hard to believe that a college intern - ship expo would be one of the most pivotal moments in my career. Like every other young and eager college student at the event, I stood in long lines at all the “brand” name firms just to hand over a resume, while ignoring the scores of small busi - nesses scattered throughout the room. I don’t know if it was curiosity or empathy that caused me to walk up to the lineless booth with a sim- ple, pull up banner that read “Buy Real Estate in Your IRA,” but I’m glad I did. I was fortunate to have a handful of interviews after the expo, but it was the company with the simple pull up banner that stood out from the rest.
I interviewed for the internship directly with the CEO, Glen Mather, who started the company in 2003. The company had only three employ - ees – a far cry from my Fortune 500 ambitions. Its purpose was to help people use their retirement funds to buy real estate and other non-pub- lic investments, which was an area I knew absolutely nothing about. In fact, prior to the interview, I called my dad, who has always been my go-to for advice in my life, for some insight into the company. I vividly remember him saying, “I asked my broker about buying real estate in my IRA and he said it wasn’t allowed.” I didn’t realize just how important my father’s words were at the time until I repeated them to Glen during my
interview. He didn’t bat an eye, as he said, “I hear that all the time.” Glen passionately shared his personal story of trying to buy real estate with- in his own IRA and why he started the company to help others, like my father, who wanted more than just stocks and bonds. I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me. That opportunity as an intern has turned into an amazing career. A career that has given me the ability to spread the message of self-directed investing to people, like my father, who simply do not know that a retire - ment plan can invest beyond Wall Street. A career where I could learn vicariously through clients, about all the creative investment strategies and opportunities that exist.
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