Biography of Randy Martin
When I was 12 years old, my father gave me one share of AT&T. I started watching it go up and down in the papers and wondered what caused it to do so. I discovered (by observation and others’ research) that, on average, it was due 70% to the broad market, 20% to group movement, and 10% to company-specific things. This discovery led me to a fascination in financial and economic history, which entirely reflects the history of mankind. This is exciting stuff – wars, migrations, cultures, empires, scientific discoveries – everything is linked and has an effect on the market – which in turn affects history as well. People have moods, countries have moods. These moods affect the broad trends in the markets too. As a child, I found it all fascinating and my fascination has not in any way diminished as an adult. I love this business.
These days, this former CPA has been active in the financial markets for over 40 years. I have a B.A. (Economics) from Emory University (1966), a Master of Professional Accountancy from Georgia State University
(1968), and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Georgia State University (1970), where I focused on accounting and finance. My dissertation was on price-earnings ratios. I also taught undergraduate accounting starting at age 23 for two years and then taught calculus and statistics in Georgia State’s graduate business school for two more years. I then served for 15 years in the management consulting practice of KPMG (then Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.) and was a partner for 8 years. I have passed the Series 2, 7 and 65 securities exams and am registered with appropriate state and/or federal regulators as an investment adviser.
In 1991-2, I supervised $1.3b for 12 clients with a major pension advisor. The largest client had $375m and the smallest had $2m – the money was managed by investment management firms. I started my investment advisory firm in 1992 and have thoroughly enjoyed the interesting work and my exceptional clients ever since.
I served as an independent director of the $250m Caldwell & Orkin Market Opportunity Fund, a long/short mutual fund, where I represented fund shareholders from June 2000 to August 2004.
My epiphany For 14 years, from 1993-2006, I served clients by finding and monitoring the best investment managers. My pursuit of excellence helped clients make money in 2000-02, the second deepest bear market in US history. In December 2006 I had a new insight into rebalancing that led me to do extensive testing and reading. While there are many ways to run money, my investment style is among the most sound – the first in 14 years that I’ve wholeheartedly adopted with my own money. Today, I am here to serve you and together we will make our experience a mutually-rewarding one.
Your Total Financial Portfolio
I enjoy seeing you improve your total financial portfolio and therefore my preference is always to manage the whole thing. I can give the best advice when I know your total assets, even if I manage a portion of your total. This is a well-established principle in the advice business.
Things That I Am Not
I sell no products and have no allegiance to anyone who does. I sell no insurance and am not an insurance expert. Although I am a former CPA, I do not give tax advice or prepare tax returns. I am not a financial planner, estate planner, or pension plan expert but will talk with your specialists if desired. I recommend that my friends not seek investment advice from anyone who can receive a commission or who works for a company that can receive commissions or that does investment banking because of inherent conflicts of interest.