Category: Umberto Fedeli

Maybe it’s because I’m Catholic, or maybe it’s because I’m Italian, but mothers, grandmothers and godmothers all hold a very special place, not only in my heart, but in my life. They continually demonstrate an unbelievable amount of unconditional love and always seem to understand their child’s needs, wants and dreams. Maybe it’s genetic, maybe […]

In the course of the last week, we saw two prominent, well-established and significant banks demise. The bank runs caught everyone by surprise because it’s not a credit crisis, like in ’07-’08. Unfortunately, it started with some bad public relations, that resulted in a panic with tens of billions of dollars withdrawn and lead to […]

I feel compelled to share lessons in business, life and investing. When there have been major events like the past year in the public equity markets, I find it’s a good time to reflect on observations, mistakes or lessons learned. Like in life, I’m always trying to improve as an investor and take these circumstances […]

“The secret to happiness is to love. The essence of love is to serve.” Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing was a special Irish priest who founded Boys’ and Girls’ Town of Italy for the orphaned and abandoned children following World War II. He happened to be visiting Italy during the war where he started taking care […]

The great philosopher Aristotle once shared that the pursuit of happiness is the central purpose in human life. I have learned that if you try to ascertain what people really want—and you do this by asking probing questions and listening—you can help them achieve much of what they desire. I found that this is an […]

There are numerous important aspects of investing. Some of these characteristics, such as experience and wisdom, may take years to develop. Perhaps one reason Warren Buffet made 95% of his wealth after the age of 65. Although investing is never easy, if I had to simplify it and share three key factors, I would say […]

I started investing in banks over 30 years ago and I often get asked what got me so interested in banks. While I eventually discovered the reasons banks are good investments, at first it was initially a coincidence. The first bank I invested in, a recommendation from a friend, was in Reno, NV. We became […]

I’m sometimes accused of repeating myself. I tend to review situations by dissecting the details and reflecting on what went well and what could have been better. I may share different experiences, but my goal is the share my life, business or investment lessons. The common ingredients are usually people and relationships. It’s what I […]

Private Equity has been one of the best performing asset classes over the last 5 and 10 years and, in fact, for decades. Private equity investors do not have to endure the volatility roller coaster ride suffered by public equity investors. Watching the value of our portfolios moving up and down all day long can […]