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Mark Patton biography

Mark’s earlier year

Mark was passionate about investing well before founding the firm in 1992. His mom can tell many stories about this passion starting with a subscription to the Wall Street Journal in the 6th grade. At the same time Mark was building his library of books spanning a wide range of investment topics from value investing to behavioral finance.

When in high school, for Christmas Mark asked his mom for the book “Secrets of the Temple”, an expansive history of the Federal Reserve. It was an expensive book his mom could hardly afford but she made it happen. For weeks following Mark would read from the book and get so excited about the things that he would read that he would read them aloud to his mom!

Early in Mark’s college years, an opportunity arose for Mark and his high school computer programming buddy to write a program for Mark’s then employer. It got started well with Mark designing the program and his friend doing the programming. Unfortunately, the friend lost interest. To complete the project, Mark bought a stack of programming books so that he could learn to write the code. The project got finished and Mark came away with an ability to write computer programs that has changed his life. This skill, combined with his investment knowledge, uniquely positions Mark to do exhaustive research that sets Patton apart from most other firms.

Midway through Mark’s college years he decided it was time to get to know more people in the industry. He put on his one and only suit, pulled names from the Yellow Pages (phone book!), and went from one brokerage firm to another introducing himself as an interested college student asking if he could meet someone in their office. This led to many relationships including two brokers working for then Shearson Lehman Hutton.

A few months after meeting the two brokers at Shearson, they got in touch with Mark saying that there was a position available at the Chicago Board of Trade as a runner. Mark jumped at the opportunity, decided to take a semester off from college, and within a few weeks was there. It paid minimum wage of $3.35. The total extent of the job was to run orders from the desks where calls came in to the traders in the trading pits. Regardless, Mark went to the effort of meeting several of the traders and building relationships that provided more understanding of the investment industry.

After returning from the Chicago Board of Trade and later spending 2 years at a bank in North Carolina, Mark got married and returned to his hometown of Indianapolis and founded the firm. He was 23.

Today…

The business operated from Mark’s hometown of Indianapolis, IN from 1992 – 2006. The business now operates from Dallas where Mark and his family relocated to in 2006 to be closer to his wife’s family.

Mark’s working hours are spent primarily serving clients, visiting with prospective clients, investor education, and research. The business is supported by a wide range of service provides so that Mark’s time can be spent where it is of most value to the business and our clients.

When not working, Mark spends time with his wife of 30 years and three children. Mark enjoys exercising, traveling with family and friends, and sharing red wine with others.

Introducing Mark Patton ^