Kids Say the Darndest Things!

[bjarvis]

Especially when they're your retirement account representative.

I received a telephone call out of the blue from my new account rep for my Canada-based retirement accounts. Alex immediately sounded very young: he just had that particular vocal range, a wavering uncertainty in his speech, a lack of the sort of confidence one accumulates with the rigours of life.

The matter at hand wasn't very important. He just wanted to introduce himself, confirm my current address & contact info and generally recommend simplifying my current fund portfolio. I can't argue with any of these points. His youthful inexperience showed itself a few times though when I pointed out that balancing risk and international allocations within my portfolio wouldn't be very useful unless we also examined my US-based 401(k) accounts at the same time: there's no point in shifting a large portion of my Canadian accounts to US-based funds if I'm already over-exposed there with my US accounts. Despite him confirming my US address, it didn't seem to occur to him that I might have retirement accounts here. Observe and learn, young grasshopper!

He tried to sound knowledgeable about the economy in general, pointing out high debt levels in both countries, potential waves of defaults, etc.. I mentioned that I suspected the next market correction would likely be a repeat of the Greek sovereign debt crisis, especially IMHO Spain or Ireland. He was momentarily speechless: I don't think he was expecting anyone to be informed of such things.

After we concluded our telephone call, he emailed me a thank you note for my time. It was a nice touch but he signed it "Alex XXXX, BA (Hons)" Seriously, Grasshopper, no one but the freshest of new grads would bother to mention they graduated with honours in their correspondence closing. No one over the age of 30 would bother mentioning their degree at all.

I was never this young or naive. They're just so gosh-darned precious at this tender age!

Comments

[snousle.livejournal.com]

pointing out high debt levels in both countries

Canada is, IMHO, in better fiscal shape than the US, particularly if oil prices go up. Seeing as it exports more oil to the US than all of the Middle East put together. Interesting link as of today:

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/04/the-public-choice-of-spending-cuts.html

I suspect Canada is the sleeper nation of the industrialized world. Not that I have any special interest in that view, or anything... ;-)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the lower debt levels in Canada are a huge help right now although the fiscal conservatives morons in Ottawa are doing their damndest to balloon the debt back up to astronomical proportions. *sigh*

[rootbear.livejournal.com]

The fiscal conservatives are trying to balloon the debt??? Ow! Ow! Oh, I see. That's the "moron" part...

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Was Alex British, or British-sounding? Even perhaps Indian? It is very common over here for honours graduates to mention that in their professional signatures.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

No, he sounded very much liked a fresh graduate of the University of Toronto beginning his first job. He had that bland, blank air of a white bread product of WASP middle class Ontario to him.

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he want to Oxford or Cambridge. I've never seen that style of indicating your BA come from a North American but it happens here all the time.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

not to dispute your actual pegging of the grasshopper as such, but your specifics are slightly off-base:

a) University of Toronto will be producing a new, fresh batch of graduates in about two months. The most recent ones are 10 months old, so not THAT fresh. [I'm up to my waist in students writing exams, and marking of same myself]

b) no such thing as a BA(hons) (as opposed to a just-plain BA) at UofT. We stopped giving 3yr degrees several years ago; all bachelors' degrees are 4yr now.

but as I said, no arguments about your assessment of his wet-behind-the-ears-ness.

I was never this young or naive

yes ya were, honey; remember, I've known you 20yrs

[rootbear.livejournal.com]

I once worked at a business that was owned by a woman who was so ultra-concerned about being taking seriously that she signed her name Dr. Dxxx Gxxx, PhD. Just to make sure you noticed that she had an advanced degree...

[jss]

To be fair, "Dr. So-and-So, Ph.D" is a valid distinguisher from "Dr. So-and-So, MD."

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Too bad there are no pics involved!

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Better not... it might reveal that he's actually a high school summer student assisting his boss. :-(

[pklexton.livejournal.com]

Cute. For a moment I thought (hons) meant honorary. That really would have been odd. LOL.