Sunday, April 12, 2009

Mr. Earl Crawley of Baltimore

I heard of Mr. Crawley’s enviable achievement on "MoneyTrack," a personal finance program on television. His story confirms my humble belief that good guys do not finish last on Wall Street.

Mr. Crawley was born with dyslexia to a poor family. He works as a parking lot attendant in a financial district in the City of Baltimore for years. With less than $20,000 income per year, he has put his three children through private school. He owns his own house with no debts. In addition, by being disciplined, patient, and a good listener, he has accumulated an investment portfolio in excess of a half of a million dollars.

At first, he put his meager savings in government savings bonds. Then he systematically bought mutual funds and blue chip stocks. A firm believer of compound interest, he reinvested his dividends. Mr. Crawley learned the art of investing by asking his parking lot patrons who happened to be professionals in money matters.

And the most enviable thing about Mr. Crawley is that he is sharing his savvy knowledge in investing and saving with others. He is not only gifting shares to his church, he also has formed an investment club in the church. So the other members of the congregation can also enjoy the fruits of being disciplined, patient, and a good listener.

Thank you, Mr. Crawley! - Ayee

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