Financial Planning 47th Edition: Choosing Resilience Over Rhetoric
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT || FIDUCIARY ADVICE || RETIREMENT PLANNING
"The financial headlines have been dominated by a singular theme: the “A.I. Scare Trade”...."
We are excited to introduce Anna Demarest, our newest Operations Associate. Anna joined us on August 1st to ensure our internal systems run like clockwork, allowing our advisors to focus entirely on what matters most – our clients. A graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in Cognitive Science and Linguistics, Anna brings a fascinating, systems-oriented perspective to our operations. Her background in market research has given her a keen eye for the ‘fine print’ and data-driven details that keep our firm moving forward.
Anna has already become an integral part of our daily rhythm. Outside of the office, she’s a true coastal local at heart—usually found reading by the waves, perfecting a new baked good in the kitchen or spending quality time with her cat, Winnie. We know our clients will appreciate her sharp attention to detail and her commitment to excellence as much as we do.
Choosing Resilience Over Rhetoric
The financial headlines have been dominated by a singular theme: the “A.I. Scare Trade”. We have recently witnessed what some are calling a “SaaS-pocalypse,” a feverish sell-off in Software-as-a-Service companies. This meltdown does not stem from a sudden collapse in corporate profits; rather, it reflects nebulous fears that artificial intelligence will eventually render existing business models obsolete. These anxieties have been exacerbated by a handful of viral, speculative blog posts that envision a systemic economic collapse.
To put this in perspective, the market is punishing digital and asset-light businesses with a “guilty until proven innocent” verdict. This reflects a growing fear of “Ghost GDP,” a scenario where A.I. drives massive productivity gains while the human-centric consumer economy withers. In this narrative, white-collar layoffs lead to a negative feedback loop of falling consumption and permanent unemployment. This shift is primarily seen in the lower multiples or prices investors are willing to pay for a dollar of profit. When uncertainty spikes, valuation multiples drop, even if the present-day business remains robust.
While A.I. can generate code in hours and autonomously complete tasks that once took weeks for human talent, we believe much of the current panic is economically incoherent. Investment in technology cannot be sustained if there is no consumer income to buy what the A.I. generates. Further, a successful business is rarely just a collection of code. Its true strength is built on:
- Trust and reliability: Most corporations do not want to spend their time debugging and updating “vibe-coded” A.I. alternatives. Instead, they prefer to buy trouble-free, all-in-one solutions from established partners.
- Proprietary data: Rich datasets including transaction histories, customer preferences and years of specialized business knowledge remain locked within the walled gardens of the companies we favour.
- Switching costs: Large enterprises are unlikely to risk operational chaos by switching to unproven A.I. startups.
Prudent, Not Polarized
In times like these, clarity of thought is our most valuable asset. We recognize that the market has reached a point where “doomer fan fiction” can cause significant stock moves. We are not “A.I maximalists” betting the house on every new tool, nor are we “A.I. laggards” ignoring the shift. Our approach is one of measured participation.
We have maintained a disciplined posture. We continue to hold a moderate weighting of technology stocks in the portfolio, but our holdings within the sector are diversified and well-positioned for the future, in our view. We focus on companies that use A.I. as a tool to amplify their existing advantages rather than those whose only advantage is the tool itself.
Reiterating Discipline
Investing in a period of technological upheaval can feel like navigating through dense fog created by ancient fears of machines replacing their creators. However, our guiding principles remain unchanged. We seek to own a handful of the best-run companies that deploy capital effectively and maintain a deep moat against competitors.
History shows that while share prices may sway based on ephemeral news and viral blog posts, fundamental returns are generated by companies that successfully navigate shifts and emerge stronger. We aren’t betting on the correctness of the next fear-driven headline, but on the long-term resilience of the business models we have carefully selected for your portfolio.
Sources:
Matt Calkins (WSJ), The Software Industry Will Survive AI (Feb 2026)
Greg Ip (WSJ), Tech Has Never Caused a Job Apocalypse. Don’t Bet on It Now (Feb 2026)
