Morgan's eyes brimmed with tears, threatening to make her lose the control she had been striving to keep since she heard the tax suspension announcement over the news.
“We’ll find a way around it. Adjust our budget maybe, cut down on some expenses…”
“We've cut down on a whole lot since the past year. What are we going to say about the vacation we promised them?” Richard drew a breath in then took his hands up and down her shoulders in a faintly calming gesture.
“I'll figure something out. There must be a reason the child tax credit was suspended. For now, let's find a way to survive while hoping for the best”.
Morgan turned away from her husband sharply and headed for the room they shared. Everything seemed to piss her off recently.
When she had agreed to marry Richard, his finances were looking up. A bond marketer, he had a house in Seattle where his parents lived and the one they stayed in is currently in Massachusetts. He drove an Audi A4 and was looking at starting his automobile firm. Now ten years and three kids into the marriage, it seemed she was back to her college days where she had to save up and struggle for every single need.
She knew what it felt like for privileges to be withdrawn from children because there was no money. She remembered how her father sold his Mustang and she had to join the bus with a set of unwelcoming kids throughout that school year. The next year, her shopping stipends were withdrawn too. She made up her mind not to forgive Richard if he did that to her children. Whatever was going on, he had to fix it.
Richard tossed the straight shot of bourbon into his mouth and shivered all over at the biting effect. He poured some more into the glass, swirling the cup around absentmindedly. He remembered when he got his first yield in the bond market a few years earlier. Yes, the credit rating had not looked too good yet he took the risk and ended up as a millionaire by the second year. It was then he met Morgan. Daughter of a successful scent collection, Morgan demanded a comfortable life, something he found out her father had gradually withdrawn from herself and her siblings.
When inflation came and the purchasing power of his money got eroded, They had to sit down to cut their budget for that year while waiting for things to look up. Suddenly, there was the child tax credit being suspended. He just didn't know how to handle the situation so he dialed Phillip, Phillip always knew what to do.
“Yo brother, what's up?”
Richard's smile parted his lips naturally. With the amount of noise in the background, Phillip was probably on a yacht somewhere in South Africa.
“Things are not looking up man. I've got a money situation”.
Phillip was the scrawny geek in Richard's high school days who grew up to be one of the financial giants in the state. He was the one whom Richard had run to when he wanted to invest in the bond market, causing them to create a friendship so strong, that one could mistake them for brothers.
Four hours later, Phillip was seated in Richard's study, a glass of red wine in hand. His expression showing how critically he was analyzing the situation that Richard had opened him up to.
“I think it's time to diversify bro”. He said after swinging himself in the leather chair for almost thirty minutes.
“What do you mean? I barely have any money left.”
Phillip rose then picked a squishy ball on Richard's table and gave a deep squeeze.
“It's not about how much you have but about how well it can yield for you. I think you should go into real estate investment too. Diversifying helps to reduce the overall risks of your portfolio. By spreading your investment across various assets and industries, the impact of one investment going south can be mitigated.”
Richard rose too.
“So how come you're telling me this for the first time? I should have diversified all along when the going was still easy”.
“It's not too late” Phillip turned to him. “I'm certain the suspension on tax is probably due to the inflation rate at the moment. It would be reinstated soon. As for now, just relax. Some seasons are like this in the life of an investor.”
Richard extended his hand to receive the handshake Phillip had stretched his hand out for.
“Thank you.”
Meetings like this were what knitted the bond between the both of them. As Phillip sauntered out of his premises, the smile came back to his lips. A friend in need was truly a friend indeed.
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