Our 2023 Summer Internship is underway, and we are thrilled to host four student interns for six weeks! Chance, Kevin, Liz, and Brendan are eager to learn about the finance industry and are excited to see how our departments work together to serve our clients to the highest degree. Get to know them a little better below and say “Hi” next time you are in the office!

Chance Ducote

“I attend Washington State University where I am pursuing a degree in Finance. I also participate in Delta Sigma Phi in Washington State’s Greek life. I am a sports geek and played baseball my entire adolescent life which is where I get my competitive drive.

Growing up, I was always interested in business and how money works. The stock market and all the factors that go into it particularly drew my interest. Watching my mom work as a financial advisor and help many clients through their financial troubles rubbed off on me and further grew my interest in the field. I like the fact that this internship allows me to shadow each of the different departments. Right now, financial planning or investments are the areas I am most interested in. Completing this internship will help me hone in on which department I can succeed in the most.”

Kevin Wax

“I attend Washington State University where I am working towards a degree in Finance. One fun fact about me is I enjoy playing guitar and piano. After a long day of school/work, I enjoy sitting down for an hour or two to improvise/learn new songs.

I am pursuing finance because I believe there is a strong bond between financial skills and overall happiness of an individual’s life. Pursuing finance not only allows me to be more prepared for my own financial future, but also equips me with the knowledge to help those I care about be prepared for their financial futures and bolster their ultimate pursuit of happiness. From the internship I hope to gain the financial skills needed to carry out the pursuit of happiness, a better understanding of the financial industry, client service strategies, more insight on financial certifications/niches and strong connections with the wonderful people here at Apriem.”

Liz Gieser

“I am a rising senior at Biola University studying Finance with an emphasis in Financial Planning. I am originally from Chicago, Illinois but have enjoyed my experience in Southern California as a college student. In my free time, I love to go to the beach with friends, read, or partake in any activity like swimming, hiking, and running. A fun fact about me is that I have been playing violin for about ten years and absolutely love it. Growing up as a classically trained violinist, I played in the orchestra. Now, I play in a band at school.

Finance interests me because, along with loving numbers, I am highly relational. Coming into college, I desired to pursue a field that combined a technically oriented mind with a desire to help others. I hope to use my skills to aid clients in leading a stress-free life full of joy and freedom. During the internship, I am excited to learn from industry experts at Apriem as I look to pursue my career. I am eager to better understand the technicalities of finance and the psychological aspects of saving and spending money. I am excited to be a part of the Apriem team this summer!”

Brendan Harley

“I am a 3rd year at the University of California, Irvine studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. Outside of the classroom you can find me at OLEA where I’m a waiter, playing lacrosse, or going to concerts.

The ability to grow wealth for others to achieve their goals is what led me to be interested in finance. It’s powerful to see how numbers changing on a screen turn into tangible wealth that allows a client to fund their children’s college funds, retire, and much more. The first couple days at Apriem has reaffirmed this notion and I’m excited for a future career in finance. In the internship I’ll be able to dive deeper into all the departments that makes Apriem unique. I’m especially excited to meet with the Investment Team to learn their individualized approach to asset allocation and maintaining the growth of each account.  At the end of this internship, I hope to learn more about the financial markets and Apriem’s approach to personalizing each plan for their clients.”

Market Update

With the first half of 2023 coming to a close, investors look forward to a fresh quarter as July approaches. We end this week with some insightful economic data and more commentary from the Federal Reserve Chairman. This morning, investors were surprised when U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for Q1 came in at +2.0% against the +1.3% anticipated figure. Consumer spending growth contributed the most to this GDP print, accelerating its strongest in nearly two years. During a monetary policy session on Wednesday this week, Jerome Powell said that the Federal Reserve is likely to pursue more rate hikes while citing the strong labor market. The U.S. stock markets absorbed the subtle news almost without a flinch, while the U.S. bond market experienced a broad rise in yields. For the week, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.35%, 1.36%, and the Nasdaq was down 0.28%, respectively, as of today’s close.

Next week, we will be closing at 3pm on Monday, July 3rd and will remain closed on Tuesday, July 4th due to the market closure for Independence Day. Also, second quarter of 2023 is coming to a close and now is a great time to schedule a review with your Wealth Manager. Please use the links below to schedule using our scheduling service Calendly!

Schedule a Review with Josh Garland
Call Our Office
Schedule a Review with Harmon Kong
Schedule a Review with Rhonda Ducote
Schedule a Review with Landon Yoshida
Schedule a Review with Chris Whitaker
Disclosures:
Advisory services offered by Apriem Advisors (“Apriem”), a registered investment adviser with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Any reference to or use of the terms “registered investment adviser” or “registered,” does not imply that Apriem Advisors or any person associated with Apriem Advisors has achieved a certain level of skill or training. Apriem Advisors may only transact business or render personalized investment advice in those states and international jurisdictions where we are registered, notice filed, or where we qualify for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. For complete information about our firm, please refer to our Form ADV Part 2A, 2B and CRS at any time.
The information provided in this report should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security. There is no assurance that any securities discussed herein will remain in an account’s portfolio at the time you receive this report or that securities sold have not been repurchased. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The reader should not assume that investments in the securities identified were or will be profitable.”
The S&P 500 Index is a free-float market capitalization weighted index of 500 of the largest U.S. companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, or DJIA, is a price-weighted index that measures the performance of 30 large publicly-owned companies in the U.S. The NASDAQ Composite Index covers more than 2,500 stocks in The Nasdaq Stock Market. All index data is reported on a total return basis, which includes dividends. One cannot invest directly in an index, and index returns do not reflect the deduction of advisory fees, brokerage or other commissions, and any other expenses a client would have paid, and that these expenses would negatively impact performance.