by Rachel Schreiber

Seventh graders generally are thinking about school and their social lives. In the 7th grade, Harrison Kennard was thinking about the stock market. With the help of his grandfather, Harrison invested for his parents and their friends.

His collection of baseball cards was a great introduction to the stock market. He bought and sold his cards at card shows. He also watched their prices fluctuate through the Beckett Guide.

“I always wanted to be a financial planner since the 7th grade. My grandfather guided me and he gave me money to invest for him. I invested early in AOL and Amazon stocks for my parents and their friends. Their investments worked out well,” Harrison says.

Harrison was born in Cadillac and attended college in Bowling Green, Ohio. In his sophomore year, he and his parents purchased an ice cream franchise in downtown Bowling Green. Why ice cream? Harrison says, “You have to love your product. I really liked mixing the ice cream together with other foods.” Upon graduation, he sold it to his brothers, who currently operate it.

Investing his high school summer earnings in the market, Harrison says,“I lost a lot. I learned a lot. During the late 90s, it was not a normal stock market. I learned risky investments can’t go up forever. My grandfather taught me to buy quality stocks and invest in companies that are making money and are paying dividends. This is in line with Edward Jones’ theory. He’s a conservative investor and the company’s conservative. Buy quality for the long term. That’s how I was raised. Never buy risky things.”

He speaks about his philosophy, “As an advisor with Edward Jones, for the past two years, I am the guide for people. I’m here to make sure they’re on track to achieve their goals, which includes getting back to even or planning for retirement. Some people don’t know how much they need to retire and we have the tools to show them exactly how much they’re going to need to retire and how, and if, they can achieve it. I tell them about good opportunities, I do all the research. I team up with people and make sure they reach their goals.”

Edward Jones allowed Harrison to open an office anywhere. He says, “I struggled with it. I chose Ann Arbor because I like its downtown and the night life scene.” Next, he needed to build his clientele. Harrison states, “I built my clientele by knocking on doors and conducting seminars. I don’t like to sit in my office and make phone calls. I like to meet people face to face. Mary Spencer, the branch office administrator, handles all the paperwork, she lets me focus on my job, following people’s portfolios and coming up with good ideas for them.” Mary has been with Edward Jones for five years. She says, “Harrison is very positive and very good with his clients. He really looks out for them.”

Harrison comments on today’s market. “This is a great time to buy, the prices are really good. Five years from now, everyone’s going to agree stocks will be higher value.” He continues, “The hardest part is getting people off the fence because they’re afraid. I try to explain to them the importance of investing and how to do it in a sound way. They always want to buy at the top and sell at the bottom and I’m trying to reverse that thinking. Think of the long term and not the next report.”

Harrison’s personal long-term goals are to purchase a cottage in Cadillac. “Professionally, he says, “I want happy clients and to see people achieve their goals. If they do, I’m going to reach mine as well. The more money they make, the more I make. I tell everyone that. We’re in this together. If you don’t do well, I’m not doing well.”

Edward Jones
Harrison Kennard
2725 Packard Road, Suite 201
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Email: harrison.kennard@edwardjones.com Website: www.edwardjones.com