Most people think of a move as one transaction. But in reality, it’s usually two: selling the home you have and buying the one you want. The hard part is that those two events rarely line up as neatly as you might like.

When a top American business leader starts rattling off reasons to fear today’s market, investors get uneasy. But in the echo chamber of media-made doubt, Jamie Dimon’s recent message got lost. To prepare for the worst, he recommended beefing up reserves, fortifying capital, and stress-testing for varied shocks. He didn’t advise hiding under the nearest desk but rather putting in the work, preparing and carrying on.

Can you name five companies whose products or services you use almost daily? What top brands are your family members unable to live without? We consistently rely on — and budget for — these brands and businesses in our daily activities.

Compounding growth, whether in nature or finance, is similar: enough time can bring impressive results. Seemingly every few years, a familiar story is published. A quiet person from a forgotten town, typically with little or no education and a low paying job, accomplishes the unusual.

A few weeks ago I attended the retirement party of someone I’ve called a dear friend for over 49 years. Long ago, we were both young financial advisors chasing similar career paths. We even migrated to independent businesses around the same…