Interesting
discussions abound every week during our regular Rotary meeting. The diversity
both in our members and our guests makes for a wide variety of views and
varying levels of passion about any given topic. With so much going on in the
country and world today there is an endless stream of talking points to spur impassioned
dialogues.
Our
guest this week, Matthew D. Weglarz, brought to the forefront one such topic
when he discussed the ever changing lending market and the possible
implications if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are allowed to fold. Most notable of the probable outcomes would be the privatization of the mortgage industry and the subsequent elimination of terms extending beyond 15 years. This would be in
addition to the increased interest rates that would reflect levels that haven’t
been seen in over 30 years. Of course, these are suppositions at this point and
like many events in the past we won’t know the true outcome until it happens as there
are too many variables to fully comprehend.
Matt, who works for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and serves as Vice
President and Resident Manager for the Philadelphia and South Jersey Regions, was
very concise in his outlining the current situation that exists in the lending
industry but also touched upon his own journey that shapes the way he conducts
himself and treats others. The journey that lead him to his current
position was not one that is commonly heard of in the executive ranks of his industry.
It
is the understanding on a personal and professional level of the highs and lows
that exist in life and the extremes in means that exist in society that makes
Matt particularly effective in not just helping people make the right decisions
but also to give perspective to the raw numbers. Many people are great with
numbers but it takes a certain kind of person to see the humanity in the arithmetic. It is something that we each have inside of us, something that Matt has obviously tapped into, and something that we should all keep in mind when we go about our work.
Look
for the humanity in what may seem emotionless; find the flex in the immutable; challenge
what is accepted as the norm; strive to achieve greater and greater things in
life. Don’t just see these as ideas, see them for what they are… actions. We
can see these actions in the lives of others, in people like Matt, and know
that it can be done because it has been done. If you want to serve others know
how to serve yourself as well.
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