Hi! My name is Caleb McCoy and welcome to The Hindsight Investor. Whether you landed here by intent or accident, I’m happy to have you! If you read a piece of my content prior to landing here, I hope you found it educational, informative, and entertaining. Producing content that provides value to others is my goal after all, and the primary reason I started this blog. Â
Small-town roots…
If you’re looking for content written by industry-leading experts in personal finance or investing, you won’t find it here. I don’t have a PhD in Finance or Economics, I’m not a Certified Financial Planner, and I’ve never been featured in the New York Times (at least not yet anyway).
Truth be told, I’m probably a lot like you, just living life and trying to make a positive impact. I’m a 30-something year old, married father with 4 kids, average Joe from nowhere West Virginia…but very proud to be from nowhere West Virginia. I love Jesus and my beautiful wife and family, and stumble in serving them every day, but I’m grateful for the grace of God.
I’m a Marshall University graduate and hold a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Environmental Science. I began my career in the environmental field supporting large electric utilities in air, water, and waste compliance. It was at the power plant where I discovered a love for project management. I made the switch to project management and project controls in 2015 and haven’t looked back since. I currently manage a project controls team for one of the nation’s largest electric utilities.
An entrepreneurial spirit…
I was born and raised in the little town of Ripley, WV where much of my family still resides. God blessed me with great parents, a brother who’s a best friend, and strong familial roots.
I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, my dad included, and that blood runs through my veins. He says McCoy’s end up working for themselves because we can’t keep a job anywhere else… we’re too stubborn and hard-headed. The older I get, the more I tend to agree! Â
I’m very proud of my mom and dad for what they’ve accomplished in their careers. My mom worked her way from LPN to CEO of the local hospital, all while being the best mom ever. My dad started out as a surveyor and transitioned to successful business owner and operator of one of the largest employers in Jackson County, WV, all while never missing a single ball game (or at least very few).
For reasons unknown to me, I elected not to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams during my college years. Then, after graduating, entering the workforce, and starting a family, I became too comfortable to pursue anything different.
I have always had that itch to build something of my own, but I didn’t know how (or was too scared) to scratch it.
A passion discovered…
A few years ago, I discovered a passion for the stock market and investing. How I stumbled upon it I don’t even know, but I caught the bug and was hooked. I became obsessed with Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Peter Lynch, and other investing legends, and started reading and studying every book I could get my hands on. I became fascinated with the art of finding, analyzing, and valuing businesses.
After discovering a love for investing, I began seeking an outlet for the passion. In addition to being stubborn, another trait common to McCoy’s is an obsessive-compulsive mind, which in this case, proved to be a benefit.
Some of my investing outlets include:
- Reading quarterly Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cashflow Statements
- Reviewing quarterly (10Q’s) and annual (10K’s) SEC filings
- Listening to quarterly earnings conference calls
- Scouring Investor Relations websites
- Developing my own templates for business and stock valuation
- Test driving various stock picking and investing services
- Studying fundamental and technical analysis
- Unsuccessful attempts in day trading and swing trading
- Listening to numerous investing podcasts
And finally, writing.
Still chasing dreams…
In 2022, I began writing stock articles for Seeking Alpha. It was, and continues to be, a great outlet for my investing hobby while also allowing me to make a few extra bucks. However, it dawned on me, why not start my own blog, write articles I believe will bring value to readers, and finally attempt to scratch that entrepreneurial itch? And so, The Hindsight Investor was born.
I write from experience, and knowledge I’ve gathered, to share information I wish someone would’ve shared with me earlier in life. Nearly all of us have heard the phrase, “Hindsight is 2020,” meaning it’s easy to make the right decision in the future if you’ve already made the wrong decision in the past. But what if someone shared their life experience with you so that you didn’t have to make the wrong decision yourself? This is the inspiration for the name of my blog.
My hope is that readers find encouragement, education, information, and entertainment in the content I create. The Hindsight Investor may very well reach no one or only a small few. It may crash and burn but that’s okay. It’s not about success, it’s about the pursuit.
Keep pursuing,
Caleb