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On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, a small television in Fred Dent III 's office is tuned in to the financial news. Talking heads for CNBC, or possibly CNN, hover over scrolling market tickers, delivering varying spins on the latest word from the Street.
Dent, the head of his own investment management firm, Dent Asset Management, says he once thought he would like to be one of those talking heads. Then he realized that, for all their incessant chatter, the heads rarely seem to say anything.
"It's a bunch of noise," he said. "I think that it's impossible to glean any useful information for the long term from that stuff. "
For the 36-year-old Dent, "useful" and "long term" are crucial concepts. As a Certified Financial Analyst, he advises his clients on the big picture that is portfolio management, guiding them past their fears of the daily fluctuations of the market and keeping them focused on the future and estate and retirement planning. As a financial analyst for a local television station, he offers the average viewer simple financial lessons that help in understanding the investing process.
Indeed, Dent's skill at communication-an ability to reach both experienced investors and the "average Joe"-has allowed him to spread his knowledge and philosophy within Baton Rouge and across the country.
In turn, he has been able to propel himself from the trench warfare of Wall Street stockbroking to the head of a local firm that now manages upward of $85 million in assets.
For his efforts, Dent has been selected as Young Businessperson of the Year.
Moving on up and back down
Dent graduated from Louisiana State...