Hey, it’s Frank, Jerry, and Zoltan from Third View Private Wealth, and welcome to the Third View Next Gen Newsletter. This newsletter is designed to simplify personal finance, investing, and wealth building for next-generation wealth holders just starting their financial journey. Hope you enjoy this month’s edition and learn something new.

Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here to receive future editions.

How important is the Strait of Hormuz to the world’s energy makers? Important, to say the least. And if you’ve been to the pump in the last few weeks, you’re seeing the direct impacts. Here’s why:

5 Middle Eastern countries ranked among the world’s top 10 crude oil producers in 2025: Saudi Arabia (9.51 mb/d), Iraq (4.39), Iran (4.19), the United Arab Emirates (3.82), and Kuwait (2.58).

And guess what? All 5 sit along the Persian Gulf, which means most of their oil outputs flow through the Strait of Hormuz. That also means conflict or disruption around the Strait can have major consequences for global oil supply. And we’re seeing that play out in real time.

Even though the U.S. imports relatively little oil directly through the Strait, oil is priced globally. That means any disruption can ripple through markets and show up in energy prices worldwide.

For over 15 years, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside individuals and families as they navigate the complexities that come with building and managing wealth.

Over time, certain lessons keep resurfacing, regardless of market conditions or net worth. These are ideas we’ve observed through clients’ experiences and our own personal and professional lives. More importantly, they’re lessons we wish we had learned in our 20s because they have a compounding effect over time.

Here are 10 money and life lessons to learn in your 20s:

1. Price is only relevant in the absence of value.

It’s easy to default to cost as the primary decision-making factor, especially when resources feel limited. However, the more important question is what you are actually getting in return and how that investment may pay off over time.

Whether it’s education, experiences, or professional guidance, focusing on long-term value rather than short-term price tends to compound in ways that are not always immediately visible.

2. Time is your most valuable asset.

Money has the ability to grow, scale, and recover, but time is finite and cannot be replenished. The decisions made in your 20s have an outsized impact on how you will spend your time in the future, whether that means having more flexibility or feeling more constrained.

Prioritizing opportunities that create optionality and control over your schedule often proves to be one of the highest-return decisions you can make.

3. You can’t control markets, but you can control your response.

Markets will inevitably fluctuate, and external events will create periods of uncertainty that are impossible to predict with precision. The individuals who build long-term wealth are not those who consistently guess correctly, but those who remain disciplined and grounded when emotions run high.

Having a plan and sticking to it, especially when it feels uncomfortable, is often what separates successful outcomes from costly mistakes.

4. Life will bring tough moments.

While it may not feel immediate in your 20s, life will present moments that require difficult and often high-stakes decisions.

In those situations, having the right people around you can make a meaningful difference in both the process and the outcome. Building relationships with thoughtful, trustworthy individuals early creates a support system you can rely on when it matters most.

5. Your reputation is everything.

In a 2002 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Warren Buffett famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Reputation is a form of capital. It opens doors, builds trust, and creates opportunities. Reputational damage doesn’t just impact your business or brand. It can erode trust, compromise your legacy, and leave a trail that money alone can’t fix.

6. Find something that fills your cup outside of work.

Ambition and career growth are important, especially in your early years, but they should not be the sole source of identity or fulfillment. The individuals who navigate success most effectively tend to have interests, relationships, and pursuits that exist outside of their professional lives.

These outlets provide balance, perspective, and a sense of purpose that cannot be derived from work alone.

7. Identity should not be tied to one outcome.

Careers rarely follow a straight line, and the path you start on in your 20s is unlikely to be the one you remain on indefinitely. When identity is tied too closely to a specific role or outcome, transitions can feel more disruptive and uncertain.

Developing a broader sense of purpose and adaptability early makes it easier to navigate change and take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.

8. Timing the market is a fool’s errand.

It is common to feel the urge to wait for the “right” moment to invest, whether driven by headlines, economic cycles, or major events. In reality, consistently trying to time entry points often leads to missed opportunities and unnecessary hesitation.

Long-term wealth creation is far more dependent on consistency, discipline, and time in the market than on perfectly timed decisions.

9. Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should buy it.

As income increases, so does the ability to spend, and it becomes easier to justify purchases that were previously out of reach. Every financial decision, however, carries both a direct cost and an opportunity cost that can impact future outcomes. Being intentional about spending and understanding the trade-offs involved creates a strong foundation for building lasting wealth.

10. Humans overestimate risk and underestimate opportunity.

Fear is a natural response, especially when facing uncertainty or unfamiliar situations, but it can often lead to overly conservative decisions.

Many of the most meaningful opportunities, whether in investing, career, or personal growth, involve some level of calculated risk. The goal is not to avoid risk entirely, but to understand it clearly and act with confidence when the potential upside justifies the uncertainty.

Most people assume the answer is money-oriented. Like, once you hit a certain income level or net worth amount, then it’s time to get help.

We don’t think that’s quite right.

The better answer is: You should seek help from a financial advisor when your financial life starts to get more complex than you can easily manage on your own.

For some people, that happens when their income ramps up quickly. For others, it’s tied to a specific moment like:

It’s less about a specific dollar amount and more about the number of moving pieces.

That said, firms like Third View typically work with high-net-worth individuals and families for a reason. The value of advice compounds when there’s more at stake. More complexity means more decisions that have long-term consequences.

A good advisor helps you think ahead. So where we tend to see the biggest impact is before major financial moments, not after.

So if you’re starting to ask questions like:

Those are usually great signals that it’s time to consider help.

Because at a certain point, it’s not just about managing money anymore. It’s about making better decisions that impact it. And the earlier you start making better decisions, the more everything compounds from there.

Have a question you’d like us to answer in a future newsletter? Simply reply to this email to submit it to us.

📖 Jerry Sneed in Forbes: A Practical Guide For NFL Players To Compound Wealth Beyond The League

Forbes: Zoltan Pongracz on A Guidebook To Risk After Success—What To Do After You’ve Already Won

That’s all for this month. If you enjoyed the newsletter, the greatest compliment would be to forward it to someone you think would like it too.

- Frank, Jerry, and Zoltan

Sign up here to receive future Third View Next Gen Newsletter editions in your inbox.

Any media logos and/or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement by those owners of the advisor or firm is stated or implied.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. The material above has been provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security or strategy. The investment strategy and themes discussed herein may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial situation. Information obtained from third-party sources is believed to be reliable though its accuracy is not guaranteed, and Third View Private Wealth makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information, which should not be used as the basis of any investment decision. Information contained on third party websites that Third View Private Wealth may link to is not reviewed in their entirety for accuracy and Third View Private Wealth assumes no liability for the information contained on these websites. Opinions expressed in this commentary reflect subjective judgments of the author based on conditions at the time of writing and are subject to change without notice. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission from Third View Private Wealth. For more information about Third View Private Wealth, including our Form ADV brochures, please visit https://adviserinfo.sec.gov or contact us at (203) 408-0098.