S moke S ignals
FEBRUARY 15, 2018
9
Sharing a wealth of knowledge with millennials
Tribal member starts financial
planning business aimed at
young professionals
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Levi Sanchez has
had a passion for investing and
money since he was a child.
Growing up in West Richland,
Wash., Sanchez developed a love for
the classic board game Monopoly at
an early age.
“I also remember having con-
versations about stocks with my
grandpa, who’s always been an
investor and interested in individ-
ual stock picking,” Sanchez says.
“When I went to college my inter-
ests deepened and I found myself
reading articles on CNBC every
morning or between classes on my
phone.”
Parents Troy, who is a Tribal
member, and Jill Sanchez were
business owners, which helped Levi
develop a strong entrepreneurial
spirit.
It is also what led the 26-year-old
to leave a career with Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management to strike out
on his own advising millennials.
“I worked primarily with near-re-
tirees, or retirees on retirement
planning and if I saw a better way
to do something, I couldn’t always
do it at the big firm,” he says. “Plus,
I thought I could connect with my
own generation much better than I
could with someone who was near
retirement.”
Hence, Millennial Wealth was
born. Located in Seattle, Levi and his
business partner, Chad Rixse, set out
to help this generation get educated,
invest and plan for the future.
Levi got a jump on his own wealth
building by having the support of
his parents while earning a busi-
ness degree at Washington State
University and through the Tribal
money he received after turning 21.
“I immediately invested it,” he
says. “I didn’t spend it on a new
car, vacations or other material
things. I knew that money had far
more potential if I was smart, pa-
tient and invested it. For that, I’m
truly grateful the Tribe gives us all
a head start at such a young age.”
Levi says that he hopes to help
millennials navigate a shifting
economic landscape while pursuing
their dreams.
“We understand today’s changing
economic landscape and our gener-
ation’s attitude toward making pas-
sions and lifestyles a priority,” the
business website states. “Together,
we can build a brighter future.”
Millennial Wealth specializes
in helping young professionals in
the tech industry with full-service
financial planning and investment
management. Levi says this is a
change from a traditional invest-
ment firm, where clients have to
Need something notarized?
Tribal Court staff is available at no charge for notaries 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday with the exception of noon to 1
p.m. Please be sure to bring a photo ID with you. If you have any
questions, contact the court at 503-879-2303.
accumulate
assets before
receiving ad-
vice.
“We be-
lieved it
was possible
to provide
financial
planning
services to
young pro-
Levi Sanchez
fessionals
to improve their wealth building
potential and enhance their lives,”
Levi says.
When he and Rixse consult with
new clients, they ask about finan-
cial and life goals, such as early
retirement, starting a business
and overseas travel. Additionally,
they help clients with cash flow and
debt management, college savings,
employee benefit optimization, in-
surance, investment management,
retirement planning and a concen-
trated stock analysis.
“Millennials have so much time to
make the right financial decisions
and I wanted to help my generation
avoid some of the problems previ-
ous generations have had when
it comes to saving and investing
enough for their later years, while
still being able to enjoy and fund
experiences that are important to
them today,” Levi says.
He also writes a blog aimed at
financial advising to help educate
anyone interested in learning in-
vesting, personal finance or finan-
cial planning information, with the
bulk geared toward millennials and
young professionals.
Levi says his financial investing
advice could be particularly mean-
ingful and beneficial to young Trib-
al members because of the financial
benefits the Tribe provides.
“I believe education is the most
important tool to helping people
make smarter financial decisions,”
he says. “An individual who re-
ceives a windfall of cash and who
has no financial education is not
likely going to invest some, if any,
of that windfall. At no fault of their
own, it’s a weakness in our educa-
tional system. Some people also just
have no interest in learning this
stuff or managing it themselves,
that’s what Millennial Wealth is
for.”
Levi adds that without the sup-
port of his family, he would not be
where he is today.
“My parents and family have a
lot to do with fostering my entre-
preneurial spirit and allowing me
to start my own business,” he says.
“I’ve had it a lot easier than most
throughout my life and I wouldn’t
be where I am without their help
and guidance.”
Sanchez can be reached at levi@
millennialwealthllc.com. To read
his blog, visit millennialwealthllc.
com/blog/.
'Going green costs
money, but it’s worth it'
GREEN EFFORT
continued from front page
This can result in the entire con-
tents of the bin being thrown away
because of contamination, an issue
which has global effects.
China, where the United States
sends most of its recycling, notified
the World Trade Organization in
July 2017 that it planned to ban
imports of 24 varieties of solid
waste, including certain plastics
and unsorted paper. The reason
was that large amounts of dirty
and hazardous materials are often
mixed in, which can lead to envi-
ronmental pollution, the opposite
effect of what recycling promotes.
The Chinese ban also potential-
ly creates its own environmental
problems, as more waste will be
burned or put into landfills.
During big events such as Resto-
ration celebrations, powwows and
family nights, Criss-Lawson said
she is considering hiring someone
to stand by the bins and explain
what can be recycled and what
needs to go into the trash.
The three-way bin has signs for
plastic, cans and waste, but doesn’t
specify what is OK to recycle.
“The challenge is education and
people learning to do it,” Procure-
ment Manager Larry Leith said.
“Going green costs money, but it’s
worth it. This is just a small step
in the process.”
Other energy saving measures
the Tribe has put in place include
automatic light sensors and recy-
cling containers in employee work
areas. Leith said that contributing
to the longevity of the planet and
conserving resources fits in with
the goal of being good stewards of
Tribal lands.
“I think it will all pan out,”
Criss-Lawson said. “But education
is a big piece of this.”
Tribal Council directed staff to
purchase the new bins after some
members noticed recyclable items
being thrown away during highly
attended events.
“If we are serious about being
good stewards of our Tribal lands, a
point we always make publicly, that
goes beyond just natural resource
management practices,” Tribal
Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier
said. “It goes to our daily lives,
recycling, using less and drawing
from sustainable resources. “
Mercier added that there are
no reasons why sustainability
shouldn’t be incorporated into the
Tribe’s daily governance opera-
tions.
“We go through a lot of paper,
plastic and other materials, all of
which can be recycled,” he said. “Do
we really want to leave future gen-
erations with landfills, when many
of them could have been avoided
through adopting simple recycling
and ‘use less’ policies?”