Beyond Buy-and-Hold: Adam Koós on Technical Analysis and Building Lasting Wealth

Adam Koós joins fellow CMT David Keller to share his journey from aspiring trauma surgeon to founding Libertas Wealth Management Group and launching Adrenaline Advisor Consulting.

Adam opens up about starting his career just before 9/11, how market crashes pushed him toward technical analysis, and why he uses sports and weather analogies to help clients understand investing. From building financial plans that manage both money and emotions, to teaching advisors how to grow thriving practices, Adam offers a candid look at lessons learned over two decades in the industry.

Episode Timestamps:
01:00 – Adam's background: Ohio State, trauma surgery dreams, and the pivot to finance
07:00 – Starting at a brokerage firm just before 9/11
09:00 – Why Adam embraced technical analysis after the early 2000s crash
12:00 – The "NFL playoff teams" analogy for investing
15:00 – Tornado sirens, trend following, and managing risk
18:00 – Dealing with investor emotions and building confidence
20:00 – Why every client needs a financial plan, not just portfolio management
23:00 – The three charts Adam always shares with clients
27:00 – Stoplight charts, seasonality, and short-term signals
31:00 – Balancing strong uptrends with seasonal weakness
33:00 – Mistakes early in Adam's practice and lessons learned
34:00 – The story of coaching another advisor to $7M in new AUM in 14 weeks
36:00 – How Adrenaline Advisor Consulting helps advisors grow faster

Key Takeaways:
💡 Technical analysis gives advisors and investors a framework beyond buy-and-hold.
💡 Use analogies to simplify complex financial concepts for clients.
💡 A financial plan is essential - investments alone aren't enough.
💡 Trend following is about investing in the "playoff teams" and avoiding the laggards.
💡 Advisors should give clients as little data as they