From Stocks on an iPhone to Managing Millions: How Samuel Harnish Built QFS

Steven Weinstock: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Wealth Clock with Steven Weinstock podcast. I'm Steven Weinstock. I've been investing in real estate for over 20 years, from single family homes to multi-family syndications, to launching my own real estate investment fund. But this show isn't about me. It's about operators, founders, and deal makers who are building real results. Today, I'm joined by Samuel Harnish, founder of Quantitative Financial Strategies. Sam started trading stocks on an iPhone when he was just 13 years old, went on to work at PIMCO and a leading multifamily office, and now he's building his own wealth management practice focused on tax-aware investing. Sam, welcome to the show. Samuel Harnish: Thanks for having me, Steven. It's great to be here. Steven Weinstock: So let's start from the beginning. You started trading stocks at 13 on an iPhone. Walk me through that. Samuel Harnish: Yeah, so I grew up in a household where finance was always talked about. My dad was in the industry, and I just became fascinated with markets. I remember downloading one of those stock trading apps on my first iPhone and just starting to learn. I'd read everything I could get my hands on - annual reports, market news, anything. Steven Weinstock: That's incredible. Most 13-year-olds are playing video games. Samuel Harnish: I played those too! But there was something about the markets that just captured my attention. The puzzle of it all - trying to understand why stocks moved, what drove valuations, how the economy affected different sectors. Steven Weinstock: And then you went on to work at PIMCO. Tell us about that experience. Samuel Harnish: PIMCO was transformative. You're surrounded by some of the smartest fixed income minds in the world. I learned so much about risk management, about thinking in terms of probabilities rather than certainties. The rigor there is incredible. Steven Weinstock: How did that shape your approach to wealth management now? Samuel Harnish: It taught me to always think about the downside first. Before I think about how much we can make, I think about how much we can lose. That mindset is critical when you're managing other people's money. Steven Weinstock: So let's talk about tax-aware investing. What does that actually mean? Samuel Harnish: So most people and even many advisors focus on pre-tax returns. They'll tell you a fund returned 12% last year. But what matters is what you actually keep after taxes. Tax-aware investing is about structuring portfolios and making decisions with the after-tax return as the primary metric. Steven Weinstock: Can you give an example? Samuel Harnish: Sure. Let's say you have two investments. One returns 10% but it's all short-term capital gains, which might be taxed at 37%. The other returns 8% but it's all long-term capital gains taxed at 20%. On a pre-tax basis, the first one looks better. But after taxes, you might actually keep more from the second investment. Steven Weinstock: That's a great example. I think a lot of real estate investors understand this intuitively because of depreciation and cost segregation. Samuel Harnish: Exactly. Real estate investors are often more sophisticated about taxes than stock investors because the tax benefits are so central to real estate returns. Steven Weinstock: So you're building QFS now. What's it like starting a wealth management business in your twenties? Samuel Harnish: It's challenging but rewarding. The biggest challenge is credibility. People look at you and wonder if you have the experience to manage their life savings. That's why I lean heavily on my institutional background and on education - showing people that I know what I'm talking about through content and through results. Steven Weinstock: How are you using social media to build your business? Samuel Harnish: Social media has been huge. I post regularly on LinkedIn and Instagram about tax strategies, market insights, just educational content. It's a way to build trust before someone ever talks to me. By the time they reach out, they already feel like they know me. Steven Weinstock: That's smart. Content as a trust-building mechanism. Samuel Harnish: Exactly. And it's authentic. I'm not posting just to post - I'm sharing things I genuinely find interesting or useful. That authenticity comes through. Steven Weinstock: Let's talk about trust more broadly. How do you build trust when raising capital or taking on new clients? Samuel Harnish: Trust is everything in this business. You're asking people to hand over control of their financial future. I build trust through transparency, through education, and through consistent communication. I never want a client to feel surprised or in the dark about what's happening with their money. Steven Weinstock: Any advice for young people looking to start their own business in finance? Samuel Harnish: Learn first, but don't wait too long. I spent time at big institutions learning the craft, but at some point you have to take the leap. Surround yourself with mentors, be humble enough to know what you don't know, and be confident enough to share what you do know. Steven Weinstock: Sam, this has been great. Where can people find you and learn more about QFS? Samuel Harnish: You can find me on LinkedIn - Samuel Harnish. Instagram at schmuel_5. And my YouTube channel has longer form content on investing and taxes. Steven Weinstock: Sam, thanks for joining us on the Wealth Clock. Samuel Harnish: Thanks for having me, Steven.