An educational resource for people who want to invest wisely—without unnecessary complexity or “secret strategies.” The site breaks down the mechanics of investing: index funds, dividend-paying stocks, tax optimization, retirement accounts, and real estate as an investment vehicle.
At 35, the present value of future earnings usually exceeds net worth. A 10% raise compounds harder than any portfolio gain. The spreadsheet says invest in skills first.
Monthly tracking invites you to react to market moves that don't matter. Quarterly is frequent enough to catch trends, infrequent enough to avoid bad behavior.
Below 4%: always invest. Above 7%: always pay debt. Between 4-7% is the gray zone where the answer depends on tax bracket, risk tolerance, and what keeps you sleeping.
The 3-month rule comes from an era when jobs lasted decades and layoffs were rare. For white-collar professionals, 6-12 months of expenses is the real target.
There are actually two different five-year rules — one for contributions, one for conversions. Conflate them and you'll pay 10% penalty on what you thought was tax-free.
Will. Healthcare proxy. Durable power of attorney. Nothing else is strictly required at 40, and skipping these three is how families end up in court for two years.
Car insurance caps at $300,000. Homeowner's caps at $500,000. One serious accident with a doctor can generate a $3 million judgment. Umbrella covers the gap for $300/year.
Whole life is insurance wrapped in an investment wrapped in a commission structure. It pays the agent 80% of first-year premium. The returns average 2-4%.
$500,000 in 20-year term for a healthy 40-year-old is $25 per month. The whole-life version is $400. The $375 difference invested in VTSAX beats the insurance payout.
Gold returned 1.4% per year for 30 years. The S&P returned 10.6%. Gold's purpose isn't return — it's specific correlation behavior in a handful of bad decades.
IBIT charges 0.12% and lives in your brokerage. Self-custody means a hardware wallet and being your own bank. Both have failure modes worth thinking through.
Bitcoin might go to $500,000 or $0 — the honest answer is nobody knows. At 1-5% of portfolio, either outcome is survivable. At 30%, the bad case is career-ending.