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Section 02/Investing
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Investing

Start here once your foundation is stable and you're ready to put money to work. These pieces favor evidence over hot takes.

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17 Entries
01Asset Allocation: Splitting Stocks and Bonds for Your TimelineAge-based rules of thumb for stocks vs. bonds are a starting point, not a formula. Here's the reasoning behind them and when to override them.02Compound Growth, With Numbers That Might Surprise YouThe math of investing early, worked out with real numbers: what a decade's head start is actually worth by the time you retire.03Covered Calls: A Conservative First Step Into OptionsHow selling calls against shares you already own works, with a worked payoff example, and the two trade-offs: capped upside and no real downside protection.04Dollar-Cost Averaging vs. Lump Sum: What the Evidence SaysInvesting a windfall all at once usually beats spreading it out, historically. Here's the evidence, and why spreading it out can still be the right call for you.05ETFs vs. Mutual Funds vs. Index Funds: The Differences That MatterIndex fund is a strategy. ETF and mutual fund are wrappers. Untangling the three explains when the structure actually changes your outcome.06Expense Ratios: Why 1% Is a Bigger Deal Than It SoundsA 1% expense ratio doesn't feel like much. Compounded over 30 years against a fund charging a few basis points, it's tens of thousands of dollars.07Dividends: Yield, Growth, and the Reinvestment HabitWhat a dividend actually is, why chasing the highest yield tends to backfire, and the case for reinvesting instead of spending the payout.08How to Open Your First Brokerage Account (and What to Ignore)Opening a brokerage account takes about 15 minutes. Choosing the right one matters more than the app it comes with — here's what to actually check.09The HSA: Why Investors Call It the Best AccountPre-tax in, tax-free growth, tax-free out for medical costs. No retirement account gets all three — and most people with one still treat it like a checking account.10Index Funds: Why 'Boring' Usually WinsAn index fund just buys the whole market instead of picking winners. The evidence shows that's usually the smarter bet, not the lazy one.11The Right Order to Fund Your Accounts: 401(k), IRA, HSA, BrokerageMatch first, then HSA, then IRA, then max the 401(k), then taxable brokerage. The order exists for a reason, and real edge cases genuinely reorder it.12Options Without the Hype: Calls, Puts, and Real RiskWhat a call and a put actually are, why the odds are structurally against frequent buyers, and a decision framework for whether options belong in your plan.13Rebalancing: When, How, and Whether It's Worth ItThreshold-based and calendar-based rebalancing compared, and the tax trap rebalancing sets in a taxable account, plus the workaround most people miss.14Roth vs. Traditional: The IRA Decision, Broken DownThe Roth-vs-traditional choice comes down to one comparison: your tax rate today against your best guess at your tax rate in retirement.15How Market Volatility Actually Affects Long-Term InvestorsWhy a 20% drop feels like a crisis in the moment but usually matters far less to a long-horizon investor than the headlines suggest.16Tax-Loss Harvesting: How It Works and When It's Worth the TroubleThe mechanics of realizing a loss for a tax benefit, the wash-sale rule that trips people up, and an honest look at who actually gains enough to bother.17The Three-Fund Portfolio, Explained SimplyTotal U.S. stock, total international stock, total bond — three funds, one spreadsheet's worth of decisions, done. Here's how to build it at any brokerage.

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01Foundations03Financial Independence