Hello, I am the The Polite Investor, a polite Englishman that has been living in the US for 10 years.
Although I have always been interested in personal finance and investing, once my employer enrolled me in their retirement plan, I thought it was time to get serious and figure out how the American financial system works to make sound investment choices.
I started this site to document my financial journey and offer my opinions to help others. Perhaps you might learn something from my experiences and together we can all try to lead better financial lives.
I believe the key to building wealth is disiplined saving and investing coupled with a somewhat minimalist lifestyle. You don't need stuff and you should have a healthy skepticism towards activities your peers engage in: mortgages, expensive cars, expensive vacations. You'll find a little bit of my personal philosophy peppered throughout the site.
I hope you feel welcome here. Take what you find useful and leave the rest. Pass on what you’ve learned to your friends. May you find the financial success you deserve.
Want to say hello? Email me.
The beginning of 2022 was not kind to the stock market, so many of us might be thinking about how well our invests are doing. Likewise, you’ve probably heard of a stock or cryptocurrency that has gone on a ridiculous run (GameStop anyone) and you’ve kicked yourself for not investing. Knowing how to behave when we are faced with uncertainly can help stop us making expensive mistakes.
Becoming a DIY investor might help you become a better investor. It should certainly help you understand if financial advice is really worth paying for. Here I'll discuss what it takes to be a DIY investor and why you should consider this path.
Here are what I consider the most egregious mistakes you can make with your finances. It's not that you should necessarily completely avoid doing these things, but buyer beware.
Whether you're just starting to invest or have been for decades, total stock market index funds are still some of the best options for diversifying your investment portfolio whilst being tax efficient.
Freezing your credit is a simple process and stops unauthorized credit pulls and accounts being opened in your name. I'll show you how.
