Matt the Money Guy

09/28/2026

9 must reads!

I’ve strung these out over 3 posts but just in case you missed one, all 9 are here. There are many more good finance books, but these are some of my favorite!

What others would you add to the list?

- Matt

P.S. I'm a HUGE index fund guy, so I made a free index fund guide explaining them and laying out options to create an index fund portfolio at different brokers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc). Comment "guide" and I'll send you a link to get the PDF!

09/28/2026

Part 3 just dropped!

I could keep making these given how many books I've read, but I think this will be the last part for now. There are SO many personal finance books out there, and while I continue to read new ones, I do think there is a lot of repeated information out there.

While every book has something new, the good ones will either A) dive deep on a particular aspect of personal finance (e.g., investing in index funds), or B) have a REALLY good framework that boils down to something like "spend less than you make and invest what's left over." If that isn't the general philosophy... stay away.

You can read personal finance books all day. Some will be good, some will be bad. The 9 I've profiled across these 3 posts are some of my favorite. I encourage you to read at least some - they can literally change your life!

- Matt

P.S. I'm a HUGE index fund guy, so I made a free index fund guide explaining them and laying out options to create an index fund portfolio at different brokers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc). Comment "guide" and I'll send you a link to get the PDF!

09/28/2026

09/27/2026

I might catch some flack for this, but I think the art of balling on a budget is being lost.

I’m not saying things aren’t expensive. Inflation has been nuts for a few years, wages haven’t fully caught up, and a lot of things aren’t as affordable as they were a few years ago.

I’m not talking about the that, I’m talking about the free / cheap things that are honestly some of the things that really make you happy.

Spending time with friends, playing music, being outside, reading a book, exercising etc. etc. are all still incredibly affordable. If you can learn to be happy with little-to-no money, you’ll be better off when you DO have money and can splurge a bit more. Get the nicer gym, buy the nicer bottle of w**e, get the more expensive coffee.

There are still a LOT of affordable things that can make you happy. Just takes a bit more effort to find them!

- Matt

09/27/2026

Social Security is such a big part of your life that you may not fully understand. Here are some aspects of the program that I often see people misrepresenting.

Send this to someone you care about!

- Matt

09/27/2026

Common question from you all: Should I do *insert some thing* or invest first? Here's a starting point for your answer!

I'm a HUGE fan of investing, but it doesn't mean it takes priority over everything else.

If you have high interest debt (I like to say 8%, but this could be a point of debate), you will likely get yourself ahead quicker paying that off than investing. If it's REALLY high (like credit card debt), it should absolutely be priority.

If you don't have ANY cash, you should save that before you invest. You shouldn't have 100% of your net worth invested - some cash is a safety buffer.

If you have any big purchases (e.g., a home you're saving up for), you also probably shouldn't invest. One market downturn and you're not buying that house if it's tied to the market.

Finally, if you don't know anything, you should learn a little bit. Don't let this one hold you back too much though - you can learn the basics (e.g., what is an index fund, what is a Roth IRA, etc.) pretty quickly. It's better to start imperfectly than not start at all.

This isn't one-size-fits-all, but it's a decent framework to start with if you're unsure about whether you should be investing!

- Matt

P.S. I'm a HUGE index fund guy, so I made a free index fund guide explaining them and laying out options to create an index fund portfolio at different brokers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc). Comment "guide" and I'll send you a link to get the PDF!

09/27/2026

Talk about these with your partner at dinner tonight!

- Matt

09/26/2026

If you want to level up your money knowledge, reading is the best way to do it!

There are a LOT of great books out there, but these are some good ones that you can get started with. While there are tons of books that will go into tactical aspects of finance, I tried to pick a few here that help with broader conceptual understanding or behavioral components of building wealth. While the specific actions are important, what's just as important is understanding why you're doing what you're doing and what the common mistakes people make along the way.

I could make a list of 100 books, but then you'll just save this and never read it again. These are all relatively manageable, and I'm not incentivized to get you to read these in any way other than the fact that I think they will teach you a lot.

If you read this far into the caption, you can read these books too. Go order them not and knock them out in the next couple weeks - you'll thank yourself when you're sipping mojitos on a beach in a few years with all the wealth knowledge you accumulate!

- Matt

P.S. I'm a HUGE index fund guy, so I made a free index fund guide explaining them and laying out options to create an index fund portfolio at different brokers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc). Comment "guide" and I'll send you a link to get the PDF!

09/26/2026

One thing that is hard to conceptualize is the compounding of debt. When you pay just a few hundred dollars extra towards principal each month, you're not just reducing principal, you're also reducing years and years of interest paid on that principal. That's why just a tiny bit extra towards your loan can shave off a LOT of time and hundreds of thousands in interest!

Paying a loan down early is just an investment with a guaranteed ROI in the form of interest savings. When your mortgage rate is 7%+, that is often a no-brainer. It may be less than the long term return of the market, but it has ZERO volatility.

If your mortgage rate is lower, you may not want to pay it down early. That's okay as well, but you should at least understand the trade off. You'll pay more interest, but you also have more cash to invest in other things (e.g., the stock market). The choice is yours.

Just one example of many, but don't underestimate the impact of extra payment!

- Matt

P.S. I'm a HUGE index fund guy, so I made a free index fund guide explaining them and laying out options to create an index fund portfolio at different brokers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc). Comment "guide" and I'll send you a link to get the PDF!

09/26/2026

You don’t HAVE to do anything, and that is the beauty of PERSONAL finances. The decisions are personal.

Even though you don’t have to do anything, you SHOULD be aware of the consequences of your decisions. I see it all the time on my posts that encourage investing for retirement - comments along the lines of “I don’t want to wait until I’m 60 to enjoy my money, I want to enjoy it NOW”, and you have full freedom to do that.

What you should also be aware of is that spending all your money now will lead to you working a job you may not like until your old age, while the people who did invest are sipping mojitos on the beach.

If you follow me, you probably know that I try my best to advocate for balance. I don’t think you should save every penny to retire ASAP, I think you should make a plan that works for you. In your plan, you need to balance 2 things, 1) funding and enjoying your life now, and 2) ensuring your finances are set up in a way to meet your future goals.

It’s dumb to put 100% of your focus on the “now” - that leads to people being incredibly regretful later in life. It’s also dumb to neglect the “now” - the future isn’t guaranteed and you should always prioritize being happy in the moment.

How much do you prioritize spending now versus saving for the future? That’s the decision YOU have to make. Just make sure you’re making it with all the information available!

- Matt