Author Archives: The Escape Artist
It’s as simple to invest your own portfolio as it is to run an online bank account
I have NEVER met anyone who said that they were incapable of running their own online bank account. I never met anyone unable to to deposit some money, pay a utility bill and make a withdrawal from an online bank account. This is good news because it’s as simple to invest your own portfolio as […]
The purpose of money is to get you the lifestyle that you want
The purpose of money is to get you the lifestyle that you want and improve your quality of life. If you get rich but never use your money for this purpose, it’s like saving your fire extinguisher when your house is burning down…it’s just hoarding. Lifestyle includes where you live, who you spend time with […]
The Aggregation of Marginal Gains
First published 2015, updated in 2023 If you grew up in Britain in the 80s, you’d know that back then cycling was about as popular as leprosy. Cycling was for kids, the French and people that couldn’t afford a car. Back then, the idea of a British team winning the Tour de France or dominating Olympic cycling seemed […]
Financial guidance done properly
Before I started financial coaching, I asked myself the following question: “What would financial guidance look like if it were done well?“ What if we could give guidance that reflected the true importance of saving, minimalism (avoiding consumerism), compounding and low investment fees? What if we didn’t have to sell / recommend / push products […]
Get Rich…Holistically
If you’re gonna build wealth, a lot of things will need to go right. There are four pillars to achieving financial freedom: If we want to build wealth AND be happy, we must master each of these 4 pillars. Everyone has a favourite…but this can be a problem if we overlook the other pillars. Earn […]
Geographic arbitrage and the beauty of having a Plan B
I once helped cure the financial anxiety of a French fund manager. He was stressed out by his job (he was worried – with some justification – that the robots were coming for him) and his London lifestyle. Perhaps you too would like to feel less anxious (and get better with money)? If so, please continue and I […]
Get Rich Slowly, Get Started Quickly
Getting rich slowly is the safest way. Getting rich slowly is the most reliable way. It may be the only way. Waiting to win the lottery is waiting to be chosen by a universe that’s indifferent to our existence. Day trading and other forms of gambling only makes the banks, bookies and brokers rich. Working at […]
The more runway you have, the safer you are
My Dad once learned how to fly a microlight, a flying contraption that looks like a bit like a hang glider attached to a lawnmower. It’s probably not the safest hobby you could choose. He learned to fly this thing at a rustic airstrip which, by all accounts, was just a grass field with a hedge […]
What if never working again was just The Hook?
I think of quitting work and never working again as “The Hook” of financial independence. It’s the thing that first captures people’s attention. How do we know this? Well, it’s always the thing that the mainstream media focus on when they feature financial independence. The Media know they have to lead with something that catches people’s […]
The Ten Commandments of Index Investing
Much of life is too complicated to be boiled down to just a few simple rules to follow. But it is possible to make investing clearer and simpler than the media and financial services industry have. So listen up heathens…here are the 10 commandments of simple low-cost equity investing. 1. Know thy purpose Money is […]
The Escape Artist 