Mainly I was lucky. My parents both invested individually, and shared their investment approaches with me. My mother's style was to "buy and hold" individual stocks and mutual funds, and I followed her lead. In my 20's I was barely getting by, but started investing in an IRA. In my early 30's I got my first job with benefits, and that included access to a 401K, and I increased my investments. I know so many people who didn't have the exposure to investing I had, or didn't have the extra income beyond their monthly expenses to invest. I know I am lucky. I would prefer to live in a society where my taxes support a true social safety net that protects all of us, for both altruistic and selfish reasons. On the selfish end- my dad told me when I was very young that it was better to live in a society where everyone has enough, because when people are poor and desperate no one is truly safe. I know this is true from personal experience.
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Mainly I was lucky. My parents both invested individually, and shared their investment approaches with me. My mother's style was to "buy and hold" individual stocks and mutual funds, and I followed her lead. In my 20's I was barely getting by, but started investing in an IRA. In my early 30's I got my first job with benefits, and that included access to a 401K, and I increased my investments. I know so many people who didn't have the exposure to investing I had, or didn't have the extra income beyond their monthly expenses to invest. I know I am lucky. I would prefer to live in a society where my taxes support a true social safety net that protects all of us, for both altruistic and selfish reasons. On the selfish end- my dad told me when I was very young that it was better to live in a society where everyone has enough, because when people are poor and desperate no one is truly safe. I know this is true from personal experience.
Post: How did you avoid being in the 39%?
Link to comment from March 5, 2026