Financial Literacy is a Scam (And How to Actually Get Rich)
By Derek — Money isn't complicated. People just make it complicated. ·
The Problem with 'Financial Literacy'
Look, I’m going to be blunt. If I hear one more person tell me we need a ‘national curriculum on financial literacy,’ I’m going to lose it.
We don’t need more pamphlets on the difference between a Roth and a Traditional IRA. We don’t need more ‘Money 101’ courses that bore you to tears with jargon about compound interest. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already Googled ‘how to invest’ or ‘how to budget.’ You know the theory. The problem isn’t that you’re illiterate; the problem is that you’re paralyzed by the noise.
Money isn’t complicated. People just make it complicated. The finance industry thrives on making you feel like you need an advanced degree to manage your own paycheck. They want you to think it’s a dark art so you’ll hand over your capital to someone who charges a 1.5% fee to underperform the S&P 500.
I spent five years at Goldman. I’ve seen the backrooms. I’ve seen how they dress up basic arithmetic in $5,000 suits to make it look like rocket science. It’s not. It’s discipline, it’s systems, and it’s about cutting the noise.
Stop Tracking Your Lattes
Every personal finance guru tells you to stop buying lattes. If your financial freedom hinges on a $7 coffee, you have a revenue problem, not an expense problem.
Stop obsessing over the micro-transactions. When I coach founders, the first thing I tell them is: ignore the pennies, master the dollars. If you spend three hours a week tracking every single transaction in an app, you’re losing money. You’re trading your most valuable asset—your time—for the illusion of control.
Instead, focus on your ‘Big Three’: Housing, Transportation, and Taxes. If you get those three right, you can drink all the oat milk lattes you want. If you get those wrong, you’re never going to save your way to wealth. It’s math, not morality.
The ‘F1’ Strategy: Speed and Precision
I’m an F1 fanatic. I watch every race, every qualifying round. You learn a lot about wealth from watching how these teams operate. It’s not about driving as fast as you can at every turn; it’s about the pit stop.
In finance, your ‘pit stop’ is your automated system.
Most people treat their money like they’re driving in traffic—constant braking, accelerating, panicking when the market dips. That’s how you crash. You need to automate your ‘race pace.’ Set up your direct deposits so your investments happen before you even see the money in your checking account. If you don’t see it, you don’t spend it. That’s not ‘literacy,’ that’s ‘system design.’
Why ‘Diversification’ is a Lie (If You’re Broke)
I’m going to get some heat for this, but here it is: Diversification is for people who have already made their money.
If you have $5,000 to your name, putting $500 into ten different ETFs isn’t going to make you rich. It’s just going to ensure you stay exactly where you are. When you’re in the building phase, you need concentration. You need to invest in your skills, your business, or a concentrated portfolio that actually has the potential to move the needle.
‘Safe’ is a relative term. When you’re young, the most dangerous thing you can do is be too conservative. You need to take calculated risks. If you’re terrified of a 10% market correction, you aren’t ready for the game.
Audit Your Inputs
We’re in late 2026. The world is moving faster than ever. If your financial strategy is still based on advice from 1995, you’re already behind.
Stop following ‘finance influencers’ who live in rented mansions and lease Ferraris to look the part. If they’re showing you their car, they aren’t showing you their balance sheet. Audit who you listen to. Are they actually building wealth, or are they selling you a course on how to build wealth? There’s a massive difference.
Here’s your action plan for the next 30 days:
1. Kill the subscriptions: Check your bank statement. If you haven’t used it in 30 days, cancel it. No excuses. 2. Automate the 20%: If you aren’t investing at least 20% of your gross income, you’re failing the long game. Automate it. Today. 3. Increase your output: Spend the time you were using to track your budget on figuring out how to increase your income by 10%. A side hustle, a promotion, a pivot. Income growth is the ultimate wealth hack.
Keep it Simple
Wealth is just the byproduct of a life lived with intention. Don’t let the industry complicate it. Keep your overhead low, your systems automated, and your focus on the big wins.
I’m curious—what’s the one ‘financial rule’ you’ve been following that you’re finally ready to break? Hit reply or drop me a note. Let’s talk about how to stop playing by their rules and start playing by yours.
Stay sharp,
Derek