It’s no secret that I have more than a few contrarian opinions, especially when it comes to finance and investing.
Last week, I had several independent and unrelated opportunities to share my “origin story.” Or my “red pill moment” as two different folks called it.
And while it’s more like a collection of moments instead of a single one, reflecting on some of those stories made me realize just how impactful they were, collectively, to forming the contrarian worldview that I have now.
I shared a couple of these stories last fall in a piece I wrote titled More Time Than Money. Here’s an excerpt:
So I found myself many pages deep in a Google search learning the difference between a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k), since Deloitte offered both.
This was when I came across a curious statement. It was something like "if you expect your income to be less in retirement than while you're working, go with the traditional option over the Roth." And that's when I asked myself the life-altering question:
"Why would I want to make less money when I’m retired?"
The whole idea sounded absurd to me. I assumed I was missing something or just didn't understand the intricacies of grown-up life. The prize for decades of hard work was cutting back on your lifestyle and pinching pennies?
I wanted no part of that.
Click the link above to read the whole thing.
Have you had a red pill moment (or collection of moments)? If so, I’d love to hear! Schedule a call and we can swap stories.