Investing

Investing might sound scary or intimidating, but really it’s about one simple idea:

How to make your money work for you.

You earned it once, now how can you multiply it in a way that aligns with your risk tolerance?

It’s weird, but I sit on both ends of the spectrum on this, at once having made big bets on my own business and experimenting with “alternative” investment platforms, and on the other hand being paralyzed into sitting on the sidelines by fear the market might go down.

In this section of the site, you’ll find information on real estate investing, trading stocks, and even buying businesses.

Before You Get Started

Know your net worth.

Your net worth is the sum of all your assets (cash, savings, mutual funds, equity in your home, etc.) minus your liabilities (student loans, credit card debt, mortgages, etc.).

One tool I like to help calculate your net worth is Personal Capital. It’s free!

Know your objective.

What’s the goal of your investment? A goal of accumulating wealth to retire in 30 years is very different than a goal of earning $1000 a month in passive cash flow.

Get tailored recommendations.

If you’re evaluating all your different investment options, it can be a little overwhelming. This cool quiz from my friends at Money Made can help narrow down your choices and point you in the right* direction.

Discover investing opportunities on MoneyMade.io

*Nothing on this site should be considered financial advice.

Rental Arbitrage: $200k in Profit Without Owning Any Property

January 14, 2021September 2, 2020

Rental arbitrage gives you a way to make money with Airbnb — without owning any property.

Traditionally, building a real estate side hustle takes big bucks for down payments, closing costs, and renovation projects.

But enterprising short-term rental “moguls” are questioning if owning the property is even necessary. These rental arbitrage entrepreneurs sign long-term leases, and then turn around and sub-let the property on a short-term basis — profiting on the spread.

My Alternative Investing Performance Update

November 16, 2021August 30, 2020

Here’s my annual review of my “non-traditional” investments, including peer-to-peer lending, real estate crowdfunding, business lending, and even cryptocurrency.

And of course this is just a snapshot into my experience, not investing advice or a solicitation to invest.

Let’s dive in and see what happened.

387: Retiring Early with Real Estate: $15k a Month in Passive Cash Flow

October 20, 2021May 14, 2020

The passive income dream is real for Dustin Heiner of MasterPassiveIncome.com, he’s currently making $15k a month with around 30 minutes time investment on his part.

Dustin has achieved this by following a systematic approach to buying and letting out properties.

He started with his first property back in 2006. Within 6 years he had 19 properties, and within 9 years he had 26 properties and had retired from his day job at the age of 37.

Trading Stocks: Can You Really Make $1000 a Day From Home?

August 16, 2021April 30, 2020

Is trading stocks a legit way to make money from home? Or is it just another get-rich-quick-scheme?

Admittedly, I’ve always kind of looked at stock trading as a glorified form of gambling. And to be sure, there are risks involved.

In this episode, Teri Ijeoma does a good job of convincing me there really is an art and a science to it — and that it is a winnable game.

Selling Tradelines: The $1000 an Hour Side Hustle?

November 16, 2021February 10, 2020

Could selling tradelines be a new income stream for you?

I’d heard whispers of this lucrative, relatively low time-investment side hustle, but never met anyone actually doing it.

That is, until I ran into Paul at FinCon. He said he started out skeptical, but had turned it into a $1000 a month income stream with very little work.

358: House Hacking 101: Live Free and Turn Your Biggest Expense into a Profit Center

September 2, 2020October 24, 2019

What if you could make your rent or mortgage payment go away?

Or, what if instead of paying that expense every month, your living situation actually paid you?

It’s not as far-fetched as it may sound.

In fact, that’s exactly what today’s guest, Craig Curelop, has done by intentionally “house hacking” over the past few years.

350: Is Real Estate Your Next Income Stream? Rental Property Q & A

September 2, 2020August 29, 2019

Buy a house.

Rent it out.

Tenants pay it off for you.

It’s possibly one of the oldest side hustles in the books, right?

Done right, owning rental properties can be an attractive long-term income and wealth-building strategy. But done wrong, it can be a recipe for headaches and a mountain of debt.

Options Trading 101: 8 Rules for Success for Total Newbies

April 30, 2020July 4, 2019

In this episode, we’re tackling a topic that’s been frequently requested by listeners, but is somewhat foreign to me, and that is options trading.

To help school me on this, I’m excited to welcome my friend Kirk DuPlessis to the show. Kirk runs the super popular site OptionAlpha.com, where you can get all sorts of free options trading training. He’s been at this for over 10 years and the site has over 150,000 members.

Options trading is a high probability form of investing, but as with all investments it’s based on risk. Risk, that Kirk is able to leverage with his in-depth understanding of the market — and by following a few key rules he’s sharing with us today.

330: Land Flipping Revisited: From Zero to $10,000 a Month on the Side

February 27, 2021April 11, 2019

Roberto Chavez started his raw land flipping side hustle a little over a year ago, and with persistence, has already built it into 5-figures of monthly revenue.

This is a business model that was first introduced to me by Mark Podolsky, from TheLandGeek.com, in episode 108 of The Side Hustle Show.

He called it “the best passive income model” because it avoids “the 3 T’s” of traditional real estate investing: tenants, toilets, and termites.

5 of the Most Popular Side Hustles — And What to Do Instead

April 22, 2020February 4, 2019

As side hustles become more popular — and perhaps necessary — let’s take a look at some of the common options … and what you might consider doing instead.

Usually Hustling, Occasionally Social