Buy The Haystack
Personal finance without the BS.
Free financial education from someone who spent 15+ years inside the investment business. No firm. No AUM. Nothing to sell you.
"Most people are paying for financial complexity they don't need. We're here to help you understand what you actually need — and how to get it without overpaying."
The problem we solve
Personal finance feels complicated. It isn't.
The financial industry profits from complexity. The more complicated investing appears, the more people feel they need expensive professional help.
The reality is that for the vast majority of people, a simple low-cost investing strategy will outperform most professionally managed portfolios — and cost a fraction of the price. 97.8% of active large-cap growth managers underperformed their benchmark over 15 years.
Buy The Haystack exists to change that. Free financial education, grounded in data, from someone who spent 15+ years inside the industry.
Who we help
Three types of investor. One mission.
Not everyone needs the same solution. Here's how we think about the people we serve:
Type 1
The true DIYer
Long time horizon. Simple situation. Wants full control and the lowest possible cost.
Right pathVanguard, Fidelity, or Schwab. Buy VOO. Automate. Done.
Type 2
The guided DIYer
Wants simplicity but values a little automation and peace of mind.
Right pathRobo-advisors like Betterment or Wealthfront. Low cost, automated.
Type 3
The advisor-appropriate investor
Genuinely complex situation — estate planning, business sale, major tax events.
Right pathFee-only, fiduciary advisor. Flat fee for work done. Not 1% AUM.
The mistake most people make is assuming they're a Type 3 when they're actually a Type 1 or 2. The financial industry has a structural incentive to make you feel that way. We don't.
Our approach
What we are — and what we aren't.
We are not
"All advisors are bad" — that's not true or useful
Anti-industry for the sake of it
Selling a course, a fund, or a portfolio
Giving personalized financial advice
We are
A financial literacy and navigation resource
Data-driven — every claim is sourced
Independent — no firm, no AUM, nothing to sell
A quarterback pointing you toward the right path
How we educate
Four content pillars.
1
Critique
Exposing the structural problems in the financial industry — not the people, but the incentives. Fee structures, fund selection conflicts, the gap between what advisors claim and what the data shows.
2
Education
Making complex concepts simple. What is an index fund? How does compounding work? When do bonds make sense? No jargon, no complexity theater.
3
Action
Telling you exactly what to do. Not vague advice — specific step-by-step guidance for common situations. The young investor. The 401k picker. The person starting from scratch.
4
Navigation
Helping you figure out which path is right for your situation. DIY or robo-advisor? Index funds or advisor? The answer depends on your circumstances — we help you work it out.
My background
15+ years inside the investment business.
15+
years in the investment business
3.5 years — investment banking
6.5 years — asset management
5 years — professional futures trader
What I did in asset management
Portfolio specialist working directly with financial advisors and their clients — inside the conversations most investors never see. I know how funds get selected, how portfolios get built, and how the fee conversation actually goes behind closed doors.
Now I'm on the outside. No firm. No AUM. Nothing to sell you. Just sharing what 15 years inside this industry taught me — for free.
Our promise
What you can always expect here.
Every claim is backed by data from institutional sources — SPIVA, Morningstar, JP Morgan, Vanguard, the SEC. We cite everything.
We acknowledge nuance. Some advisors genuinely add value. Some situations genuinely require professional help. We'll tell you when — because our credibility depends on being honest, not one-sided.
We make money through affiliate relationships with platforms we genuinely recommend. You'll always know when something is affiliated. It will never change what we tell you.
Follow along
New content every week.
Data-driven personal finance education on Instagram, TikTok, and X — no BS, no advisor fees, just the data.