Hello!  Here is a little about me…

My name is Jimmy and I have the best job on the planet, being a State Trooper in the Midwest.  Sure there are drawbacks with any career but what career gives you a cool car, unlimited gas, and tells you to go drive fast?  Now that obviously is not the only reason I chose this profession but it is one of the many perks that come with it.  Other perks are a good pension, health insurance, and you guessed it; great investment vehicles to become financially independent for an enjoyable retirement!

When not wearing the most comfortable uniform and duty belt known to man (sarcasm), I am a wrestling coach, husband, and father of two amazing young girls.  I went to a very expensive private college.  I do not say private and expensive to be snooty… no this was my first investment mistake.  I invested in my education at top dollar.  Graduating a year early with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and $48,000 in student loans!

Lucky for me I was able to land a career within months of graduating.  I muddled along for a year with the weight of a huge student loan around my neck on a public servants salary.  Even luckier for me a teammate of  mine from college became a Certified Public Accountant and sat down with me to look over my taxes.  After explaining to him how this student loan business sucks, he looked at my W-2 and said “you could have this cleaned up in two years.”  HA!  No way the loan itself is for twenty two years!  Next he said you need to meet Dave Ramsey!  Twenty Five months later my wife and I were debt free, thanks to Dave’s plan!

Dave has said on his show a quote from Charlie “Tremendous” Jones “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”  After hearing this I decided to read about finances and investing.  I learned very quickly that I have a passion for investing and that I wish I had gone to school for finance!  After reading several books you will find listed on this website, I found the unbelievable common sense laid out by John C. Bogle (Jack Bogle) the founder of the Vanguard Group to be the most rewarding.  Bogle preaches the index fund industry and the undeniable advantages it gives common investors like you and me.

So in a nutshell:

Dave Ramsey helped me become debt free and learn how to live on a budget.

Jack Bogle opened my eyes to the index investing world and paying attention to fees.

From here I formulated my own plan and asset allocation.  I began talking with my family, friends, and coworkers about these concepts.  It was in those talks that I realized there is a void in understanding exactly where your hard earned money is going and how some financial advisers were taking advantage of that void.  Feel free to read my first blog post ever which lays out why I created this website! “It’s all Greek to me!”

I hope you find this website and content informative and enjoyable!  You will learn the tools and weapons to make good investing decisions and how to avoid serious mistakes.

“Investing is not nearly as difficult as it looks.  Successful investing involves doing a few things right and avoiding serious mistakes.” John C. Bogle