From broke and confused to financially free.
I'm not a Wall Street banker or a finance professor. I'm someone who figured this out the hard way — and built a platform to make sure you don't have to.
At 22, I had a decent job, zero savings, and absolutely no idea what a 401(k) was. I was living paycheck to paycheck, not because I didn't earn enough, but because nobody ever taught me what to do with money.
I spent two years obsessively reading every personal finance book I could find, watching hours of financial content, and making plenty of expensive mistakes along the way. Slowly, things started to click.
By 28, I had maxed out my Roth IRA for three consecutive years, built a diversified ETF portfolio, and eliminated all consumer debt. By 32, my investment portfolio crossed seven figures — not through luck or a hot stock tip, but through consistency, patience, and a simple system that anyone can follow.
I started Money By Matt because I kept meeting people in the same position I was in at 22 — smart, hardworking, but completely lost when it came to money. This platform exists to give you the education I wish I'd had.
Four principles I never compromise on.
Keep it simple
The best investment strategy is one you can actually stick to. Three low-cost index funds beat a complicated portfolio of 40 stocks every time — because you'll actually hold them through the dips.
Time in the market beats timing the market
Compound interest is the most powerful force in personal finance. Starting early and staying consistent matters infinitely more than finding the perfect entry point.
Costs are the enemy of returns
Every dollar you pay in fees is a dollar that doesn't compound. I'm obsessed with low-cost investing because the math is undeniable — expense ratios matter enormously over decades.
Behavior is everything
The biggest threat to your portfolio isn't a market crash — it's your own emotional reaction to one. Financial education is really behavioral education in disguise.
Real experience. Real results.
- Self-directed investor since 2014
- Seven-figure portfolio built on index investing
- 10,000+ hours of financial research and reading
- 200+ educational videos published on YouTube
- 10,000+ newsletter subscribers
- Trusted by readers in 40+ countries
I'm not a licensed financial advisor. Everything on this site is for educational purposes only. Always do your own research and consult a professional before making investment decisions.
"To make high-quality financial education accessible to everyone — not just people who can afford a financial advisor or happened to grow up in a household that talked about money."
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