Rashad Bilal

You said something important. The title sophisticated investor really doesn't have a monetary amount attached to it anymore. You could have $10,000 and be a sophisticated investor because you have the education.

Whereas in the past, a sophisticated investor was somebody that had over 250,000 in their brokerage because they had the capital and people giving them information, then they were making better decisions. But now with the wealth of resources, obviously shows and books, people can make their own decisions and become sophisticated with the amount of money that they had and can grow portfolios.

Whereas in the past, a sophisticated investor was somebody that had over 250,000 in their brokerage because they had the capital and people giving them information, then they were making better decisions. But now with the wealth of resources, obviously shows and books, people can make their own decisions and become sophisticated with the amount of money that they had and can grow portfolios.

Whereas in the past, a sophisticated investor was somebody that had over 250,000 in their brokerage because they had the capital and people giving them information, then they were making better decisions. But now with the wealth of resources, obviously shows and books, people can make their own decisions and become sophisticated with the amount of money that they had and can grow portfolios.

Yeah, it's interesting. I still live in the neighborhood where that house is, which is pretty interesting. So when we were writing the book, I drove past it just as a moment to see how far we've come. But yeah, my parents from Jamaica, they moved to the Bronx, and we were living in the South Bronx in the 80s. And they bought a house in Greenburg, New York.

Yeah, it's interesting. I still live in the neighborhood where that house is, which is pretty interesting. So when we were writing the book, I drove past it just as a moment to see how far we've come. But yeah, my parents from Jamaica, they moved to the Bronx, and we were living in the South Bronx in the 80s. And they bought a house in Greenburg, New York.

Yeah, it's interesting. I still live in the neighborhood where that house is, which is pretty interesting. So when we were writing the book, I drove past it just as a moment to see how far we've come. But yeah, my parents from Jamaica, they moved to the Bronx, and we were living in the South Bronx in the 80s. And they bought a house in Greenburg, New York.

And at the time, I remember them trying to get as much money as they could for the down payment, borrowing money from family members. And we finally got the house, and it was great. It felt like, yeah, we're moving on up. And within three short years, everything turned around. We lost the house and ended up moving twice and ended up in somebody's basement, one of my dad's friends, his basement.

And at the time, I remember them trying to get as much money as they could for the down payment, borrowing money from family members. And we finally got the house, and it was great. It felt like, yeah, we're moving on up. And within three short years, everything turned around. We lost the house and ended up moving twice and ended up in somebody's basement, one of my dad's friends, his basement.

And at the time, I remember them trying to get as much money as they could for the down payment, borrowing money from family members. And we finally got the house, and it was great. It felt like, yeah, we're moving on up. And within three short years, everything turned around. We lost the house and ended up moving twice and ended up in somebody's basement, one of my dad's friends, his basement.

And it was humbling, the embarrassment of it. You have a house in the neighborhood and everybody's looking at you like, yo, you guys, you're doing well. And then you're in somebody's basements, roach infested, rat infested, and you're just like, how did this happen? As time goes on, you realize that the financial education wasn't there. What happened to them was,

And it was humbling, the embarrassment of it. You have a house in the neighborhood and everybody's looking at you like, yo, you guys, you're doing well. And then you're in somebody's basements, roach infested, rat infested, and you're just like, how did this happen? As time goes on, you realize that the financial education wasn't there. What happened to them was,

And it was humbling, the embarrassment of it. You have a house in the neighborhood and everybody's looking at you like, yo, you guys, you're doing well. And then you're in somebody's basements, roach infested, rat infested, and you're just like, how did this happen? As time goes on, you realize that the financial education wasn't there. What happened to them was,

They signed an adjustable rate mortgage in 1988, and they didn't know what a fixed rate mortgage was. And so when they could afford it in 1988, it was great. But by 1990, 91, that interest rate almost doubled. And so now it wasn't something that they could afford anymore. And it was moving on down. But what it did do is it showed me what coming together looks like.

They signed an adjustable rate mortgage in 1988, and they didn't know what a fixed rate mortgage was. And so when they could afford it in 1988, it was great. But by 1990, 91, that interest rate almost doubled. And so now it wasn't something that they could afford anymore. And it was moving on down. But what it did do is it showed me what coming together looks like.

They signed an adjustable rate mortgage in 1988, and they didn't know what a fixed rate mortgage was. And so when they could afford it in 1988, it was great. But by 1990, 91, that interest rate almost doubled. And so now it wasn't something that they could afford anymore. And it was moving on down. But what it did do is it showed me what coming together looks like.

Because even in the midst of that, we never felt like we didn't have. I grew tight relationships with my parents. I grew tight relationships with my brother because we were experiencing that in the same time. And so financial discipline became the thing.

Because even in the midst of that, we never felt like we didn't have. I grew tight relationships with my parents. I grew tight relationships with my brother because we were experiencing that in the same time. And so financial discipline became the thing.

Because even in the midst of that, we never felt like we didn't have. I grew tight relationships with my parents. I grew tight relationships with my brother because we were experiencing that in the same time. And so financial discipline became the thing.

I was going to school in Westchester but living in the Bronx and getting bus money and trying to figure out how am I gonna have the bus money and lunch money. to get home every day. And these are the things I'm thinking about, like, how am I gonna do this? I didn't have a TV at the time. I remember I used to just listen to the radio and read the newspaper.