Ep 20 - JL Collins - The Simple Path to F-You Money (And Why You Need to Ask Your Boss for a Paid Leave Today)

Today’s guest is someone whose work has quietly and profoundly shaped how a generation thinks about money. JL Collins is the author of The Simple Path to Wealth, a personal finance classic that has empowered hundreds of thousands to think differently about investing, independence, and freedom.In this conversation, JL and I explore the real meaning behind financial independence — not retiring early, but reclaiming your ability to say no. We go back to the moments that shaped his life philosophy: the bold four-month leave he took just two years into his first job, the decision to convince his wife to leave her job while he wasn’t earning a paycheck, and the early desire to build what he calls FU money — not to quit work, but to buy back control.We revisit Black Monday in 1987 and how that shaped JL’s views on market volatility, risk, and emotional discipline. He shares how a humbling mistake helped hardwire the importance of staying the course, and how index investing eventually became the core of his life’s message: simplify.We also talk about the new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth, what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how his daughter went from being the reluctant listener to co-pilot on the updated edition.This is a conversation about money, yes — but more than that, it’s about living deliberately. JL reminds us that wealth isn’t about what we can afford — it’s about what we no longer have to worry about.You’ll hear about:How JL built his investing philosophy through trial and errorWhy VTSAX and chill remains his core guidanceWhat it means to live in a world where, eventually, everything is "free"Why simplicity is a radical act in a noisy, complex worldAnd why, if you get the money stuff right early, you can spend the rest of your life not thinking about it at all.

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