"The blogger whose letters to his daughter about money became a financial-independence classic built on index funds and simplicity."
JL Collins is an American investor and author best known for "The Simple Path to Wealth," a personal finance book that grew out of a series of letters he originally wrote to his daughter about money. Collins began writing his "Stock Series" on his blog jlcollinsnh.com after friends kept asking him for financial advice, distilling decades of his own investing experience into a philosophy centered on simplicity: living below your means, avoiding debt, and investing consistently in low-cost index funds rather than trying to beat the market. "The Simple Path to Wealth" became a favorite in the financial independence community for its plainspoken, jargon-free approach to building long-term wealth.
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
JL Collins's one-fund investing strategy: buy VTSAX, avoid debt, build F-you money, stay the course. The clearest guide to financial independence.
Read Summary →Collins treats consumer debt as one of the biggest threats to building wealth, arguing that living below your means is the true foundation of financial freedom.
Rather than trying to beat the market, Collins advocates simply owning it through low-cost total market index funds, which historically outperform most actively managed alternatives.
Collins describes a specific savings threshold that lets you walk away from any job, relationship, or situation that no longer serves you—true independence rather than just comfort.
"Debt is a demanding master, and it always calls the shots."— The Simple Path to Wealth
"The market will always recover, it is only a question of when. Only sell when you are ready and need the money."— The Simple Path to Wealth
"Simplicity is the master key to financial freedom."— The Simple Path to Wealth
JL Collins's one-fund investing strategy: buy VTSAX, avoid debt, build F-you money, stay the course. The clearest guide to financial independence.
