🧪 The VIP Retirement Income Lab

Harry Truman left the White House having made some of the biggest decisions of the 20th century—then went home to a normal house, a simple pension, and a life without yachts, book deals, or corporate board paychecks. No empire. No “brand.” Just enough. In this episode of History Lessons for the Modern Investor, we use Truman’s life after the presidency as a blueprint for everyday investors and ret...

In this episode of History Lessons for the Modern Investor, we use the Boston Tea Party as a mirror for modern personal finance: who really controls your money, who benefits from the “rules,” and how to stop quietly overpaying in taxes, fees, and bad structures. In this video, you’ll learn how to: ✅ Understand who’s actually in charge of your investments and retirement plan (and how to reclaim co...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. On December 10, 1972, a couple of paddle controllers and a bouncing pixel in a California tavern redefined fun—and set the stage for the video game revolution. But Pong’s real legacy isn’t just about nostalgia or high scores—it’s about smart strategy, discipline, and avoiding cl...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. On December 6, 1958, Pioneer 3 blasted off, carrying American hopes of reaching the Moon. The mission missed its mark, but brought back priceless scientific discoveries—and jumpstarted a new era of competitive innovation. In this episode of “History Lessons for the Modern Invest...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Download 10 Things About Patrick Here: https://mcusercontent.com/fe4f0956d7260ffa9535026f9/files/80826b59-0ed1-dace-9b9a-32592259397e/10_Things.01. What does one of America’s most daring expeditions teach us about investing—and thriving—when the map runs out? In this episode of...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Download 10 Things About Patrick Here: https://mcusercontent.com/fe4f0956d7260ffa9535026f9/files/80826b59-0ed1-dace-9b9a-32592259397e/10_Things.01.On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address—a 272-word masterclass in perspective and purpose. In this we...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Download 10 Things About Patrick Here On November 12, 1637, René Descartes shook up science, philosophy, and the entire practice of clear thinking with his Discourse on the Method. In this episode of “History Lessons for the Modern Investor,” we break down how Descartes’ strateg...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Download 10 Things About Patrick- CLICK HERE On November 8, 1895, Wilhelm Röntgen changed the world by revealing what had always been there but had never been seen before—the human skeleton, captured through the first X-ray. This week’s “History Lessons” uncovers how a single la...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Download 10 Things About Patrick HERE On October 27, 1960, Major League Baseball made history—announcing the American League’s first expansion teams and proving that yesterday’s traditions can’t protect you from tomorrow’s opportunities. This week’s “History Lessons” unpacks how...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get to know the host of the History Lessons for the Modern Investor Podcast. Download here: 10 Things About Patrick On October 25, 1956, Southdale Center opened its doors and changed more than just shopping—it reimagined how Americans lived, connected, and sought out new experie...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get to know the host of the History Lessons for the Modern Investor Podcast. Download here: 10 Things About Patrick In this week’s “History Lessons,” we go back to October 14, 1755, when Samuel Johnson—armed with nothing but intellect, wit, and a staggering work ethic—published...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. As Seen On: Investopedia Can You Retire Early on $750,000? The Real Answer is in the Details Retiring early with a $750,000 nest egg? For some, it can work—with careful planning, clear expectations, and a willingness to keep your spending within real-world limits. 🎯As I shared...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. On September 4, 1972, The Price Is Right Premiered on Daytime TV. American households tuned in to CBS for the first episode of The Price Is Right—a game show that would become a cornerstone of daytime television. Hosted by the endlessly affable Bob Barker, The Price Is Right was...

On August 31, 1908, The Model T Rolls Out—Driving Innovation Into the Mainstream On August 31, 1908, the world of transportation changed forever with the quiet debut of the first Ford Model T from Henry Ford’s Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. But that iconic black machine—the “Tin Lizzie”—was the result of years spent battling skepticism and defying conventional wisdom. Automobiles had been luxur...

On August 18, 1969, the Woodstock Festival’s wild finale concluded with music, mud, and mayhem. On that day, the last electrified notes of Jimi Hendrix’s feedback-soaked guitar drifted over a battered field in Bethel, New York, closing the curtain on what would become the most mythic festival in American cultural history: the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Conceived by four young promoters as a modes...

On August 13, 1908, the first modern Olympic marathon ended in dramatic fashion. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! This post is public so feel free to share it. The marathon at the London Olympics became one of the most famous (and chaotic) races in history. The race’s now-standard distance—26 miles, 385 yards—was set for the first time to allow the royal family a front-r...

On August 5, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for international traffic. After more than a decade of engineering feats, deadly setbacks, and diplomatic maneuvering, the canal created a waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans—a shortcut that slashed sea travel times by weeks and thousands of miles. Its first crossing—a U.S. cargo ship moving from New York to San Francisco—marked th...

On July 30, 1969, the New York Mets completed an improbable sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. The win sent the perennial losers into first place in the National League for the first time ever. Just a few years before, the Mets had been baseball’s cellar-dwellers—a team more famous for...

On June 26, 1949, the Berlin Airlift ended. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! This post is public so feel free to share it. The world watched as the nearly yearlong act of logistical daring and political resolve came to a close. In the wake of World War II, Berlin stood as a battered symbol: an island of democracy deep within Soviet-controlled East Germany, divided among...

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act—better known as the GI Bill of Rights. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! This post is public so feel free to share it. As World War II raged across Europe and the Pacific, the country faced a massive challenge: millions of American servicemen and women would soon return hom...

On June 15, 1215, the Magna Carta was sealed at Runnymede near the River Thames in the English county of Surrey. England’s King John affixed his seal to the Magna Carta—a document that would become the cornerstone of constitutional governance in the Western world. At the time, it was a response to a crisis: a group of rebellious barons, fed up with heavy taxes and arbitrary royal rule, forced the...

On June 6th, 1944, the Allied Invasion of Normandy began. Initial landings were met with fierce resistance and heavy losses, especially at Omaha Beach. Yet by day’s end, the Allies had established a crucial foothold, opening a new front that ultimately led to the liberation of Paris and the defeat of Nazi Germany. D-Day’s legacy is one of strategy, preparation, partnership, and the courage to act...

Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! This post is public so feel free to share it. In this episode, I’m joined by someone who knows a thing or two about navigating the unpredictable: Ian T. Brown. Commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, Ian earned his wings as a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter pilot, flying missions from the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan to the wid...

On May 24, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Though the ceremonial "Golden Spike" had been driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, just weeks before, it was in late May that the line’s final connections, public inaugurations, and unrestricted coast-to-coast service t...

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens Erupted. Thanks for reading History Lessons for the Modern Investor! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. A quiet morning in southwestern Washington was forever changed by the explosive eruption of Mount St. Helens—the deadliest and most costly volcanic event in U.S. history. After more than a century of dormancy, the mountain stirred to li...