#62 - Psychology of Money

^{Your home base for investing, finance, personal growth.}

Top 5 Psychology of Money Lessons

This past month I read the book The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel. In a world where news cycles race, social media flaunts, and FOMO drives financial anxiety, Housel’s timeless lessons remind us: wealth is more about how you think than what you know.

This week, I want to break down 5 of his most powerful insights that I took away from the book reimagined for today’s reality. In the noise of opinions and algorithms, clarity comes from understanding your own values. True financial strength lies not in reacting to trends, but in mastering your behavior.

1. Wealth is what you don’t see

• Social media amplifies spending, not saving. The Rolex or Tesla is easy to show off; a 6-figure investment portfolio is invisible.

• Wealth is accumulated restraint… a quiet, disciplined act repeated over time.

• Financial freedom lives in the background: in the the upgrades postponed and the status game resisted.

• This is a core theme that challenges today’s visibility-obsessed culture.

2. Doing well with money has more to do with behavior than intelligence

• Most financial mistakes aren’t about knowledge, they’re about emotions: fear, greed, impatience.

• You don’t need a finance degree to build wealth, you need consistency, self-awareness, and time.

• In an age of infinite information (and misinformation), emotional discipline is more powerful than complex data.

• Behavior is automatic; building the right habits (saving, delaying gratification, avoiding lifestyle creep) is everything.

3. Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds naïve.

• Negativity gets clicks. We have catastrophe trends. But markets and societies tend to progress over time.

• Believing in the long game requires courage in the face of constant short-term noise.

• Being optimistic isn’t about blind hope, it’s about informed trust in resilience, innovation, and human adaptation.

• In finance, optimism is the seed of compounding; pessimism is the pause button.

4. Reasonable is more sustainable than rational

• A plan that looks perfect on paper but causes stress in real life is destined to fail.

• You don't need to max out every tax-advantaged account or optimize every cent, just stay consistent.

• The best financial plan is one you can live with year after year, through bull and bear markets, good days and bad moods.

• In a culture obsessed with perfection, choosing “good enough” is often the most sustainable move.

5. The highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up and say, “I can do whatever I want today”

• Real wealth isn’t found in things, it’s in control over your time.

• The modern world glorifies hustle, yet the real flex is freedom: to walk away, take a break, or do nothing at all.

• Time wealth means you’re not owned by your job, your bills, or someone else’s approval.

• Money is just a tool, its greatest purpose is to buy back your life.

In a time when headlines shout and timelines spin, The Psychology of Money offers something rare: quiet wisdom. Housel doesn’t promise quick riches or perfect portfolios. He invites us to reflect on our relationship with money, with time, and with control. The real challenge isn’t understanding compound interest or picking stocks. It’s resisting the pressure to perform, to compare, and to constantly optimize.

True wealth isn't just financial it's emotional resilience, patience, and the freedom to live life on your own terms. In the end, how you behave matters more than what you know and that behavior begins with mindset. At the end of the day you’re not just investing in your future. You’re investing in your mindset every day.

Get access to the most exclusive offers for private market investors

Looking to invest in real estate, private credit, pre-IPO venture or crypto? AIR Insiders get exclusive offers and perks from leading private market investing tools and platforms, like:

• Up to $250 free from Percent

• 50% off tax and retirement planning from Carry

• $50 of free stock from Public

• A free subscription to Worth Magazine

• $1000 off an annual subscription to DealSheet

• and offers from CapitalPad, Groundfloor, Fundrise, Mogul, and more.

Just sign up for our 2-week free trial to experience all the benefits of being an AIR Insider.

Sign Up For Free

Market & Freedom Fund Recap

This week, the S&P 500 slipped about 0.4% as investors weighed the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, which included missile exchanges and fears of broader U.S. involvement. Bitcoin traded flat around $104,500, reflecting a general risk-off tone amid geopolitical uncertainty. Markets were closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth, one of nine U.S. federal holidays when trading sessions pause each year. Overall, markets held steady but cautious, with global tensions and the midweek holiday shaping a muted and watchful environment.

Today, I have two open buy orders set to execute at the bell, one to add to my position in Apple Hospitality REIT $APLE ( ▲ 0.52% ) and the other to accumulate more shares of SoFi Technologies $SOFI ( ▲ 6.45% ). These are two positions I’m gaining more confidence in as long-term plays heading into 2026.

$APLE ( ▲ 0.52% ) offers a compelling opportunity in the real estate and hospitality space, supported by strong occupancy trends and a consistent dividend yield that makes it attractive in a high-rate environment.

On the other hand, $SOFI ( ▲ 6.45% ) continues to strengthen its position as a modern financial powerhouse, now six quarters profitable on a GAAP basis. With continued customer adoption across its lending, banking, and technology platforms. This isn’t just about riding short-term waves; it’s about leaning into businesses that are already executing and have clear paths to scale even further.

Freedom Fund Background: I launched the Freedom Fund in October 2022 as a public brokerage account to show that anyone—with just a bank account and Social Security number—can start investing, even with a couple hundred dollars a week. I started from $0 to make the journey real and relatable. Each week, I share transparent updates on purchases, sales, dividends, and growth on X (@GrahamSchroeder) so you can follow along in real time. The hardest part of investing is getting started—so I did, publicly, to help others do the same.