I just recently recovered a sizable sum (for a poor and ambitious 20-something-year-old).

I transferred 90% of it into a high-risk, high-growth, ETF at the recommendation of a customer service rep of an investment bank. It was either the stupidest decision I’ve ever done after a brief 15 min call, or the craziest positive financial decision I’ve made in my 20’s. Only time in the market will tell.

With a daily average of about $11 in my joint checking account with my wife and a lonely savings account hovering around $52 at a less than 0.01% interest rate, I am ready to admit that I know nothing about wealth. I’ve held on to excuses and prejudices about getting rich, but I am now ready to let go of them.

The crazy thing about the savings account is that the interest rate is not listed anywhere that is easily accessible online to the account holder (me), but I do know that it does not even come close to covering the natural inflation rate. So I’m losing money each day I keep funds in that 0.01% savings account. That is false advertising, a “Losings” account is where I’ve had my savings parked. I’ll close that tomorrow and put it into an investment account and give those funds a chance to see the light.

As 24 and poor, I believe that savings are a myth. Be conservative with your life when you are young, and you stifle the opportunity to grow exponentially. That idea is so engrained in the way I look at the world that it permeates my emotional, financial, creative, professional, and spiritual trains of thoughts.