Registered Investment Adviser (RIA)

Our Core Philosophy

Setright’s 8 Investment Principles

Evidence-based guidance designed for real life. No sales pressure, no proprietary products, and no confusing financial talk—just timeless rules that put your best interest first.

A fiduciary, legally required to act in your best interest at all times · Grounded in Nobel Prize–winning economic evidence · 100% transparent

Section 01Why starting early matters: inflation, compounding and the cost of waiting

Start early and let time do the heavy lifting

When you invest early, your earnings begin making their own earnings year after year. Even modest amounts put away in your twenties or thirties build far more long-term wealth than trying to play catch-up later with huge sums. Waiting just a few years dramatically raises how much cash you must save out of pocket.

Real-World Example

Maya starts putting aside $150 every month at age 23. By retirement, her savings have grown more than four times larger than Jordan’s, who waited until age 35 and tried to save $350 every single month.

Plain-English Translations

Compounding

When the money your investments earn starts earning money of its own, snowballing into greater growth over time.

Inflation

The steady rise in living costs over time, which quietly shrinks what cash sitting in a checking drawer can purchase.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

Why Starting Small Still Counts

Fifty dollars a month feels small, but time does the heavy lifting. Here is why starting with whatever you have today changes everything.

Guide4 min read

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe

Keeping all your money in cash feels safe from day to day, but over twenty or thirty years inflation quietly takes a bite out of what it can buy.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Investing Basics2 min read

Why Broad Market Indexing Wins

Over 90% of actively managed equity funds fail to beat simple, low-cost total market index funds over a 10-to-15 year period.

Broad market index funds hold thousands of publicly traded companies, giving you instant total-market diversification.
You capture the returns of human productivity without trying to pick individual winning stocks or time market swings.
Minimal portfolio turnover sharply reduces hidden transaction costs and taxable capital gains distributions.

Section 02The accounts: Roth, Traditional, HSA, taxable brokerage and the order to fill them

Fill accounts in the right order to protect your money from taxes

Not all savings accounts are treated equally by tax law. By following a smart sequence—stashing an emergency reserve first, tapping tax-sheltered accounts next, and only then using standard accounts—you legally shield your hard-earned gains and let your balance grow without unnecessary friction.

Real-World Example

Before opening a regular trading account, Taylor first builds a 3-month cash reserve for peace of mind, and deposits savings into tax-favored accounts where every dollar of future growth can be withdrawn tax-free.

Plain-English Translations

Roth account

An account where you put in money after taxes, allowing all future gains and retirement withdrawals to be 100% tax-free.

Traditional account

An account funded with pre-tax dollars to lower your taxable income today, paying ordinary income tax only upon withdrawal.

Brokerage account

A standard, flexible investment account that lets you buy funds and shares without annual deposit caps or withdrawal penalties.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

The Free Money Too Many People Leave Behind

When your job offers to match what you put away for later, taking it is the closest thing to an instant raise you will ever see. Here is how it works.

Guide5 min read

Two Savings Accounts, One Big Difference in What You Earn

A traditional savings account and a high-yield savings account do the same job with the same protection. Only one of them pays you properly for it.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Tax-Advantaged Accounts3 min read

Traditional vs. Roth IRA

Traditional accounts give you a tax deduction today; Roth accounts give you completely tax-free compounding and withdrawals in retirement.

Traditional IRA: Pre-tax contributions lower your current taxable income; withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income.
Roth IRA: Funded with after-tax income; all investment growth and qualified withdrawals in retirement are 100% tax-free.
Annual contribution limits ($7,000 in 2024/2026, or $8,000 if 50+) apply across all your IRAs combined.
Roth contributions (the principal you put in) can be withdrawn anytime without taxes or penalties.

Financial Strategy3 min read

The Financial Waterfall: Prioritizing Your Next Dollar

Follow a disciplined hierarchy for every surplus dollar to build generational wealth systematically without second-guessing.

Step 1: Build a 1-month starter cash buffer for immediate resilience.
Step 2: Capture 100% of any workplace employer retirement match.
Step 3: Aggressively eliminate high-interest toxic debt (credit cards > 8-10% APR).
Step 4: Fully fund tax-advantaged accounts (Roth IRA and HSA).
Step 5: Direct remaining savings into low-cost index investing and expanded 401(k) contributions.

Section 03Workplace plans and IRAs: reading a match, vesting, and choosing a brokerage

Always claim your workplace match before doing anything else

Many companies offer matching dollars when you save through payroll. Passing up that match means turning down guaranteed extra salary. Once you have secured your full match, individual retirement plans give you the freedom to choose low-cost providers with zero sales commissions.

Real-World Example

Alex earns $55,000 and works at a firm that matches 50 cents on the dollar up to 6%. By saving $275 a month, Alex immediately receives $137.50 of free money from the employer each month—an instant 50% return.

Plain-English Translations

401(k) plan

A retirement savings plan offered by your employer that allows money to be saved straight from your paycheck before you can spend it.

Employer match

Free money your company deposits into your retirement account to match a portion of what you save yourself.

Vesting

The timeline of service required before employer-matched money becomes permanently yours to keep.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

The Free Money Too Many People Leave Behind

When your job offers to match what you put away for later, taking it is the closest thing to an instant raise you will ever see. Here is how it works.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Retirement Plans2 min read

Workplace 401(k) Employer Match

Capturing your company's retirement match delivers an instant, guaranteed 50% to 100% return on your investment.

If an employer matches 50% up to 6% of salary, contributing 6% earns an instant, risk-free 50% return before any market gain.
Failing to contribute enough to reach the full match is turning down part of your earned salary.
Automatic payroll deduction routes savings into your account before you have a chance to spend it elsewhere.

Tax-Advantaged Accounts3 min read

Traditional vs. Roth IRA

Traditional accounts give you a tax deduction today; Roth accounts give you completely tax-free compounding and withdrawals in retirement.

Traditional IRA: Pre-tax contributions lower your current taxable income; withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income.
Roth IRA: Funded with after-tax income; all investment growth and qualified withdrawals in retirement are 100% tax-free.
Annual contribution limits ($7,000 in 2024/2026, or $8,000 if 50+) apply across all your IRAs combined.
Roth contributions (the principal you put in) can be withdrawn anytime without taxes or penalties.

Section 04One sensible fund: target-date funds and taking the first real step

One sensible, all-in-one fund is all you ever need

Successful investing does not require juggling dozens of complicated products or watching daily market news. A single hands-off fund can hold thousands of the world's best businesses, automatically balancing growth with safety as you get older.

Real-World Example

Instead of guessing which 20 company shares to buy, Sam puts savings into a single hands-off retirement fund designed for 2060. That one fund owns pieces of thousands of global businesses, rebalances itself, and quietly shifts toward safer bonds over decades.

Plain-English Translations

Target-date fund

A single fund that holds global stocks and bonds, automatically shifting to safer holdings as your target retirement year gets closer.

Index fund

A low-cost investment fund that holds every company in a market benchmark rather than paying high-cost managers to pick favorites.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

Why One Sensible Fund Is Enough for Most People

You do not need a dozen investments to be ready for later. One simple, low-cost fund that slowly grows more cautious can do the whole job.

Guide4 min read

Why Putting Money in an Account Is Only Half the Job

Opening an account and moving money into it are real progress. A simple check helps you see whether that money is invested as you intended.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Investing Basics2 min read

Why Broad Market Indexing Wins

Over 90% of actively managed equity funds fail to beat simple, low-cost total market index funds over a 10-to-15 year period.

Broad market index funds hold thousands of publicly traded companies, giving you instant total-market diversification.
You capture the returns of human productivity without trying to pick individual winning stocks or time market swings.
Minimal portfolio turnover sharply reduces hidden transaction costs and taxable capital gains distributions.

Section 05What you own: stocks, bonds, funds and the fees that drag on them

Understand what you own and strip out fee drag

You should always know exactly what you own: shares of real businesses that generate profits, and loans to governments and stable institutions that pay interest. Paying even a 1% management charge can secretly devour a third of your life savings over thirty years.

Real-World Example

Liam and Noah both invest $100,000 over 30 years with identical 7% market growth. Liam pays a typical 1% advisor charge and ends up with $432,000. Noah uses low-cost funds charging 0.05% and ends up with $574,000—saving $142,000 that stays in his own pocket.

Plain-English Translations

Expense ratio

The percentage fee charged annually to operate an investment fund, deducted quietly from fund performance.

Stocks vs. Bonds

Stocks give you partial ownership in companies to drive growth; bonds are loans you make that pay predictable interest for stability.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

The Small Fee That Adds Up Over Time

A yearly charge can look tiny today and take a bigger bite over decades. Here is how to understand what you pay and compare the costs calmly.

Guide5 min read

The Ten-Year Bet Warren Buffett Won by Keeping It Simple

A public ten-year contest put a plain market-tracking fund against layers of highly paid experts. The result made a lasting point about cost.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Fee Transparency2 min read

Understanding Expense Ratios & Fee Drag

A seemingly modest 1% annual fee can silently consume 25% to 30% of your total lifetime investment nest egg.

Expense ratios are deducted daily from fund assets before your returns are calculated and reported.
Modern low-cost index funds charge between 0.03% and 0.08%, while actively managed funds charge 0.75% to 1.50%.
Because fees compound against you just as returns compound for you, every basis point saved stays in your portfolio to grow.

Section 06Spreading risk: diversification and asset allocation

Spread your risk across thousands of businesses worldwide

Betting your life savings on a handful of trendy companies is a gamble. By owning a slice of virtually every major public company across the global economy, the failure of any single business will never derail your financial future.

Real-World Example

When a once-dominant tech company unexpectedly collapses, individual stock pickers face devastating 80% losses. Elena, holding total market index funds, barely notices because that company made up less than half of one percent of her broad global holdings.

Plain-English Translations

Diversification

Spreading your savings across thousands of different companies and industries so no single failure can sink your plan.

Asset allocation

How you split your savings between stocks for growth and bonds for calm stability based on your goals and timeline.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

Why One Sensible Fund Is Enough for Most People

You do not need a dozen investments to be ready for later. One simple, low-cost fund that slowly grows more cautious can do the whole job.

Guide4 min read

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe

Keeping all your money in cash feels safe from day to day, but over twenty or thirty years inflation quietly takes a bite out of what it can buy.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Portfolio Construction3 min read

Asset Allocation & Age Glide Paths

Your balance between equities (stocks) and fixed income (bonds) governs portfolio volatility far more than individual security selection.

Equities provide inflation-beating long-term capital growth; fixed income provides ballast and immediate stability during market storms.
Early in your career, an 85%–90% stock allocation harnesses decades of compounding to power your savings forward.
As retirement approaches, an automated glide path gradually introduces bonds to defend accumulated capital.

Investing Basics2 min read

Why Broad Market Indexing Wins

Over 90% of actively managed equity funds fail to beat simple, low-cost total market index funds over a 10-to-15 year period.

Broad market index funds hold thousands of publicly traded companies, giving you instant total-market diversification.
You capture the returns of human productivity without trying to pick individual winning stocks or time market swings.
Minimal portfolio turnover sharply reduces hidden transaction costs and taxable capital gains distributions.

Section 07Staying the course: automation, volatility, rollovers, beneficiaries and rebalancing

Stay the course and let automation protect you from emotion

Market pullbacks and scary news headlines are completely normal. The most reliable way to build enduring wealth is to set up automatic recurring deposits and leave them alone. Trying to jump in and out of the market routinely turns temporary dips into permanent losses.

Real-World Example

During a steep market drop, many people panic and cash out at the bottom. Rachel’s automatic $250 monthly transfer continues quietly in the background, automatically buying more shares at bargain prices and accelerating her recovery when the market rebounds.

Plain-English Translations

Volatility

The natural, expected price swings up and down that occur in financial markets over short horizons.

Rebalancing

Periodically adjusting your investments back to your target balance so your risk level stays right where you intended.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

What to Do When the Headlines Get Scary

When markets drop and news anchors sound the alarm, doing nothing is usually the smartest move you can make. Here is why staying calm works.

Guide4 min read

Set the Transfer Once So Willpower Is Not the Plan

Waiting for leftover cash at month-end usually saves nothing. A payday transfer that happens without you is a plan that lasts.

Guide5 min read

Why the Same Money Buys More When Prices Fall

A fixed amount invested on a schedule buys more shares in the cheap months and fewer in the dear ones. The arithmetic quietly works for you.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Behavioral Finance2 min read

Market Volatility & Staying the Course

Market downturns are not bugs in the economic engine—they are the regular, necessary price of admission for long-term equity growth.

The broad stock market historically drops 10% nearly every year and enters a 20%+ bear market every few years.
Panic selling during a dip converts temporary paper declines into permanent, irreversible cash losses.
Missing just the 10 best trading days across a 20-year span cuts your cumulative total return roughly in half.
Automating monthly deposits lets you buy more shares when prices are depressed, turning volatility to your advantage.

Cash Management2 min read

High-Yield Cash & Emergency Reserves

Maintaining 3 to 6 months of living expenses in FDIC-insured cash gives you an essential safety net before taking equity risk.

An emergency cushion prevents unexpected expenses (like medical bills or repairs) from forcing you to sell investments at a loss.
Keep emergency reserves in high-yield cash accounts or Treasury bills earning safe, risk-free interest.
Separate emergency cash from your daily checking account to eliminate accidental spending temptation.

Section 08Investing at every age and the habits that last

Build simple, calm habits that endure across every stage of life

Your relationship with money changes as your life unfolds. When you are younger, you can embrace market swings for maximum long-term growth; as you near retirement, you gradually shift toward stability. Healthy financial habits—like checking in just once a year—keep you focused on what truly matters.

Real-World Example

Marcus checks his investment accounts just once each winter during tax season. Because his deposits and rebalancing run automatically, he avoids daily headline anxiety and spends his weekends enjoying life with family.

Plain-English Translations

Glide path

The gradual, automated transition from growth-focused investments to safer income holdings as you get older.

Annual check-in

Reviewing your overall savings habits and milestones once a year rather than stressing over daily market swings.

Further Reading

Guide4 min read

Check In Once a Year Without Obsessing Over Markets

Your plan does not need a daily check. A short yearly look at a few facts is enough, and it leaves the rest of the year for living.

Guide5 min read

The Small Daily Trims That Fund a Big Goal

A used car, a down payment, a safer set of tires. Here is how packed lunches and secondhand clothes quietly add up to the thing you actually want.

Relevant Knowledge Cards

Financial Strategy3 min read

The Financial Waterfall: Prioritizing Your Next Dollar

Follow a disciplined hierarchy for every surplus dollar to build generational wealth systematically without second-guessing.

Step 1: Build a 1-month starter cash buffer for immediate resilience.
Step 2: Capture 100% of any workplace employer retirement match.
Step 3: Aggressively eliminate high-interest toxic debt (credit cards > 8-10% APR).
Step 4: Fully fund tax-advantaged accounts (Roth IRA and HSA).
Step 5: Direct remaining savings into low-cost index investing and expanded 401(k) contributions.

Cash Management2 min read

High-Yield Cash & Emergency Reserves

Maintaining 3 to 6 months of living expenses in FDIC-insured cash gives you an essential safety net before taking equity risk.

An emergency cushion prevents unexpected expenses (like medical bills or repairs) from forcing you to sell investments at a loss.
Keep emergency reserves in high-yield cash accounts or Treasury bills earning safe, risk-free interest.
Separate emergency cash from your daily checking account to eliminate accidental spending temptation.

Core Foundations

Why evidence-based investing wins

“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack.”

John C. Bogle — Founder of Vanguard

As an independent registered investment adviser, Setright is a fiduciary: legally required to act in your best interest at all times. Our 8 investment principles do not rely on market predictions, stock picking, or complex schemes. We help you capture the long-term wealth of the global economy through low-cost, automated index investing.

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