Five pillars. One written plan.

Crypto trading

I started trading Bitcoin in the mid‑2010s, kept the journal going through three winters, and never stopped reading the chain. This is not a side‑hustle — it is the longest‑running line item on my own balance sheet.

For clients, crypto is treated as a small, deliberate allocation inside a much larger plan. Position sizing, exit frameworks, custody, and IRS treatment (Form 8949, wash-sale workarounds, HIFO lot selection) are all written down before a single dollar moves.

• Spot & derivatives across BTC, ETH and a curated long‑tail
• Entry, exit and trailing‑stop framework you can read in one page
• Position‑sizing rules so a bear market cannot end the portfolio
• Cold‑storage / multi‑sig custody guidance
• US tax-aware exits · HIFO lot selection, Form 8949, wash-sale rules
• Optional over‑the‑shoulder review for active crypto traders

Stock market

A low-cost total-market index core (VTI, VXUS) with a concentrated direct equity overlay for clients who want to own individual businesses. Bottom‑up research with a bias toward durable compounders, strong free cash flow, and shareholder-friendly capital allocation.

The portfolio is built to be boring on weekday afternoons. That is the point.

• Total‑market & factor ETF construction (VTI, VXUS, VBR, AVUV)
• Direct stock selection — US large‑ and mid‑cap compounders
• Tax‑loss harvesting · realize losses, maintain exposure
• Rebalancing rules · trim winners, top up laggards systematically
• Annual 10‑K deep‑reads for every direct holding
• Capital‑gains optimization at year end

401(k), IRA & beyond

The single highest-return move most Americans can make is maximizing their tax-advantaged space in the right order — 401(k) match first, HSA second, Roth IRA or backdoor Roth third. Most clients are not doing this correctly.

We also write down the asset location strategy: which assets live in which account type to minimize the lifetime tax bill.

• 401(k) contribution & investment selection (your fund menu, not a generic model)
• Traditional vs. Roth IRA decision — based on your marginal rate now and in retirement
• Backdoor Roth & mega backdoor Roth for high earners
• HSA as stealth retirement account — invest, do not spend
• 529 plan sizing & superfunding strategy
• Roth conversion ladder planning for early retirees

Real assets stack

REITs, TIPS, I-Bonds, gold ETFs, and commodity exposure — each used as an instrument, not as a default. The portfolio earns the holding; the holding does not earn the portfolio.

We also write down what we are not holding — and why — so the next "hot" product gets a one‑line answer.

• REIT ETF allocation (VNQ, VNQI) vs. direct REIT selection
• TIPS & I-Bond ladder for inflation protection
• Gold ETF (GLD, IAU) · sizing and rebalancing triggers
• Commodity exposure via broad‑market ETFs
• Emergency fund sizing — 6 to 12 months of expenses, in HYSA
• What we are not buying — and why