The baseline

Before you optimize returns, stop being fragile.

In this order

1. Know the number. One hour: list accounts, debts, and monthly spend. A spreadsheet is enough.
2. Cash buffer. 3–6 months of necessary spend in a high-yield savings account. If your job is unstable, lean toward 6.
3. High-interest debt. Credit cards and anything above ~8–10% usually gets killed before extra investing.
4. Employer match. If your job matches a 401(k)/403(b), take the full match. That is a raise.
5. Insurance floor. Term life if people depend on your income. Disability if your body is the business. Health coverage you actually understand.

What "enough cash" is not

It is not $200k sitting in checking because the market feels scary. Cash is for bills and bad months. The rest should be working. See Investing.

One automation

On payday:

1. Bills
2. Auto-transfer to savings / brokerage
3. Spend what's left

If you wait until the end of the month to save, you will not save.

A monthly 20-minute review

• Did the automations run?
• Any new debt?
• Any big expense in the next 90 days?

That's it. Wealth is mostly not leaking.