The exact setups I use to
build wealth and stay private
15 years of testing, distilled into guides that say exactly what to do — not just what to consider.
Wealth Optimization
Credit card strategy, savings accounts, and retirement math - the exact setups that work.
How to Manage Your Money
A practical framework for cash reserves, debt prioritization, and automated investing.
Advanced Wealth Management: Strategy Guide
How to optimize tax-advantaged accounts, asset location, and risk mitigation tools.
Backdoor Roth IRA: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
How to execute high-income Roth contributions while managing tax reporting and the Pro-Rata rule.
Roth vs. Pre-Tax 401k: How to Choose
A mathematical framework for choosing between tax-advantaged accounts based on your future tax bracket.
How to Choose a High-Yield Savings Account
Why APY is the wrong thing to optimize for, how instant liquidity changes everything, and the two-account setup that actually works.
Wealthfront Review: Automated Investing That Actually Works
A hands-on review of Wealthfront's investing platform - automated index funds, tax-loss harvesting, retirement accounts, and the Portfolio Line of Credit.
How to Win the Credit Card Game
Make your spending work for you while maintaining a top credit score without paying interest.
Bilt 2.0: Earn Points on Rent or Mortgage
How to use the Bilt Rewards ecosystem and Bilt Cash to offset your rent or mortgage.
How to Choose the Best Travel Credit Card (2026)
A comparison of cards optimized for flight redemptions, hotel transfers, and elite status.
Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
An analysis of the annual fees, redemption values, and ancillary benefits of two premium travel accounts.
How to Master the Chase 5/24 Rule
A guide to the application limits at Chase and how to sequence your cards for maximum yield.
Security, Privacy & AI
Protect your digital life and get ahead of AI - the same systems I run every day.
How to Secure Your Digital Life
A complete system for credential management, multi-factor authentication, and browser privacy configurations.
Advanced Privacy & Security
Advanced configurations for encrypted email, mobile device hardening, and automated data removal.
Passkeys: The Password Replacement That Works
How passkeys eliminate phishing, credential stuffing, and password reuse - and how to set them up on every major platform.
LLMs & AI Privacy: What You Should Know
How ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and AI voice tools handle your data - and the specific prompting habits, settings, and alternatives that reduce your exposure.
Do You Need a Hardware Security Key?
Who should use a hardware security key, which YubiKey to buy, and how to set it up across Google, GitHub, and your password manager.
Hacked? A Step-by-Step Emergency Response
Emergency protocols for account takeovers, unauthorized financial activity, and identity theft.
Featured Gear
Hand-picked products that genuinely improved my life.
Replaced a backpack for anything under a full-day trip. Phone, wallet, keys, earbuds - it holds more than it looks like it should.
Not a replacement for a backpack. A full water bottle won't fit.
The transparency mode is the real killer feature. I can hear a conversation without taking them out. Just switched over from the Pro 2 and the fit and noise cancellation are a clear step up.
The monitor goes on the top shelf, everything else finds a home underneath. Cleared more desk space than I expected and the solid wood doesn't feel cheap.
Sits on the lower shelf. Sunglasses, pen, chapstick - stops them from floating around the desk.
The switches feel noticeably better than any laptop keyboard. Compact enough that I use it everywhere - on the desk, in a café, on a flight. The 60% layout took a week to get used to, then became automatic.
No numpad. If you do a lot of spreadsheet work or gaming that needs one, get the full-size version.
I plug in one cable and my monitor, external drives, and power all connect. It works exactly as advertised, which feels notable for a Thunderbolt dock - these have a reputation for being finicky.
Requires Thunderbolt 4 to get full speeds. USB-C-only machines will connect but lose some bandwidth. Supports two external displays - if you run three, look elsewhere.
Switching from dual monitors was the right call. The wide field of view keeps everything in one continuous visual space. The built-in KVM lets me switch between my personal and work machines with a keyboard shortcut - one cable per machine, no KVM box.
Needs about 32 inches of desk depth to sit comfortably. 120Hz is smooth for productivity, but this is a work monitor, not a high-refresh esports panel.
Quick, takes up minimal counter space, easy to clean. I've used the same one for years. It does one thing and does it well.
Not for blending hot liquids or making soup - the cups aren't sealed for that. Single-serve only.
Brews at the right temperature every time, which matters more than most coffee gear suggests. Four years in with no issues. The carafe keeps coffee hot for hours without burning it.
Makes a full carafe every time - not ideal if you only want one cup. No timer, no programmable brew.
Replaced a standing grocery order of canned seltzer. Refilling the CO2 canister is the only real chore, everything else is a 5-second squeeze of the trigger.
Takes up permanent counter space, and you'll eventually need to swap the CO2 canister (extra cost, occasional errand). Not for anyone who wants zero-maintenance appliances.
Dim enough that it won't wake you up, bright enough to see where you're going. Plug it in and forget about it.
Plug-in only, not battery-powered. A pet walking by will trigger it constantly.
Worth having for cocktail prep - catches drips, gives you a dedicated surface. Easier to clean than a countertop.
Hand wash only. The rubber degrades in a dishwasher.
No seams means nothing gets stuck. Dishwasher-safe and they haven't degraded. The set covers every cooking task without needing a drawer full of single-purpose tools.
Not for cutting - silicone will dull a knife. If you prefer wood or stainless, the feel is different.
I'm a side sleeper and this is the first pillow where the loft stayed right without flattening overnight. The cooling cover works - not dramatically, but noticeably.
Stomach sleepers probably want a thinner pillow. The adjustable fill is key - out of the bag it's overfilled, and you need to remove some.
Set it to cool the room 30 minutes before I wake up. Works with any IR-controlled unit, which is almost every window AC made. The app is straightforward.
Only works with IR-controlled units (window AC, most mini-splits). Doesn't work with central HVAC or units that use proprietary remotes.
My speakers are 20 years old and sound great. This adds AirPlay 2 and Tidal Connect without touching the speaker setup. AirPlay latency is essentially zero, which matters if you're watching video.
Needs a receiver or powered speakers with an analog input. Not a standalone speaker.
The exclusives are the reason to own it. PC ports of PlayStation games are rare and often late. If you want to play God of War, Returnal, or the next FromSoftware game on release day, this is the machine.
You need a 4K TV to actually use it at its best. On a 1080p screen you're paying for hardware you won't use.
Sounds like a much larger subwoofer. The SVS app lets you EQ it to the room, which I'd skipped with previous subs. Worth the extra step. My neighbors have not complained.
For apartments with thin walls, the bass will travel. Can't fill a large open-plan space either - this is for a room, not a warehouse.
The slatted doors let heat out, which matters when you're putting a PS5 and a receiver inside. All the cables disappear. The wood finish looks exactly like the website photos, which isn't always the case at this price.
Expensive and heavy - this is furniture you buy once and don't move. Not a starter piece.
I use this for Google, GitHub, and 1Password. Setup took 20 minutes total. The peace of mind is worth it - even if someone gets your password, they can't log in without the key.
Lives in my laptop port permanently. Tap it for 1Password, tap it for GitHub. Low friction - which is why I actually use it instead of opting out like I did with previous security keys.
USB-C only. Won't work with older laptops that only have USB-A. And it stays on your laptop - not great for traveling.
Feynman's memoir on curiosity and figuring things out. I re-read it whenever I'm overthinking something.
Not a physics textbook - if you want to learn actual quantum mechanics, this isn't it. It's a memoir.
Goes on when I need to get into focus mode. Same album, every time. My brain knows what it means.
You need a turntable. If you don't have one, the CD is fine.