Advice has a habit of hardening into rules.
Rules turn into expectations.
And eventually, they stop being questioned.
Almost-Advice is a growing collection of short reflections that challenge the ideas we hear most often about money, markets, and decision-making. Not to be provocative, but to be honest.
Each entry explores a familiar piece of guidance - timing the market, waiting for certainty, seeking reassurance - and gently turns it over to see what’s underneath. No hot takes. No hacks. Just clearer thinking, written monthly and gathered here in one place.
Read them in order, or dip in when something catches your eye. They’re designed to be timeless, not urgent.
Talking about money
Money conversations in relationships often feel loaded, which is why many couples avoid them altogether. But unspoken feelings grow quietly, and money tends to fill any silence you give it.
Talking early - before resentment builds - is the real skill. Not because conversations about budgets are fun, but because clarity is kinder than guessing.
The Friend's Dream
Investing in a friend’s business always starts with excitement and goodwill. But it can quickly turn into awkward messages, late-night updates, and tension neither of you asked for.
If you want to support them, do it from a place of clarity: could you give this money and genuinely not expect it back? If the answer is no, maybe cheering them on - and buying a drink - is contribution enough.
Waiting for Stability
Most people wait for the markets to “feel stable” before they start investing. It sounds sensible, but stability usually appears only in hindsight - long after the opportunity has passed.
The truth is that discomfort is part of beginning, and confidence grows from action, not the other way around.
You don’t need certainty to start; you only need clarity about why you’re starting at all.