Money For the Rest of Us Plus Membership

At The Outset

Managing your own money can feel overwhelming. You wonder where to invest, what financial products might help. There are so many options; Too many choices can cause doubt and worry. You stand on a plateau, look out and realize that you could go any direction from here.

How does everyone else do it? How are they faring? Who do they turn to for guidance? That first step, that first commitment to a direction, can feel like the hardest part.

There Is a Lot To Think About

First, you need to know that the information you use to make investment decisions is free from conflicts of interest. That it comes from someone with years of experience and an independent point of view. It takes trust to let someone else manage your money, and the information sources you use to manage your own money are no different. Where can you find that trust?

And do you trust yourself? We often doubt we know enough. We don’t feel confident making our own decisions. Are my emotions in check? Will I know what to do in a time of crisis?

And with all of that over our heads, we wonder: do I even have enough time for all of this? In my busy schedule, can I find the necessary accurate information, study it, process it, and act on it? And what if I have to act quickly, to respond to events that are happening NOW?

That’s a lot to carry around.

But we can share the load.

Money for the Rest of Us Plus is for those who choose to manage their own investments. It provides the tools to overcome these common investment challenges, filter through the clutter, and make decisions. I know you don’t need a leader because you are not a follower. But you may want a guide for your financial journey.

Community

Money for the Rest of Us Plus is a waypoint. It is a meeting ground for those who have taken their investment journey into their own hands.

Here, we learn and we share. We find asset allocation resources and portfolio tools to plan our next steps. We monitor investment conditions and discuss what they mean. We see how others, including me, navigate the same investment and financial challenges you face. You’ll get your questions answered. You will become a better investor.

Trust

For close to two decades I advised and managed assets for institutions and financial planners. I perfected my teaching style as an investment consultant to numerous not-for-profit institutions, where I assisted the board and staff in overseeing billions of dollars in endowment assets.

I now use the investment insights and tools I learned and developed to help individuals save and invest for retirement.

There are over a thousand members who have joined Money for the Rest of Us Plus not because I’m here to tell them what to do, but in order to get access to the tools and resources I use to manage my own investment portfolio. I’m here with you.

Members learn from the portfolio decisions that I and other like-minded investors make, including our mistakes.

Education

The confidence and peace of mind that you will have enough to retire and that your money will last comes from knowing where your money is and where it is going. It comes from educating yourself so you can confidently make your own investment decisions. It comes from controlling your emotions by having access to timely information like the Money For the Rest of Us Plus monthly investment conditions report. Money for the Rest of Us Plus has the tools and information you need to learn to manage your own money more effectively.

Save Time

Members appreciate that they can get the critical information they need to make prudent investment choices without spending hour upon hour doing their own research. You can learn and stay up to date by listening to the weekly Plus Q&A episodes and the audio versions of the investment conditions report and mid month strategy updates as you commute or exercise.

So, what are real members, people like you, saying about Money for the Rest of Us Plus?

"Subscribing to Money For the Rest of Us Plus is one of the best investments I have ever made. The market conditions report and the weekly plus episodes provide me with the data I need to stay confident through rough times, or to tweak/protect my strategy when necessary, and ignore noise and emotional reactions." - Uzi Kilon, Plus Member

"The best money I have spent has been on becoming a Plus member." - Stephen Joyce

"David's focus on ensuring Money For the Rest of Us Plus members understands potential investment risks speaks volumes on his desire to provide a service that is focused on the customer. His passion for helping us understand the markets and invest wisely is greatly appreciated." - Philip Cameron, Plus Member

"I find that David’s philosophy and approach to managing investments resonate with me and is a useful guide for someone trying to manage their retirement assets. I especially appreciate the model portfolios and the expertise that David utilized to build them.  As he suggests, I modify them to better fit my personal situation and believe the results are far better than what I would have developed on my own." - Kent Baggett, Plus Member

"The work on the Money For the Rest of Us model portfolios - providing different ones for various risk tolerances - is just terrific. Together with the background info on how they are put together, the multiple models provide an excellent outline of how to view portfolio construction, expected return and risk aversion." - Thomas Keane, Plus Member

"The Money For the Rest of Us Plus mission of providing the education and tools necessary to understand financial markets is exactly what I was looking for. I now feel confident when evaluating different options and searching for the tools I need to learn more." - Brad March, Plus Member

"I was looking for exactly what Money For the Rest of Us Plus provides - a program to get smart guidance/data to fill the information gap so I can invest myself." - Plus member survey response

"I joined Money For the Rest of Us Plus to gain access to a trusting community of people who share my goal of growing my wealth through diligent investment." - Plus member survey response

"I like to have someone with the judgment that comes from experience keeping an eye on what's going on in the market, and I appreciate getting ideas about non-equity financial instruments." - Plus member survey response

"The market conditions report is so good for me to keep the big picture in focus and not get twitchy about daily ups and down." - Plus member survey response

"I lean on David's analysis and model portfolios to allocate my investments without getting too far in over my head." - Plus member survey response

"[Money For the Rest of Us Plus] saves me so much time in researching things on my own, and you're experienced in doing it. -Plus member survey response

"If I don't want to spend a lot of time, I can keep current with the investment conditions reports. If I want to invest more time, I can view the presentations on the website. I also know that I can email you directly with my questions." - Plus member survey response

Q. What will I get with my Money For the Rest of Us Plus membership?

A. The best way to get a sense of what is included with your Money For the Rest of Us Plus membership is to watch this introductory video.

Q. Who is the target market?

A. Money For the Rest of Us Plus is geared toward individuals who manage their own investment portfolios with an online broker and/or as part of a work-sponsored retirement plan. A typical member is between ages 25 and 65 and prefers to make their own investment decisions. They are portfolio and asset class focused and not interested in gimmicks or the latest hot stock picks. Members' portfolio sizes range from less than $100,000 to over $5 million. Money For the Rest of Us Plus is globally focused and has members that live in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and other areas around the globe. Here is a demographic profile of Plus members.

Q. How often is new content added to Money For the Rest of Us Plus?

A. New content is added weekly. There is a new member only Plus podcast episode every week. Additional content added throughout the month includes the investment conditions report and audio commentary, mid-month strategy update, portfolio profile with audio commentary, and additional video and audio lessons as needed. Model portfolios are monitored and updated on an ongoing basis. The long-term asset allocation assumptions are updated quarterly.

Q. How much content is currently on the Money For the Rest of Us Plus?

A. Money For the Rest of Us Plus opened in December 2014. Currently, there are over 250 audio lessons, video tutorials, and Plus episodes along with model portfolios, asset class return assumptions, monthly investment condition reports, and portfolio profiles. Upon joining Money For the Rest of Us Plus, new members receive an email series that serves as a tutorial to how the site is organized and highlights important content.

Q. Can I listen to the Plus episodes and other audio content on my mobile device or in my car while commuting?

A. Yes. Money For the Rest of Us Plus is optimized for mobile devices as more than 50% of members access content via their mobile phones or tablets. There is a member-only RSS feed for all audio content including the ad-free version of the regular podcast. There is also a Money for the Rest of Us Plus mobile app for iOS and Android.

Q. Does Money For the Rest of Us Plus contain model portfolios for individuals with different goals, life stages, and risk profiles?

A. Yes. The site contains five categories of model portfolios with specific ETF fund holdings weights ranging from Ultra-conservative to Aggressive risk profiles. There are adaptive models that adjust based on market conditions and simple static models that do not change. Please note the model portfolios contain ETFs available to U.S. investors. The site also contains an asset allocation modeling spreadsheet so you an compare different asset allocation scenarios to evaluate their expected rates of return and risk of capital loss. Members can also download a spreadsheet to customize their own asset allocation using up to 24 asset classes. 

Q. How do you decide what content to add to Money For the Rest of Us Plus?

A. Most of the content is based on member feedback and questions. This is your platform so my goal is to focus on adding content you find most helpful.

Q. Will I be able to see all your investment holdings?

A. No. But you will be able to see most of them. Some of my holdings are experiments so I wouldn't be comfortable knowing others are following my investment moves exactly. I share my overall asset allocation percentages, the allocation percentages of my liquid portfolio, the regional allocation of my stock portfolio, my top 10 to 15 equity holdings, and all of my bond holdings. I detail portfolio changes including my decision process as part of my effort to help you to make better investment decisions.

Q. Why does membership cost $300 per year?

A. Because I want to make my investment help affordable to you. The annual fees that I charged clients at my prior firm started at $50,000. My goal is to deliver way more value to you than what you pay. To put it in perspective, an annual subscription to Money For the Rest of Us Plus costs less than one credit hour at most U.S. 4-year colleges, which ranges from $230 to $1,150 according to the College Board.

Q. What are your cancellation and refund policies?

A. You can cancel your annual subscription anytime.  You can also get a full refund if you cancel in the first 30-days by emailing me. No refunds are given after the first 30 days. You can cancel your monthly membership at any time.

Important Disclosures

The Information and opinions contained Money For the Rest of Us are for educational purposes only. The Information does not consider the economic status or risk profile of any specific person.

The Information and opinions expressed should not be construed as investment/trading advice or investment recommendations and does not constitute an offer, or an invitation to make an offer, to buy and sell securities.

The Information and opinions contained on Money For the Rest of Us is for investment education and considered general communications in the form of an online financial newsletter / broadcast video and audio shown to the general public.

The model asset allocations and model portfolios on the site are hypothetical examples and not investment recommendations. Individuals who are considering applying the model asset allocations and model portfolios to their individual situations should consider their other assets, income, and investments such as home equity, individual retirement plan assets, savings accounts, and interest in other qualified and non-qualified plans.

The Information on Money For the Rest of Us was obtained from various sources. Darby Creek Advisors LLC does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such Information provided by third parties. Money For the Rest of Us and Darby Creek Advisors LLC assume no obligation to update this Information, or to advise on further developments relating to it.

Any return expectations provided for individual asset categories, model asset allocations, or model portfolio are not intended as, and must not be regarded as, a representation, warranty, or predication that an investment will achieve any particular rate of return over any particular time-period or those investors will not incur losses.