Why most young people invest wrong — and the mental model that fixes it

The biggest mistake I see other young people make is chasing "sure things" in crypto or meme stocks. It's the opposite of how real wealth is built.

The mental model that fixes this is "Time in the market > Timing the market." You don't need to predict the next big thing. You just need to be consistently investing in broad, diversified assets (like the S&P 500) for the long haul.

The Math:

• You invest $100/month from age 20 to 30. That's **$12,000** total.
• At an average 10% annual return, that $12,000 could grow to over **$1.1 million** by age 65.

Young people have the single most powerful asset in investing: Time. Don't gamble it away. If you have 40+ years until retirement, you should be praying for a market crash so you can buy everything on sale.