Let’s start with a couple pieces of exciting news, and then I’ll fill you in.
First, there is a brand new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth coming to bookstores on May 20th. Second, my pal Pete Adeney, Mr. Money Mustache himself, and I will be doing a live zoom conversation, open to everyone who preorders the book. More on that below. I hope you’ll join!
But, it almost didn’t happen.
Back in mid-January I was deep in the editing and revision process of creating this new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth. It was turning out to be a whole lot more than I’d bargained for and taking a whole lot more out of me than I’d expected.
Along about the same time I was chatting with a friend of mine. While I forget now what prompted the comment, at one point he said, “You know, the great thing about The Simple Path to Wealth is that its principles and approach are timeless. You’ll never have to revise it.”
While I didn’t say anything at the time, what went through my mind was, “Damn. He’s absolutely right. What by all that’s holy am I doing here?” At the time, I didn’t even know there were still two and a half months of blood, sweat and tears to go.
Had I known, this new edition wouldn’t exist. But I am very glad I didn’t and that it does. Truth is, it is a better book than the original.
To be sure, the timeless principles and approach from the original that have set the lives of countless readers on a path to financial independence and a rich, free life remain. But the book has been expanded with new content and a meticulous updating of all the “what if” scenarios and data.
The organization has been improved and what is perhaps my favorite case study has been added:
What it Looks Like when Everything Financial Goes Wrong.
There is also a new Tool Kit section with FAQs addressing the most interesting reader questions over the years.
It is also simply a much better physical book. I’d always thought the self published version Amazon created looked just fine until my third book, Pathfinders, came out. It is simply beautiful, and the new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth presents at that same level of quality. At the risk of sounding immodest, I think it deserves no less.
But why revise it in the first place? Well, a lot can happen in ten years.
Back in 2015, my daughter Jess was just graduating from college, and I was laboring my way through writing The Simple Path to Wealth. And, on this day that year, the S&P 500 closed at 2107.
Now, after a global pandemic, three presidential administrations, several speculative bubbles, and the current tariff volatility,this morning the S&P 500 sits at 5283. Though all this, and with ten more years of data, I’m proud to say The Simple Path has proven to be sound long-term advice. Even more rewarding (at least for me), my daughter Jess, once “the little girl who wouldn’t listen,” has fully embraced these principles and is well on her own way to financial independence.
Given all that’s happened since I put down my pen on the original edition, I confess I very much resisted the idea of revising it. Since the whole point is that the plan is simple and designed for decades, it shouldn’t need to be revised, right?
But one of the coolest things since I published the first edition has been the steady and wide ranging stream of emails from readers on everything from “what ifs” about the market’s inevitable gyrations, to requests specific to different life stages, to crypto and more. While many answers were in the original text, I wanted to address these questions more broadly – especially since they often reinforced the fundamental principles.
So, here we are.
While putting together this new edition hasn’t been easy, the journey has had its rewards. Jess has been actively involved in the process, and working with her on it has been a joy. And eye opening.
Sure, I knew she’d been following The Simple Path. But I had no idea how deeply she has come to understand it, and how fully she’s internalized and tested the SPW principles for herself. Seeing her enthusiasm for the work has made me even more eager to share it with a whole range of new readers, perhaps especially young people beginning their journey. Although I confess I’m a bit envious of their early start while I spent decades wandering in the wilderness to sort it out.
Here’s what you’ll find in the new edition:
- While the principles are the same, references and data have been completely updated.
- A substantial FAQ section addresses all those “what if’s” that have come in from readers – everything from Bitcoin to insurance to advice for teens to advice for retirees and on and on.
- A resource section that organizes in one place all the calculators, blogs and reports referenced throughout the text.
- A new case study shows what it looks like when everything goes wrong except attitude.
Now that I’m doing this not just as a solo operation but with the support of both Jess and the team at Authors Equity (As Jess likes to tease me, “Dad you have people now!”), there are additional bells and whistles to share:
- The new Simple Path to Wealth newsletter – which you can sign up for here: simplepathtowealth.com
- You’ll receive a special five-part introduction series that underpins some of the main pillars from the book. After that, regular content will include bite-sized bits of investment wisdom, opportunities to ask me questions about your financial foibles, noteworthy financial news, a look at the posts, articles and books I’ve been reading and the occasional random cool quote to entertain and inspire us.
- All newsletter communications will be coming from TeamJL@thesimplepathtowealth.com, so be sure to add this to your contacts so you don’t miss an issue.
- My live Zoom event with Mr. Money Mustache! Never mind the current doom and gloom in the market – come have some fun with us! Sign up here.
You can get the new edition of The Simple Path to Wealth on my new website: thesimplepathtowealth.com. It’s currently discounted 10% at B&N and will be in all physical bookstores on May 20! If ordering on Amazon, please be sure you’re getting the new Revised & Expanded Edition. For now the paperback is still the original edition.
Thank you for making my own path this past decade so fulfilling. I hope you enjoy the SPW 2.0, and I really hope you’ll share your feedback with me. I’m excited to hear what you think.
