Hey, friends! I’m Alex Bennett. Grab a coffee, let’s chat for a minute.
Seriously, how much time did you spend worrying about your money last week?
If your answer is “too much,” or if you’ve ever felt that pit in your stomach when you check the news—I get it. I’ve been there.
I used to think that being a successful investor meant I had to turn into a market genius, constantly picking winners. I was losing my evenings trying to become an expert, and still felt lost.
You don’t need to be smarter. You don’t need more stress. You need a simple, proven system to take the emotion out of the game.
That’s why I developed the: Set It and Forget It Investing approach.
This is my promise to you: You don’t need to be smarter; you just need a better system.
This Set It and Forget It Investing system is designed specifically for families like ours who crave Financial Peace of Mind. It truly frees up your schedule, demanding only about an hour of your time, once a year.
It’s time to stop chasing and start living. Let me show you how this 3-step system works.
1. Stop Chasing Magic, Start Owning It (Keep it Simple)
Here’s the tough truth we have to face: As regular people, we can’t consistently beat the top pros on Wall Street.
I spent years trying to find that “one magic stock.” The result? Wasted energy, lost money, and less time with my family.
The best strategy I learned wasn’t from a complex textbook; it came from realizing the power of simplicity. The goal isn’t to get rich quick; the goal is to get rich safely.
2. Pillar One: Your Investment Blueprint (The Simple Blueprint)
You can’t buy individual stocks if you only work for one hour a year. You have to buy diversified assets.
Why ETFs are Your Shortcut to Safety
Think of an ETF as a giant pizza: you buy one slice, and you get a tiny piece of everything. Your risk is spread out.
This diversification is the key to making Set It and Forget It Investing actually work for you. No single company can totally sink your plan.
So, what should you buy? My personal recommendation is simple: stick to the boring, low-cost funds that track the whole U.S. or global market. You don’t need excitement, you just need reliable compounding over time.
Honestly, if you’re curious about why sitting still is often the best strategy, this guide from Nasdaq lays out the steps for creating an automated passive portfolio that completely eliminates trading impulses. You should check it out here.
If the whole ETF idea is still new, don’t worry. Our site has a beginner-friendly guide to explain the basic nuts and bolts: What is an ETF?
3. Pillar Two: Build the Money Machine (Automation is Your Best Employee)
Once you nail what to buy (Pillar One), you need to automate the buying. This is where most people fail—they rely on motivation, not a system.
You have to automate this process. We need a “machine” that works for you in the background while you focus on the important stuff.
3 Steps to Go on Autopilot
- Choose a “Home Base” Platform: You need a trusted, large broker like Fidelity or Vanguard. Look for robust tools and low fees, especially for retirement accounts.
- Set Up Recurring Contributions: This is the most crucial step. Schedule a fixed amount to leave your bank account right after your payday. This is called “paying your future self first”—a non-negotiable step.
- Activate Reinvestment: Make sure your platform automatically reinvests all dividends. That’s the compounding magic happening without you lifting a finger.
My Hands-On Tip:
Starting a retirement account can feel intimidating. I recently walked through the entire process of setting up a Roth IRA step-by-step. If you chose Fidelity, this is your next action item: How to Open a Fidelity IRA in 5 Steps
This automated approach is truly the engine of Set It and Forget It Investing.
4. Pillar Three: The Annual Risk Check-Up (The 1-Hour Rule)
If the system is automated, what exactly do you do during that “one hour” a year?
You aren’t trading. You are performing an essential task called: Rebalancing.
Why You Need to Rebalance
Rebalancing is your annual “risk correction”. It’s the only trade you need to make.
Here’s why it matters: If your stocks have done incredibly well (which is great!), they might now account for too much of your total savings. That means you’ve taken on more risk than you planned.
Rebalancing pulls you back on track: you sell a little of what’s high, and use that money to buy more of what’s lagged—like those stable bonds.
This simple yearly check ensures your risk level doesn’t creep up when you aren’t looking, which is a huge comfort.
[Image Suggestion: A close-up shot of a hand highlighting a single date on a calendar (January 1st) with a small computer screen in the background showing a simple financial summary. Alt Text: A calendar showing the annual 1-hour check-up for Set It and Forget It Investing rebalancing.]
If you’re looking for practical, easy-to-follow examples of how to combine those funds into a stable portfolio, this Recipe Investing article offers 11 simple combination ideas that perfectly align with the Set It and Forget It Investing philosophy: Learn More Here.
An Honest Word on Performance (Let’s Be Real)
I always want to be straight with you, so let’s talk about the hard stuff.
You’ll hear some finance gurus on the news saying that in today’s fast-changing economy, a simple Set It and Forget It Investing approach might not deliver those same huge, high-flying returns we saw a few years back.
And you know what? They might be right.
But here’s the thing: we’re not playing their game.
Our goal isn’t to squeeze every last drop of profit out of the market. Our goal is to sleep well at night. It’s about building a financial fortress for our family, not betting on a racehorse.
The greatest return you can get is Financial Peace of Mind. When the market gets scary, our simple system is the armor that protects you from emotional panic. This is the enduring strength of Set It and Forget It Investing.
Conclusion: Stop Trading Stress for Wealth
The core value of the Set It and Forget It Investing system is that it gives you back your life.
You transform from an anxious, busy investor into a calm, systematic family leader who is in control.
This isn’t about numbers; it’s about making sure you and your family can sleep well tonight, knowing the system is working for you.
Your First Step to Control: Understanding the theory is only half the battle. You need an action plan to implement this system immediately. I’ve distilled my entire blueprint into a free, quick-read PDF checklist.
👉 Click Here to Grab My FREE “7-Minute Retirement Quickstart” Guide!
Let’s build that machine and reclaim your peace of mind.
