November 16, 2025

Happy Sunday, everyone! 🌤️

Good morning! I hope you’re having a relaxing start to the day — maybe a slow cup of coffee, maybe a walk, maybe just some well-earned quiet. Sundays are the perfect time to zoom out a little — to think not just about the week ahead, but the direction your life is heading in.

Here’s a little thought to kick things off: investors don’t just look at where something is today — they think about where it’s going. 📈 What if you started thinking that way about your own life? Your time, your habits, your relationships — they’re all investments that can compound over time.

That’s exactly what today’s post explores: How to Think Like an Investor in Everyday Life. Because the truth is, you don’t need to trade stocks to think like one — you just need to start seeing yourself as an asset worth growing.

— Ryan Rincon, Founder at The Wealth Wagon Inc.

— William Butler Yeats

Mark Spitznagel, who made $1B in a single day during the 2015 flash crash, warns markets are mimicking 1929. Yeah, just another oracle spouting gloom and doom, right?

Vanguard and Goldman Sachs forecast just 5% and 3% annual S&P returns respectively for the next decade (2024-2034).

Bonds? Not much better.

Enough warning signals—what’s something investors can actually do to diversify this week?

Almost no one knows this, but postwar and contemporary art appreciated 11.2% annually with near-zero correlation to equities from 1995–2024, according to Masterworks Data.

And sure… billionaires like Bezos and Gates can make headlines at auction, but what about the rest of us?

Masterworks makes it possible to invest in legendary artworks by Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more – without spending millions.

23 exits. Net annualized returns like 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%. $1.2 billion invested.

Shares in new offerings can sell quickly but…

👉 [My subscribers skip the waitlist].*

_{*Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd.}

Bitcoin has plunged to $94,000, hitting its lowest level in six months as investors grow increasingly anxious about deteriorating macroeconomic conditions. Analysts say rising interest rates, slowing global growth, and weakening risk appetite are driving the selloff. Traders warn that volatility could intensify if inflation data continues to surprise to the upside.

Blue Origin has completed its first ocean landing of the New Glenn booster after a second attempt, marking a major milestone in its reusable rocket program. The successful recovery demonstrates significant progress toward lowering launch costs and competing with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. Engineers say the booster performed “better than expected” in stability and descent tests.

A former Mercer Island CFO has been found guilty of wire fraud after losing $35 million in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Prosecutors say the executive diverted company funds into high-risk crypto positions that ultimately collapsed. Investigators described the case as a stark reminder of how rapidly digital-asset speculation can spiral into financial ruin.

The U.S. has dropped tariffs on a wide range of imported food products, including beef, bananas, and dairy items. Officials say the move aims to ease inflationary pressure on groceries and give families relief heading into the holidays. Economists note the policy shift could also help smooth tensions with key trade partners.

China’s retail sales grew at their slowest pace in more than a year, signaling weakening consumer confidence across the world’s second-largest economy. Analysts attribute the slowdown to soft labor conditions, cautious household spending, and lingering property-market stress. The disappointing data has raised fresh concerns about China’s near-term growth trajectory.

Initial U.S. jobless claims ticked higher after three consecutive weeks of declines, offering a mixed picture of the labor market. While unemployment filings remain historically low, economists say rising layoffs in tech and retail may signal early cracks. The latest data will be closely watched as companies adjust heading into year-end.

China has issued a strong warning for its citizens to avoid travel to Japan as tensions escalate over Taiwan. Officials accuse Japan of taking “provocative actions” in the region as military activity ramps up. The advisory underscores deepening diplomatic strain between two of Asia’s largest powers.

Iran has confirmed the seizure of an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating concerns about maritime security in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. Officials claim the tanker was in violation of regional protocol, though Western governments have challenged the allegation. The incident is expected to heighten geopolitical friction in the Gulf.

Pope Francis has returned 62 cultural artifacts to Indigenous communities in Canada as part of ongoing reconciliation efforts. The items were originally taken during colonial-era expeditions and later stored in Vatican collections. Indigenous leaders say the repatriation marks a significant symbolic step — though many emphasize that broader reparative work is still needed.

You don’t need millions in the market to start thinking like an investor.

In fact, the people who get rich don’t just invest their money — they invest their decisions, time, and attention the same way.
Everyday investors think in dollars.
Wealth builders think in returns — on everything.

So let’s break down how to start applying investor thinking — not just in your portfolio, but in how you work, spend, and live.

When you think like an investor, you stop seeing money as a “spend” — and start seeing it as a seed.

Every dollar you use is either:

That’s the dividing line between a spender and an investor.

✅ Spender: “Can I afford this?”
💡 Investor: “Will this generate a return — financially, mentally, or strategically?”

You can apply this to everything.

Every decision has an ROI.
Smart people just measure it.

Money gets the spotlight, but time is the real compounder.
And most people spend it like they have unlimited supply.

The wealthy don’t just track their expenses — they track their time allocations.

Try this:
For one week, write down how you spend every hour — yes, every single one.

Then ask:

Be honest.

If you’re spending 80% of your week maintaining instead of building — you’re investing your time in stability, not growth.

And that’s fine… until you realize stability doesn’t compound.

To fix it, set a target ratio:

That 30% is your “time investment fund.”
It’s where your future net worth comes from.

This is an elite-level investor principle — and one of the most powerful ways to protect and grow wealth.

Optionality means having more than one good move to make at any time.

When markets crash, optionality is cash on hand.
When jobs disappear, optionality is a side business or a valuable network.
When AI shifts industries, optionality is skills that can’t be automated.

Most people only look for options after they’ve lost them.

Investors create them before they need them.

Here’s how to build it:

Optionality doesn’t just make you richer. It makes you safer.

Your name is a financial asset — seriously.

In business, reputation reduces friction.
In investing, it attracts opportunities.
In your career, it commands higher pay.

The people with the best opportunities aren’t always the richest — they’re the most trusted.

That trust builds the same way compound interest does:
Slowly at first. Then suddenly.

You build it through:

Think of reputation as your personal brand equity.
You’re either investing in it every day… or letting it depreciate.

Most people chase higher pay by working harder.
Investors chase leverage — doing more with less effort.

Leverage comes in three forms:

Let’s say you’re a business owner making $200k/year manually managing everything.
If you build a simple CRM or hire an assistant to automate half your workload, you just doubled your capacity without doubling hours.

That’s leverage.
It’s the difference between being busy and being scalable.

You don’t need a brokerage account to be an investor.

You just need to start making decisions like one.

That’s how the financially independent live — not by chasing money, but by constantly investing in better decisions.

Because the truth is, you’re always investing.
The only question is — what are you getting in return?