Ep 6 | The Hands-Off Investing Playbook That Actually Works

In this conversation, Priya Malani demystifies investing, emphasizing that it is not gambling or a get-rich-quick scheme. She highlights the common misconceptions surrounding investing and explains the importance of a long-term strategy. Malani advocates for a simple approach to investing through low-cost index funds, automation, and patience, while warning against the pitfalls of trying to time the market or chase quick wins. The discussion aims to empower listeners to take control of their financial future by understanding the true nature of investing.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why real investing is a long-term game—not a quick win.

• The biggest mistake most people make: confusing investing with gambling.

• How automation and consistency lead to better investment outcomes.

• Why the best investors are the ones who set it and forget it.

Follow Priya Malani:

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Transcription

If you buy into the fact that investing is complicated, risky, not something that you can ever understand, you're being played.

Hey guys, I'm really glad you're here. If you were thinking about skipping this episode because investing feels just a little reckless, we're going to set the record straight today. Here’s the truth: investing, done right, is actually super straightforward. I know that might sound too good to be true, especially for those of you who maybe haven’t started yet, but stick with me. Despite how simple and straightforward it really is, most people are actually doing it wrong.

Let’s start by talking about what investing is not.

Investing is not gambling. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, and I only bring this up because I’ve heard people say it enough to know that they think it. Investing is not a way to double your money before your wedding next year. If you're chasing quick wins, you're not thinking about investing—you're thinking about gambling. Two completely different things. Yet, because of all the noise, many people lump investing into the same category as gambling. They think it’s risky and stupid. Unfortunately, that narrative is overused, and it's only hurting you. It's keeping you away from investing and might just be creating fear where there doesn't need to be any.

So why do so many people get confused about what investing actually is? Why do we think of investing as so closely aligned with gambling? The good news is, it’s not your fault. Wall Street has done a terrible job of explaining what investing actually is. And the more complicated investing seems, the more power, control, and fees stay in Wall Street’s hands. If they can convince you that investing is too complex for you to understand and that it’s risky, you’ll gladly pay them to do it for you. If you buy into the idea that investing is complicated, risky, and something you could never understand, you’re being played. You're letting them win.

A lot of people think they know what investing looks like. They picture some ultra-wealthy guy—let’s call him Chad—standing at a private cocktail party in a Manhattan penthouse, swirling his overpriced Negroni while casually talking to a hedge fund manager. Chad acts like, “Oh, I understand. I’m nodding, listening, and smirking.” He says to the hedge fund manager, "Alright, let’s see what you can do with my money." By the time dessert is served, he’s already decided to wire over a million bucks first thing Monday morning. And if the hedge fund guy delivers, maybe he’ll send more.

That’s not investing—that’s gambling with a Negroni in your hand. But people look at those guys and think, “Oh, those are serious investors. That’s where real investing happens. I need to get in on that.” Wrong. Real investing isn’t about placing bets and hoping you pick a winner. It’s not about handing your money over to a hedge fund manager, crossing your fingers, and hoping you can trust him (remember Madoff?). And it’s definitely not about “testing the waters” before going all in. I hear people say, “I’m just investing a little. I’m just testing the waters.” That’s not a thing. That’s what you do in Vegas right before your confidence builds—and before you lose your shirt.

“Testing the waters” when it comes to investing is gambling. Investing, on the other hand, is a system and a process. It’s a long-term game where the rules don’t change just because you have more money. The fundamental rules of investing don’t change when you go from being a high earner to being really wealthy. Sure, when you’re wealthy, you might have more money laying around and want to gamble with some of it. But the fundamental rules of investing are the same for everyone.

People who actually build wealth through investing aren’t making one-off bets. They’re playing the long game. If you still hold onto the mentality of “Let me start with a little and see what happens,” you need to let that go. Real investors don’t test the market. They own the market.

Now, what’s worse is that the very people who are supposed to help the average person get started with investing—let’s call them traditional financial advisors—are making a huge mistake in how they teach you to invest. Instead of showing you a simple strategy that works, they push complex strategies, stock picking, and active management. By the way, these methods come with high fees and usually underperform the market.

Now that we’ve cleared up what investing isn’t, let’s talk about the biggest mistake most people make when they try to invest: they think they’re only winning if they’re outperforming the market. People believe they need to time their moves, pick the right stocks, follow market trends, and react to financial news. They convince themselves that there’s some sort of secret they just haven’t unlocked, one that will let them buy low, sell high, and finally crack the code to getting ahead.

Here’s the truth: the more you mess with your investments, the worse off you are. Don’t listen to the news. Study after study proves this: the investor who constantly buys, sells, tweaks, and reacts almost always underperforms the ones who just leave their investments alone.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate. A few years ago, the big financial institution Fidelity analyzed all the different types of accounts they manage—brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, employer sponsorships, you name it. They wanted to find out which accounts had the best performance. And what they found was fascinating. The best performing accounts weren’t managed by expert investors. They weren’t even managed at all. The best performing accounts were 401(k)s. Want to know why? Because most people forget their passwords. I kid you not—people who forget their passwords actually outperformed people who could log in to check their balances.

The single most effective thing you can do for your investments is leave them the hell alone. If that sounds crazy, let me tell you about someone we all know very well who bet a million dollars on this exact idea and won. In 2007, Warren Buffett made a million-dollar bet. He wagered that a boring, hands-off S&P 500 index fund would outperform hedge fund managers over 10 years. He gave them a decade. Now, keep in mind that hedge fund managers are some of the smartest minds in finance. They use complex strategies, high-frequency trading, and every advantage possible. And yet, Warren Buffett won. The index he picked returned 7.1% per year, while the hedge funds averaged just around 2.2%. A total embarrassment.

The lesson? Even experts can’t consistently beat the market. And if they can’t do it, why do you think you can?

Some of you might be thinking, “Okay, I get it. Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to outperform. But what exactly should I be doing if investing isn’t gambling or stock picking or handing my money to some finance guy?”

Here’s your answer.

Investing is the process of owning assets that grow over time—not overnight. Investing is about owning a small piece of the companies that power the world, and then leaving them alone. It’s not about chasing winners; it’s about owning the market. It’s not about reacting to news; it’s about consistency. That’s it. It’s not complicated. And frankly, it’s not that exciting, which is why most people tend to ignore proper investing. For most of us, it doesn’t even feel like it’s working.

Now, some of you might still be nodding along and saying, “Yeah, I get it,” but then turn around and say things like, “I’m waiting on the sidelines until the time is right,” or “I don’t want to invest too much. I’ll start small and add more if it does well,” or “I don’t have time, so I’m thinking about hiring someone to manage my portfolio,” or “I’ll just invest in whatever hot stock everyone’s talking about and see what happens.”

If you’ve said any of these things, you still don’t get it. Investing isn’t about timing, testing, or betting. It’s simply about owning. The stock market goes up over time—not every day, not every month, and sometimes not even every year. But historically, over decades, it has always increased in value. That’s why the people who just set it and forget it are the ones who actually build wealth. The stock market doesn’t reward you for being the smartest person in the room. It rewards the most patient person.

So, how do you actually get started? Here’s the only strategy you need: Own the market and don’t tinker.

Step one: Invest in a series of broad, low-cost index funds. This isn’t about trying to pick the next Amazon; it’s about owning every company that makes up the economy and letting the best ones naturally rise to the top.

Step two: Automate your contributions and forget about it. Set up auto-investing so you don’t have to think about it. Just like those 401(k) accounts that outperformed everyone else, automation forces you to stay consistent—and consistency wins.

Step three: Stay in the market no matter what. The only way you lose is by pulling out when the market drops. The market is built to recover. Your job is to stay put. That’s it. No picking stocks. No obsessing over news cycles. No playing it safe on the sidelines.

The less you do, the better you'll perform.

There’s obviously a lot more to talk about when it comes to investing, but here’s what I want you to take away today: The best investment performance usually goes to the investors who literally forget they’re investing. That’s how little you should be messing with your money once it’s in the market.

You’ll hear stories about your friend who bought a stock and made it big, or the guy who got into Tesla early, or the crypto bro who swears he cracked the code. That’s called survivorship bias. For every stock someone brags about making money on, there are at least 12 others they tanked on and will never bring up. You only hear the wins, never the losses. And guess what? Those big wins? They’re not a strategy. They’re just lucky bets.

So don’t get caught up in that hype. Just get started.

If you have questions after this episode, find me, DM me, and let me know. I’ll make sure to cover them. For now, just start. Automate, leave it alone, and watch what happens. That’s how you build wealth. And now you know.

See you next time.

Thanks for listening to The F Word with Priya Malani. If you like what you heard, hit subscribe wherever you're listening and leave us a review while you’re at it. We’re approval junkies. Don't forget to check out StashWealth.com for resources, content, courses, and other freebies.

THE STUFF OUR LAWYERS WANT US TO SAY: Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.