Election Day is November 3rd, and in this short episode I make the case that this midterm is about our children's future, so have a plan to vote as early in the day as you can and bring friends with you. Then I take a one-liner I heard from Dave Ramsey, save $1,000 a month for 15 years and you'll have $500,000, and I run the math. It only works if a 12% return shows up every single year, and when I ran 100 tries with real-world ups and downs, it reached $500,000 only 28 times. Key Takeaways This midterm is about our children's future, so vote on Election Day, November 3rd, as early in the day as you can, and consider taking the day off. Find the neighbors and friends who haven't voted, and give them a ride to the polls. Saving $1,000 a month for 15 years reaches $500,000 only if you earn about 12% every single year. An average return is not an actual return: the same 12% average dropped to about $402,000 with one bad year, and 100 simulated tries reached $500,000 only 28 times. Build certainty at the bottom first, then invest in things you control, so taking risk never touches your family's future. Keywords Gary's Gulch, Gary Pinkerton, 2026 midterm elections, vote early, Election Day November 3, bring friends to the polls, Dave Ramsey, $1,000 a month retirement, save $500,000 in 15 years, 12% average return, average vs actual return, sequence of return risk, Monte Carlo simulation, retirement planning, Social Security, S&P 500, hierarchy of wealth, certainty, financial planning Episode Highlights [00:00:00 - 00:01:00] Gary is traveling, recording ahead, and predicting that early voting is working. [00:01:00 - 00:02:00] Why Gary says the stakes are bigger than party, and why we can debate ideas again in two years. [00:02:00 - 00:03:00] Vote as soon as possible on November 3rd, consider taking the day off, and give friends and neighbors a ride. [00:06:00 - 00:07:00] About $13 more a week than at $3, and the tariffs and $5,000 per adult Gary says are coming. [00:08:00 - 00:09:00] The financial calculator says $1,000 a month to $500,000 in 180 months needs about 11.9%. [00:10:00 - 00:11:00] A 15-year S&P 500 period averaging about 12% grows to $501,000 only if every year is the same. [00:11:00 - 00:12:00] The same 12% average with a 6.5% final year yields 9.55% and about $402,000, and order changes the result. [00:12:00 - 00:13:00] Counting success only at $500,000 or higher, Gary's plan got there 28 times out of 100. [00:13:00 - 00:14:00] A lifetime of financial decisions can't be fixed with one quick trick. [00:15:00 - 00:16:00] Gary's submarine command tour, the money he lost, and the five years it cost him with his kids. [00:16:00 - 00:17:00] If it only works 90% of the time, would you get on the plane? Why quick answers put you at risk, not the advisor. [00:17:00 - end] The hierarchy of wealth, investing in what you control, and the closing call to vote.
