Inside Out Money 146. The Boring Middle - Stop Waiting for Retirement to Start Living
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Jan 19, 2026 The podcast explores the elusive 'Boring Middle' of financial planning, where initial excitement fades. Hosts discuss how this phase signifies success and the importance of patience and compounding interest. They address the temptation to tinker with investments and the dangers of social media distractions. Reframing this phase as 'coast FI,' they encourage listeners to pursue life goals now. Strategies include setting intermediate milestones, gamifying non-financial achievements, and automating savings to stay disciplined and engaged.
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Boring Middle Is Progress
- The "boring middle" is the phase after optimizing finances but before hitting a target number.
- It signals discipline and the need to let compounding and time do the heavy lifting.
A Decade Of Quiet Compounding
- Andrew describes a decade-long boring middle from about 2010–2020 with steady investing.
- VTSAX returned ~14% annually and $1,000 in 2010 grew to ~$7,200, illustrating compounding power.
Forgetting Beats Frequent Tinkering
- People who forget accounts or don't tinker often outperform active traders.
- The best results come from not messing with long-term investments when emotions run high.
