TradeWize · Blog
Investing, explained in plain English.
Everything you need to understand investing and keep up with the markets.
Leveraged ETFs: Does TQQQ Really Decay? 3x the Nasdaq, Tested
TQQQ turned $10,000 into $3.3 million since 2010. So why do people say leveraged ETFs decay? We tested it on the real fund and on 41 years of the Nasdaq-100.
Read the article →How Big Should Your Emergency Fund Be, and Where Should You Keep It?
The rule of thumb is three to six months of spending. We checked it against how long job searches really last, what stocks did every time jobs were lost since 1948, and what each place to keep cash pays today.
Read the article →Is a Financial Advisor Worth It? What a 1% Fee Really Costs
A typical advisor charges about 1% a year. On $500,000 over 30 years, the middle result in our test was $634,000 smaller in today's money. We priced advice, ran the fee through US market history since 1928, and checked what advisors say they add against what's been measured.
Read the article →Pay Off Your Mortgage Early or Invest? Tested on 69 Mortgages
Paying an extra $500 a month on a $300,000 mortgage at today's 7.40% saves $217,000 in interest. Investing it instead usually ended up with more, but not always. We ran 69 mortgages through US history to see when each one won.
Read the article →Are Annuities Worth It? What $100,000 Pays at 65, Tested
At 65, $100,000 buys a US man about $7,788 a year for life. That's nearly twice what the 4% rule lets you take. But he has to live to 78 to get his money back, and inflation eats the payment. We ran the numbers.
Read the article →Is Gold a Good Investment? Gold vs Stocks Since 1971, Measured
$10,000 in gold in 1971 grew to $1.16 million. The same money in US stocks grew to $3.30 million. But gold won three of the six decades, and it rose in most years stocks fell. Here's the whole record.
Read the article →The 4% Rule: How Much Do You Need to Retire? (Tested Since 1928)
Save 25 times what you spend, take 4% a year, and the money lasts 30 years. We ran that rule through every US retirement since 1928. It worked 65 of 69 times. Outside the US, the record is a lot worse.
Read the article →How Much Money Do You Need to Day Trade? (2026, After the $25,000 Rule)
The $25,000 rule is gone. You can day trade a US margin account with $2,000 now. The harder question is what $2,000 can earn, and the research has an answer.
Read the article →Best Futures Brokers for Beginners: What One Trade Really Costs (2026)
Buying and selling one Micro E-mini costs $1.24 at one broker and $5.24 at another. On a contract that moves $1.25 a tick, that gap is the whole game.
Read the article →Best Options Trading Platforms for Beginners: What Each One Charges (2026)
Opening and closing 10 option contracts costs nothing at two platforms and $40 at another. The bigger cost is one no fee table shows.
Read the article →Prop Firm Challenges: What They Cost and How Many Traders Get Paid (2026)
A prop firm challenge looks like a cheap way to trade $100,000. Out of every 100 people who buy one, 14 pass and 7 ever get paid.
Read the article →Best Crypto Exchanges for Beginners: What $1,000 of Bitcoin Really Costs (2026)
Every exchange has two prices for the same bitcoin. The one behind the big Buy button is the expensive one.
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