Everyone wants to climb the wealth ladder - but very few ask if they should. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Nick Maggiulli to explore the six stages of wealth, how your strategy should evolve at each level, and why reaching the top isn’t always the win it seems.

From early savings and side hustles to ownership leverage and lifestyle trade-offs, Nick guides us through practical, data-driven ways to build wealth, without losing sight of happiness along the way. If you’re somewhere between $10K and $10M, this episode is for you.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro
6:34 The Wealth Ladder Model
16:55 The 0.01% Rule & Smart Restraint
21:02 Time’s Role in Wealth Building
24:02 Demographics, Inflation & Shifting Rungs
30:29 How to Climb (and Avoid Falling)
41:19 The Ownership Threshold
50:20 Knowing When to Stop Climbing
54:45 Wealth vs. Happiness
1:08:01 Crypto, Leverage & Final Advice

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RESOURCES

Nick Maggiulli
https://x.com/dollarsanddata

Nick’s Blog
https://ofdollarsanddata.com/

The Wealth Ladder Book
https://a.co/d/1okUAwh

Sohail Bloom’s Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Rywzypi64

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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠