The Market Hustle

Should you stick with ETFs, buy individual stocks, or own a mix of both?

In this episode, Josh sits down with Baafi, Pierce, and Fernando to break down how each of them approaches ETFs and individual stocks and why there isn’t one “right” way to invest.

Josh shares why roughly 80% of his portfolio is built around boring, long-term ETFs while the other 20% gives him room to own individual companies he has conviction in.

We also get into:

• Why picking winning stocks is harder than it looks
• The pros and cons of ETFs vs. individual stocks
• How much research individual stocks actually require
• Why a great company doesn’t always mean a great stock
• How emotions and quick wins can hurt investors
• Why broad-market ETFs can make investing much simpler
• The importance of understanding what your ETFs actually own
• Why not every ETF is automatically diversified
• How to think about building a portfolio you can actually stick with

The goal of this episode isn’t to tell you what to buy.

It’s to help you better understand the game you’re playing so you can build an investing approach that fits your goals, your personality, and how involved you actually want to be.

If you want to go deeper on diversification, ETF overlap, and understanding what you actually own, check out Beyond the S&P 500: A Thinking Investor’s Guide to Diversification: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/diversify

And Baafi recently launched a new page focused on investing and financial literacy. Follow him here: https://www.instagram.com/wealth.playbook/

Stack assets & enjoy life.

– The Market Hustle

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Beyond the S&P 500 is available for pre-order at $27 until September 4th, when it goes to $37. It goes over the other asset classes beyond the S&P 500, how they behave, and how to think about building around a core. Pre-order here: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/diversify

Most people pay their phone bill, their rent, and their electric bill without thinking about it. Then they treat investing like something optional they'll get to when it feels right.

Josh, Pierce, Baafi, and Fernando get into why that ordering is backwards, and what changes when you move investing up the list.

The four of us run completely different systems. One of us is fully automated, one buys manually every two weeks because he enjoys it, one pulls a percentage from every income source into an account with no debit card attached. Same principle, four different builds. We compare them honestly, including where each one breaks.

We also get into the part nobody covers: what you actually cut when income drops.

In this episode we cover: 

- Why automation protects you from yourself, and when manual investing still makes sense
- How to build a system when your income is irregular or commission-based
- What to cut first when money gets tight and why investing goes last
- Why waiting for a dip fails most people who try it
- How Pierce learned compounding at four years old from a $1.50 and a Hot Wheels car
- Why saving alone lost people purchasing power over the last decade
- What passing down money without passing down the knowledge actually produces

If you've been meaning to get consistent and haven't, this one is about the mechanics of making it happen anyway.

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Build your automated investing system: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/mastery

Side note: All figures in this video are as of July 2026. Mortgage rates, home prices, and market data change over time. Run the numbers for your own market before making a decision.

Renting isn't always "throwing money away" and buying isn't always the smart move either. The right choice comes down to how long you plan to stay and whether you actually follow through on investing the difference. In this video, you'll see the real numbers behind a rent vs buy decision, and the 3 forces that tip the math in favor of owning over the long run.

0:00 Renting Is Throwing Money Away (Or Is It?)
1:01 The Real Math Behind Buying a Home
1:49 Meet Ryan and Deborah: Buy vs. Rent
3:57 Why Renting Wins in the Short Term
5:06 The 3 Forces That Favor Long-Term Buying
8:22 When Renting Actually Makes Sense
10:44 The Financial Foundation You Need Before Buying A House

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Grab the FREE cheatsheet here: http://bit.ly/4wjwMz3 — Is it safe to invest when the S&P 500 keeps hitting all-time highs? Here's what 70+ years of market history actually shows and why trying to time the market usually backfires.

There is no single, universal and always-reliable way to buy extremely low and sell at all-time highs. But there are ways to actually win in the long term in spite of market crashes.

In this video, you'll learn how strategies like dollar-cost averaging can become a foundational, reliable approach for stacking assets and building long-term wealth in the S&P 500 and beyond.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 The World's Unluckiest Investor
0:52 What You're Actually Buying When You Invest
2:45 The 3 Engines That Drive the Stock Market Higher
4:36 Why Even the Worst Investor Made 245%
6:37 Why Dollar-Cost Averaging Beats Waiting
9:38 The Biggest Risks Facing the Market Today
10:49 The Long-Term Bet That Has Worked for 70+ Years

👉 Read the full newsletter: https://www.themarkethustle.com/news/should-you-keep-investing-at-all-time-highs

🔔 Subscribe for more investing breakdowns.

#investing #stockmarket #dollarcostaveraging #sp500 #longterminvesting

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In this episode of the show, we have the pleasure to welcome another member of The Market Hustle’s community. Heather Chauvin joins to share her story overcoming financial and health struggle over the years, and how she was able to build a life with financial stability and options through her professional and emotional work. In today’s conversation, you will learn about the importance of prioritizing where you invest your time and money, Heather’s unconventional approach to paying off credit card debt, and learning to have tough but important money conversations.

Heather’s Time and Energy Audit:
heatherchauvin.com/audit (Use promo code: markethustle197)

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Josh: 
themarkethustle.com/apply

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:23 Heather’s “A-ha” Moment on Being Financially Resourced
4:58 Living in Alignment with Your Values
7:11 Heather’s Early Financial Mistakes
10:22 An Unconventional Story of Paying Off Debt
16:13 Navigating Your Relationship’s Financial Vision
19:51 What You Resist Grows Bigger
23:34 Where You Invest Reveals What You Value
25:08 Emotionally Uncomfortable, but Intelligent Financial Decisions
28:25 Overcoming Scarcity Mindset & Energy Leaks
34:30 Auditing Your Current Time and Energy
36:56 “If the Desire Is in You, It’s for You”

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In this episode of the show, Jon (a member of TMH’s community) joins Josh, Baafi, Pierce and Fernando to dive into his journey going from 100k USD in debt to 100k USD in assets. Jon is a veteran turned IT professional, with unique life experience that taught him about paying off debt, team work with his wife, and building wealth step by step. In today’s conversation, you will also learn about what it is like to move abroad constantly and how being comfortable with discomfort is essential to financial success. This episode is full of financial knowledge gained by real experience and not theory, which is fundamental for you if you’re stacking assets for the long-term.

Build Your Financial System With Money Mastery: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/mastery

1:1 Coaching With Josh: https://coaching.themarkethustle.com/

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:02 Check-in with cohosts

2:48 Jon’s investing journey

4:43 Debt: An avalanche effect in the wrong direction

7:49 You cannot outinvest bad spending habits

9:43 Jon’s work as an IT professional

10:44 Life as an expat and moving abroad

16:30 Traveling teaches you we are fundamentally all the same

17:54 Jon’s view on a successful marriage & family finances

22:47 Straightforward steps to start building wealth

30:13 Breaking financial failure patterns from parents

36:21 The real value behind money and assets

39:57 Mortgages as a good debt category

42:14 You need to accept some level of risk to get the rewards

46:13 Reaching 100k USD in net worth

48:59 Investing doesn’t need to be overcomplicated

51:26 Financial lessons Jon will teach his future children

54:28 When you’re stressed out you don’t think clearly

57:58 The climb to the top might get lonely

1:00:47 Understanding how rich people built their path

1:03:08 Letting compound effect work in the right direction

1:07:46 You can dramatically change your life direction

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In this episode, Marcos (a member of TMH community) joins the show to share his financial journey as a young investor. 

Being only 20 years old, Marcos has developed a disciplined approach and already stacked over 45k USD in his portfolio. 

In this episode, you will learn why discipline is essential to maximize compound interest, why starting is the most important stage and how strategic planning can help you retire early.

Build Your Financial System With Money Mastery: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/mastery

1:1 Coaching With Josh: https://coaching.themarkethustle.com/

Timestamps:

0:00 Marcos’ journey with investing at 20 y/o
4:03 Marcos’ role models and early lessons
5:45 Translating discipline from other fields into finance
7:52 An aggressive and diversified long-term strategy
12:23 Marcos’ financial & business goals
14:56 Retiring early requires strategic planning
16:59 Individual stocks vs ETFs
21:49 Shiny object syndrome in investing
23:03 Having financial advisors
24:11 Learning the language of investing
25:08 How to start investing as a young person
27:13 The hardest and most important part is starting
30:07 Compound interest & the 100k mark
34:04 Handling big sell offs when you start investing
36:33 Discipline and goals will bring results

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These are 8 lessons that are fundamental for enjoying life while building wealth through investing. Investing doesn’t need to be overcomplicated, it just requires having the right mindset about money, learning how to keep things simple and understanding what you truly value in life.

Timestamps:
0:00 Stack assets and enjoy life
0:41 Cultivating an investor mindset
1:12 Money from a place of strength and calm
2:18 Increase income streams and leverage
2:46 Smart investments in bull & bear runs
3:13 How to approach individual stocks
4:32 Don’t chase investment hype
5:11 How to outperform 90% of investors
5:47 Investing in your 20s

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In this episode, Josh, Baafi and Pierce discuss about the market during the first two months of 2026 and about different aspects of investing in emerging markets. This conversation is really valuable if you are thinking about expanding your investments beyond the US and into rapidly growing international markets. Tune in to learn about the economy, financial considerations and the reality of investing globally in today’s world.

Side note: This podcast was recorded on 3/5/2026. 

Timestamps

0:00 Intro

1:15 Baafi’s new finance role

2:35 Don’t burn out trying to beat the market

7:00 You never really know why big players sell

11:23 Different strategies work in different seasons

15:02 Pierce’s new finance role & financial peace

17:07 The US & international markets in 2026

22:32 Investing in emerging markets

29:43 Emerging vs Developed markets

32:37 Emerging Markets Funds (like VWO)

38:40 VWO as an an emerging markets asset

42:27 Volatility when investing in emerging economies

45:24 How developed economies face crisis

47:33 Understanding the economy of the US

58:19 Controlling your controlables

1:03:22 Grow your share of ownership

Build Your Financial System With Money Mastery: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/mastery

1:1 Coaching With Josh: https://coaching.themarkethustle.com/

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In this episode, Josh and Sarah (a community member of TMH) dive into Sarah’s financial journey, from being 35k USD in debt to living a life of balance and building wealth for her future self. This is a valuable conversation on what it actually means to overcome the scarcity mindset and financial struggle, and on how a moment of clarity can lead to a completely new financial life.

Timestamps:

0:00 From $35k in debt to a new financial mindset

5:12 Compound interest applies to debt too

10:27 How Sarah paid off her debt

15:45 “I don’t ever wanna find myself here again”

17:42 The price of taking the easy financial route

19:19 Sarah’s current financially balanced life

26:09 Financial Return on Enjoyment

29:22 Outgrowing the scarcity mindset

36:56 Looking back at financial achievements

41:41 Making hard times easier for your future self

43:47 Tools for financial literacy are easily accessible

45:56 Making your future life financially easier

47:51 Zoom out & stay active

50:11 The snowball effect of micro-goals

51:32 Don’t be shy and stay hungry

Build Your Financial System With Money Mastery: https://learn.themarkethustle.com/mastery

1:1 Coaching With Josh: https://coaching.themarkethustle.com/

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