Investment Fundamentals for Recovery Phase

In Episode 28 of "Real Money Pathway," host David Kim tackles the fear that stops many people rebuilding after financial setbacks from investing - and shares exactly how he overcame it. Starting with just $25 per week after being paralyzed by investment fear for two years post-bankruptcy, David reveals his journey from basic savings to building a substantial investment portfolio. This episode provides the investment readiness checklist David developed, explaining when you're truly ready to start investing versus when you need to keep building your foundation. Listeners will discover why David chose target retirement funds at Vanguard, how to start small and build systematically rather than waiting for large sums, and the critical distinction between risk tolerance and risk capacity that changes everything for people in recovery. David shares his first experience with market volatility as a new investor, how systematic investing protected him from emotional decisions, and why his tiered investment approach enabled both long-term wealth building and intermediate opportunities. This practical episode transforms investing from an overwhelming challenge into a systematic process that anyone can start, regardless of their past financial mistakes or current account balance.