Choosing a broker: the five terms that actually matter
Most broker "comparisons" rank logos and promos. The terms that change your real outcome are fees, custody, product access, margin rules and tax reporting. A practical checklist.
Frameworks, not signals
Invest desk
The investing desk covers three pillars — US equities, digital-asset exposure through regulated wrappers, and gold — plus the macro plumbing that connects them. Everything is written as a general framework you can apply yourself. We publish no signals, no model portfolios tied to your situation, and no "buy this now" calls.
- Portfolio construction
- Broker comparison
- Gold & real assets
- Digital-asset wrappers
- Risk management
Desk stats
- Published pieces
- 4
- Interactive tools
- 3
Tools on this desk
All tools → Invest Most used
DCA vs lump-sum calculator
Project a monthly contribution plan against a one-off investment, with real (inflation-adjusted) output and a contribution-vs-growth breakdown.
Open tool Invest
Cross-asset growth comparator
Compare compounding paths for equities, gold, bitcoin-style volatility and cash side by side — including a drawdown stress test.
Open tool Invest
Risk-capacity questionnaire
Eight questions that map your time horizon, liquidity buffer and loss tolerance to a general allocation band — not a recommendation.
Open toolLatest research
DCA vs lump sum: what the evidence actually says
Lump-sum investing wins about two-thirds of the time on historical data, yet dollar-cost averaging still makes sense for most people. Here is the trade-off, with the arithmetic laid out.
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Interactive tool
Gold vs equities: what each one is actually for
Gold and stocks are not competitors — they answer different questions. A look at their roles, their correlation, and why most portfolios hold both in small amounts.
Volatility drag: why variance quietly eats your returns
Two assets with the same average return can end up with very different outcomes once volatility is in the mix. Here is the arithmetic of variance drag, with the formula and a worked example.
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Interactive tool