Why I Stopped Buying Mutual Funds and Started Running My Own
What 8,000 mutual funds taught me about taking control of my investments
I’ve reviewed over 8,000 mutual funds — combed through their holdings, strategies, performance data, and fee structures. And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Not a single one consistently outperforms the index it most closely mirrors.
Why? Because even if the underlying investments are solid, the structure of most mutual funds quietly eats away at your returns. Between expense ratios, management fees, and hidden costs, your capital is paying for overhead — not performance.
Over time, those fees compound against you. And they’re one of the key reasons mutual funds, on average, underperform the market.
Like many investors, I was initially drawn in by the promise: access to seasoned money managers, institutional strategies, and diversification — all in one share. I remember flipping through the fund brochures, studying every position like I was preparing for battle. It felt like a shortcut to Wall Street.
But that made sense in a different era.
The Old World: High Barriers to Entry
In the past, trading was expensive. A single trade could cost $50 in and $50 out — even at discount brokerages. Trying to build your own diversified portfolio wasn’t just risky — it was prohibitively expensive. You needed significant capital just to justify the transaction costs.
Mutual funds offered a way around that. For a small investor, they were the best game in town.
The New World: You’re the Fund Manager Now
Fast forward to today, and the investing landscape has changed dramatically:
Zero-commission trades at most major brokerages
Fractional shares let you invest in top-tier stocks for just a few dollars
Low or no account minimums make it easy to get started
You no longer need thousands of dollars to build a diversified portfolio — you can do it with $75.
That’s exactly how much it takes to invest in all 15 stocks in my Lunar Landing Portfolio — a focused, hand-picked selection that reflects a high-growth strategy and long-term vision.
With platforms like Charles Schwab, you can open a brokerage account for free, buy fractional shares, and start managing your portfolio just like a mutual fund manager — but without the drag of fees eating your returns.
Real Performance, Real Control
The Lunar Landing Portfolio has historically produced average annual returns of 20–25%, with theoretical peaks up to 30–35% in strong market cycles.*
Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing always involves risk, including the risk of loss.
And when you pair performance like that with the power of compounding inside a tax-advantaged account — like a Roth IRA — you get something mutual funds rarely deliver: true long-term growth, on your terms.
This is the Future
The investing world has changed. Fees are optional. Access is universal. Control is in your hands.
You don’t need to settle for underperformance, mystery fees, or glossy promises that don’t deliver.
You can manage your own money better than most mutual funds — and you can start today.
Ready to See the Full Lunar Landing Portfolio?
If you're serious about outperforming the market — not just matching it — then it's time to go deeper.
The Lunar Landing Portfolio is the result of relentless research, active rebalancing, and strategic allocation across 15 hand-picked stocks. These aren’t just tickers on a screen — they’re selected based on macro cycles, sector momentum, and forward-looking conviction.
I share:
Full portfolio breakdowns
Allocation percentages
Trade alerts when positions change
Performance tracking vs. the market
Monthly commentary on macro shifts, earnings cycles, and moon phase volatility
That’s available exclusively to paid subscribers.
👉 Upgrade to the premium tier now and get immediate access to the Lunar Landing Portfolio and all future updates.
Stop paying fees to underperform. Start compounding with intention.