Originally published in the Stock Savvy Dad newsletter on April 21, 2026.

At some point most investors ask themselves the same question. Did I miss my window?

There have been multiple times I’ve researched a company I believed in, talked myself out of buying it, and watched it take off without me. Those moments always sting and have made me feel like I was behind.

Here’s what shifted my thinking.

Everybody is on their own individual journey. Your starting point, your income, your responsibilities, your timing. None of it looks like someone else’s and it’s not supposed to. The comparison was never fair to begin with.

And when it comes to investing, there is always an opportunity. Missing one stock doesn’t mean you missed your shot. There’s a company out there right now that’s set to take off. You just have to be willing to put in a little work to find it and be confident in your research. AI has made that process a lot faster than it used to be.

But here’s the angle that really changed how I think about this.

When my daughters were born, I stopped thinking about what I had missed and started thinking about what the next 20 years could look like. I opened custodial accounts for both of them. We add to it consistently. Between the contributions and the compounding, they already have a foundation with tens of thousands of dollars growing on their behalf. By the time they’re adults, that number will look very different.

I didn’t start perfectly. I started intentionally.

That’s the real question when you feel behind. Not how much have I missed. But what does the next 20 years look like if I start now.

The answer is better than you think.

— Stock Savvy Dad
​Invest smarter, build wealth, be a savvy dad.