Jennifer, 44, is a caregiver living in Louisiana with her husband and her adult daughter, who has special needs. Being able to provide a secure future for their daughter is the driving force behind her choice to invest, alongside building a nest egg for retirement.
Transcript of Jennifer's audio
I think the main goal is to just try to either preserve my money or help the money to grow, to be able to provide for future things instead of just blowing it on frivolous things. Now, to have it in the future when I may not be able to work or to provide for my daughter, when if something was to happen to me.
Christian hopes to achieve financial freedom and retire at a younger age.
Jennifer, 44, is a caregiver living in Louisiana with her husband and her adult daughter, who has special needs. Being able to provide a secure future for their daughter is the driving force behind her choice to invest, alongside building a nest egg for retirement.
Diary Entry 2, June 2025
One Step at a Time
Jennifer, 44, continues to balance her role as a full-time caregiver in Louisiana while actively planning for retirement. Her goal of securing her family’s future has not changed, staying committed to investing as a way to build wealth for her daughter’s future.
Jennifer and her husband initially began investing as young adults, despite her extended family viewing investing as ‘gambling.’ After saving enough money, they chose a local financial services firm to help guide their decisions.
I first heard of investing when I married my husband, he was a big investor. My family thought investing was bad, but I liked the idea of growing money for our daughter.”
In the beginning of their investing journey, Jennifer struggled to save money and identify the right investments. She also found some concepts—such as borrowing on margin—hard to understand. Looking back to that time, the factors most surprising to her were the long-term commitment of investing and market volatility. With the support of her husband and leveraging online platforms for continuous learning, Jennifer now has a good foundation, and she considers her investor knowledge as intermediate.
Armed with this knowledge, Jennifer is a bit more proactive with her investments. While much of their retirement portfolio is still managed with a financial advisor, Jennifer is more hands-on with her own personal investing accounts.
She continues to spend less than 20 minutes each week to check her portfolio, but makes a point to research and stay aware of opportunities.
Finding Guidance in New Tools
One of the biggest shifts in Jennifer’s journey has been her use of AI tools to support her overall investing strategy and decisions. She uses them to analyze trends, test strategies, and get detailed insights that save her time and help her feel more confident. While she sometimes finds inaccuracies in the data, she values how these tools make investing more accessible and less overwhelming.
Alongside AI, Jennifer continues to rely on resources like the Fear and Greed Index, crypto and stock research sites, online educators, and input from her husband. For her, having multiple sources of information creates balance—blending trusted advice, market data, and new technologies.
Recently, she added investments in AI because she believes it has long-term growth potential, acknowledging that while there are ups and downs, she’s committed to holding them over time.
Balancing Nerves, Risk, and Motivation
Market shifts still make Jennifer uneasy, particularly the impact of tariffs. However, she has not let these concerns derail her strategy and sees investing as a way to put their money to work and earn returns over time, even if there are setbacks along the way. She is willing to take on more risk in certain areas, particularly AI investments, but always with her family’s long-term needs in mind. As a result, she has made a few adjustments to her portfolio, recently purchasing $524 worth of estate ETFs, and a few investments on Bitcoin and Coinbase .
These adjustments are only one aspect of her strategy. Their daughter continues to be the beneficiary of a special needs trust tied to their retirement portfolio. Jennifer’s decisions reflect her desire to prepare for the day when she may no longer be able to contribute to her care.
Looking Ahead With Purpose
Jennifer sees investing as both a practical necessity and a way of showing love and care for her family. While her total balance remains small ($70), her efforts show her commitment to build a solid foundation that she can tap into once she retires. By continuing to learn and adopting tools like AI, she is building her confidence while ensuring her family is positioned for stability. For Jennifer, every dollar invested is an act of preparation and love for her family’s future.
Diary Entry 1, March 2025
Investing With Family in Mind
Jennifer, 44, is an active investor planning ahead for retirement. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, who is self-employed, and her adult daughter. Jennifer is the full-time caretaker for their daughter, who has special needs. Jennifer first began investing with her husband when they married as young adults, motivated by a desire to build a future for their family. In the early years, her husband managed most of their investments with the guidance of a financial advisor. She spends less than 20 minutes per week on her investments and sees this activity as a good opportunity to grow her money and earn a good return.
Every Dollar Counts
For Jennifer, the future is an unknown that she must prepare for. Together, she and her husband have built a substantial retirement portfolio of over $250,000 by investing different amounts monthly— providing peace of mind for their family. Every dollar saved from their investments will go to expenses when they retire. She’s motivated by preparing for a day in which she is no longer able to contribute to her daughter’s expenses. Because of this, their daughter is the beneficiary to their retirement savings through a special needs trust.
I think the main goal is to just try to either preserve my money or help the money to grow, to be able to provide for future things… to have it in the future when I may not be able to work or to provide for my daughter.”
Alongside saving for retirement, Jennifer manages a small personal portfolio and explores other investment types, such as stocks, crypto, and ETFs, that she considers “extra savings.” Over the years, she’s shifted from spending freely to making thoughtful financial choices that put her family’s future first.
Gaining Confidence Through Knowledge
This change illustrates the years of learning as a self-taught investor. Jennifer currently uses a combination of self-education (online research), trusted financial educators, and online tools, such as the Fear and Greed Index, and AI tools, to help shape her portfolio choices. While Jennifer considers herself an investor who is either a beginner or close to intermediate in terms of knowledge, she has seen a boost in her confidence when making investing decisions. Although her investments are small with $70 in her account, she has strengthened her commitment to continue investing.
Looking Ahead
For Jennifer, investing brings security, stability, and love for her family. Every decision she makes is guided by the desire to ensure her daughter is cared for in the future. By continuing to learn, grow, and stay committed, Jennifer is making sure her family is set up for whatever lies ahead.
Jennifer’s Investment Accounts Balance
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