Hi readers!! One of my main goals for Post Grad Money is to explore and share practical ways for you all (students and recent graduates) to build REAL wealth. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed by the endless financial advice floating around on the internet.
As part of this project, I published an article outlining different income stream ideas you can start immediately. For this article, I wanted to share my own journey with another income stream.
My first income stream attempt came from creating something that hit close to home: The Law Student’s Gratitude and Affirmation Journal, which I published through Amazon KDP. That project fits with my personal values of building a genuine, simple, and helpful brand and product.
So when it came to investing, I wanted to apply the same philosophy: keep it simple, keep it consistent, and keep it growing.
That led me straight into my second passive income stream for the series: dividend investing.
Why I Chose Dividend Investing
Dividend investing is great because it is one of the few streams that qualify as true passive income. With passive income, I’m literally earning money just by owning a ver small part of a company. I get paid whether I show up to work or not.
But I also know the stock market can be intimidating, especially for beginners. It’s impossible to know where to start as a beginner, and I still feel that way sometimes.
So I decided to simplify my approach and focus on what I could actually understand and manage.
I’ve had a Fidelity IRA since June 2020, which holds a small amount of money, mostly invested in FSKAX, the Fidelity Total Market Index Fund. That account was my first real step into long-term investing for retirement.
However, I recently decided to take things a step further. I want to build a dividend-focused brokerage account that could grow alongside several income streams for my series.
Opening My Fidelity Dividend Investing Account
On September 26, 2025, I opened a Fidelity brokerage account separate from my IRA.
My plan was simple:
- Continue investing in FSKAX for retirement (inside my IRA).
- Start a new individual brokerage account focused on dividend investing.
- Keep the process as simple as possible.
I won’t share how much I’ve invested just yet, but it wasn’t anything crazy. I’ve learned that the most important part of building wealth isn’t the amount you start with. Starting alone is 80% of the battle.
Why I’m Investing in Only One Stock
That might sound boring to some. “Only one stock? That’s no fun!”
But my decision doesn’t come out of nowhere! It was inspired by one of the most influential personal finance books I’ve ever read: The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins.
That book has completely changed how I view investing.
The Core Lessons from The Simple Path to Wealth
JL Collins wrote The Simple Path to Wealth originally as a series of letters to his daughter — explaining how to build wealth the easy, reliable way. His message is straightforward but powerful, and it boils down to a few core ideas:
1. Spend less than you earn.
It sounds obvious, but this is the foundation. You can’t invest if you’re constantly living beyond your means.
2. Avoid debt whenever possible.
Debt is the opposite of freedom. Paying interest keeps you working for someone else.
3. Invest the difference in broad-based index funds.
Here’s the crux of the entire book: instead of trying to pick “winning” stocks, buy ONE low-cost index fund that holds all the winning stocks. Over time, the market grows, and your investment grows with it.
4. Keep it simple.
Most people fail at investing, not because they don’t know what to do, but because they make it too complicated.
5. Stay the course.
The market will go up and down. Ignore the noise, keep investing, and let time do the work.
Why Simplicity Wins for Me
I’m juggling a lot right now, including law school (and all the stress that comes with it), finding post-grad job, a social life, and running this blog.
The last thing I need is a hyperactive portfolio that demands daily attention, monitoring, and trading. I don’t want investing to be my full-time job. That’s why I’ve decided to invest in just one stock that aligns with my long-term philosophy and doesn’t require me to rebalance or second-guess myself constantly.
That one fund is FSKAX.
Why I Chose FSKAX
FSKAX (Fidelity Total Market Index Fund) tracks the performance of the entire U.S. stock market. When you invest in FSKAX, you’re effectively buying a tiny piece of over 3,000 U.S. companies, including giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as thousands of smaller firms.
It’s like owning a slice of every successful company in America, without needing to research or pick winners.
Here’s why FSKAX makes sense for me:
- Broad diversification: I get exposure to large, mid, and small-cap companies across all sectors.
- Low cost: The expense ratio is extremely low (0.015%), meaning almost all of my money goes toward growing, not fees.
- Strong long-term performance: Over time, the total U.S. market has historically returned around 7–10% annually after inflation.
- Dividends: While not a high-yield stock, FSKAX does pay dividends quarterly — passive income that gets automatically reinvested.
- Simplicity: I don’t have to analyze or guess. I just keep investing.
FSKAX isn’t one company. It’s a bucket of thousands! So while I technically am investing in one fund, I’m really owning the “entire” U.S. economy. That’s exactly what JL Collins describes in The Simple Path to Wealth. He tells us it’s better to own the whole market rather than bet on individual winners.
He says, “the market always goes up over time. You don’t have to beat it — you just have to be in it.”
For my current life stage as a law student, entrepreneur, and blogger building multiple income streams, that’s the kind of stability and simplicity I want.
How I Plan to Grow This Portfolio
I started with a small amount because I wanted to start now, not “someday when I have more money.”
The dividends are set up to automatically reinvest – one of my favorite aspects of dividend investing. I also do not plan to pull money out unless it is absolutely necessary.
I hope to stay consistent through both bull and bear markets – I want to learn how to stay calm even when the market dramatically fluctuates.
The goal isn’t to get rich overnight. The goal is to build a base of long-term wealth that grows while I’m busy building other projects.
What Dividends Mean for Me
One of my favorite things about dividend investing is that it’s visible progress.
Even when the market dips, I still get paid dividends, or tiny rewards for staying invested. Those dividends are reinvested into buying more shares of FSKAX, which means more dividends next quarter.
It’s the ultimate compound growth cycle. My money literally earns more money for me, quietly and automatically.
Expected Returns and Long-Term View
If I keep investing consistently in FSKAX, my returns will mirror the overall U.S. market — historically around 7% after inflation.
That may not sound like much, but over time, it’s life-changing.
If I invest:
- $100/month for 20 years → ≈ $49,000
- $200/month for 20 years → ≈ $98,000
- $500/month for 20 years → ≈ $245,000
And that’s not even considering future raises or higher contributions once I graduate and start my legal career.
This isn’t a get-rich-quick plan, it’s the simple path to wealth JL Collins talked about.
How This Fits Into My Bigger Financial Picture
I view this series as a collection of small, intentional income streams that all converge toward the same goal: financial freedom.
Each stream doesn’t have to complement the others. It just has to align with my values for PGM: simplicity, efficiency, and authenticity. I’m not betting on one thing to make me rich, I’m building systems that will grow together.
And that’s what financial independence is really about, having multiple sources of income that give you options.
What I’ve Learned So Far
- Start small, but start now. You’ll never regret starting early.
- Simplicity beats complexity (and perfectionism!). You don’t need to know everything to begin.
- Automation is your friend. Set it and forget it. Consistency wins over giving 100% time.
- Ignore the noise or panic. The market will rise and fall, but investing means playing the long game.
- Your mindset is your greatest asset. The calm, patient investor will always succeed.
Final Thoughts
By choosing to open my brokerage account and invest in one simple, reliable fund (FSKAX), I’ve aligned my money with my values.
Just like my journal project, this isn’t about chasing fast results. It’s about building something solid, slow, and lasting. A foundation for freedom that grows quietly in the background while I live my life.
If you’ve been thinking about investing but feel intimidated, take this as your sign. You don’t need a lot of money at all. You don’t even need to be a finance expert. You just need to start.
Thank you so much for reading my article! Check out the rest of the blog for more personal finance guides, tips, and more!