714. Why Financial History Rhymes w/ Joseph Moore

Mar 9, 2026

Joseph S. Moore, an American historian and author who mines 300 years of U.S. financial advice, shares surprising historical tactics. He recounts using old strategies to build real wealth. Topics include optimism as a financial edge, slow time vs fast time prep, house hacking and hidden women's labor, mobility for opportunity, and when to concentrate versus diversify.

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ADVICE

House Hack Like Generations Before You

Rent out parts of your home as a mortgage payoff strategy; house hacking has been practiced in America since the 1600s.
Historically families rented rooms and women managed tenants and chores, often paying off homes with boarder income.

INSIGHT

Hidden Female Income Powered Working Families

Women's income and household entrepreneurship historically supplied vital family earnings even when not counted as formal wages.
In early America roughly one-quarter of family income often came from women's market work like butter, chickens, and laundry.

ADVICE

Move When Opportunity Moves

Be willing to relocate for opportunity; historical mobility drove economic advancement when one-third of Americans moved yearly in the 1800s.
Today mobility has collapsed despite easier transport, worsening perceived difficulty of getting ahead.

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What if the best financial advice isn’t new—but simply forgotten?

In this episode of Earn & Invest, Doc G sits down with historian Joseph S. Moore, author of How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked—and Didn’t. Moore spent a decade exploring centuries of advice aimed at everyday Americans, testing which strategies actually worked—and which didn’t. Remarkably, his research led him to build a seven-figure net worth using lessons from the past.

Moore’s journey began with a personal financial scare: after taking a risky “NINJA loan” to buy a townhouse in 2005, he realized his vulnerability as the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 approached. Selling his home just in time sparked a curiosity that would consume the next decade.

One of his most surprising findings? Optimism is a powerful predictor of financial success. Research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that believing you can shape your financial future often outweighs inheritance or education. Moore argues that financial “gurus,” often dismissed for overhyping strategies, actually provide hope and practical frameworks that help people take action.

We also explore how many “modern” wealth tactics are centuries old. House hacking—renting out spare rooms to pay a mortgage—was once a standard working-class strategy, frequently managed by women whose contributions rarely appeared in official statistics. Mobility was another forgotten tactic; in the 1800s, roughly one in three Americans moved annually to chase opportunity.

Moore introduces the concepts of slow time and fast time: slow time is when we build skills, capital, and relationships; fast time is when booms, crashes, or major shifts create opportunities. Those prepared in slow time can seize advantage when fast time arrives.

We also discuss concentration vs. diversification, the myth of effortless compound returns, and why financial independence isn’t the finish line—it’s the point when life becomes flexible enough to pursue meaningful goals.

For anyone curious about wealth-building, historical financial strategies, or the patterns behind money and opportunity, this episode offers practical insights drawn from 300 years of experience.

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