J.D. Roth
Quick Facts
- Role: Real-life personal finance writer and editor of GetRichSlowly.org; appears in the book as an outside expert and ally
- Function in the text: Endorser and guest contributor who validates core ideas and models rational behavior during market volatility
- First appearance: “Additional Praise” page; later highlighted on page 152 and contributes a guest essay on page 196
- Key relationship: Professional ally of Ramit Sethi; the two present a united front for commonsense, long-term personal finance
Who They Are
Bold and plainspoken, J.D. Roth functions as the book’s grounded conscience—an “anti-expert” expert whose credibility comes from consistency, clarity, and lived practice. Instead of flashy predictions or gimmicks, he stands for patience, simplicity, and evidence-based habits. His voice widens the book’s chorus, showing that Sethi’s philosophy isn’t idiosyncratic; it’s shared by respected practitioners who calmly build wealth over years, not news cycles.
Personality & Traits
Roth’s persona emerges through his endorsement and his bear-market essay: modest in tone, firm in conviction, and relentlessly practical. He neutralizes fear with structure, and he replaces noise with long-term plans.
- Pragmatic and sensible: He calls the book “Smart, bold, and practical,” signaling his own standard for advice that works in the real world. His brand—“Get Rich Slowly”—is an ethos, not a slogan: steady systems over hype.
- Long-term focused: In his bear-market piece (p. 196), he notes he has “twenty or three decades to recover,” embodying Long-Term, Passive Investing and refusing to let short-term turbulence dictate his strategy.
- Action-oriented under uncertainty: Rather than freeze during a downturn, he reallocates a large sum into a low-cost index fund. The move is decisive but not reckless—anchored to a plan rather than impulse.
- Trustworthy signal amid noise: Sethi lists him among the few “Pundits Worth Reading” (p. 152), which, in a chapter critiquing financial “experts,” positions Roth as an exception: transparent, methodical, and worth heeding.
Character Journey
Roth does not “develop” in a narrative sense; he arrives fully formed as a seasoned practitioner. Across his endorsement, Sethi’s recommendation, and his guest essay, he operates as a stable reference point: the reader repeatedly meets the same person—disciplined, calm, and allergic to panic. That consistency is the point. In a book about systems, Roth is a system made human: stick to diversified, low-cost investing; keep costs low; ignore noise; act on plan, not fear.
Key Relationships
Ramit Sethi: A partnership of mutual validation and shared philosophy. Sethi elevates Roth as a rare trustworthy voice (p. 152), distinguishing him from pundits who sell excitement instead of results. In turn, Roth’s endorsement and his real-money behavior during a downturn reinforce Sethi’s argument that ordinary, repeatable actions beat flashy tactics—and that good advice looks boring because it actually works.
Defining Moments
Roth’s appearances work like touchstones: each moment tightens the book’s argument while giving readers a behavioral model to emulate.
- Book endorsement (Additional Praise): His blurb frames the reader’s expectations—“tips that actually work.” Why it matters: It pre-authorizes the book’s practicality and primes readers to value method over sensation.
- Named “Pundit Worth Reading” (p. 152): Sethi singles him out for long-term discipline and basic, comprehensible advice. Why it matters: It marks Roth as a rare authority whose incentives align with readers, not ratings.
- Guest essay: “Why I’m Not Worried About the Economy” (p. 196): Roth moves $46,000 from cash into a Fidelity index fund during a downturn, advocating dollar-cost averaging and staying the course. Why it matters: This is practice, not theory—an actionable model of calm execution that exemplifies Action Over Perfection (The 85% Solution).
Essential Quotes
“Smart, bold, and practical. I Will Teach You to Be Rich is packed with tips that actually work. This is a great guide to money management for twentysomethings—and everybody else.” —J.D. ROTH, EDITOR, GETRICHSLOWLY.ORG
This endorsement sets the tone: Roth foregrounds usefulness over flash. By praising practicality for “everybody else,” he signals the book’s core promise—systems you can actually implement regardless of age or expertise.
“Get Rich Slowly (www.getrichslowly.org/blog), by J. D. Roth, is a great blog covering the basics of personal finance. With a name like that, you can imagine that J. D. believes in long-term growth. He writes about managing money, investing, and even starting a side job.” —Ramit Sethi, page 152
Sethi frames Roth as principled and accessible: “basics” and “long-term growth” are the antithesis of pundit sensationalism. The praise also emphasizes breadth—budgeting, investing, income—which aligns with the book’s holistic, system-based approach.
“I’m not one of them. In fact, I just made the largest investment of my life, moving 46,000 is a hell of a lot of money. But I’m taking my cues from Warren Buffett, the world’s richest man, who in 2004 gave this advice: ‘Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.’” —J.D. Roth, page 196
Roth acknowledges fear and acts anyway—crucially, not by gambling, but by following a low-cost, diversified plan. The Buffett citation ties his behavior to time-tested wisdom: courage guided by principle, not bravado.