NOT THE
NORMAL
GUY

Not the normal guy.

No debt was never the point. Ownership was.

The US money system nobody explained to me, explained. From someone who arrived in 2023 with a suitcase, a plan, and zero credit history.

2023
Arrived, zero US credit
$200
First secured card
790
Credit score today
0
Loans

01 — Free guides

Everything here is free. No email required.

Read online or download the PDF. Each guide is also written in Spanish.

02 — Every week

One series a day.

Short videos on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Monday to Saturday in English, Sunday in Spanish.

MON· Today

Proverbs vs. your paycheck

A 3,000-year-old money book, applied to this month’s bills.

TUE· Today

What that payment really costs

Cars, cards, phones, “easy payments”. The real math.

WED· Today

Four years ago I had a suitcase

Starting over in the US, from zero.

THU· Today

Job vs. asset

One pays you. The other pays you back.

FRI· Today

The system nobody explained

The US money tools, one at a time.

SAT· Today

Quiet money

Building wealth without the show.

SUN· Today

Dinero en silencio

In Spanish, every Sunday.

03 — Who’s talking

The square you’ll see on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If the profile picture doesn’t look like this, it isn’t me.

Just a guy who did it “right” and learned it wasn’t enough.

I saved carefully for 15 years. No debt, no financed car. Then I started over in the US from Colombia, and learned that saving alone doesn’t protect you. No job is guaranteed, and a new country doesn’t care how responsible you were somewhere else.

So I learned the system: credit from zero, the 401(k), IRAs, and investing instead of just saving. I’m building a business on the side. No fancy car, no show. Building quietly, trying to buy my freedom.

This account is the manual I wish I’d had. For you, and one day, for my kids.

04 — Bank referrals

The bank I started with.

My first US credit card was a $200 secured card from Capital One, and I bank with them because there are no monthly fees. These are my referral links: I receive a small benefit if you sign up. Here’s exactly what you get and what you have to do.

Capital One

360 Checking · Capital One, N.A., Member FDIC · No monthly fees or minimums

$300

Cash bonus for you

  1. Open a new 360 Checking account through the link.
  2. Within 75 days of opening it, receive at least 2 direct deposits of $500 or more each: a paycheck, pension, or government benefits like Social Security.
  3. After day 75, Capital One reviews it and deposits the $300 within 60 days, so up to about 135 days from opening.

Wires, and transfers you start yourself from Capital One’s website or app, don’t count as direct deposits. No minimum balance is required to get the bonus. Your account has to be open and in good standing when it’s paid.

Open 360 Checking with my link

No end date listed. Capital One can change or end it before you open the account.
Terms checked Sep 24, 2026.

Full terms are at the bottom of the same page.

Who can’t get it

Anyone who has had a 360 Checking, Simply Checking or Total Control Checking account (as primary or secondary holder) on or after Jan 1, 2024.

Rules

One bonus per new 360 Checking account. Can’t be combined with other 360 Checking offers. The bonus is reported to the IRS on a 1099-INT.

What I get

I receive a small benefit if you sign up. Capital One notes that because of that, I may be able to tell you opened the account.

Capital One

360 Performance Savings · Capital One, N.A., Member FDIC · No fees or minimums

Up to

$1,500

Cash bonus for you, based on your deposit

  1. Open a new 360 Performance Savings account through the link.
  2. Within the first 15 days, deposit at least $5,000 of new money from another bank. Transfers between Capital One accounts don’t count.
  3. Keep the balance for the next 90 days. Capital One pays the bonus within 60 days after that.

The bonus depends on your deposit: $5,000+ gets $75, $20,000+ gets $300, $50,000+ gets $750, $100,000+ gets $1,500. If your balance drops into a lower range during the 90 days, you get that lower bonus. Below $5,000, you get none. The account pays 3.00% APY as of Sep 24, 2026, and the rate can change at any time.

Open Performance Savings with my link

No end date listed. Capital One can change or end it before you open the account.
Terms checked Sep 24, 2026.

Full terms are at the bottom of the same page.

Who can’t get it

Anyone who has had a 360 Performance Savings, 360 Savings, 360 Money Market, Savings Now or Confidence Savings account (as primary or secondary holder) on or after Jan 1, 2024.

Good to know

Plan on leaving the money in for about 105 days (15 + 90). This is a savings account: no debit card, no checks. The bonus counts as interest and is reported on a 1099-INT.

What I get

I receive a small benefit if you sign up. Capital One notes that because of that, I may be able to tell you opened the account.

Capital One

Credit cards · pre-approval check

Check before you apply.

About 90 seconds · no harm to your credit score

  1. Open the link and select “Check My Eligibility.” It’s a soft check, so it doesn’t hurt your credit score.
  2. Compare the cards you’re offered. Each card has its own rates and fees. Some have an annual fee (for example, QuicksilverOne and SavorOne list $39, Venture $95).
  3. Only apply if one fits you, and apply from that same page. A real application is a separate step and normally includes a hard credit check.

No US credit history yet? The tool may show secured cards. That’s how I started: $200 down, paid in full every month. Carry a balance and the interest (the cards list about 18% to 29% APR) wipes out any rewards.

Check my eligibility

Terms checked Sep 24, 2026.

Rates, fees and referral terms are on the same page.

What you get

No referral bonus from my link. Any welcome bonus comes from the card’s own offer, which you’ll see before you accept.

Already have a Capital One card?

You can still apply, but it doesn’t count as a referral.

What I get

I receive a small benefit if you’re approved and open a card. Capital One doesn’t tell me whether you applied.

Being not normal is not easy.But it’s worth it.

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