After years of personal finance reading, here's what I think the community collectively underweights.

The impact of career decisions on lifetime wealth dwarfs almost all investment decisions. A $10k raise invested for 30 years is worth more than a lifetime of expense ratio optimization. Choosing a career path with strong salary growth trajectories matters more than picking the right funds.

The impact of housing decisions on long-term wealth is consistently underestimated. Not just in terms of the purchase vs rent debate, but in the compounding effect of housing cost over 30 years. Every $100/month in lower housing cost is roughly $100,000 in additional wealth over 30 years at 7% return.

The behavioral gap between knowing and doing is the primary driver of most financial outcomes. This is widely acknowledged in theory and underweighted in practice. Good information isn't the constraint for most people — consistent execution is.

If I were advising a 22-year-old: invest in marketable skills first, keep housing cost aggressively low, automate savings before you see the money, and be willing to change employers when the market compensates the move.