Run My Numbers for Free with Right Capital

TradesWave Wealth helps skilled trades professionals build confidence with money — from learning the basics to managing long-term wealth.

We offer affordable, practical money courses for trades workers, hourly financial planning with a CFP® professional, and ongoing investment management for clients who want full-service support. Whether you're just starting your career or building serious wealth, we provide guidance that fits your stage of life and income.

Founded by Patrick Ritter, TradesWave Wealth serves electricians, welders, pipefitters, carpenters, HVAC technicians, and other skilled trades professionals in the St. Louis area and nationwide through TradesWave Wealth. Financial planning is available hourly at $250 per hour, with ongoing investment management offered through Core Planning, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.

Our skilled trades practical money courses are hands-on, with games, activities, and calculators like the below as financial learning experiences.

This calculator is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered tax, legal, investment, or individualized financial advice.

Schedule a call

Knowledge Center

Wealth Building Guide (subscribe)

Trade School Scholarship

Mark's Stack Season Story

Mark, a 20-year-old welder who graduated from East Central College in December 2024 with nearly $0 saved, reached a net worth of $106,807 by April 2026 — approximately 16 months later. His plan included automated weekly transfers to a high-yield savings account and a Roth IRA, a funded emergency fund and truck fund, and proactive tax planning that avoided a projected $10,000+ tax bill.

How he started: 12/24

Mark's a real client, he's 20 and graduated from East Central College welding school 12/2024 with nearly $0 saved. He worked with a recruiter and was willing to travel and live temporarily in OH, IN, and AZ for job assignments. Mark started saving weekly using the Altruist app with scheduled transfers to High Yield Savings and then investments.

How it's going: 5/26

Mark has built a six-figure net worth of $112,794 by following a disciplined financial plan that prioritizes both stability and growth. He has fully funded key areas of his financial life, including an emergency fund, a dedicated truck fund, investment accounts, and a Roth IRA, while also putting essential estate planning and insurance protections in place. Through proactive tax planning, including ongoing projections and adjustments throughout the year, Mark avoided what would have been more than $10,000 in taxes owed. Beyond the numbers, his approach to money supports what matters most—this year, it allowed him to treat his dad to a memorable hiking trip in Colorado.

Test Drive My Stack Season Plan with Right Capital

What Trades Pros Ask Us

Why do I make good money but still feel broke?

What’s really happening:

Inconsistent income: Big weeks hide slow weeks, so money doesn’t last
Overtime = higher taxes + higher spending: More in → more goes out
No default plan: If money isn’t automated, it disappears
Lifestyle creep: Trucks, tools, trips upgrade faster than your net worth

How to fix it (simple):

Set a weekly savings number (pay yourself first—every week)
Automate everything (savings + investing before spending)

Bottom line:
It may not be an income problem—likely a system problem.
Build the system, and your income finally starts working for you.

What accounts do I need to build wealth?

To build wealth, most trades professionals need four core accounts:

a high-yield savings account for emergencies,
a workplace retirement plan like a 401(k) and/or pension/annuity
a Roth IRA for tax-free growth, and
a taxable investment account for flexibility.

These accounts work together to cover short-term needs, long-term growth, and tax efficiency—giving you a complete financial foundation.

What should I invest in as a trades worker?

Trades professionals build wealth early by taking advantage of high starting income, low student debt, and consistent work demand. The key is to automate weekly savings, control lifestyle creep, and invest early so compound growth has time to work. Focusing on a simple system—emergency fund, tax planning, and consistent investing—turns strong income into long-term wealth.

What is a good weekly savings goal?

A good weekly savings goal is typically 10% to 25% of your income, depending on your expenses and goals. Many trades professionals start with $100–$300 per week and increase it as income grows. Weekly saving can work better than monthly because it builds consistency and turns saving into a habit instead of a decision. Discipline > Motivation.

Should I invest or build an emergency fund first?

Start with $1,000–$2,500 in savings to handle unexpected expenses, then split your money between growing your emergency fund (3–6 months of expenses) and investing weekly. This keeps you protected while still building wealth early.

How do I reduce my tax bill legally?

You can reduce your tax bill legally by using strategies like contributing to retirement accounts (such as a Roth IRA or 401(k)), tracking deductions, know how much of your overtime is deductible, and adjusting withholdings throughout the year. Proactive tax planning—running projections and making adjustments before year-end—helps avoid large surprises and keeps more money working for you.

How do trades professionals build wealth early?

What is a Roth IRA and why does it matter to trades professionals?

A Roth IRA is a retirement account where you contribute after-tax money, and your investments grow tax-free. It matters because you can withdraw money in retirement without paying taxes, making it one of the most powerful tools for long-term wealth. Starting early allows decades of tax-free compounding, especially valuable for young trades professionals in lower tax brackets.

Introduction

TradesWave Wealth provides a scholarship, financial plans, and personalized investing aligned with what matters to you.

The Weekly Wealth Approach

The Weekly Wealth Approach helps trades professionals build more financial predictability and security by saving something from every paycheck while work is steady. Instead of relying on large monthly deposits, small automated weekly transfers to savings and investing accounts help prepare for layoffs, slow seasons, or injuries before they happen. Over time, consistent weekly saving builds both financial momentum and peace of mind.

Personalized Investing

Personalized investing means your portfolio reflects who you are — not just your age and risk tolerance. At TradesWave Wealth, you can responsibly explore investing in the industries you work in and understand, align your money with values like American manufacturing, clean energy, or outdoor recreation, or simply avoiding sectors that conflict with what you care about. The goal is to build a portfolio you actually believe in.

Download Our Free Guide

Learn the following and much more!

The Paycheck To Net Worth Mindshift
Plan For Income Gaps
Automate Saving & Personalize Investing
Protect What You've Built
Get Advice Aligned With Your Interests

Wealth Building Guide

Patrick Ritter, CFP®

Founder at TradesWave Wealth, one focus area of my practice.
20+ years in financial services helping clients and training financial professionals.
CFP® professional with fiduciary duty”
No minimums required
Used by trades professionals nationwide
F3 PAX, fly fishing enthusiast, author, and nature lover.
Work with me on an hourly basis at $250 per hour—ideal if you want one-time advice, a second opinion, or help building a plan without ongoing management.
Full-service support with ongoing investment management starts at 1% of assets under management and decreases with assets added.

What Clients Say

Patrick's clients describe him as someone whose 'integrity is beyond reproach,' whose service has been 'nothing short of perfection,' and who 'keeps his eye on the ball' so they don't have to.

"integrity is beyond reproach".

"My experience has been nothing short of perfection."

"An incredibly competent and compassionate individual!"

"Patrick keeps his eye on the ball so I don't necessarily have to."

What Does Financial Planning Cost?

We offer transparent, straightforward pricing so you always know exactly what you’re paying and why.

Choose between a simple hourly fee or a clear percentage for ongoing investment management—no hidden costs or surprises.

Start Your Plan Today!

What's a Stack Season?

A Stack Season is a 5-or-more-year window — often right after graduating from a trades program — when a skilled trades professional has the ideal combination of high earning potential, low expenses, and time for compound growth to work in their favor. With no student loan debt, strong overtime and union wages, and a lean lifestyle before it inflates, this period offers a rare opportunity to build serious wealth fast. The goal is to recognize the window and take full advantage of it before it closes.

See what's possible below (calculator assumes a 10% average rate of return over the given period).

Begin Your Own Stack Season

Right Capital

RightCapital is the financial planning platform TradesWave Wealth clients use to track their net worth, manage a budget, store important documents, and monitor progress toward goals like retirement, home purchase, or building a 6-month emergency fund.

Altruist

Altruist was chosen as the investment custodian for TradesWave Wealth clients specifically because it supports automated weekly (or more) transfers — the core mechanic of the Weekly Wealth Approach — making it easy to invest on a trades worker's schedule rather than a monthly savings rhythm.

Personalize Investing

Investing does NOT have to be cookie-cutter or boring.

A diversified mix of stock and bond investments provide both growth potential and income with very low expenses. The simple but effective Core investment strategy from Vanguard is a great place to start.
If you choose, you can include satellite positions that compliment your core stock and bond portfolio.

Turn your emergency fund goal into a simple weekly savings target—then automate it so it happens every week.

Schedule 15 minute call

Knowledge Center

Wealth Building Guide

Trade School Scholarship

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse