What Do My Kid's Hot Wheels, and Your Investment Portfolio Have in Common?

You don’t need a launch ramp this steep to succeed—you just need to hit the right velocity and stay the course.

The Loop That Sparked This Thought

The other day, I was watching my kids play with their Hot Wheels set. We all know the setup: bright orange track, flamboyant cars, and a launch point perched as high as possible before diving into a big vertical loop.

It’s almost magic to watch the cars clear the loop with ease, until the kids realize they can just as easily spin off the track if they get too aggressive.

I found myself wondering: how fast would a real car need to go to make that same loop?

Turns out, not very fast. With the right setup, a full-sized car can pull off a vertical loop at around 40 miles per hour.

That surprised me. It probably surprises most people. And it reminded me of something that comes up all the time in investing.

You Don’t Need Maximum Speed, You Need The Right Speed

In physics, what matters in a loop isn’t the weight of the car or how fast it could go, it’s whether it hits the minimum loop velocity. That’s the speed required to keep the car from falling due to gravity at the top of the loop.

Go too slow, and it falls.

Go too fast, you can fly off the track.

But hit the threshold? You cruise through.

Investing works the same way.

The Investing Mistake Everyone Makes

When people think about investing, they often assume they need to go big. Beat the market. Pick the next hot stock. Avoid every downturn.

Basically, be my six-year-old with his neon green toy Ferrari, asking for a step ladder so he can make the Hot Wheels ramp even higher.

It’s an endless race.

But that’s not actually what creates success.

A strong financial outcome doesn’t come from record-breaking returns; it comes from enough return, enough consistency, and enough discipline to stay the course.

Most portfolios don’t crash because they’re underpowered. They crash because investors overcorrect, bail out, or try to time the perfect move, and end up spinning out entirely.

If you manage your investments like a six-year-old manages Hot Wheels... don’t be surprised when things flip.

What Actually Gets You Through

A solid portfolio isn’t flashy. It’s balanced, broadly diversified, and grounded in evidence-based investing. It’s designed to move at the right speed, not the fastest possible one.

Just like the loop, the goal isn’t to fly (unless you're playing with Hot Wheels). It’s to stay on track.

You don’t need to be the neon green Ferrari, or haul out a step ladder to chase more speed.

You just need to make the loop with confidence.

About the Author

Carson McLean, CFP®, is the founder of Altruist Wealth Management—a flat-fee, fiduciary advisory firm helping clients nationwide. With over 15 years of experience and a background at Dimensional Fund Advisors, Carson believes smart investing isn’t about chasing returns—it’s about building a plan that works, even when markets get bumpy.

This post is for general educational purposes and not intended as personal financial advice.