By Brent Pritchard

When I accepted a faculty position, in addition to swapping an office in Corporate America for a classroom, I traded a thirty-minute one-way car commute for a two-and-a-half-mile trip to campus. Thirty miles each way might not sound like much. But I made that commute for over twenty years! Two days ago, as I was commuting on my bike something happened (I wouldn’t exactly call it sidewalk rage) that got me thinking.

I had left church and would later realize that I had also left my helmet and water bottle behind. As I rode up a sidewalk in an unfamiliar direction, I noticed a couple walking ahead of me. I usually take the bike path on the road when I’m riding down the one way. Didn’t feel right to ride against traffic. That and I wasn’t wearing a helmet, so on the self situational awareness scale I was already on code orange.

As I passed this nice couple, I heard the man make a comment under his breath. I’ll let you use your imagination to choose how this ended similar to those books you may have read when you were younger. I will say that kind words were spoken. (Remember, I was coming from and going back to church.)

This got me thinking. Is passive-aggressive behavior really a bad thing? Bear with me. The word aggressive can carry a negative connotation, but I choose to focus on directness. In my mind, it sure beats the alternatives: passive or aggressive.

Now to money matters. And let’s flip the script. An “aggressive-passive” investment approach is characterized by one’s stretching to make those predetermined deposits (maybe early in life) when there isn’t much money coming in, so that later on that same person can passively watch their investments portfolio grow over time. I’d call a “passive” investment approach one where someone is waiting for others to save them from their financial doldrums. On the other hand, an “aggressive” investment approach is pedal to the metal investing. Not a bad thing if you can balance life and its responsibilities. Those loved ones you leave behind will thank you. Using these definitions, a “passive-aggressive” investment approach involves time wasted.

When are you going to put your money where your mouth is?

Brent Pritchard is an author and college finance lecturer with over two decades of industry experience and cofounder of Boxholm Press, LLC, a family-owned-and-operated publishing company providing educational content, products, and services. He pioneers an innovative and approachable new way of learning and teaching the Time Value of Money as well as thought leadership in other business topics. His most recent book is Would Your Boomerang Return? You can contact him on his website here.