Personal Finance Shortcuts: Re-train Your Money Brain Most “short cuts” to wealth have long-term consequences. Most “short cuts” to wealth have long-term consequences. So quit buying scratch-offs and gold-digging. There are legitimate personal finance shortcuts that can simplify your financial life. Let’s discuss. Short cuts make long delays. J.R.R.Tolkien For starters, I know this news can be disappointing. You won’t find magic pills here today, nor one-stop solutions. These aren’t wormholes to transport you through money-spacetime to retirement. Instead, today’s personal finance shortcuts should be considered as heuristics. What’s a heuristic? It’s a useful tactic, habit, or timesaver.