Mark Cuban didn't accumulate billions by handing his money over to people in nice suits with slick presentations. He got there by questioning everything, doing his homework obsessively, and never taking financial guidance from folks who earn their living off commission. So when the billionaire entrepreneur says brokers "don't have a clue," it's not some hot take for attention. It's a philosophy he's lived by.

"If the broker had a clue, he/she wouldn't be a broker," Cuban told Young Money magazine back in 2007. "They'd be on a beach somewhere." Rather than trusting advisors with sales targets to meet, Cuban suggested something radically simpler: "Put it in the bank." And this wasn't some throwaway comment he'd later walk back. Fifteen years down the road, in a 2022 conversation with GoBankingRates, his stance hadn't budged: "When you don't know what to do, do nothing."

Information Over Action

This is Cuban's core doctrine, and it's built on information rather than fear. The problem, as he sees it, isn't that most people invest. It's that they invest without understanding what they're getting into.

Here's someone who knows startups intimately—he sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.7 billion, after all. Cuban's issue isn't with taking risks or even with the stock market itself. It's with people taking risks they can't properly evaluate. He didn't invest in "Shark Tank" entrepreneurs because he loves chaos. He did it because he could analyze the businesses, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions. But for everyday investors chasing trending tickers or acting on hot tips from cable news, Cuban's message couldn't be clearer: stop.

"If you won't put your money in the bank," he cautioned, "NEVER put your money in something where you don't have an information advantage."

Motion Isn't Progress

That warning has appeared in multiple interviews spanning decades, including a 2010 blog post he wrote during economic uncertainty. "Doing nothing is a valid and, in my opinion, preferable investment strategy," Cuban wrote. His default position? "Put your money in the bank."

The pattern is consistent: don't confuse activity with achievement. Don't mistake excitement for research. And never trust someone whose paycheck depends on your investment choices unless you're absolutely certain they know something you don't—which, according to Cuban, they almost certainly don't.

Now, Cuban isn't saying investing is forbidden territory. He's built multiple companies and backed hundreds of startups. But his success comes from thoroughly understanding the landscape before making a move. That's the critical difference. And that's where he believes most people stumble—they outsource their judgment to someone else and hope things work out.

Wait Until You Actually Know

So what should people do instead?

Cuban's approach isn't about permanent paralysis. It's about patience until you genuinely understand something. That might mean keeping cash in savings until you comprehend real estate markets, starting small with a business you can control, or only investing in areas where you have real expertise. His own journey started with cheap champagne, polyester suits, and software manuals. He didn't begin with capital. He began with curiosity and a willingness to learn.

If there's one lesson from Cuban's decades of consistent, unfiltered financial advice, it's this: confidence without knowledge costs you money. And in a world saturated with noise and hype, sometimes the smartest decision is making no decision at all.

As he's said repeatedly over the years—and continues to stand by—if you don't understand the investment, don't make it.

Put it in the bank.