💡Personal Development & Finance

The rush to save on taxes of all kind is no surprise to corporations and employees alike. According to CNBC, 57% of Americans didn’t pay federal income taxes in 2021. The shift to earning more tax-advantaged passive and investment income is a trend that is bound to stay. Source: Tax Foundation Hard-working Americans deserve to

Right before the pandemic hit, my generation, many of whom were either graduating HS or starting college at the time, found investing to be boring or not necessary at that point in life. We had more important things to do like plan trips, head to the movies, or focus on homework. Investing was for adults!

No matter where you are in the world, you don’t have to look far to see the worsening impact of climate change right in your backyard.  If there’s one thing to remember for the foreseeable future, it’s that mother nature will always win. Just like fighting the Fed won’t serve your portfolio well, nor will

When it comes to vacation, many of us in this hyper-connected digitalized workaholic age have trouble unplugging or at least temporarily doing nothing for a minute.  Even 30 seconds is tough to wait on the curb for the cross walk signal! This is clearly a problem my generation is facing! At least I don’t text

Two straight years of double-digit negative returns aren’t unheard of however pretty rare given the U.S. economy, corporations, and consumers alike have gained tremendous economic and financial strength since the outbreak of the pandemic.  Millions of Americans state they are in the best financial position of their lives thanks to aggressive savings rates, massive monetary

One of the greatest misbeliefs the youngest generation holds is believing the grass is greener on the other side. This mentality is only getting worse due to the plethora of subscriptions out there. From pet supplies to groceries, you name it, there’s a subscription for it! Surprisingly, they may actually make your life more difficult

As the great Wayne Gretzky pronounced, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. If you never attempt to try, you’re sadly guaranteed to lose. The good thing is, we regret the things we don’t do more than the things we did so go ahead and see what you’re capable of! No one will

It seems every year I say the same old adage that always rings true! It’s been another historic unprecedented year for the history books and well, this year was certainly no exception!  The markets are fascinating for endless reasons but the uncertainty, ambiguity, and unpredictability of it all truly thrills me! No day is ever

It’s no surprise Friday is arguably everyone’s favorite day of the week and by Sunday, many get the blues.  It seems like most are just living for the weekend.  Can they ever catch a break? Clearly, this trend and sentiment reveal a lot about how workers view their lives and the massive epidemic of burnout

If there’s one thing we cannot master in a crash course or 2-day boot camp it’s developing an amicable, easy-going personality, and stellar EQ. These are skills that take patience and consistency, but the real test is through real-world practice only a handful are willing to face. You can read all the books in the

There’s no shortage of the world’s wealthiest, most glamorous people that are lonely and always looking for someone new. At the end of the day, money in the bank account and attractiveness may boost opportunities in the short-term but don’t go as far as we may believe. Until you get to the stage where you

As a senior in college, I’ve always prioritized learning outside of the classroom to gain hands-on experience and had the opportunity to work at incredible places across various industries. I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to explore innovative and transformative settings, especially in the Big Apple. I’m certainly not an expert in anything, most likely

With soaring mortgage rates surpassing 7% for the 30-yr fixed, first-time home buyers are getting squeezed to the brim, delaying their chance to finally put down roots.  Although it may be frustrating to not be able to own a place outright in your name year after year, we must not forget to count our blessings.

Once you’ve set all other boundaries and unspoken rules with your partner, when it comes to finances, they must be crystal clear to ensure financial freedom, independence, and peace of mind for the both of you down the road. Whether you’re someone who is open and honest about finances or hesitant about spilling the tea,

As a soccer, or shall I say, football fan, I’m more excited than ever before to watch the FIFA World Cup! Events like this are only held every 4 years so they must be celebrated with a festive spirit, especially at this time of the year around the holidays! Time really flies by. 4 years

When you think of the coolest, wildest, and once most inspirational people on earth, possibly chasing the top ranks, who comes or maybe came to mind, if still around after 2022’s market chaos and collapse? Perhaps, Sam Bankman Fried, Elizabeth Homes, Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg? The cool twenty-somethings who may have dropped out, started

To no surprise, even after almost 3 years since the pandemic upended our lives, ancient commuters are now trickling back into offices as industries across the board from finance to tech hail workers back for at least 2–3 days a week.  As a Gen Z student, intern, entrepreneur, and lifelong New Yorker, I’ve found this

As a personal finance blogger, it’s only fair to look at both sides of the coin and unpack the good and ugly of managing finances to hopefully make your lives easier in the long run! One major downside to living in the 21st century technology-driven fast-paced ‘get rich quick scheme’ retail trading booming age is

With Nov 8th’s midterm elections right around the corner, investors are anxiously awaiting results across the board. From October’s inflationary report set to be released this week on Nov 10th to the Fed’s anticipated round of a 50 bps hike in early December down from 75 bps in early November, we must assess the real

A handful of us during the lockdown days of the pandemic became homebodies and binge-watchers while for the ambitious types, their businesses recorded their strongest annual results ever, got into the best shape of their lives, and squeezed in every possible Peloton ride to not waste any precious time at home.  Such an overachiever! As

Being youthful and gainfully self-employed is one of the most popular and efficient trends that has emerged out of the pandemic and is here to stay for the foreseeable future. With an emphasis on building one’s defensible MOAT and generating recurring cash flow during tougher economic times to strengthen the top and bottom line, there’s

Here’s a question, what if you could invest in actual real assets, such as people instead of a cash burning company cast as an attractive idea in a frothy speculative market? I believe the most attractive thing about anyone is their confidence, charisma, and EQ. Although looks certainly matter and boost one’s likeability and success

If you’re looking for any deal at the supermarket nowadays, chicken wings may be your go-to. They’ve hit their lowest price since 2018 and are the ultimate brain food for prudent investors.  As with every bull market, the only downside is that these rare deals on protein won’t last long so devour them while you

What’s the point of making money if it cannot provide a better life? Sometimes what we own, owns us. Striking the right balance between becoming obsessive versus pragmatic about what you need to live a decent life is as important as knowing how and where to spend. It may be hard to believe but there

Having a helping hand, someone to lean on or talk to at any moment on speed dial is the most comforting feeling. Knowing that any question you may ask will never be considered dumb is a relief.  Being able to openly talk with someone about anything, even with highly sensitive personal topics most notably personal

Although I’m a student and prefer in-person engagement, WFH is favorable for almost everyone in some capacity. Without it, I wouldn’t be here writing for the past 2 years! My urge for working in the comfort of my home on the couch may not be as great as for a working professional who is on

With more wealth comes stability, opportunity, peace of mind, and a unique type of security.  What doesn’t come included in the package are healthier relationships, stronger physical or emotional health, a better mindset, or any ounce of love that something shiny is supposed to bring but we all know fades the next day. Happiness is

After living on earth for 21 years as a relatively sticky consumer, I’ve realized that people chase goods not because they provide immediate happiness. They purchase something because they expect to receive a certain feeling from acquiring it, not from the goods themselves. Yes, there’s a distinction and it took me a few years into

Real protective insurance isn’t just sold in a complex package by an agent or provider to protect your belongings and loved ones. It also includes those that aren’t the beneficiaries or heirs of your plan. Social isolation and loneliness have hit staggering rates and quadrupled during the pandemic. Angst, anxiety, crime, and concern are prevalent

For better or for worse. You sell yourself every day. You can choose to look at the negative or still enjoy the cloudy day. The quality of your mind is your life. Isn’t that so powerful? We can be our worst critics or loudest cheerleaders. A few years ago when I first heard the powerful

When I first unpacked my bags at college almost 3 years ago now, I learned about the scarcity versus abundance mindset right in front of my eyes. Although I’ve lived in the Big Apple all my life, downtown in college I learned firsthand there’s really no one size fits all approach to anything. During the

This is by far the best skill you can learn in business school. If it’s taught… There’s still a handful of invaluable advice that is missed in B-school and in the institutionalized education system in general. From networking to financial literacy, experimentation to trial and error, basic life skills are forgotten yet if there’s one

I’m a capitalist and generally believe well-functioning efficient markets do in fact improve lives. I’m also a Gen Zer and a work-in-progress so don’t @ me. Climbing the socioeconomic ladder is a fruitful goal as long as the motive is other than creating capital in a self-serving way.  Anyways, past a certain household income of

The 4-hour workweek sounds attractive but is it realistic to be able to survive and live off of? If it isn’t, it will be more painful and anxiety inducing, defeating the whole point of working less. Instead, strive to work smarter not harder for ultimate results. Many high-achievers and world-class performers only work roughly 5

Nearly half of the U.S. population was impacted by identity and financial fraud last year. This is nearly all of the unbanked-~5.4% or 7 million households and millions from various social classes, particularly the top 20%. Don’t even get me started on crypto fraud. With no gatekeeper, it is the Wild Web, or more like

I know a lot of people who are rich, not wealthy. You see them all the time on TV. The media moguls, the people you look up to, see in crypto $7m Super Bowl ads, and most obvious, those all around you indebted to impress strangers. Your income to expense ratio reveals your true balance

As creatures, we always strive to look our best. It shows respect, dedication, and effort. First impressions do matter and to an extent, others’ opinions are crucial. There’s nothing wrong with it until it drags down the balance sheet and we find we are living for strangers or 99% of our unknown followers. After two

Vaccinations are our only true cure towards normalcy. Otherwise, we’ll be pedaling on our Pelotons for years getting nowhere. With everything still in limbo with record case counts and the new consideration of flurona, covid + flu, nothing seems certain anymore. Deja vu back to 2020 — just not on Wall Street. It’s been too good of

Technically no one has mastered anything and the ultra wealthy confirm it. There is always room for improvement and I believe it is quite dangerous to believe we have mastered something.  We deceive ourselves all the time, especially on our level of expertise. Believing you are the smartest person in the room or having no

Seriously. As we ease back into normal life, we need to start paying attention to what we do have instead of what we don’t have. This is harder than ever these days. All thanks to the abundance of social media, advertisements, influencers and Big Tech, we are far too consumed and attracted to other’s lives

The pandemic has upended all our lives in different ways and hopefully made us more appreciative of what we have. After all, we don’t appreciate what we truly have until it’s gone. What’s fascinating about us creatures is that we are hesitant upon any change but once it’s initiated, we adapt rapidly. From WFH to