ANC On The Money: My Money Story

Here is 20 minutes interview.

20:50/ 27:17

Nicole
What general investment guidelines can you give for newbie investors? What's a good way to learn more about investing?

Jim Rohn:
Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.

A finance blog to read

Here is the finance blog for me to read.

Case study: over 8,000 dollars wants not needs

Jan. 27, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I do not know what is the way for me to learn personal finance; I like to figure out why I choose not to purchase a home in Vancouver area when one bedroom over 10 years old is around $130,000 Canadian dollars from 2010 to 2015. I knew that I did not learn how to discipline myself financially. I like to case study my USA checking account and what I spent on those rental income over years.

Case study

I like to do a quick and short case study. I like to find topics for me to work on. How to discipline myself? I have this issue to spend money on clothing and vacation, spending on relatives with compassion. But I am lack of financial knowledge to invest those money instead. All those are gone.

One thing for me to learn is that home is most important thing to purchase, at least I should make a plan on it.

Actionable Items

I need to get 2012 and 2014 citi credit monthly statements. I like to question every item purchase on the credit card. I like to build a value system and understand what is needs and what is wants.

I do not learn enough lesson without a job permit and without income; I should stop shopping anything except grocery and gas. And also I need to count miles I drive, document purpose and see if can lower the cost and choose alternative public transit.

Later on, I did not have money to maintain the minimum balance, I had to transfer money from Canadian bank. And then I had to figure out how to repair bathroom, hundreds of hours research and I had to work out to find a cheapest solution; I had to transfer money from Scotia bank to pay a new central AC installation.

Credit card spending is such a bad habit. I did take over 22 trips to USA Bellingham from 2011 to 2014.

If I learn compound effect, then I should invest those credit card expenses in stock market, then I can use those net income to pay later on bathroom repair and a new central AC.

Counterflow Session 5

Jan. 26, 2019

Introduction

It is one hour 20 minutes video. I am doing personal finance research, and I work on my Florida rental analysis. Also I like to spend time to learn from the teaching.

My notes

7:16/ 1:20:11

Training includes TEACHING
Training internalizes VALUES
Training involves DISCIPLINE
Training turns ACTIONS into HABITS

14:00 / 1:20:11

Discipline without good relationship
leads to frustration.
Love without discipline leads to anarchy.
Discipline without love leads to rebellion.
Love plus disciple leads to godly character.
We earn the right to discipline when we have established good relationship.

Case study: 15 months service fee in my chase saving account

Jan. 26, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. It is first time for me to work on my chase bank saving and check account statements and import all data into an Excel sheet for statements from 2010 to 2019. On Jan. 25, 2019, I spent over 5 hours from 7:00 PM to 1 AM to work on my own analysis, what I did is to copy and paste each transaction to excel sheet first. I like to write a case study of my chase saving account service charge over 15 months.

Case study

I did get charge $5.00 dollar from 2011 January every month, until 2012 April after 15 months. I need to learn how to build a good personal finance habit, read the statement line by line; also I need to do annual review and do my own annual report.

Here is the statement of January 2011.

Here is the statement of April 2012.

Actionable Items

It is time for me to teach myself to build basic finance habits. I have to push myself to learn one mistake a time.

I like to evaluate myself in terms of personal finance knowledge and also wealth I can build over 30 years. I definitely think that good personal finance habit is something I like to work on.

I have to parent myself after 18 years old.

In 2017, I had a car accident and also I wrote a blog to document my experience.

Counterflow Session 4

Here is the link.

16:00 - 20:00 / 35:51

Francis as a dad explained how he educated his son.

19:11 - 20:11 / 35:51

Three seconds rule - when the friends say that come on, let us do it. Let us steal, rape.

I will do it. It will bring you regret whole life.

Next time he likes to go out. Three seconds.

Case study: Boca Raton rental business analysis (I)

Jan. 26, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I like to push myself to learn the business, how to grow rich and build wealth. As I like to find ways to be able to afford a home in Canada somewhere. What I like to do is to push myself learn; one thing is to learn from my own experience.

Case study

I did put together a blog for the series, the first blog is here for the summary. My analysis is roughly hard to proceed since there are so many years involved, and I did not have bank statements. And my analysis based on the chase bank statement may not reflect the truth. I do not have all transaction receipts etc.

The goal is to push myself hard. I like to figure out what I should work on and also what I should learn from my own experience.

Actionable Items

I need to learn the basic finance habit. Every year I should try to put all my finance activity in Excel sheet and try to analyze them. 

I did not read the bank statement, I had Chase saving account charge $5.00 below $300 dollars for over 12 months, until I noticed the charge, I transferred the balance from checking account. 

Business analysis of my rental property

Jan. 26, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I spent time from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM on Jan. 25 and then put all my checking account statements into Excel sheet. I like to analyze my rental business in detail, I like to push myself hard to build basic finance habit, and learn basic analysis, market and sales, and understand the business better.

Business analysis

This is the first time I came out the idea and willing to reserve time to do basic book keeping. Why? Since I could not afford a home in Vancouver area, last November I decided to start personal finance research. I like to learn how to grow rich, build wealth. This is the first time in last 10 years I spent one hour to put all 12 checking statements into one excel sheet for each year. Last night I spent 6 hours to generate this report based on chase checking account statements.

The analysis is hard to process, since there are so many factors involved.

Dive deep

I do not have proper business education through the college years from 1984 to 1992, and from 1996 to 1998, from 2002 to 2006, from 2008 to 2010. I try to figure out why I should analyze a business, what is my business goal and how to make business success in terms of financial and other experience. 

I had a BB&T bank account, but I did not have statements from 2010 to 2011. The bank only provides last three years statements. I did not know why those money came from. My memory just had a few things, I opened the account in FAU branch, and I deposited some amount of money. 

I spent over $4000 US dollars in bathroom repair in 2014 and 2015, and I spent over $4600 Canadian dollars to put new central AC. Two transactions are not in Chase bank statement.

I used my chase checking account to my citi bank credit expense. One purchase is for the trip to Florida in 2014. All others are not related to rental business, also I paid FAU tuition using chase checking account.

I was charged below $1,500 balance for monthly maintenance fee a lot of times.

Actionable Items

Ask BB&T to get bank statements from 2010 to 2012. The bank will not have records. I did ask Chase bank for records from 1996 to 2011, but no longer available. 

I should have basic financial habit to save each statement for every year. 

Counterflow Session 1

Here is the link.

Francis Kong at the 9th USLS 2018

Here is the link.

Francis Kong at the 8th USLS 2017

Here is the link.

48:00 /

10 seconds rule - shopping


Emotional IQ - manage emotion

Case study: home insurance in 2001

Case study: a J2SE exam in 2008

Case study: $200 lawyer fee in 2008

Feb. 22, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I did make a decision to chat with an immigration lawyer and paid $200 dollars for 30 minutes. Actually in less than 15 minutes, we had nothing to say.

Case study: 30 minutes phone consultation

I talked to the immigration lawyer in USA, and he told me that I should give up USA and go for other country opportunities.

This is another impulsive shopping behavior. I had so many behaviors related to impulsive shopping.

I bought roller skating shoes, knee pads, wrist pads over $350.00 dollars in 2001, I was a home maker at that time. I only used less than 10 times. My friend complained to me that I fell on the floor and made noise, I decided to give away in less than two years.

Case study: a dental fee $100 in 2001

Case study: a physical exam in 2007

Case study: an eye exam in 2007

Jan. 25, 2019

Introduction

I got health insurance from Par siva from 2006 to 2007. I only used twice, but I came cross the bill over $300 US dollars. I like to do a case study on this expense.

22 secrets to save time and money shopping at Costco

Here is the article to read.

Case study: Costco shopping

Jan. 24, 2019

Introduction

It is most challenging job for me to cut expenses on Costco shopping. One of techniques is to spend less than $50.00 dollars for each trip, and also only buy big bulk vegetables. I like to case study my Costco shopping, I used to shop over $300 dollar every month in Costco.

Case study

I like to work on this topic and also find some good ideas to cut expenses.

I will put all my expense from 2010 to 2019 in Costco in my github first, and then analyze a few shopping and get some ideas to cut expenses.

Where I am in personal finance research?

Jan. 24, 2019

Introduction

I have two month personal finance research experience. I started from Nov. 2018 and I worked on so many things already. I like to figure out where I am in terms of personal finance research.

How to make good research?

I like to review more financial data, today I got 2004 citi bank credit card statement from January to December.

I also like to explore more topics in personal finance area, and choose some area related to me. I like to find ideas for me to work on.

5 Ways to Know if Joining a Startup Is Worth the Risk

Here is the article I plan to read.

503 Next great element II - a better solution

Jan. 24, 2019

Introduction

It is the algorithm related to stack. What I did is to spend 30 minutes to run the code from Leetcode discuss, debug the code and learn one new idea.

Optimal solution

It is hard for me to come out the optimal solution in my practice. I did write solution more than one month ago. Today I studied one solution and wrote my own one.

Here is C# code. I like to write a discuss post as well.

Case study: longest univalue path

Jan. 22, 2019

Introduction 

It is another 60 minutes discussion about algorithm longest univalue path. I was an interviewer on interviewing.io and the algorithm is longest univalue path.

Case study

Here is the example we worked on together.

Here is my feedback:

I work on the algorithm with over 20 interviewee right now. I learn one way to approach the problem and it should take me less than 15 minutes to solve it right now.

The fact I learned is the following:

I failed to solve the similar problem in weekly contest 120 distribute coins in binary tree, and I spent over 36 minutes in Jan. 19 2019.

Steps to shorten the time to 15 minutes

Using post order traversal, bottom up. It is a good idea to mark the path using number next to each node, and the number can be solved using recursively.

First step is to work on straight path, not cross path. From any node as a root node to the leaf node longest univalue path.

Second step is to calculate the cross node path.

Feedbacks

Here is the interviewee's feedback:

It took us more than 60 minutes to reach a final solution, and the code is still under investigation. One of ideas to improve for me as an interviewer is to bring the interviewee into discussion how to hack solution in quick and easy way.

The interviewee tried a few ideas but none of them worked. Even though the code passed a few test cases. I ask why it is plus one in one statement, I ask where is the statement to add two path together in the code.

code review: longest univalue path

Jan. 22, 2019

Introduction

It is a good idea for me to train myself hard. One thing I can do is to study very good written solution, and try to improve it, or simplify the code.

Code review

Here is the algorithm written in a coding blog called  a casual coder.
Here is C# solution I like to review for longest univalue path.

I also write down my thought process as well.

Thank you for sharing longest univalue path. I played with your solution in the above a few times, it is hard for me to come out the good review, but I did something to share with you. 

The variable maxThruLeft is declared and calculated but it is no use in your code. Same as maxThruRight variable. 

If we use maxThruCurrent variable and apply it to every node in the tree using post order, then we can get longest univalue path. No need to use third variable called maxGlobal. 

The following is the code I rewrote and just provide you a second opinion. The code passes online judge. 

Here is C# solution I rewrite to simplify the code.

NEED TO KNOW | Generation jobless: 'Millennials' struggle with unemployment | PBS

Here is the link.

Case study: Do not yell at me

It is a blog title not so popular to write. I have similar complaints before. Today I got it in my mock interview.

Case study of my mock interview

It is my determination to master the tree algorithm called longest univalue path. One of my ideas to learn is to work with various interviewee if they choose to work on the algorithm, and I also have discussion with the interviewee.

The interviewee chose to work on medium level algorithm instead of starting from an easy level algorithm. So I think that it is better for me to give this algorithm for him to work on.

The discussion lasted over one hour.

The interviewee wrote very good solution and tested the code with the test cases. I tried to point out that there is an edge case to consider. He told me again "why you yell at me? I do not yell at you.".

code to review

Feedback from the interviewee

My feedback

Actionable Items

It is the most challenging job to be an interviewer. I interview new graduate from MIT, Harvard, and all other engineers and leaders in the world. I keep making mistakes on this longest univalue path algorithm as an interviewer.

It takes some time for me to figure out things. I got complaint before not active involving discussion; Now it is my tone of voice. I should show genuine courtesy, instead of saying that there is a bug, I should say that what if we need to add some constraint here. Can we add some constraint here to make it harder?

Lower income families benefiting from Fair PharmaCare investment

Here is the link of English article. Here is Chinese article.

2015年，BC省推出公平药物护理计划（Fair PharmaCare），在这个计划之下，低收入的家庭可以获得一定的处方药补助。

不过之前，该计划下的垫底额一直比较高，很多家庭并不能从中受惠。

比如，过去年净收入在1万5到3万之间的家庭，虽然拿处方药可获优惠，但垫底费有300-600美元。如果不是依赖药物的家庭，这个门槛还是比较高的。

因此，去年，省府公开表示，会修改这个计划，降低门槛，让更多家庭受惠。

终于，上周五，省府宣布，从2019年1月1日开始，年收入3万元或以下年薪的家庭不需要支付垫底费了。

此外，3万至4.5万元收入的家庭所支付的处方药物费用也会减少; 年龄在78岁或以上的长者，其年收入不超过1.4万元、以及年收入少于$13,750元的人士，也毋须支付部分药费。

You Will Be Poor If You Do This! | The 7 Financial Sins

Here is the link.

#1 Most people do not plan their finances

Avoid over spending
Check your bank account every day for the next 30 days

When you actively manage your money you become better at it.

#2 Buying with consumer credit

#3 Making minimum payments on your credit card

#4 Not saving for retirement or financial freedom

#5 Making money decisions based on emotion

Maniac mode/ negative - unpredictable

Avoid making important decisions while emotional
Wait and use intelligence and rationality instead when ready

#6 Focusing too much on money and neglecting the process

You have to love the process
You've got to be passionate
"If you go into business only to make money, you're better off doing nothing"

#7 Not educating ourselves financially

Learning about personal finance
How to manage out money
How to leverage and grow our money
Is our own responsibility

Dream Hoarders: Is the Upper Middle Class Leaving Everyone Else Behind?

Here is the link.

Dream Hoarders: Who’s destroying the American Dream?

Here is the link.

What are possible influence overspending from 1999 to 2001?

Jan. 21, 2019

Confronting suburban poverty in America

Jan. 21, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I like to quickly understand the main ideas from the book called "Confronting suburban poverty in America".

Poverty rates surge in American suburbs

Here is the link.

The Dream Hoarders: How America's Top 20 Percent Perpetuates Inequality

Here is the link.

Book: Dream hoarder

Jan. 21, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I like to quickly read the summary of the book "Dream hoarder".

How the upper middle class keeps everyone else out

Here is the link.

980. Unique path III

Jan. 21, 2019

Introduction

It is hard level algorithm. I like to start to work on hard level algorithm in weekly contest even after the contest. I like to challenge myself and push myself to learn and keep myself competitive.

My practice

Here is my practice.

Actionable Items

I need to keep practice hard level algorithms as often as possible. At least I should try to solve one hard level algorithm during one week period. I have not solved a hard level algorithm from Nov. 15 to January 21, 2019 since I work on personal finance research.

Why Anaheim’s low-wage workers struggle to keep a roof over their heads

Here is the link.

4:00 / 7:35
18% Disney worker are sometimes homeless.

6:00 / 7:35
30,000 on a waitlist for affordable housing
20,000 on a waitlist for federal housing vouchers

Year 2022 minimum wage is $22/ hour.

979. Distribute Coins in Binary Tree

Jan. 21, 2019

Introduction

It is the algorithm of weekly contest 120. I wrote one solution in the contest but it does not work. I took some time to learn and write a solution based on the discuss shared by my favorite player. 

My practice 

Here is my submission. 

I wrote a solution in the contest but it does not work. Here is the gist.

I learn the tip in the following:

We traverse children first (post-order traversal), and return the balance of coins. For example, if we get '+3' from the left child, that means that the left subtree has 3 extra coins to move out. If we get '-1' from the right child, we need to move 1 coin in. So, we increase the number of moves by 4 (3 moves out left + 1 moves in right). We then return the final balance: -3 (left) + 1 (right) - 1 (keep one coin for the root) + r->val (coins in the root).

The above image is the copy from the leetcode discuss. 

NEED TO KNOW | Help wanted: The uncounted millions | PBS

Here is the link.

Public teacher was laid off because budget cut.

Long-Term Joblessness Takes Emotional, Spiritual Toll on '99ers'

Here is the link.

This is the video taken in 2010.

For millions, underemployment is a new normal

Here is the link.

Unemployment rate 10%
25 hours a week instead of 40 hours

the underemployed - I like to look into this topic called the underemployed.

35% of employment is underemployed.

Manage labor cost - Human capital management - Ceridian makes work life better.

3 million retail employee - I need to look into the issues.

Case study: 18 years and $25,000 dollar debt

Jan. 21, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. My goal of the research is to push myself to learn the value of dollar based on my own experience. I like to document my home equity line amount and interest, and then how I can learn from the experience.

Case study

I did document my lesson of learning the value of dollar; from 1998 December to 2001 September, I made net income $110,000 dollars, and in 1999 I purchased a condo with $25,000 US dollar mortgage.

$110,000 dollar net income definitely I can pay off the mortgage in Sept. 2001. But I did study my Citi bank credit card statement, I had so many issues to spend on clothing, airline tickets and other wants not needs from Dec. 1998 to Sept. 2001.

The road to learn the value of dollar was so slow.

The condo property tax is up and down. The following is the history.

     

The market value is the following.

The interest I paid for mortgage and home equity line from 1998 to 2017

What I learn 

The most important is to learn that I should pay myself first. I should save money to pay off my mortgage or home equity line. The formula should be income - savings = expenses.

I saved less than $20,000 dollars from those $110,000 US dollar net income from 1998 December to 2001 September. My formula is income - expenses = savings.

If I choose to save 80% of net income $110,000 from 1998 December to 2001 September, then I will not take more than 18 years until 2017 to pay off the home equity line.

How to save my income? Delay gratification, pay myself first. That is to pay off my own debt.

Rebecca Bustamante - Prospecting and Selling (PART1)

Excellent teaching.

Here is the link.

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep3 | Rebecca Bustamante

Jan. 20, 2019

Introduction

It is so inspiring story to learn and read more about Rebecca Bustamante.

Here is the link.

Here is the article on her website.

14:00 - 18:00/

How to find her husband after all siblings have college education, she found her husband in Canada.

Due diligence -

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep2 | Arnel Casanova

Here is the link.

Thought Leaders - Howard Sy Storage Mart

Here is the link.

Image makeover pays off for online payroll startup

Here is the article.

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep14 | Jun Palafox

Here is the link.


Jun's daughter explained how she argued with her dad.

How to run a family business? Choose a leader from different generation. Culture ...

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep19 | Ed Chua

Here is the link.

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep1 | Cesar V. Purisima

Here is the link.

The Final Pitch, Season 1, Episode 8: Mica Tan Challenge

Here is the link.

THOUGHT LEADERS - MICA TAN

Here is the link.

Mica Tan and her journey to becoming a millennial CEO

THOUGHT LEADERS | Ep12 | Manny V. Pangilinan

Here is the link.

Manny V. Pangilinan, here is the rank of Forbe net worth.

THOUGHT LEADERS | EP. 48 | FRANCIS KONG [Part 3]

Here is the link.

From passion to a mission

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is the first time in long time I heard this idea from passion to a mission. I heard in the interview of Francis Kong.

THOUGHT LEADERS | EP. 48 | FRANCIS KONG [Part 2]

Here is the link.

THOUGHT LEADERS | EP. 48 | FRANCIS KONG [Part 1]

Here is the link.

Francis Kong at the 8th USLS 2017

Here is the link.

7:00 / 1:38

business world

VUCA

volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity

ANC On The Money: How To Judge Whether A Company Is Worth Investing In

Here is the link.

25:00

Recommended books:

The intelligent investor by Graham
Anything about Warren Buffett and Chales Munger

Leetcode contest 115 - Lee215

Here is the tutorial video from Lee215.

weekly contest 120 tutorial

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is the first time I watched the video related to weekly contest just after the contest. Here is the video related to contest 120. Very good teaching.

weekly contest 120

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is my favorite weekly contest 120. I solved first two algorithms, but I could not solve the third algorithm related to tree algorithm.

My performance

Here is my ranking.

Jan. 22, 2019

Here are two algorithms I wrote in the contest.
977 Squares of a sorted array, here is my discuss link.
978 Longest turbulent subarray, here is my discuss link.

The algorithm I wrote for the third algorithm does not work. The design has an issue.

After the contest, I wrote the third and fourth algorithms.
979 Distribute coins in binary tree, here is my code written in C#.
980 Unique paths III, here is my code

Are You Financially Fit? | S. 2 Ep. 12

Here is the link.

Case study: longest univalue path

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

I studied the algorithm from a casual coder blog. I ran the algorithm and it works perfect on leetcode online judge.

Case study

Here is my gist.

Strategies for Playing Catch-up in Retirement | S.3 Ep. 16

Here is the link.


4:50
Finding your retirement number
. retirement income sources
. current savings
. how much money you will need
. what age you can retire

7:58/ 24:47
Recommended retirement savings

Targets as a multiple of income
Age              Retire at 65
40                 2x
50                 4x
60                 6x
65                 7x
67                 8x

14:34

How to cut costs to save more

Eliminate unnecessary expenses
Eliminate unnecessary insurance policies
Drive used instead of new cars
Eliminate all consumer debt

Afford Anything

Here is the page on youtube.com. I like to spend time to learn from those videos.

Retirement planning: What to do

Here is the link.

Free Investment Classes You Can Take Online

Here is the link.

Is Buying a Condo a Good Investment?

Here is the article.

I also like to copy and paste here to save into my github folder as LandlordJulia reading material.

More and more people with no real estate investing experience are turning to rental properties as a way of diversifying their investments and securing cash flow for the future.

What to Like About Rental Property

Several major factors have driven this shift:

• Many people are dissatisfied with the meager returns provided by their savings accounts and investments such as Certificates of Deposit.
• Several years of record-low interest rates make people wary of future inflation, which drives them away from the bond market. As an alternative, they look to commodities like real estate, which contain perceived inflation-protection.
• Many people want to diversify their investments, which means moving away from solely investing in the equities/stock market.
• Record-low interest rates and housing prices are causing many people to take a closer look at rental property investing.

If you want to get into rental property investing, you need to know how to evaluate whether or not a potential rental property is a good investment. These two formulas will help.

The Cap Rate

First, calculate the cap rate. This is the rate of return you'd make on a house if you bought it in cash.

Cap rate is the net income divided by the asset cost. For example:

• You buy a home for $200,000.
• It rents for $1,500 per month.
• Your expenses (taxes, insurance, management, repairs, maintenance) average out to $500 per month. (Remember, this does not include the principal and interest payments on your mortgage, but it does include the escrowed sum for taxes and insurance.)
• Your "net operating income" is $1,000 per month, or $12,000 per year.
• Your cap rate is $12,000 / $200,000 = 0.06, or 6 percent.

Is six percent a good return on your investment? That's up to you to decide. If you can find higher-quality tenants in a nicer neighborhood, then six percent could be a great return. If you're getting six percent for a shaky neighborhood with lots of risks, then six percent might not be worthwhile.

The One Percent Rule

This is a general rule of thumb that people use when evaluating a rental property. If the gross monthly rent (the rent before expenses) equals at least one percent of the purchase price, they'll look further into the investment. If it doesn't, they'll skip over it.

For example, a $200,000 house -- using this rule of thumb -- would need to rent for $2,000 per month. If it doesn't, then it doesn't meet the One Percent Rule.

Under this rule, the house brings in gross revenue of 12 percent of the purchase price each year. After expenses, the property may bring a net revenue of 6-8 percent of the purchase price.

This is generally considered a good return, but again, it depends on what area of town you're considering. Nicer neighborhoods tend to have lower rental returns, while shakier neighborhoods tend to have higher returns.

Final Note

Remember, six percent or eight percent (or any percent) doesn't mean as much if that interest is non-compounding. To give your returns the same benefit and the same chance of growth as money in the stock market, you'll need to reinvest 100 percent of the proceeds so your returns can compound upon themselves.

How to Tell If an Investment Can Lose You Money

Here is the link.

0105 - ICOD - Rev. Dr. Sharon Anderson Interviews Author Elizabeth White

Here is the link.

How to Calculate Your Internal Rate of Return

Here is the link.

RETIREMENT DECISIONS REAL ESTATE Rental Property Return Investment Tips

Here is the link.

Money Secret #4: Happy Retirees Have Multiple Income Streams

Here is the link.

How to Build a Financial Safety Net for Financial Security

Here is the link.

Suze Orman talks tough | Consumer Reports

Here is the link.

Talk about safety net. I need to look into this topic very carefully. If anything goes wrong, then what you will do.

Talk about saving, cut back; and that is all I have to do.

Stop spending money you do not have. Impress people you do not like.

You want to look cool. You want to live a life.

The more you make, the more you spend.

When Homelessness Reaches Middle-Class Working Families | Megyn Kelly TODAY

Here is the link.

How coming clean about financial struggle -- and counseling others -- became a calling

Here is the link.

Worth Watching: 55, Unemployed And Faking Normal

Here is the article to read on Forbes.com

Fifty-five, Unemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Retirement Life

Here is the book for me to review quickly. I may take 10 to 15 minutes to look into issues. I am looking for good topics to do the research.

Elizabeth White

Here is the article I like to spend 10 minutes to read. I also like to write down the topics I should study carefully.

An honest look at the personal finance crisis | Elizabeth White

Here is the link.

My citi credit card statements in 2010 are ready for me to review

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It was early in the morning 1:00 AM and I got the email from citi bank. I can review my 2010 citi credit card statements. I quickly went over and called it a day for sleep.

It was my personal finance research. I like to find out what I should look into by reviewing those statements. I also need to keep pushing myself to learn from articles, youtube.com, and get educated on this topic.

Statements

I only got statements from January to August, 2010 this time.

It is time to show my personal asset

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I like to present a progress report on my personal finance research. I have college classmate who owns over ten million dollar Chinese currency real estate property, and so many classmates of SJTU to own a property as well. Compared to them, I am still in kindergarden, but God allows this happen for reasons.

How deep is your love? 

I am watching the video while I write this blog. I like to make a mess on my blog once a while. I have hard time to review my personal finance statements, and write so many case studies.

It is tough for me to learn how to stay smart on personal finance, how to grow rich, build wealth, and also keep healthy as well.

One of reasons I like to share is to push myself to be a self-learner on personal finance. I need to find good investment opportunities, starting from $1,000 dollars, and learn how to date my money, and grow rich and build wealth.

Actionable Items

It is so exciting for me to conduct personal finance research. Since the more time I spend on reviewing those financial data, I can find all those leaks in my expense, and also a lot of bad habits like impulse shopping, ignorance of economy, and poor decision making.

One more thing is that I have to push myself to purchase something I can sell 10 year or more later with more value. Otherwise I will live on from a pay check to another pay check. Even though I save some income, once I lose the job, lose work permit, I will deplete all savings, and get into debt quickly.

Case study: Longest univalue path mock interview

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is my mock interview and I had discussion with a young talent from a startup company in California. We worked together and wrote together a solution, but this morning I tested against Leetcode online judge, the code failed one test case, I could not figure out. I decide to move on now.

Case study

Here is my code gist.

Here is the code to read.

My analysis

Failed test case should return value 2, the code returns 5. So I have to figure out what is the possible reason for those extra values. 

I should add one more check, set left = 0 if there root.val does not equal to its left child's value. Same as right child's value.

Vancouver Amazon makes the city more beautiful

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

I start to like Vancouver as a city. I live here more than 9 years now. I went to Amazon Vancouver AWS woman breakfast in Jan. 18, 2019. I like to say that Vancouver Amazon makes the city more beautiful.

A short story

I do not have experience to work for downtown office, but I got up early at 7:00 AM, and walked to sky train station, arrived in the down town Vancouver at 8:00 AM. I went to 14th floor, and went to reception desk. I still remembered 3 years ago in 2016 I had my first onsite interview and sat in the lobby for the exciting moment. The lobby was so familiar and felt like a home.

We had breakfast served with not too much food, remind me frugal principle. The view was so nice through the window, and also the Amazon leadership principles are so familiar since I worked hard on those principles since last June 2018 my second onsite with Amazon Seattle.

I also heard a few stories from those woman working in Amazon AWS team. I checked all the profiles of panel interviewees after the event in the evening at my home office. One of them and I both can connect to internet network industry and get connected through the employee from my ex-employer Trendium Inc in Florida.

I have to work hard to push myself to grow rich; Right now, I am working hard on my personal finance research first to see how I can build wealth.

Vancouver Amazon makes the city more beautiful.

Case study: Longest univalue path mock interview

Jan. 19, 2019

Introduction

It is my mock interview again in Nov. 18, 2019 as an interviewer. I asked the interviewee to solve the longest univalue path. I like to do a case study on the interview.

Case study

I like to push myself to learn how to be a good interviewer. This time the interviewee wrote a solution with a bug, but I did not find the bug in the mock interview.

The interview was on Jan. 18, 2019.

Now it is Jan. 19, 9:54 AM. I put the idea into C# code and run Leetcode online judge. The code failed.

Here is the gist.

Uncover the problem

The problem is on the recursive to solve the cross path.

Line 35 return 2 + LongestUnivaluePath(root.left) + LongestUnivaluePath(root.right);

The counter example is the following:

Line 1:         3
Line 2:      /       \
Line 3      3        3
Line 4:   /   \
Line 5:  3    3

The above tree's longest univalue path is 3, not 4.

Actionable Item

I wrote an email to sam@interviewing.io and ask how I can modify my feedback.

Focus on Fundamentals First

Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed
the richest man in Babylon, Georges Clason

Jan. 18, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I like to read and learn some fundamental first. Here is the article. 

Amazon leadership: dive deep

Jan. 18, 2019

Introduction

It is one of Amazon leadership principles called dive deep. Look at data, and analyze the data. I am working on my personal finance research, I learn how important it is for me to learn from my citi credit card statements from 1998 to 2002, I can easily learn from the analysis what I spent, and learn what mistakes I made in those four years.

Count the hours for my personal finance research

Jan. 18, 2019

Introduction

It is my personal finance research. I learn the mistake I made to sell VIGRX mutual fund in 2002, I sold it when it was low price. It was more than 17 years ago. I did not take time to learn how index fund works. Later I played on stock market, and never considered VIGRX mutual fund again. I like to be patient to myself, count hours to study personal finance first. If I did not sell it in 2002, then the fund will have market value $10,000, with $7,000 dollars gain.

100 hours mark

Knowledge is power. I should start to learn basics first.

I spent 4 weekends in November, 4 weekends in December, and also one week holiday break to study.

Total hour:
  8 * weekends (10 hours a day)
  5 week days ( 10 hours a day)
---------------------------------------
130 hours

200 hours mark

300 hours mark

400 hours mark

500 hours mark

Actionable Items

I do not save my VIGRX statements in 2001. I should parent myself and give myself warning since only thing I care about is to make profit, but I do not give myself chance to learn. One thing is to learn from my own mistake, my own experience. In order for me to do that, I have to save those finance records, so I can easily review all the transactions and learn from the mistakes.

This is basic personal financial habit. I should learn to build a good habit at the very beginning.

16. Majority element

Jan. 18, 2019

Introduction

It is my mock interview algorithm I chose to work on. 

Six solutions

Here is the link for me to read and have discussion with the interviewee.

Hash table

Sorting 

Randomization

Divide and conquer

Moore voting algorithm

Bit manipulation

How to Hedge Your Portfolio

Here is the link.

Market Too Risky? Here's How To Hedge Your Portfolio

Here is the article for me to read. I plan to read it in 10 - 15 minutes.

Are You Too Materialistic?

Here is the link.

Materialism is bad for you, studies say

Here is the link.

 Kasser argues that when people turn to material things to feel better, they compound the problem, because they seek experiences that "don't do a very good job of meeting their psychological needs."

Less stuff, more happiness

Here is the link.

Large credit card debt.

The goods on good materialism: how to have a better relationship with your stuff

Here is the article.

Excess materialism is also partnered with unhealthy realities like hoarding, addictive shopping, consumer debt and antisocial behavior.

8:34 PM
Look into those keywords:

hoarding
addictive shopping
consumer debt
antisocial behavior

9 Steps To Financial Freedom Audiobook * Suze Orman

Audio book, two hours 52 minutes.

Plan to spend time from 8:22 PM - 12:00 PM, Jan. 18, 2019.