TJJ Learning Journal | Dividend Investing for FIRE

As someone investing for the long term, one of the most common questions is, "Do you ever sell?" The answer is yes, but my decision to sell depends entirely on the role that a particular stock plays in my portfolio. There are the main dishes, which form the core of my portfolio and provide most of my dividend payouts. Then, there are the small side dishes, which are there as smaller satellite position for diversification and possibly enhanced returns. Each has a different purpose and, therefore, a different set of rules. Today, I want to share how this system works for me in practice. The Two Ways to Generate Cash Flow My portfolio's primary goal is to generate cash flow. In most systems, this would come from two distinct sources: The Harvest (Dividends): This is the recurring income from my core holdings. It's the predictable, sustainable cash flow from my core of blue-chip banks and REITs that form the bedrock of my portfolio. The Trade (Realized Gains): This is a...

UPDATE: As of 18 September 2025, this Lucky Spin feature has been removed and the method no longer works. The moomoo points can be spent on trading coupons still, but at far less generous rates.   I want to share a simple and quick method to earn free trading cash coupons on moomoo SG. Trading cash coupons help to lower your trading costs on this platform. You may find this useful as a current user of moomoo, or as someone looking for a discount broker to invest/trade with. Step 1: Claim your Free Daily Spin This is the easiest part and costs you nothing. First, open your Moomoo app and tap the "Me" icon in the bottom right corner. Next, tap on "Redeem Points" . This will take you to the Rewards Club page. Find the "Lucky Spin" feature and tap into it. You are entitled to one free spin every single day . Make sure you claim it. Step 2: Focus on The Gift Box Look at the  progress bar  and gift box  at the bottom of the spin page. This is the real prize.  ...

There’s one test I care most about when it comes to investing: can I sleep soundly at night? If my heart sinks every time prices fall, then no matter how “smart” my portfolio looks on paper, it’s not the right one for me. Beginners Can't Sleep Well and Lose Money Retail investors start investing often by jumping into the deep end of the pool. They buy and sell hyped stocks, or really any thing that just seems to give a high return. It might work for some time, and it feels exciting… until it doesn’t. The market dips and becomes an emotional rollercoaster. You start waking up at 3am to check US market prices.  The problem? Many beginners haven't yet developed their own investment system. They’re following trends, not strategy. And worse, they’re trying to stomach a level of risk that doesn’t align with their temperament. Investing is deeply personal. If your portfolio keeps you up at night, it’s not a good one. Starting Strategy: DCA into Index Funds This is the bread-and-butt...

I was reading Marc Lichtenfeld's "Get Rich With Dividends" on recommendation by a  fellow dividend investor  and came across an analogy that captures the debate between dividend investing and growth investing. I want to share it here. The Proposal Imagine I come to you with a business proposal. I'm starting a new restaurant and I'm looking for investors to raise capital. I offer you a 10% ownership stake for S$100,000. We expect the business to break even in the first year. In year 2, the business is expected to earn a profit of S$100,000. In year 3, we expect the business to earn a profit of S$200,000. Now, I offer you two different ways to share in the success of the business as a shareholder. Plan #1: The Exit Strategy Under this plan, we will re-invest 100% of profits into the business. We will aim to grow as aggressively as possible until we hit a target S$1,500,000 in annual sales. Then, we will sell the entire restaurant at two times sales for S$3,000,000. ...

Buying shares makes us a partial-owner of a real company, and this fact gets into the heart of what investing really is. How does shareholding in a giant company like DBS translate into making real money? People tend to skimp over this detail without gaining enough understanding to invest on our own with confidence. Lets look beyond the surface ripples of daily price swings, and go slightly deeper into the the three `engines` driving total returns for us investors. Engine 1: Earnings Growth 🌱 This is the most fundamental source of returns. When the companies you own innovate, expand, and become more efficient, their profits grow. This is earnings growth . As an owner, your shares of those profits becomes larger and more valuable. When our companies grow their earnings successfully year-over-year, its overall  earnings-per-share (EPS)  increases. This represents its real, underlying business value and acts as a support for its price.  Stocks tend to trade around certain m...