After Thought After Reading "Quit Like a Millionaire"

In early August 2019, when I was browsing a book catalogue of a local famous bookstore, I came across an introduction of the book which as shown over the left hand side. Even though I have achieved early retirement for more than half a year ago, the introduction of the book in the catalogue still make me to buy this book. 

The book author is from China and currently staying in Canada. Her poor family background has caught my attention on how she able to survive in high cost city in Canada. She hated her unpleasant full time job and wanted to quit as soon as she can. She, together with her husband, able to retire at the age of 31 with a net worth of $1 million. The author explained all these at the beginning of the book. In this review, I would like to pick up some points to share and discuss.

My Route to Financial Freedom

One of my university majors was Finance. The reason for me on choosing this was that I like to explore all the possibilities and probabilities. I like figures and get around with them but I hate Accounts. I don't mean Accounting figures are meaningless but, to me, the process of doing this is rather boring. One good thing on Finance is that I could justify the figures by adding in assumptions with is not allowed in Accounts. In short, Finance allows me to carry out some assumptions to justify my analysis.

你50岁还要烦钱吗？Are you still struggling for money at the age of 50?

栽自新洲日报投资致富2017年11月6日第27页

看了这个报章标题，有些感触。就在几天前，我去了间银行去存放定存。因为我要得到更好的利率，我便向大厅的一位Officer询问。谈好后，该名Officer没让我拿号码排队，而是直接将我的资料及批准的利率交到收银员那儿处理。看来这位Officer的来头不小。在等待定存收据时，我便和她聊了起来。当她问我在哪儿高就时，我说我是自由工作者（Freelancer)。（其实我目前我还是全职工作者。那为什么我会说我是自由工作者呢？那是因为在不久的将来，我将会是我自己的主人。现在是时候让自己习惯这样说了，好让心里有个准备。）那位Officer好不羡慕。她说她也希望能像我一样。后来我才知道那位Officer是原来是该银行分行的经理。

心得分享：孙子股市兵法（冷眼 著）

每一次读冷眼的书，就像长辈苦口婆心的劝告我们什么该做，什么不该做。不久前，冷眼出了他的第四本书《孙子股市兵法》。书的内容就是以孙子兵法的角度去剖析股票投资该有的正确态度。

全书共336页。内容贯彻的是冷眼的投资心得。借此机会，我来与冷眼的一些股票投资概念来做个比较。

一、冷眼鼓励投资者除了多读公司的年报、研究报告以及报章的资料外，最好养成每天读完上市公司文告的习惯。若你是股东的公司的文告，必须细读。你有意参股的公司的文告，只需略读。至于你无意参股的公司，只需游览其文告，以找出是否有新的发展既可。

提早退休，可能吗？

久违了。经过一段时间的沉淀后，我终于决定再次通过这管道来与大家分享我的投资理财心得。谢谢大家这些年来的支持。

我在25岁时开始学习财务规划。15年来，我一路跌跌撞撞，跌倒了再爬起来。失误及错误让我更好的规划出我指望的财务路线。经过这些年的努力后，在年届40岁时达到了财务自由。由于当时工作还算顺利，因此打算较后才辞职。我倒是让太太先离开职场。这是因为她经常埋怨天天忙工作忙家务，根本没时间给自己。当时我想这个家也已经不需要她帮补什么，因此让她先提早退休。

在我41岁时，因为上头的无理取闹而对管理层不满，开始问自己为何要受这种气而开始有离开的念头。那时，我认为没有必要为这公司付出更多。我不想再多烦恼而牺牲我的健康。终于，我递交了辞呈。正如预料般的，公司开口挽留。当时我对退休生活一点概念都没有，也没有再找工作或做生意的打算，因此答应了公司的挽留。之后的工作因上头的态度改变还算过得去，但压力还是很大。因此，提早退休的念头从来没从我的脑海里消失过。

重点来了。我常问自己，对于提早退休，我在当心什么。财务方面，一切都处于正轨，全在掌握之中。健康方面，因为有注意作息、饮食及常运动，健康比任何时候都好。那到底我在我在当心什么呢？经过3年的摸索，我开始有了眉目 -- 我不晓得在退休后多出来的时间要干什么。于是我继续探索。就在2016年11月份，我在本地著名的中文报章看到介绍一位台湾乐活家，“老黑”田临斌，的新书《45岁退休，你准备好了？》说明会广告。单看书名，就吸引了我。原因很简单。我今年正是45岁，正积极思考提早退休该做什么。我太太于是问我这是不是另一个有关钱财管理的新书介绍。若是，她劝我就别浪费我的时间因为我已经在投资理财方面比同龄的做的更好了。更何况，我已达到财务自由。在我看了“老黑”的新书简介后，我非常确定“老黑”要分享的是，除了理财外，该如何让退休生活过的更有意义。我于是在2016年11月27日参加了“老黑”在My Library的新书说明会，的确获益不浅。

我在2016年11月27日参加了“老黑”田临斌的新书分享会。第二排左四便是我。
照片来源：新洲日报 （2016年11月28日，大柔佛，第4页)

在读了这本书后，我把所理解的整理如下与大家分享。“老黑”强调以下十堂课都至少要及格才有资格提早退休。在此，我将“老黑”的见解与我的现状比较，看看我是否已准备好。

Book Review: Taming the Money Sharks by Philip Cheng

This book, Taming the Money Sharks: 8 Super-Easy Stock Investment Maxims, Philip emphasizes on the essential of evaluating a company's fundamental before putting in our hard-earned money.  He introduces a total of 5 ratios and these ratios are mainly on evaluating a company's earning power, credit position as well as cash flow to meet its obligations.

How Money Changes Our Life?

Since I achieved my FREEDOM two years ago, my life has never been so easy before.  Ya, I am still working full-time with an aim to continue to have contribution to my country rather than for money to meet my daily obligations or sit at home and do nothing.  Meanwhile, I also able to allocate more time for my family, my hobbies and my favorate works during my free time.  One of my hobbies is reading and it has been years for me on no reading books about financial planning as I already have one (which was designed by myself) and achieved it.  When I browsed through MPH online bookstore last month and came to know a book by Azizi Ali which is entitled "Money Changes Everything - Get Rich, Live Rich, Die Rich".  I recall the first book that encouraged me to kick-off my route to Financial Freedom was Azizi's "Millionaires are from Different Planet".  Of course, the journey was not easy but I faithfully achieved it finally and I share all my experience in my book, "FREEDOM".  Without second thought, I ordered a copy of "Money Changes Everything" to observe if there is anything else I could further enhance from what I have been doing.

Survivor Game in Stock Market

I just completed my reading of this little book, Wall Street: The Other Las Vegas by Nicolas Darvas (the author of How I Made $2,000,000 In The Stock Market).  It is an very interesting book and the author shares his experience on becoming a gambler in the stock market.  He knew nothing about stock investment when he first stepped into the stock market but he builds his "gambling" system to win throughout the process.  In particular, he gives instruction to his broker to place buy and sell order at his target price according to his "gambling" system.

Is Market Timing Working???

I am not a fan of market timing.  To me, market timing is for speculators and I really don't bother to be a speculator I just don't want to sit in front of computer and stare at the computer monitor at all time.  But just for my knowledge on how speculators are doing on market timing, I picked up this book.

Exclusive Interview by Mr. CF Lieu

This is a link of my exclusive interview by Mr. CF Lieu on my new book, "FREEDOM".  I do hope this interview will be able to provide you so more clues on achieving your financial objectives.  This is Part 1 of the interview.  I shall provide the link on Part 2 once it is available.

http://www.howtofinancemoney.com/2013/01/freedom-lai-seng-choy-part1.html

http://www.howtofinancemoney.com/2013/01/freedom-lai-seng-choy-part2.html

http://www.howtofinancemoney.com/2013/01/freedom-lai-seng-choy-part3.html

Thanks to All My Readers

Last Monday (5th November 2012 - 5 days after the launching of my new book, "FREEDOM"), I visited Harris Bookstore located at AEON Tebrau City, Johor Bahru.  When I first popped into the bookstore, I immediately headed to Harris Choice section to locate my book.

Release of My New Book: FREEDOM

I am glad to announce that my second English title, "FREEDOM", will be released on 1st November 2012 at all major bookstores around the country. 

My Reading List in 2011

Today is the last day of 2011.  To me, it has been a busy year.  I traveled extensively to various countries in Northeast Asia for meetings as well as to visit my customers and suppliers.  I also launch my first Chinese book, "无限的财富" in November.  Thanks to all my readers.

Despite of busy schedule, I never forget to read.  I normally read books 1 hour before bed time and, by doing so, it really creates a peace of mind to me after a day of hard work.  Here, I would like to share with my fellow readers about what I have been reading in 2011:

无限的财富

自英语版“无限的财富“出版以来，我收到广大的读者们的热烈反馈。非常感谢大家的支持。为了能让更多的读者受益，“无限的财富”中文版也已出版。现已在各大书局出售。

为了能更好的反映当下的市场情况，我在中文版里添加了不少资讯及投资技巧。欢迎读者们进行讨论及分享。

期待你们的回馈。

谢谢！

Book Review: Warren Buffett and the Art of Stock Arbitrage

This is another wonderful book from Mary Buffett and David Clark. Last year, I read their "Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements: The Search for the Company with a Durable Competitive Advantage", many doubts on how Warren read financial statements are clarified.  This year, I am further enlightened by how Warren benefits from the companies mergers, take overs, reorganization .... .  The book provides very good insight on each condition and how Warren goes about it.

Book Review: The Lazy Millionaire

I bought this book at Popular Mega Book Fair in Johor Bahru.  It is really a simple and straight forward book.  The author, Marc Fisher, gives a number of good ideas on how to have your life nice and easy.

My Reading List 2010

Reading has been my favorite hobby for years.  I feel down without holding a book during my free time; I feel being left behind for not learning continuously; I feel time will be just wasted by sitting in front of TV instead of a book.  Anyway, I have set my target to read at least a book in a month and books' titles cover not only on financial aspects but also literary works.  Following is my 2010 reading list so far:

1. "The One Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth" by Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen

2. "The New Buffettology" by Mary Buffett & David Clark

Infinite Wealth

This is my first very own stock investment book to share my years of experience on countering unpredictable stock market movement.

As stock market is so unpredictable, I have designed a system that works well and enable me to receive an average 15~20% annual return, no matter how the market moves.

In my book, I will reveal my very own company evaluation system to identify fundamentally sound companies.  With these shortlisted established financially sound companies in your list, I will also show my technique on spotting the right timing on entering and exiting for profit maximization.

The processes indicate in my book have been proven through years of pilot testing by using my hard-earned money.  As get out the rat-race by my early 40s is my major financial target, sustainable passive income is a must.  I must have a solid system to ensure that and here I have developed one.  It works and I will like to share it with my fellow readers.

Do grab a copy at any major bookstore.  Your inquiry, testimonial and/or comments are most welcome.

Happy investing.

Recommend Reading: “Stock Profits – Getting to the Core” by Michael C. Thomsett

This is my second time to read this book.

Have you ever figured whether those figures published in companies’ annual report were as they are or manipulated? You may recall some cases happened in the US a few years ago about inflated figures were reported that resulted in tragedy to a number of investors. Therefore, from this lesson, investors should learn how to generate the true picture behind these figures.

Recommend Reading: “Fire Your Stock Analyst!” by Harry Domash

I find this book shall be kept beside fundamentalist at all time.

I first read this book 3 years ago. At that time, I was in the midst on refining my fundamental analysis skill. This book has provided me a good start by giving me step by step guide on how to go about. In particular, this book demonstrates an 11-step process for complete fundamental analysis. Namely: