💫The Journey Begins

Hello, World!

I’m William Li, the mind behind The Dividend Journal. My journey into the realm of finance began with a foundation in Economics, and then I fell into the rabbit hole and got a Master's degree in Finance. My fascination with this world was sparked not in my youth, when evenings were lost to playing League of Legends rather than doing my homework, nor during my high school years, where I navigated the familiar path of pre-med, influenced by my family's medical heritage. It was halfway through my sophomore year in college when I discovered the stocks app, preinstalled on my iPhone, was a window into a whole world I had never known existed.

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“A lot of people come out of [school] without having been taught financial literacy in any detail. They end up just … learning from their mistakes” -Denis Poljak

Finance is not just about knowing how to create a forecasting model or how to value a company. Finance and financial literacy go hand in hand: theoretical knowledge combined with practical experience yields the best results.

Trust me, I've been there-learning the hard way. Racking up credit card debt and then getting hit with the 'oh, snap' moment when I realized those high interest rates weren't going to pay themselves? Guilty as charged. Even more scary is the fact that 6 in 10 Americans don’t have a retirement specific account! I've heard from friends and co-workers alike that they're either unsure about the specifics of their investments or they've deposited money into investment accounts without actually allocating it to any investments. Having more exposure and just being more mindful of financial literacy is a huge step in the right direction. I want this newsletter to be a way where you and I can both learn new things.

Financial literacy to me is an integral part of life, and pays dividends. You need to stay informed and confident about where your money is going and what it's doing. Think of this as my personal diary, a place where I can spill all my thoughts and circle back to see how my ideas evolve. This will encompass not just financial literacy topics, but also more complex finance/valuation concepts. I'll be revisiting stuff I know, but also tossing in fresh ideas along the way. Dive into the finance world with me—it'll be quite the ride.