EBS Investments Newsletter

^{Letter to Readers}

^{Preface: I would like to personally thank the following people who have helped me on my investing journey: my father, mother, brother, and Mr. Stevens. Moreover, Ryne Williams, Mister Income, Martijn, Kevin Burgess, Xal Dath, Jared, Luke, August, Lane, and all others not mentioned who have helped me along the way, big or small, so, for that, thank you.}

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Dear valued reader:

It was on this day, two years ago, that I convinced my mother to open up a custodial brokerage account and allow me to start investing at the ripe age of 17. At the time, I was taking advanced placement courses at my high school, and I took one of my most challenging courses ever, AP Micro and Macro Economics. My teacher taught it like a college course. We had class three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), then office hours on Tuesday and Thursday. This class was a challenge for me; I had never taken such an academic study before that, which tested my analysis skills, mathematical skills, and critical thinking all in one.

It wasn't until a week before winter break in 2021 that my AP Econ teacher, Mr. Stevens, and I shared a conversation about investing. All I knew was that my family owned some IBM shares, and I was aware of investing, but looking back, I was clueless, and that’s okay. After our conversation ended, it was just him and I in the classroom together, well past when school let out. He walked over to his little library next to the windows and handed me two books. One was Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. The other book was Investing from Scratch by James Lowell. I stood there, shocked by his kindness. Mr. Stevens told me to forget all my homework over winter break that was assigned and just read these two books.

I read Rich Dad Poor Dad first; it was a very fast read. Growing up, I had the opportunity to save money, yet I was like every other kid. I bought pointless items with my funds. Items that retained no value and provided no return over long periods. The book foremost taught me how to not be poor. Further, it taught me that I can become rich through everyday decision-making and investing in my life. You don’t need a college degree to be successful in life; you just need personal determination and positive opportunity-cost decisions. This book completely changed my life in 2 short weeks. After finishing, I only went out to eat once a week. I started saving more and began to go down the rabbit hole of investing.

Following Robert Kiyosaki's book, I began reading Investing from Scratch. I have to admit, it was dry. It was not fun to read. However, as a novice investor, it taught me many values that I still retain today. Although some people see spending time on themselves to better themselves as an expense, I believe that it's an investment. Had I not read these two books, who knows where my financial situation and my investment knowledge would be today?

After reading these two books, I began my Schwab custodial account. I started investing on Sunday, February 27th, 2022, with $574. Some of the first securities I purchased were SCHX, TROW, SBUX, RIO, and XLF. Ever since then, I have made some changes to my investing journey, but I also had hiccups along the way. Everyone does; it's human nature.

Since 2022, in just 2 years, my brokerage account alone has grown in value to $7,349 (+1,279%). It is important to remember where you started and cherish the fond memories along the way. I aspire to be a multimillionaire someday and to retire early. I know for a fact that if I stay on course, I will do just fine. Moreover, never forget to give back. Along my investing journey, I have purchased Rich Dad Poor Dad, for three other people; I have helped eight people start investing; and I run this newsletter and YouTube channel. It is my aspiration in life to help as many people as possible retire financially well. It is my strong belief that there is no reason why Americans should be poor. We live in the most affluent nation in the world, with information at our fingertips, wealth on every corner, and the ability to take advantage of laws that benefit investors. It is a crime for a person to not reach their full potential. That's why we must realize our gifts from God and aspire to retire early and healthily.

Looking forward I am very optimistic about the future. My goal is to graduate college in spring 2026 with a net worth of $50,000, which I believe is possible. Moreover, it's never too late to start investing. I would rather have you start today than never start.

In this special edition newsletter, I wanted to highlight my achievements, influence, inspire, and motivate others to become the best versions of themselves. We can all retire happily and wealthy as long as we take daily decision-making and positive actions in our lives. Moreover, take each investing milestone in your life as a sense of accomplishment. I recall just starting and looking at these massive portfolios and wondering: Will I ever get there? You can; just stay on course. Always be proud of your journey and efforts. Never let people bog you down with your success. If they do, they're just jealous of your success. Further, Mr. Stevens would always tell me, “Investing is a marathon, not a sprint.” Keep that in mind along your journey.

There is no get-rich-quick scheme. Don't buy hyped stocks or have FOMO. Stay the course and invest in high-quality assets. Additionally, I will leave you another quote, this time from my grandfather: “Have patience; it's just paper money.” Never feel beaten down or sad if your investments are losing money or if you’re failing against your peers. At the end of the day, only you can fix your situation, and it's not right to fixate on losses or worry about the day-to-day cycles of investing. Stay the course, help others, be humble, and always keep investing.

-EBS Invests

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//See you in the next edition

EBS Invests 2024//

est 2023

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