From Broke To Retired Early. Thailand Travel. Investing. Expat living Overseas Retired 

To go from being cleaned out in a divorce, to retraining yourself for a newcareer; then taking rocket fire, loading up on stocks, saying goodbye Hawaii & moving overseas.. you are a legend brah.

Keep talking, I'm listening and taking notes!

Thank you so much. This is fascinating and inspiring!👏

Great videos, very inspirational. I too divorced, 3 kids and was over 60k in debt. I'm on year 2 of a 5 year plan. Mainly in disruptive stocks to leap frog to a sizeable retirement. Currently retraining in a slightly different IT field. Love your videos.

So glad I found your page! I’ve been looking for people my age that travel and move abroad as that is what I’m lookin forward to. Thank you ❤

Were over the West. Taking the time to thoroughly research Thailand. Setting up our plans , and are booked and paid for August for 9 days in Thailand. First time coming excited , and a little intimidating. Learning Thai basics conversational, and the strange thing is Im learning fast , productive. I believe this is because i want to learn , because i want to be able to speak to people even if im not perfect or fluent. We have developed a mindset of letting go of material objects, that has been truly challenging . My husband is A United States Marine and we are doing this.

Aloha! Your channel is one of my favorites! I've been to Thailand 3 times just returned in Feb. Love that country! At 67 I leave my $ in Vanguard S&P 500 fund. Ave yearly return since 1957 is 10.6%.

100% agree with you. It is possible to retire early in 10 years if you make the right decisions. Congratulations.!

i’m on a similar journey, i was house poor for 10 years. I decided to sell my house around mid 2022, and put my gains in the market over that time, i did good for myself due to good timing. i’ve got another year of working and stacking assets. my goal is close, i’m going to retire early and see the world. i just turned 45 years old, so i’m young but not that young. Your videos are helpful! thanks. you really have to think outside the box to get ahead now a days.

This video is so inspiring. I literally just got home from Thailand and because of your video I’m going to hunker down, set up a solid plan and execute. Thailand here I come for the rest of my life. Thank you 🙏

Really like your advice, attitude, and positive commentary. It is refreshing in this day and age of pessimism. Glad I found your videos. Was on the fence, somewhat about moving to Laos, but you solidified my decision. Cheers my friend. See you on the other side of the world, soon. You are living your best life, no doubt.

Thank you. 💚

Ur a good Man. IM learning from you, thnku!

Your stories always are going deep in my heart, i mean i feel you speek from many good and bad self experiences, that makes your advises even more valuable. Thankyou for great and very interesting thoughts, - and Aloha !👍😊

Thumbs up 👍 Chris & Aloha

Yes to 'how to' videos coming up - much appreciated

Im retiring end of this year. Going to live off my dividends as well. Im heavy in SCHD, DGRO as my core with JEPQ and DIVO as my 2 satellite positions... passive and safe.

I too am invested in ET. Bought it pre-covid, doubled down on it during the Covid lows as cheap as $4+ and am still holding it at an average price of $9.60. I’m from south east asia by the way. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

congratulations on 10K Subs, Should be 100K. Great Content :)

Thank you for this video. You are 100% right, because I have done the same thing! I'm also living in Thailand, in Chiang Mai. I did 20 years in the military. While in the military I earned an MBA and studied to be a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). I also read books on personal finance and investing (which I would advise EVERYONE to do, it will be the best financial decision you ever make). The military gave a housing allowance and, instead of renting, I bought! Then, like you, I deployed and hired a rental agency to rent my place out (no mortars, thankfully!). Then when I came back I bought another place, as if I was being newly-assigned there. The bank could see that on my first loan I had rent coming in that was paying the loan, so it was no problem getting another. Not to mention being able to get a VA loan, guaranteed by the US government. I made huge amounts of money from the deployments, and also having some big adventures. It sucked, but wow, the money was great and I spent every penny paying down the mortgages. As you said, the food and lodging was free! I retired at 39 from the military. Went to work for a contractor for a few years. Then I had my military retirement and rent coming in from two paid-for condos in San Diego, California. Finally I got both mortgages paid off and the properties appreciated a LOT from the time I bought them. I sold them and invested everything into a mutual fund specializing in companies that pay high dividends. I had huge capital gains taxes from the sales of the condos!!! Which is a good thing because it means I made a lot of money. All from money given to me by the US military. At least I'm free from California and its exorbitant taxes. With a guaranteed military retirement I could afford the risk of the stock market. I ended up retiring at 45 years old. Now I'm living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The dividends pay my monthly rent for a nice three-bedroom, three-bathroom house. The military income pays more than my expenses. And the capital gains distributions from the mutual fund at the end of the year are huge... I will use that for traveling. Everything you say in this video is true. I have done it. Your advice on the metals stocks is dead-on... Instead of buying gold, for example, buy companies that own gold!

Thank you for being so inspiring

this is great motivation for me, thanks

Great video and great content. I will be looking forward to more videos in the future ❤

Just subcribed. Very helpful info. We haven't started nomading yet, hopefully this year. Needing to plan our finances. Glad you've found your happy place.

Great video! Can't wait for the next one !

Great video and inspiration thanks for sharing

I love your videos! It’s crazy here in the US. One bedroom apartment is $1,700 a month. I’ve cut my expenses tremendously, cooking at home, eating cheap as possible. Next buy moped, no car payment and cheap auto insurance. Learning to invest in stocks. Once I sell my house, I’m ready to get retirement visa in Thailand! Thank you for all your great advice!

Great video. Insightful and inspirational

Can't wait to leave the US, and live in Thailand!!!

I am loving your concern it is so useful. Quick question have you kept any of the properties that you have bought? I know you said you did some flipping as well. I’m curious if you keep at least one place back home in case.

The last shot in your video of Waikiki Beach reminds me how beautiful it is, but also reminds me how expensive it is too.

Thank you so much for this video. It was really helpful.

You are (or have become) a very humble and down to earth guy. So refreshing to see someone who does not do things for "look at meeeeeee." It's enjoyable to watch your channel, for me. Peace. John

Very inspiring thank u can I ask how much and where can u find the most affordable property in South East Asia

Great video with lots of useful info and advice. Insightful. Look forward to the next one when you share your research and analysis process before selecting a stock or ETF. Glad I landed here somehow. Subscribed.

I retired at 51. My last 5 years I maxed out my 401k and my savings account. I paid everything off, sold 2 rental properties and setup a cd portfolio that pays me $3,000/month. I also withdraw $1,000/month from my 401k penalty free until I turn 59 1/2.

I’m so glad I found your RU-vid channel! That’s exactly my plan. I can retire in Thailand and make enough with dividends to live comfortably, but not enough to live here in the US.

WOW!!!👏🏻👍🏻 Amazing story!! Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Very inspiring! Safe travels. Have fun!!

playing with the MAD DAWG is more fun than having our own DAWG with all the headaches and expenses that take away all of our freedoms. No more dogs and cats for me.. looking forward to meet and play with all the Mad Dawg and Cat :)

I had just been wondering about the exact things you talked about in this latest video. Thanks for sharing your experience! (Also enjoy your little ending clips of "the mad dogs of" . . . on location)

Your investing idea is interesting. I love investing in stock as well. Looking forward to hearing more investing advice in your future video🎉.

great video great advice !

Hello, I recently discovered and subscribed to your channel. I am enjoying the content that you post, I find it educational and very inspirational. It's wonderful that you found all the resources in yourself to achieve what you have today; congratulations! Today I wrote notes about your suggestions and I thank you for sharing all this valuable information. I truly want to establish myself in Thailand and if there is a possibility to do so before I reach legal age of retirement in Canada, it would be a milestone for me. It's so motivating to see people who are positive (and wise, down to earth) and who are successful; it shows that things are possible when you invest your time, thoughts, maybe love too. Yes, you do have to believe in yourself, that you can do it. Thank you so much, I feel I am learning from you. I await your coming videos and insights. I'm very happy for you because you deserve what you have. Best to you and many thanks again! One day it will be me too! Yay!

This is what I need to learn more of. Can’t wait to hear more. (like what are the steps for getting started?)

Good for you brother, went thru similar issues in my early 50's 2 kids just starting college, yeah the money was tight, just stopped working at 63, rental property was and is my ticket, and i day trade a bit. I'm going to Costa Rica then Panama for extended periods soon but you got me looking at SE Asia brother, the CR and Panama are getting pricey, love your work, all the best PEACE!!!

I really enjoyed this video! It’s so nice to learn from a real person with real experience. I’m looking forward to your upcoming videos for more detail. I do come to your channel for inspiration bc I am working my way toward living abroad full time starting in SE Asia hopefully in the fall.

Keep doing these amazing video thanks for every video you inspire me to do you do thanks from Chicago

Lmao 15 years ago I had just returned to Hawaii to go to UH Manoa. Lmao. Before that I was an expat kid. Father was an executive for an oil company in SEA. Lived in Bangkok, Singapore, KL and went to various international schools in the region. Shout out to JIS alumnis and Singapore American School. Aloha to my adopted home state Hawaii! Glad you’re exploring the world my friend. The world is so much bigger then USA. I left USA right after graduating. I won’t be back lol 😂

Having regular income is very important. Its easy to blow thru savings even in a low cost of living country. I know. I've done it twice. 😂

Very inspirational thank you for the info Chris. I'd love to know your thoughts on superannuation as in build the nest egg or invest separately

I appreciate your channel. You give good information 👌

Yes sir spot on. My wife & I have been saving/planning on soothe same thing for 20 years plus. Kids are about to fly on their own & then we are flying out!!! lol. The $1.50 lunch is on you when we meet you in south east Asia!!

Just invested in bonds in a diversified portfolio which pays on average 5.5% a year. This kind of return in bonds in quiet predictable. It's a great return on my capital giving me about $2000 a month which is more then enough to live in Thailand. Not a fancy lifestyle but a comfortable one

Great content. I divorced 6 years ago, which I didn't see coming, and now on a similar rebuild journey. Investment strategy has been more growth orientated index trackers for now.

Thank you, from Vancouver, Canada! I find your vlogs particularly useful. I also am passive income investing for the purpose of retiring overseas. Your story is inspiring, and the details of your journey are very useful.

Fantastic information! Anxious to hear how it all comes together and is managed while traveling. Would love to hear a monthly budget amount… not so much item by item just total spent. Thanks for all you do

You should write books and do consultancy online

I really wanted to retire now but can't. So so frustrating! Am going into value investing and learn the ropes of how to invest wisely for retirement. Hope I can achieve what u have achieved asap. Can't wait to travel and live out of my country. Here is too expensive to retire! Thank you for your wonderful sharing! Looking forward to your more sharing of retirement tips!

That place on you ate at on soi honey and soi buakhao, has yummy food as well as great food on the coner also .

I like “how to” videos with actual examples. I’ve found I handle volatility much better with divided stocks, because I’m getting money each quarter, regardless of the stock price.

Awesome video! My greatest investment was joining the military @ a young age. At 43 I retired fully with a military pension; a paid off home generating passive income. Relocated in Asia with a family of 4; now enjoying a simple life; stress free.

I appreciate you🙏🏾❤️ 39 years old and i wanna get better financially to live more comfortably and minimally. This is great info. Thanks to @TimothyWard for making me aware of your channel🔥

Thanks brother great info. How much funds ones must have to invest in all the stocks you mentioned?

Well done.

good video, but have you also try to explore Malaysia? just the country next to Thailand

Great video. I’m retired in the Philippines and I also invest in dividend paying stocks.

as a Swede I pay about 1% flat tax on my entire share portfolio which is called an" investment account" in Sweden and all is digital with taxes and and it takes about 5 minutes online. How do you Americans do taxes abroad and how much tax do you pay? Have heard from American friends that the IRS and tax time in the USA is a nightmare every year and its papers in mail.

Fantastic video and content. I have steady income and invest for stable consistent growth. Both parent lived until late 90’s. I am very healthy so I focus on growth. I painstakingly studied stocks that did not decline at all or not much in the past 20 years yet had consistent growth. I don’t want the swings I weathered earlier in my life. These are also some of the most capital efficient companies in the US. Some refer to some of these as forever stocks. They are large companies very well run. It’s a “defensive” growth portfolio and has served me very well and I can rest very easily

Great video man, this was exactly what I was looking for. with stocks it looks like you are sort of a digital nomad. This is awesome. I'm doing the overseas thing now. I can save/invest in 1 year what would have taken me 5 years in the states!!!!! We haven;t gotten rocketed/drone hit for a while but its totaly worth it. I'm going to seriously look at these stock options. now I'm doing rentals, I can manage them remotly and its a GREAT way to build wealth. I'm 37 now and have worked hard my whole life, I'm still young but I would LOVE to retire. Thank you for doing these videos brother.

A question I am curious about.. Am Swedish and do LIVE the semi-retired life at 52 now in the Philippines after working +11 years in Thailand/ Bangkok . Daytrading mainly as a hobby 2-3 hours on the balcony and make my monthly rent + a little extra in a week often. And for a hobby it's damn fine. I pay about 1%(one) flat tax on my entire share portfolio which is called an investment account in Sweden and all is digital with taxes and takes about 5 minutes online. How do you Americans do taxes abroad and how much tax do you pay? Have heard from American friends that the irs and tax time in the USA is a nightmare every year and its papers in mail.

Hey, nice video. Dont you get hit with a 30% withholding on the dividend returns?

I’ve heard about monthly budgets in Thailand. Is there a total amount that would be good to have for example 500k or 1 million or higher. I’d like to retire at 59 1/2.

I own BAM and SBLK. You will be happy to learn that SBLK is one of the largest holdings of Michael Bury (The Big Short)

First of all, thank you so much for this video. It's really opened my eyes on new ways of investing... So I've done a lot of research in the last few days And some one said keep an eye out for the payout ratio being over 100% It could be a red flag... In regards to BAM it's over 130% what will make you still want to hold this? How long has it been that high do you know?

excellent content!!

Can you please dig into the daily, monthly, and annual costs to live overseas? I think this will help to give a good target given these high dividend yielding investment ideas you mentioned. Thank you for the positive video and transparency, this is very inspirational!

May i ask, how much was your portfolio when you decide to retire and having this lifestyle?

I appreciate hearing and identify with your Phoenix story. Thank you for the sage advise on investing. Besides investing and RU-vid do you see any other opportunities to start streams of income in SE Asia? For divorce beaten men out there: there is hope but it will take risk and more hard work. For young men: you should start earning and investing young while avoiding wealth destroying traps.

Great Video! I can identify with you as I went through a similar situation. In order to get started, could you provide some guidance on how much money should one invest in each dividend stock to receive a solid yield.

This is one of the most important videos u ever did. Since I have subbed already just one question on behalf of all middle age n Old age dreamers who wish to follow your path. What is the size of the portfolio you recommend from your experience that we should accumulate in order to receive an adequate monthly dividend income before departing for South East Asia for good. Your answer should be at least 95% correct in my opinion.

Interesting video. One thing they never teach in school is financial management and investing, the other is how to retire. The consequences are that some people are still working at 70 and need an exit ramp urgently. So any sound advice is welcome . Retirement in a western nation is out of the question. Any government retirement fund won’t even pay the basic bills . Thailand is great and visited it several times, it could be a suitable destination.. If your on the Line app it would be great to connect to discuss further.

Great video ,

Did you sell your property before setting off to travel or do you still own it?

For dividends I use MPW and BDN both property trusts and they’re at around 20% YES FOR REAL 20%!!! Right now at around $5 a share too, lowest they have been since the 2008 crash! In a few years if history is anything to look at they’ll be about 400% higher around $20 per share. And, your dividends will go up

Just came across ur channel, not investment savvy, but I understand what u saying, about having having investments that pay you regularly that are sure and secure I am 56 would like to take partial retirement at 62. I know I cannot fully quit working because I’d be bored out of my mind, but I would like to stay overseas in Thailand for six months out of the year and then come back to the US and work six months out of the year, looking forward to more information from you and learning from your channel

So for dividends, it sounds like you don't have them reinvested, you have them paid out to you to live on? Do you have a pension?

What are your thoughts on these yieldmax etfs ?

Based on a yearly chart, I would NOT recommend PFE in any portfolio. If it breaks 23.80; it's going much farther down.

excellent

Very good video, im in the process of building my high yield dividend portfolio to replace my salary so i can eventually exit the rat race.

🎉 house renting, I will go Asia in end 2025 retire with 51 years... 👍✔️💗 #AlmasAdventures

I invest in a global ETF, which is 60% weighted on North America. The fund contains 3,600 companies around the world.

At a $1.68 per share in dividend per quarterly return is excellent, but only if you have thousands of shares. However, it is still a very risky equity. For long term, I would not do it.

I am thinking about moving to Thailand somewhere south east asia. Sold my half of the house to my ex-wife about 2 years ago. Not sure how to invest. I have a job at a high tech company as a sw engineer. And i have not traveled abroad since 2020.

I'm 29 years old from Canada and will be retiring in the Philippines this year with ~200k invested in the S&P 500. I've made a budget and my portfolio should outpace my spending costs by nearly double assuming a growth of 7.5% annually. Thank you for making these videos.

Thanks mate. Do you know of any good stocks from Australia? Also, what do you think of investing in Bitcoin? Too risky?

👍🏼

nice

what branch were you in and how long?

Recommend not buying high dividend paying stocks if you’re in a lo capital gains jurisdiction. Also in some Asian countries once you get residency, all income earned outside that country is non cable I read