StakeTillRetire

Recently, I was looking at the trend chart of the Australian dollar and realized what has actually happened to the AUD over the past decade. As the sixth-largest currency by global trading volume, the AUD was once considered a high-yield currency synonym. But if you look at it over a longer period, you'll notice that the AUD's peaks have indeed been getting lower and lower.
Starting from early 2013, when the AUD/USD exchange rate approached a high of nearly 1.05, over the past ten years, the AUD has depreciated by more than 35%, while the US dollar index has risen by 28.35% during the same per

I just saw someone ask earlier, is buying stocks on the ex-dividend date worth it? This question has actually troubled many novice investors. I want to discuss this matter from a practical perspective.
First, it’s important to understand a basic logic. If a company can consistently pay stable dividends over the long term, it usually indicates that its business model is solid and its cash flow is healthy. Even Warren Buffett favors high-dividend stocks, with over 50% of his asset allocation in high-yield dividend stocks. But the key question is, will stock prices definitely drop on the ex-divid

Recently, I’ve been looking for software to view stocks on my computer, and I found that using a phone really isn’t enough—especially when I want to analyze technical indicators. The small screen simply can’t be expanded enough to show everything. Desktop applications do have advantages that mobile can’t match: a larger display, faster processing, and the ability to open multiple windows at the same time to watch different markets. For serious traders, this makes a big difference.
After trying several options, TradingView’s charting features are truly excellent. It offers 100+ technical indica

Lately, people have been asking me whether they should still invest in U.S. solar stocks. My answer is: if you’re bullish on the long term, the timing is actually quite good right now.
There are a few changes in the energy market this year worth paying attention to. First, the power demand from AI data centers has truly exploded—giants like NVIDIA and Amazon are building data centers everywhere. A reliable, clean energy supply 24/7 has become a must-have, directly driving a surge in the solar-plus-storage market. Second, technology is upgrading: the old PERC cells have fallen behind, and high-

Recently, I've been studying technical analysis of forex trading and found that the Fibonacci indicator is really used quite frequently by many traders. Its principle isn't that complicated, but when used well, it can indeed help determine support and resistance levels.
First, let's talk about where Fibonacci comes from. In the 13th century, an Italian mathematician named Leonardo Pisano, nicknamed Fibonacci, introduced a mathematical concept discovered by an Indian mathematician into the Western world. This ratio is found everywhere in nature, and later traders applied it to financial markets

I recently looked at ten years of data on the Japanese yen’s trend and found that the story during this period is actually well worth paying attention to. From it sliding from around 80 yen in 2012 to near 160 last year, the Japanese yen went through quite intense fluctuations, and the logic behind it is quite interesting.
First, let’s talk about a few key turning points in the yen’s movement over these more than ten years. At the end of 2012, Abe took office and proposed the so-called “Abenomics.” The following year, the Bank of Japan began large-scale easing. At that time, Haruhiko Kuroda sa

Recently watching the Taiwan stock market, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. The main index is oscillating at a high level around 28,000 points, and although electronics stocks with AI themes are still rising, capital is quietly flowing into financial stocks. This shift is worth noting.
Think about it: putting money in a bank savings account yields only 2% for a year, but investing in financial stocks can steadily earn a cash dividend yield of 5 to 7%, with the possibility of waiting for the stock price to rebound. The difference is really significant. So, is now the right time to buy finan

Recently, I have been paying attention to the A50 index and found that many people’s understanding of it still stays at a superficial level. In fact, the logic behind the FTSE China A50 Index is worth a deeper understanding.
This index was established by FTSE Russell in 1999, selecting the 50 largest and most liquid A-share listed companies. It is adjusted quarterly to ensure it truly reflects the direction of China's economy. In simple terms, the A50 component stocks are a collection of the top blue-chip enterprises in mainland China, covering banks, consumer goods, energy, and technology.
Lo

Recently, while looking at the outlook for the British pound, I found the story behind this currency quite interesting. Many people think the pound has completely fallen behind, but a closer look at the data shows the situation isn’t as bleak as it seems.
First, let’s talk about how the pound ended up like this today. Since 2008, the pound has been depreciating steadily, dropping from 2 US dollars per pound down to a low of 1.03 in 2022—essentially halving in value. On the night of the Brexit referendum in 2016, the pound plunged sharply; the entire market was stunned at the time. Later, the “

Recently, many retail investors have been asking how to buy fractional shares. In fact, this is a great question, because fractional share trading has truly changed the rules of the game for small-amount investors.
First, let’s talk about what fractional shares are. Simply put, whole shares are traded in units of 1,000 shares (one lot). But sometimes you may only hold a few hundred shares. Those scattered shares that are less than 1,000 shares are called fractional shares, and the minimum unit is 1 share. So how do fractional shares usually arise? Most of the time, it’s because your order wasn

Recently, people have been asking me what the U.S. dollar index is and why it’s so important. Actually, this thing looks complicated, but once you understand it, you can grasp how global capital flows.
Simply put, the U.S. dollar index is an indicator used to measure how strong the dollar is relative to other major currencies. Imagine it like a “temperature gauge” for the dollar, telling you whether the dollar is heating up or cooling down in the international market. It tracks the exchange rate changes of the dollar against six major currencies—Euro, Yen, Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swedish Krona

Recently, I've been thinking, but many people still don't quite understand what digital currencies are. Simply put, they are a new type of currency that does not rely on physical objects, operating based on cryptography and P2P technology. Currently, over 300 million users worldwide are involved, with daily trading volumes exceeding one trillion dollars, and 18k companies accepting cryptocurrency payments.
However, when investors talk about digital currencies, they mainly refer to decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. These are not controlled by a single institution; their

Recently, I've noticed many people asking about options trading, so I might as well organize my understanding of this tool. To be honest, options seem complicated at first glance, but the core logic isn't difficult.
The essence of options is a contract that gives you the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell an asset at a fixed price at a certain future time. Stocks, indices, commodities can all be underlying assets. What's the benefit? You can control a larger position with relatively less capital, and regardless of market rise or fall, there's a chance to profit. The key is that you

Recently, I was chatting with some trading friends and found that many people’s understanding of the KDJ indicator is still at a superficial level, especially when it comes to parameter settings. I’d like to share my real understanding of this indicator.
The KDJ indicator is actually a stochastic indicator. It can help us quickly find trend reversal points. On the chart, there are three lines: the K value is the fast line, the D value is the slow line, and the J value is the directional line. The K and D lines tell us about overbought and oversold conditions, while the J line is used to observ

I’ve been paying close attention to the new energy electric vehicle sector lately, and I’ve found that this wave is truly different. Unlike smartphones and computers—which are already saturated—the electric vehicle market is just getting started. All countries have clearly set timelines for banning the sale of fuel-powered vehicles, which means demand is there for the next few decades.
When it comes to China’s leading electric vehicle company, BYD, its performance in recent years is definitely worth watching. Having started out by making batteries as early as 1995, they later moved into the au

Recently, many people have been asking whether they should enter the US dollar market now. Honestly, this is a good question because the dollar's trend is indeed a bit complicated.
First, let's state the conclusion: the US dollar is not currently in a one-sided trend; it is more of a high-range consolidation. The Federal Reserve started cutting interest rates last year, but recent employment data remains quite strong, and inflation remains sticky, so market expectations for rate cuts have been adjusting. The pace has shifted from "rapid easing" to "slow, late, and minimal," with some instituti

Recently, I’ve been looking at the trend of the Australian dollar and found a very interesting phenomenon. As the sixth most traded currency in the world, the Australian dollar has been weakening over the past decade, especially from nearly 1.05 in 2013 down to around 2023, with a decline of over 35%. But the story behind this isn’t as simple as it seems.
Many people would instinctively think that there’s a problem with the Australian dollar itself, but that’s not the case. During the same period, the US dollar index rose by 28%, and the euro and yen also depreciated against the dollar. So, th

Recently, more and more office workers around me are discussing dividend investing, saying that by holding stocks long-term, they can retire early and achieve financial freedom. It sounds very attractive, but I’ve researched for a while and found that dividend investing isn’t as magical as it’s hyped up online.
Dividend investing, simply put, is buying stocks and holding them for the long term, relying on company dividends to accumulate returns. It sounds straightforward, but in practice, there are many pitfalls. The most memorable case for me is the popular stock (3373) from 2021. At that tim

I just realized recently that the symbols you usually see when reading forex quotes actually represent currencies from different countries, and it’s really easy to mix them up. For example, if you see the euro symbol € you’ll immediately know it involves euro-related currency pairs, such as the common pairing EUR/USD.
In fact, the biggest role of currency symbols is to simplify writing. Writing $40 is definitely faster than writing 40 US dollars, and it’s also much easier to recognize at a glance. I put together some commonly used ones: the US dollar uses $, the British pound uses £, the Japan

Recently, I reviewed the exchange rate trends of the US dollar over the past few years and found that 2024 has indeed experienced a very interesting reversal.
I still remember at the end of 2023, many people were betting that the dollar would remain strong. At that time, the dollar index experienced a typical range-bound fluctuation—initially falling nearly 3% due to declining inflation at the beginning of the year, then rising 3.5% in May thanks to strong economic data, and from mid-July to early October, it surged for 11 consecutive weeks to hit the high of the year. During that period, the