Where/How much financial training do you have?

[albein]

This is not an attempt at self-promotion.​

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I think it is important to understand the background of this thread if people are going to lean on it for financial advice.

Welp... I wanted to do this as a poll. But that's not an option. (Irritating) So, like the subject says. How much financial training do you have and where did you get it?

a. Graduate Degree in Finance, Accounting, or FinTech?

b. BA in Finance, Accounting, or FinTech?

c. A finance cert from a recognized accounting/finance org (CPA, CFA, etc)?

d. Pursuing one of the above? How far along?

e. Books, Great Courses, etc? Which?

f. Personal experience/Other, explain.

 

[holywalk]

@albein This was asked a few days ago and it frankly doesn't matter. 99% of the questions on this sub aren't asking for a complex analysis of the market or a complicated tax question. They are almost all personal finance questions, which do not require a fancy piece of paper to answer.

 

[resjudicata]

@holywalk A lot of questions center around military specific pay issues as well which don’t require anything except experience/understanding on pay specific pubs.

 

[albein]

@holywalk Interesting. Because, I see a lot of bad advice regarding TSP, investing, and credit cards. Why the mods don't work to clean that up is beyond me. Maybe its a matter of self-selection.

And why would it be a bad thing to share educational resources?

 

[holywalk]

@albein Ya, and most of it comes from you dude. Look at your post history - almost every one of your comments on this sub are wrong and thus downvoted into oblivion. It's honestly quite impressive that you keep trying.

There are very few reddit names that I remember. Yours is one of them. Congrats!

 

[holywalk]

@albein Lol okay dude.

 

[albein]

@holywalk So you never bothered to actually say what your financial education background is... You gonna fill us in, or just attack?

Idiot officer can't admit he doesn't know something. The worst kind of "leader."

 

[holywalk]

@albein Zero. Self education on how to handle my finances and now I have 100k net worth as a 24 year old.

Bragging? Not in the slightest. Proving a point that you don't need a piece of paper to make good decisions.

And on that note - ATTACK!

 

[resjudicata]

@holywalk

Nobody like A-10’s?

ATTACK!

 

[albein]

@holywalk Okay, now we're talking.

How did you do it? Where did you learn that strategy? Or are you just riding the wave of bonuses, free education, & great timing?

 

[holywalk]

@albein Invested and handled my finances appropriately. No, I did not jump on GME if that's what you're asking - I've had the same investment strategy since I started working. Yes, we have had a great market for the last few years which I guess is "great timing", but if you invest consistently it shouldn't matter even when we do have a bad year.

 

[albein]

@holywalk What are you reading, listening to, etc? Where/how are you getting educated?

I didn't assume you were GME. I think more people ended up ruined by that move. The fact you have $100K is an indication that you're long term. There is nothing wrong with hitting the timing lottery. That happens. And should be planned for & exploited to maximum advantage. Its good for the economy because it sets a financial floor.

Instead, my point with "riding the wave" is that just because its worked over the last 10 years doesn't mean it will work next year. That is foolish luck and brings a lot of unnecessary risk.

 

[anonymouseses]

@albein @albein, I'm not sure why you care about the training but maybe this response will help you feel more comfortable about asking the questions.

I've been writing about military personal finance for over 20 years.

I've written two books (one as a co-author) and over a thousand blog posts on financial independence. I'm working on a third book about sustainable FI lifestyles.

I've made all the classic experiential mistakes of investing during the 1980s-90s.

I have a masters in Engineering Science with a minor in computer science and a subspecialty code in Weapons Engineering. I got paid to blow up stuff while killing people and breaking things.

I'm a lot less impressed with formal education (mine included) than I am with learning through life experience.

Ask me anything. Then you can assess the validity of the response on the quality & reproducibility of the information, not on the educational background of the person who learned about it.

 

[resjudicata]

@anonymouseses You commenting on here is like Lebron James commenting on https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/

 

[anonymouseses]

@resjudicata Thanks!

Paying it forward.

 

[albein]

@anonymouseses What books?

I never said formal education is the end-all, be-all. Twenty years in and I'm back in school to formalize what I've learned. I feel that experience make my current education that much more enriching because I have a lifetime of scenarios to reflect & test these theories on.

But education is still valuable. And I feel there are a lot of people here that talk big but know small. (I just read a recommendation for a energy stock that managed fall 20% from its 52-week high. Justification was the dividend. All kind of HOW?) That drives up the risk for everyone willing to listen to their 'common sense.'

 

[anonymouseses]

@albein @albein, I'm the author of:
The Military Guide To Financial Independence And Retirement,
and co-author (with my daughter) of:
Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.

You can find copies (paper, eBook, and audio) at your military base library or local public library.

Perhaps "formalize what I've learned" is only worth the time (and money) if it enables you to charge a higher rate from your clients. It'll be interesting to read your assessment of the value of whatever goal you're pursuing after you've achieved it.

In my opinion, education simply convinces an authority figure that we've qualified for their credentials. After that's finished, there's still a lot of practical learning and experience ahead of us.

 

[soulgenesis]

@anonymouseses I just listened to your guest episode on ChooseFI and loved it! I also live Oahu, thanks so much for sharing your experiences and advice!!

 

[anonymouseses]

@soulgenesis You're welcome, @soulgenesis, I'm glad it's helping!

We had fun recording that episode. I thought that Navy co-location was hard enough...

 

[albein]

@anonymouseses Well, right off the bat the education is worth about $80K in GI bill benefits. Then there is the time it is buying me as I develop my business. That business is asset management. So, a finance degree lines up perfectly and I can directly apply the lessons. -- Cash, time, future.

I completely agree the degree is worthless if you don't ever apply the skills. I called a PhD a snake-oil sales man because he hadn't updated his course material in over 20 years and didn't know any of the current business practices. So ya, completely agree there. But its worthwhile for everyone to learn basic government, business, finance, & economic principals.