When people ask, what do you say? The Truth is just easy. I just say, “I’m retired.” What? You’re so young. “Yes, it’s great.” What do you do all day? “Whatever I want. What about you?”

I'm a believer of, if I invest into a company, what do I get out of it? Dividend investor sees anything over 10% yield as high risk of a cut or share split if it keeps going up. The 5% yield mark was key. When I started investing back in April 2020, Covid Times and had lots of time on my hands. Friend said I should check out stock market and I did. I started researching into companies, how to invest, started at looking which Broker to go with (BMO Investor-line) and once that was setup, I funded the TFSA account slowly. Cash Savings transferred to Investing. I already had a few companies picked out by the time account opened, that I wanted to invest in. Also at this time, lot of things were happening and some actions hadn't come into play. Growth wasn't my thing, dividends were for I knew in my future I'll be needing income for retirement. Very first trade Cenovus @ $4.43 110 shares. Than came in others, BMO, BNS, TNT.UN, CHE.UN, HR.UN, EIF, BPY.UN, CHR, CPX than others over time. Than the learning curve came into effect. Dividend Cuts and Stops. Learning about DRIP (if you were short 1penny, it didn't happen) and how to factor in the trading fee to off set cost. So my buys were to me at the time, big. $9.95 fee killed any small trades. 2023 I switched over to Wealthsimple for they now got DRIP going and I moved everything over to them from the TFSA account. DRIP was total amount going into holding, fractional shares = Full Snowball effect was easy to see. But over this time, company takeover - buyout, going private, dividend increases, dividend cuts, dividend no more, stock splits (bad ones and good ones) yep hitting my yearly growth income. Can't forget the good old kicker, delisted. That is called, learning = knowledge. Why when I see a holding was worth $100 or $1400 years back but only a few dollars today, I ask why and I dig in, why the down fall. I see splits in its history, I move on, but if its just a crash, is it worth it? Bought into the local brewery, felt great walking in there to buy beer, I'm a shareholder receiving dividend but short lived for Carlsberg bought them out. All shareholders received cash for their shares.

LOL Gary been great with me and I am not in hiding just moving one home to another and setting up a new place and new direction for our show. Only letting a sneak peak started in December with my CPP and put it in Questrade and after 6 months off $919 roughtly a month. Here what I bought. Soon I have it all documented on Youtube but I did not want to bore people with the intial picks plus we been filming stuff so we can look different from the crowds and just have fun. LIVE LOVE LAUGH Income investing if you embrace it like many in this community especially our Baby Making Machine Gary LOL thank you I been blessed to have someone who geniunely cares about everyone success. So here we go. If Gary steals this idea go for it buddy you always let us access to your data. One data when the Laurie and Mike show hit the road in our big beautiful Class A RV and 4 furbabies...I love to film meeting Gary and his family. Gary a gift to all of us and thank you.

What does this mean for MSTE?

By Michael Laba, The Unstuck CEO of Retirement Is Us (2026) Inc. Article today was Inspired from my friend in the group Peter (Yes Freakin Peter lol) and listening to all our private chats. Ever feel like you're just keeping your head down, doing the work, but quietly absorbing everyone else's chaos? I see it all the time. People holding onto speculative, non-dividend-paying stocks, hoping for a miracle, all while burning out in toxic jobs. When is enough yes enough??? It’s the ultimate trap. You become a slave to another man's chaos or peoples expectations of you. Let me tell you from the other side of the fence; when you finally let go, it is incredibly powerful. It feels exactly like William Wallace at the end of Braveheart screaming: FREEDOM!!! So stop being gutted !!! Okay, I let go and give you a flashback to 2024 and I was a little stuck. I don't normally share my 10 portfolios well except one soon coming up from our channel and I learned something yesterday about getting shut down, another article brewing. Let's face it and come on they teach you how to get a job or hold onto a career, BUT NOT when to leave. My goal was $86k to retire. Here was my picture thinking to get to $168k a year and that became the addiction every month as I sold, trimmed and played, not seeing my body at 439 pounds and using a chair to sit as I walk working in workplace. The Turning Point (When it Started) Back in July 2021-22, I faced this exact crossroad. I had been cut or rebuilt for the 17th time in my career. I remember sitting at the ball diamond on a beautiful sunny day, listening to the noise of the workplace and someone else's dreams and name on the building and expectations of me. Making 23k a year holding onto speculation growth stocks I was scared shittless knowing my end is nearing and I did not want to learn new systems or work for a 4th sales company after 2 decades of success. That was the moment. I fired them emotionally on the spot. The writing was on the wall, and I got to work. Wow letting go was powerful and still is today. At the time, my portfolio was heavily weighted in stocks like Air Canada, Blue Chips like TD, RY, ENB, and all the stuff your FA teach you should buy and 4% rules of the past. Much of my stuff wasn't paying me a dime so I asked myself what is the opportunity cost of holding on to this stuff. I cracked open my spreadsheets, calculated how long it would take to get my capital back, and looked hard at Class A shares and the newer income ETFs coming out as I was evolving from Class A share guy to CC Call Leveraged ETF guy as products came out.