Hi everyone! I just wanted to share a little bit about us. My name is Cassidy, and my wife’s name is Chenchen. Together, we’re raising two wonderful kids: Alex and Katie.
I’m currently a stay-at-home dad after recently receiving my PhD in Plant Biology, which has nothing to do with finance except a lot of data analysis, planning, and overcoming obstacles. When I’m not watching the kids or writing articles here, I work as a freelance editor specializing in academic research papers and college application essays. I’m also a published author of books in various genres ranging from young adult fantasy to poetry to philosophy.
Currently, Chenchen works full-time as an editor for a consulting firm providing research oversight to BioPharma and Medical companies. Previously, she worked as a Mandarin Chinese interpreter supporting customer service representatives for Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace, which piqued her interest in the health care industry and gave her a unique perspective on how to navigate our healthcare system now and in retirement. She also works on Fiverr as a freelance editor of resumes, cover letters, and graduate school personal statements and as a freelance document translator from Mandarin Chinese to English or vice versa.
I first became interested in personal finance in elementary school. I started following stocks as part of a school project when I was 9, back when you would still check stock prices in the newspaper. I badgered my parents for years to help me set up a brokerage account, and they finally gave in when I was 16. I didn’t start with much, and I knew little about actual investing. It turned out investing with real money was significantly different from using practice portfolios. I lost a good chunk of my investment in the first year, but I learned from my mistakes and since then have been making about 13% per year on average, about the same as the S&P 500 during that time period including dividend reinvestment. I’m still far from being an expert, but I’m eager to learn and pass along whatever I learn to you.
Chenchen’s interest in personal finance was sparked more recently. After making a variety of financial mistakes in her early 20s, she resolved to start saving money whenever possible, whether on groceries, children’s clothing, or purchases from Target. When she learned about how she could grow her money through the power of compounding, she was hooked. She opened up a brokerage account with Robinhood in 2017 and has loved watching her investments grow ever since.
Our financial journeys have been quite different, but we now have the same goals for the future. Though we may not have the largest income at the moment, we know that investing even modest sums at a young age can grow into a comfortable nest egg over a lifetime, allowing us to one day be financially independent.
Cozy Nest Egg 