Welcome to DGI Journey

My Road to Financial Independence Through Dividend Growth Investing

Life is rarely a straight path. It's much more like running a marathon—long, sometimes challenging, but ultimately rewarding for those who stay consistent, maintain the right pace, and never lose sight of the finish line.

I invite you to join me on DGI Journey, where I document my pursuit of true financial freedom through Dividend Growth Investing (DGI).

This isn't a website run by a self-proclaimed expert handing out advice from above. It's the story of a journey—a process of learning, experimenting, making mistakes, and celebrating the small victories that compound over time.

If you also believe that money should serve your life—not the other way around—you've come to the right place.

Here, you'll follow my journey toward financial freedom and independence—or, as I like to call it, living life on my own terms. Although this journey began years ago, after many iterations and refinements, it's finally making its way onto the web.

The Spark That Started It All: From a Kibbutz to the Stock Market

I grew up on a small kibbutz in Israel, about as far removed from the world of money, investing, and financial independence as you could imagine.

In the kibbutz where I was raised, mutual responsibility was a core value, and money simply wasn't a topic discussed around the dinner table. Life was simple, communal, and secure.

Everything changed when I was sixteen.

My father opened my first bank account and encouraged me to regularly invest part of my savings into mutual funds.

Suddenly, money was no longer just something sitting in my wallet—it became something that could work, grow, and take on a life of its own.

I watched the numbers slowly increase. My bank statement was almost always green, even if the gains were modest, and it sparked a curiosity that has never left me.

That curiosity led me much further than I could have imagined. It inspired me to pursue higher education, earn my degree in economics, and spend years studying the most effective ways to build wealth without sacrificing peace of mind.

I read everything I could, tested different approaches, learned what worked—and what definitely didn't.

I made mistakes.

Beginner mistakes.

Overconfidence mistakes.

But every mistake became a valuable lesson.

Looking back today, I realize how much the bank benefited from my ignorance, how little I actually earned from those mutual funds, and how much information was never shared with me.

Fortunately, I learned those lessons early.

Why I Chose Dividend Growth Investing

Over the years, I've tried almost everything.

Day trading.

Complex technical analysis.

Chasing the next hot stock.

Eventually, I returned to what truly matters: simplicity.

That's when I discovered Dividend Growth Investing.

Why?

Because it works.

The concept is simple: invest in profitable, financially strong companies that consistently increase the dividends they pay to shareholders year after year.

It doesn't promise overnight riches.

It offers something far more valuable:

Stability on the road to financial independence.

When I invest in a high-quality business, I'm not concerned with its daily share price movements.

I'm focused on the cash flow it can generate for me over decades.

That's the essence of DGI Journey—building an investment portfolio that produces a growing stream of passive income, dollar by dollar, brick by brick, until one day it gives me the freedom to choose how I spend my time.

Beyond the Numbers: Giving Back

The values I grew up with on the kibbutz—especially the belief in looking after others—continue to shape who I am today.

I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live with financial security, abundance, and good health, and that financial education is one of the most powerful tools for making that possible.

That's why volunteering is an important part of what I do.

I volunteer with a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk young adults develop essential financial skills.

Together, we teach them how to build a budget, understand debt, and make informed financial decisions.

Watching a young person take control of their financial future—often despite incredibly difficult circumstances—is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.

It reminds me that finance isn't just about charts, spreadsheets, or valuation models.

At its core, it's about people.

What You'll Find on DGI Journey

This website isn't a textbook.

It's my personal journal.

As an economist, I value data, thoughtful analysis, and a deep understanding of financial markets.

But as a person, I also share my experiences, reflections, and the lessons I've learned along the way.

Here's what you'll find:

• Stock Analysis: How I select companies for my dividend portfolio, what I look for in financial statements, and how I estimate a company's intrinsic value.

• Portfolio Updates: Complete transparency about my investment decisions, successes, mistakes, and the lessons I've learned from both.

• Thoughts & Perspectives: Articles about economics, investing, and some of my other passions—including long-distance running (which has more in common with long-term investing than you might think), geopolitics, urban planning, and the way we design the cities we live in.

Let's Go the Distance Together

I believe marathons are better when you don't run them alone.

When I run, I'm not trying to be faster than everyone else.

I'm simply trying to become a little better than I was yesterday.

That's exactly how I approach investing.

Financial independence isn't a finish line you cross overnight.

It's the result of consistently building, learning, improving, and staying the course.

I invite you to follow my journey, learn from my experience, and hopefully contribute your own insights along the way.

I don't have a magic formula that will make you a millionaire overnight.

What I do have is a proven investment philosophy, self-discipline, and a genuine desire to share everything I've learned throughout this journey.

Ready to begin?

Subscribe to the newsletter, join the conversation in the comments, and let's start building our financial future—one step at a time.