After growing up in abject poverty and at times homeless, I taught myself the basics of economics and finances in the business department of the San Francisco Public Library. I have worked for firms such as Bear Stearns, The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and as a subcontractor to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

My blog at Dividend Inc. (http://www.dividendinc.blogspot.com) has a section that outlines my personal investment strategy. In general, I attempt to research Dividend Achievers that have reached a new one year low to determine the viability of the organization as a going concern. From this perspective, I then buy the companies that have the strongest fundamental attributes, hopefully at even lower prices, which I believe others will recognize down the road.