Not a High-Dividend ETF! NCTU Graduate Retires at 43 Using a 'Personalized Individual ETF' to Achieve Financial Freedom

From a 'one fish three eats' perspective, this is indeed a self-managed ETF. But why go through the effort of building your own system instead of simply buying an off-the-shelf ETF? The answer lies in three structural limitations of market ETFs—limitations that this method can overcome.

1. No 'Past-their-prime Stars' Market high-dividend ETFs often include deeply discounted stocks with deteriorating fundamentals in pursuit of short-term yield, leading to the classic 'earned dividends, lost on price.' In contrast, the satellite stock selection in the One Fish Three Eats Acceleration Method focuses on growth (revenue increase) and reproduction (stock dividends). We don’t just look at current payouts—we assess future growth potential.

2. No Hidden 'Invisible Costs' While ETFs are convenient, they charge annual management and custody fees (typically 0.5% to 1%). Additionally, to track indices, ETFs frequently rebalance (high turnover), and these transaction costs ultimately erode net asset value.

The One Fish Three Eats Acceleration Method, however, is self-operated—management fees are zero. We follow a buy-and-hold strategy, only trading when discipline is breached, drastically reducing transaction friction. Over a 20-year compounding race, saving just 1% annually results in a massive asset gap.

3. Dividend and Reproduction Mechanisms Are Fundamentally Different This is the most critical point. To appeal to the masses, most ETFs emphasize cash dividends. When component stocks issue stock dividends, ETF managers typically sell them and distribute the cash—essentially 'eating' the most powerful compounding 'seeds.'

The One Fish Three Eats Acceleration Method, however, highly values stock dividends. We choose to keep these 'seeds,' allowing share count to grow automatically. This asset growth through share inflation is nearly impossible for traditional cash-dividend ETFs to replicate.

In summary, the One Fish Three Eats Acceleration Method is indeed an active total-return compounding strategy—but the key difference is that you are in control. You’re not forced to hold deteriorating stocks, pay annual fees, or forfeit the compounding power of stock dividends.

Since existing ETFs cannot meet our strict dual demands of high growth and high cash flow, we build our own personalized individual ETF.

Author | V Da (Gong Tian-Yong) Born in 1980, graduated from National Chiao Tung University’s Department of Electronic Engineering. Formerly a mid-level executive in the electronics industry, frequently traveling internationally from a base in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. After years in the corporate world, unwilling to spend his life working for a company, he decided to reclaim control of his life. He actively engaged in stock investing and achieved FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) at age 43, reaching a 155% income replacement rate in just four years.

He previously operated the popular Facebook page 'V Da’s Investment Life: My 1,735 Days Toward Retirement,' with over 10,000 followers. After an unexpected suspension by Facebook, he decisively demonstrated strong project management execution and carved out a new path. He now continues to share authentic, practical retirement journey records from his personal website, 'V Da’s Investment Life: My 1,735 Days Toward Retirement.'

This article is reprinted with permission from 'I Achieved Financial Freedom in Four Years.' Editorial Responsibility / Li Yi-Qing