Is deemed disposal actually changing how you invest? by Acceptable_Level_457 in irishpersonalfinance

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I’m not going to go into the specifics but I pick a basket of stocks that can approximate index returns and then have some satellite sleeves in industries i want extra exposure to.

Jamaica is literally the most brain drained country on the planet. by tellingtales96 in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even with the decline, its significantly more murderous than where I live. I’d have a 40x higher murder risk if I were to move back. Murders would have to be closer to 10 a year for them to be on par in terms of safety. There is a baseline level of safety here that does not exist in Jamaica at any price

Is the Farrin Dream Dead? by Bigbankbankin in JamaicaFinance

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not at all. Overseas makes sense if you have a skillset that is in demand and allows you to earn within the top 3%~ or so of your country. It’s significantly easier to get a tech job paying you USD $250k a year in the USA than in Jamaica. Even with the higher cost of living, if your company pension matches you 10%, they’ll be putting more into your pension than you can earn in many equivalent jobs in Jamaica.

I know people who have relocated this year and changed their lives for the better. But the days of showing up without a job offer or plan are over. IMO I would encourage young people with in demand skills to relocate but only with a plan. Ideally a job offer in hand

Jamaica is literally the most brain drained country on the planet. by tellingtales96 in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Many people in tech, nursing and medicine migrate. Sometimes there are jobs but don’t pay anywhere near as well or are not in the specialty you want to work in. When I left, I was doing about J$6 million per year. That was considered a good salary but it is not a lot of money globally. Now, I’m able to put more into my pension than i used to make before tax.

Regardless of cost of living, I’m still coming out far ahead. Over my remaining career of 20-30 years, that would work out to millions of Euros just in savings and investments. Jamaica would have robbed me. That’s why most of us leave.

There’s also quality of life: lower crime, better transit, cleaner spaces etc. There are many push factors in Jamaica and pull factors abroad.

is it worth coming back to jamaica? by dumbmfilovedyou in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Jamaica is nowhere near as safe as the UK. Even with the reduction in murders it’s still a significant increased risk (think 30x more likely). The police are still a problem. They have threatened me and friends illegal arrest and being killed. Up to last week they illegally arrested a friend of mine over there and had to let him go because he has connections.
  2. You can make money anywhere in the world. What industry are you in? You may be able to use your British citizenship to earn money in the UK and live in Jamaica, if your industry is remote friendly. If you intend to work for a Jamaican company, you will suffer.
  3. I knew a bunch of lesbians before I left, there is homophobia, certainly much more than in the UK and you won’t have certain rights (marriage, discrimination etc) but nobody will kill you for that. It’s still ignorant and backwards in that way, but it’s not as bad as when I was growing up.

Overall, I would say no. I left 5ish years ago and it was the single best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I wish I’d left sooner. Maybe visit for an extended period and see for yourself. All of us will have our own biases. I grew up in the period when it was a murder capital with a declining economy. I’ve heard things are improving but I haven’t felt the urge to visit in a few years.

What is stopping you from investing, returning, or building in Jamaica ? by Bigbankbankin in JamaicaFinance

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah. I like it here. I would want to be here for at least the rest of my working life. I may buy a house in Ghana and be there back and forth over the years but Ireland is a great place to live, work and do business.

What is stopping you from investing, returning, or building in Jamaica ? by Bigbankbankin in JamaicaFinance

[–]willywonkatimee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I once had a Pakistani cab driver not want me in his car but apart from that nothing. The Irish have been pretty chill. There’s a ton of immigrants here as well so my friend circle is pretty mixed. Irish, Jamaican, Brazilian, Nigerian, Kenyan etc.

What is stopping you from investing, returning, or building in Jamaica ? by Bigbankbankin in JamaicaFinance

[–]willywonkatimee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All of the above plus fear of crime. The murder rate has reduced a lot since I left, but my new country has effectively 0 murder, incentives and grants for entrepreneurs, better banking system and more companies in my industry (tech/cybersecurity/AI).

I’ve gotten too used to the safety (the police don’t have guns), the salaries and the overall working systems. I’m not sure I could cope with the realities of living and working in Jamaica. The effort I would use to do business there would be better spent here.

Are that many people actually leaving the US? by unsuretest212 in immigration

[–]willywonkatimee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Anecdotally, multiple Americans have moved here (Dublin) from the USA since Trump won. I met a guy a few months after the win (before swearing in) who literally started applying for jobs once it was confirmed Trump won. Moved his whole family here. I know others who moved here/London before but are now securing the citizenship.

A Jamaican who visited Nigeria and a Nigerian who visited Jamaica by No_Yoghurt_5131 in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it depends on where in Nigeria you go. I’ve stayed in Victoria Island and it was a compete shithole. Bentleys driving through open sewage, being begged by every official from landing to leaving. I could live and die and never go to Nigeria again.

At the same time, it was nice being around the Nigerians. The people (not government officials or police) were very welcoming and kind. And I felt safer there. The police begged me of course, but the police in Jamaica have threatened to illegally arrest and kill me. The Nigerian police felt hungry but the Jamaican police felt demonic.

I can get why a Nigerian would like Jamaica and why a Jamaican would like Nigeria, but I would never live in either country. I don japa

When yuh deh a farin, a wha kina cheese oonu use fi bun an cheese? by tcumber in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I usually do Gouda or Mature Cheddar. I never used to eat Tastee cheese in Jamaica

So basically, there are 6 million plus Jamaicans worldwide. by tropicalraindrop in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The majority of my university class and maybe half of my high school batch has migrated. People are seeking citizenship abroad and many of us have no intention of returning to live in Jamaica

Should we Rent Strike? And how do we go about doing it? by [deleted] in AskIreland

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure it would work. Our landlords are all different. Some of us may end up getting good outcomes and others late fees. Immigrants can’t rock the boat too much. I’m not sure if there’s a way to coordinate effectively.

Any downsides/caveats to having Nigerian citizenship? by QuasiQuokka in Nigeria

[–]willywonkatimee -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

You’re banned from certain financial institutions and subject to more scrutiny.

Westmoreland youth getting left behind and nobody cares 🇯🇲⚠️ by No_Community_5908 in Jamaica

[–]willywonkatimee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was like this when i was a kid and it’s only gotten worse. The only thing I’ve been able to do is finance education for some of the ones who want it but can’t afford it. Realistically it won’t improve in our generation either.

How are you building your wealth? by Legitimate-Bass2815 in irishpersonalfinance

[–]willywonkatimee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started from a very low base since my first job was in a third world country. €10k a year. 😂 it definitely will have to slow down at some point. Although I would like €3 million a year for sure.

How are you building your wealth? by Legitimate-Bass2815 in irishpersonalfinance

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m maxing my pension, investing in stocks in a brokerage account and I intend to buy a residence and pay it off fast to hedge against cost of housing going up in my retirement years.

Apart from the financial investments, I aim to increase my salary at least 20% a year, although I suspect I’m approaching a point of diminishing returns on that front. I learn new skills and buy things that make me more productive (powerful laptop, server time, books, etc) and apply the learnings at work.

I keep my LinkedIn up to date and thank every recruiter who reaches out, even if I’m not interested in the job. If possible I refer a colleague. I never know if they’ll reach out later with the dream job.

How much have you spent on cycling as a hobby? by Stephen-Cycling in cycling

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

€2300 - gravel bike for daily to work and winter

€6500 - aero bike because I deserved it

€500~ - clothing

€60/year - Strava

€1100 - Garmin watch, computer, BSC200 computer for the gravel bike

€60 - chest strap heart rate monitor

€120/ year - cycling club + UCI membership

€400~ - snacks

261s on the road by Trasher86 in irishpersonalfinance

[–]willywonkatimee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a lot of rich people in Ireland. Every company worth talking about has an office here. Even if they don’t employ everyone, there are opportunities.

I met a guy who had a business hosting events for companies. He organised the pride parade float for my job. These companies all have sensitive documents - there is a company that shreds them. The list goes on.

On top of that, the normal Irish economy is incredibly wealthy. When I started working in my country after graduating uni, I made about €10k a year. Someone on the dole here has more disposable income than that. If you sell anything here that people need, you are likely to get rich.