April 7, 2026

I opened my investment account just a week ago, and since then I’ve been learning nonstop. My main helper has been AI Copilot (the free version), along with many Thai money channels on YouTube. On the first day my funds appeared in the account, I immediately bought a mix of ETFs — mostly low‑cost ones per share, because yes, I love cheap. At that time, I didn’t really understand ETFs, so I relied on AI explanations and my own instinct.

I ended up with two bond ETFs, many U.S. ETFs, and four international ETFs. After watching more Thai finance videos and discussing things with the AI, I finally decided to sell all the international ETFs and focus on U.S. ETFs instead. The reason was simple: the international ETFs moved so slowly, and many U.S. ETFs already overlapped with the same companies.

The funny part was when the AI said, “International ETFs are slow like a sleepy turtle.” I have a tortoise at home named Bucky, and I immediately replied, “But my Bucky is not slow. He walks faster than those international ETFs in my account.”

Today, my portfolio has zero international ETFs. Only the two bond ETFs remain — and they haven’t moved at all. I call them “Bucky in relaxing mode,” like when he stretches out all four legs under his warm lamp. It makes me laugh every time.