Chinese immigrants often find themselves trapped in a cultural paradox: on one hand, they deeply distrust China’s investment environment; on the other, after settling in North America, they instinctively cling to traditional Chinese-style investment logic. In the end, they miss opportunities on both sides.

The hallmarks of that Chinese investment mindset include a near-religious belief in real estate, an obsession with capital preservation, a short-term speculative mentality, and a preference for concentrated bets. Historically, these approaches sometimes worked in China—they helped create many self-made millionaires—but the success relied on musical-chair speculation, not on the intrinsic growth of underlying assets. It was never a sustainable system. One wrong move could erase years of effort overnight.

The obsession with property ownership was the purest expression of that logic. Real estate offered emotional comfort: “I can see and touch my investment; it feels safer than those stock numbers I don’t understand.” But even this “tangible” security has reached its endgame. Two decades ago, average annual returns in China’s housing market exceeded 30–40%; over the past decade, they’ve fallen below 10%. Since 2023, housing prices have declined for three consecutive years, with total residential sales area hitting the lowest level since 2008.

In North America, the picture isn’t much better. Over the last 60 years, Canadian home prices have compounded at only about 6.3% annually, and since 2010, that number has dropped to 4.6%—far below the long-term returns of other asset classes. Once you factor in taxes, maintenance, and transaction costs, the true cost of ownership is several times higher than in China. The brutal truth is that traditional Chinese real-estate logic no longer works—not even in China itself—and copying it in North America is even less viable. Yet many remain unwilling or too afraid to explore alternative opportunities.

The collapse of the P2P lending industry is another painful reminder. Since 2015, Chinese authorities have investigated more than 500 illegal online-lending platforms, with over 600,000 victims losing a combined 70 billion RMB. Many of my own friends suffered heavy losses. These disasters stemmed from regulatory loopholes, excessive growth speed, and deepening inequality—all of which reinforced an immature investment culture. Many immigrants subconsciously carried that trauma abroad, simplifying risk management into a single rule: “As long as I don’t lose my principal, I’m making money.” But while this mindset feels safe, it silently erodes purchasing power and gradually pushes one down the social ladder.

Breaking free from that legacy requires transformation in three dimensions:

• Mindset: Learn and internalize the mainstream logic of the new environment.

• Opportunity: Seek out and work with trustworthy, top-tier professionals.

• Action: Let go of fear and inertia—start small, experiment, and move beyond the comfort zone.

Time is the best friend of compounding—and the greatest enemy of outdated thinking. I say this not critically but empathetically, as someone who has lived through the same journey. I also own multiple properties in North America. My goal is simply to use my professional knowledge and experience to help others in this community see their wealth through a new lens—to understand its real value in this new society, and to manage it with clarity and confidence.