Group 1 - The article discusses the author's past experiences with investing, particularly the tendency to chase hype stocks that resulted in losses [1] - The author emphasizes a preference for dividend investing in quality blue-chip stocks, Business Development Companies (BDCs), and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) [1] - The goal is to help lower and middle-class workers build investment portfolios focused on high-quality, dividend-paying companies to achieve financial independence [1] Group 2 - The author has a beneficial long position in the shares of PepsiCo (PEP) through stock ownership or derivatives [2] - The article expresses the author's personal opinions and is not influenced by compensation from any company mentioned [2] - There is a disclaimer regarding the past performance of investments and the lack of recommendations for specific investment suitability [3]