August 2020 Portfolio, Dividends and also Life Updates (Data driven investing - Pyinvesting)

August is over and time for another portfolio review! This month is interesting as the 1 tesla stock that I bought will be splitting to 5 on 31 August 2020. Nothing much to be done as I will still hold on to that. 

My Singapore stocks are still in the red. Will be holding the stocks for the long term so not much worries on that. 

Besides Tesla surging up, both my VOO and VT are also in the green, glad that I started my ETF RSP buying. Though I wished I started earlier, at least I am in a better direction right now and will continue to do so.

Read more: July 2020 Portfolio Updates - Changes to RSP and sold First REIT

Portfolio:

Portfolio current value is at about $22,000 as of 29 August 2020. I really hope to increase the portfolio progressively but definitely a higher income is required. However, the job market doesn't look so good and jobs I have applied for, only 1 or 2 have gotten back to me. Went through some rounds of interview and got to see how it goes. 

Dividends: 

Received $27.25 from Singtel and $50.26 from STI ETF. Total: $77.51

Next month, September will be interesting and nice as dividends from Far East Organisation (O10.SGX) will be coming in with $150, my first 3 digit dividend payout. US elections are also drawing near and my brother and mum also watched the latest 2020 Democratic and Republican National Convention on 27 August 2020. I did watch a short highlight video on it.

I would love to watch with them but work wise has been overwhelming as weekends are also spent clearing work. The restructure in my office has combined multiple teams together and with some colleagues who left mostly due to their contract ending, I do not really have a positive outlook. I am on the lookout for jobs as well. Hope by year end, things can be clearer and I can be in a better position. Take care and stay safe everyone :)

Side mention for Pyinvesting: 

Many companies have algorithms or systems that guide their investments. This is all so that emotions are removed in the process and data is the way to go if you like to see numbers instead of just using your gut feeling, haha which really shouldn't be the case. 

Ivan recently reached out to me to take a look at his website which uses data and back-testing to form your investment strategy. 

He has video tutorials that teaches you how you can navigate and input your data. They are really bite-sized and he shows in the videos step-by-step processes on how to do it. Do go over and take a look!

How am I going to achieve $100,000 by age 30.

I have mentioned before that I would like to have $100,000 in terms of cash and investments by age 30 excluding CPF. This is definitely is a goal of mine in the short term. 

So how do I plan to reach $100,000 by age 30? It will be through a combination of investments savings and also an endowment plan for me to reach hundred thousand by age 30. By getting $100,000 by age 30, it will provide me with a better peace of mind and stability to pursue what I really one and lastly the first $100,000 seems tough but after you reach it, the next $100,000 will come much easier because of the compounding effect and this has been proven by a lot of people.

I am planning to achieve it through 3 main areas. 

1. Cash savings per month ($300 per month at 0.05% interest, definitely there are higher rates but just assuming that in the future, there are no more special rates)
   
   
2.  Investments ($700 per month into RSP)
   
   
3. Saving plan (Mature in 2026, NTUC Revosecure)

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Earning more than $10,000? You are in a safer position - COVID-19 as anti-robinhood

I read an article on Today, which I also shared on my Facebook page on the income inequality widening. Based on DBS data collated from their retail customers which should be substantial as a huge number of individuals will credit their income into their DBS/POSB account showed that individuals earning less than $2,999 formed the largest group of people who had a pay cut by at least 10%.  

And within this group, half of them had their income halved meaning only 50% of their salary was being paid to them during this period. 

"In comparison, higher earners — those earning between S$7,000 and S$9,999 — were the least affected by income cuts making up 6 per cent while those who earn S$10,000 and more, made up just 8 per cent."

It is scary when you think about it, I do belong to those earning less than $2,999 and to see their pay cut and even halved, it is painful because the amount is not even huge to begin with meaning their income has reduced even though it wasn't even high in the first place. 

$2,999 halved: $1499.50

$10,000 halved: $5000 

Surviving on $1499.50 versus $5000 is a huge difference but definitely, their original pay already has a difference. Imagine surviving just fine on $2,999 and now you earn $1499.50 due to a pay cut, maybe just a sickness or one big expenses can set you back into debt if you have no savings. This is why it is so important to control your spending and ensure that you are not spending beyond your means. 

The study also looked at the amount of savings that different income groups have. Definitely, individuals earning less had lesser savings, this could be very much due to their income as a lower income means saving is much more difficult as a longer time horizon will be required.

Covid-19 has been widening the income gap between the rich and poor as the rich get richer (Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos) and the poor loses their jobs and struggle to bring food to their table as the virus wreck havoc on their daily lives. I overheard one day while watching television that the Covid-19 is like anti-robin hood. 

Robin hood steals from the rich to give to the poor and so anti Robin hood means otherwise. I do agree to this particular statement. Covid-19 has stripped the jobs of many, from food vendors to service crews mostly jobs that require interaction and entertainment as they are not able to work remotely. Considering the scale of the pandemic, these jobs will not be reinstated back soon and it just means that unemployment will be high for the sectors affected. 

Read more: No such thing as an iron rice bowl

Middle aged individuals are also affected more, those aged 35 to 44 years old. It is scary especially if you have a family to feed and mortgages to pay. Times are really different as this pandemic puts things into perspective, nothing is definite and change is really the only constant. It will be awhile before things can get back to normal and even so, memory of this pandemic will live on. 

It's everyone for themselves, improving and learning new things to enrich yourself will be the way to go. All the best to everyone!

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/income-gap-spore-widened-covid-19-more-individuals-lower-income-groups-suffering-drop?fbclid=IwAR3AKeeeMlcgV3L8uk3JHb7s5yrnxi0ONKpmf6aWcHTT7zBTJ5bBqbs1zGM

No such thing as an iron rice bowl

Every industry is going through changes right now as things are not going as per normal. Some industries face it harder than others as change is now definitely necessary for them. 

As employers realise that more can be done remotely and digitally, employees also have to re-skill and learn more than what they currently know.  

For me, change is rather difficult for me because I tend to be in my comfort zone and get too comfortable in my place. Many people now place a huge emphasis on data and even my workplace is willing to use software to track employee's workload and SLA to account for headcount. At times, it can all sound so robotic like data rules us all and will determine whether or not we deserve to be in the company. 

Recently The Woke Salaryman released The painful lesson I learnt from newspapers and magazines
which essentially summarized that change is essential and you should keep learning and re-skill/up skill yourself to remain employable. I do find this really relatable but am really apprehensive about having to keep learning to adapt. 

Having studied a general degree which does not have much technical knowledge, I have had to learn Microsoft Excel skills and other systems at a rapid pace after I started work. It has been difficult and I have to admit that constant practice is needed so that you won't forget the things you have learned. 

Some times, I do doubt if I can continue to be working in 10 years time as the work I am doing currently is more on the administrative side which can easily be replaced. All these worries and doubts so build up. I know I definitely will need to upskill myself and is data analytics the best way going forward? I am not too sure either but it seems data now is very powerful and in demand.   

I can definitely see data coming into my work as my bosses want to track data and so more skilled people are required in that area. Data is definitely one thing but being able to interpret it and find out more is also important.

I feel like I am still finding my way around considering the huge shift in work arrangements currently and the uncertain future. Definitely, at times, seeing my friends doing better in their career than me kinda feels upsetting and makes me doubt myself. I am learning to take it easy. 

Embracing change will be good for me as an individual and my future. For now, I am focusing on my career and if able to, to sign up for some short course though I really treasure my weekends and want to rest. We shall see how everything goes! No new youtube video this week as I have been really busy with work, OT-ing everyday and also on weekends. Will take a short break and hopefully be back soon:) 

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Why I bought Tesla and some information on Tesla

Should you buy Tesla now? To be honest I bought Tesla because everyone else was buying it. I didn’t do any research beforehand and I bought it at about $980. So I currently have 1 stock of Tesla. I know that currently Tesla has surge so much but definitely can dropped as much as it is a risky stock where some people are buying it cos of the hype. 

In this video, I explore a bit on Tesla and their business. I understand that they are still a company that is innovating and growing rapidly. If they can continue their growth and innovation, I know that they can definitely hit much higher performance. Elon Musk is definitely someone who is so curious and wants to improve the world with technology and believes that the world can be a better place. 

 With the Tesla short shorts, things are also interesting in a way as people who are thinking that Tesla won’t go far are usually proven wrong by Elon. It is interesting and definitely there is a lot of potential in Tesla. 

Happy 55th Birthday, Singapore!

Happy Birthday Singapore! This year's national day celebration is unique in that the huge displays of lights, participants and performances are mellowed down to prevent crowding. 

The atmosphere and emotions are also not high as we all know that the current situation that Singapore is in is not something to be happy or celebrated but celebration of national day has always been around and this year, celebrations have been dispersed into the heartlands for people all around Singapore to experience. 

For me, I love celebrating national day as I am proud of Singapore and the achievements we have been through. Wearing red and seeing others wearing it too symbolises us as one people gathering to celebrate the nation's birthday. 

Today, my family and I got up early to watch the morning show and then hitting the streets to watch the mobile column zoom past as we thank and wave to the army and front line workers. 

 

It is a really great idea for them to drive to the heartlands and for the Red Lions to parachute near Ng Teng Fong and Sengkang hospital. 

Looking forward to the night show later on, though the celebration has been downplayed to prevent huge masses gathering, I am sure deep down, we are proud of how far we have come and know that the journey ahead will not be easy as well. 

Its been a tough year and even tougher time ahead, many thanks to the front line workers and continue taking care of yourself both physically and mentally!

Why you should start investing NOW!

Investing is seen as a way to generate better returns on your money by taking on a certain amount of risks. If you do not earn a huge income that can multiply your money fast, investing is a great way than putting your money in the bank especially considering the current situation.

With many Banks having a lower interest rate right now I think what’s important is to know that your emergency savings have been set aside, you don’t want your remaining money to erode with the low interest rate that the bank is offering.

If you can start investing early there is this thing called compounding interest and it is what will make your money grow in the long term. So compound interest is the addition of interest to the principal sum and it is the result of reinvesting interest rather than paying it out so that interest in the next period is then turn on the principal sum plus the previous accumulated interests

So for example you invest $1000 and the Stock gives out a dividends of 3%. So 3% of 1000 is $30, and so the next 3% that you will earn will be 3% of $1030 and so this means your money grows with no action from you as the interest is compounded.

So if you are able to start young you have a longer horizon for compound interest to take place. Another reason why you should start investing when you are young is because you are able to have more time to learn from your mistakes. It is impossible to not have any mistakes when you invest especially so when it involves your emotions. You will be able to find the best investing method for yourself and starting early is very beneficial.

To start investing when you are young means that you can go through a lot more ups and downs of the market, Giving you more experience in handling fluctuations.

For example in my case I am 25 years old this year and COVID-19 has really made me realise that the stock market can be so irrational where there can be ups and downs. The market is also not predictable as many expected a crash again but so far, it hasn't been going down since March 2020.

When you start investing early you can take on more risk in your portfolio and this means that they can be a higher chance of growth for your money. For example if you’re young you are more likely to buy stocks like Tesla and technology stocks which carry a greater risk then blue-chip stocks. Similar to having a longer horizon, The longer the Time Horizon, the more aggressive, or riskier portfolio, an investor can build.

Lesser liabilities and dependents hence money can be channeled more into your investments.

There is this example where you take hundred minus your age and that is the amount of stock/equities you should be holding in your portfolio. So with a higher age means that the amount of money in stocks will be with used and therefore reducing the risk that you’re holding. Whether or not your investing style is passive or active, doing something to it is always better than saving it at an interest rate of 0.05%.

Definitely, doing your own research and risk analysis is necessary and do be prepared for fluctuations that will happen so do not invest with money that you will need in the short term.