Singaporean Talks Money: June 2023

Sunday 25 June 2023

What’s after $100,000? | Living more in the present and focusing on my social connections

With my recent hitting of $100,000 in liquid assets, which you can read here, I did mention that my next step is to obtain $100,000 value in my investments alone. It’s quite crazy thinking that I have managed after a few years to hit $100,000, it feels long yet short at the same time, long because in numerical form, $100,000 doesn’t feel much in today’s time especially with inflation and property prices in Singapore soaring high.

When you hear people talk about millions in property, rich individuals setting up family offices in Singapore to manage their wealth (although I won't reach there but), $100,000 feels small and like not enough? Short because I mean, I have been working for about 4 years plus full time and I have managed to hit it before age 30, so give me another few years to hit $200,000 and then half a million?

Focusing too much on the numbers might not be great

In my first few years of investing, I was so obsessed with checking my investments, looking and opening my apps multiple times in a day to check and of course, the values didn’t even fluctuate much and I was not even planning to sell or buy anything. After some time, I realise that there really is nothing much I can do by checking the prices every few minutes and so I loosen up.

Now, I usually take a look when my automated buys are done, to key them into the spreadsheet and at the end of the months to keep tabs. The fluctuations nowadays are also more exciting than when I first started, partly because of the stocks I hold (Us versus SG stocks when I first started) and because the value has increased, 1% of $80,000 is different from 1% of $5000.

Living my life towards the next $100,000

I have decided to live my life more and so, making changes and putting myself out there. Financial goals are kinda like the main important thing in my life because it can give me freedom in my later years but I realised I don’t want to miss out on other things as well.

Travelling more is one thing and also expanding my social circle, I am currently working in a company that is flexible and allows me to WFH most of the time which is great but I kinda don’t know my colleagues on a deeper level even those based in Singapore. So besides working connections, I think socially, I wanna work on expanding and knowing more people.

It takes some effort to keep connections with friends and especially so after some time, I do have to admit that I don’t always take the initiative to connect but hope to do so more in the future. I think I am in a good financial position so far, single, no debts and with a not bad job that allows me to save. So on this trajectory, I think I should be able to build up my portfolio if nothing bad happens along the way (job loss or health scares or sudden commitments).

Been a good ride for 1H 2023

The portfolio has been performing well for 2023 so far especially in Q2 and I would guess so for most of the people, 2H 2023 is still unknown and might have a lot more downside, considering at least 2 more interest rate hike by the FED and the FED being very much persistent that this will not be the end as they will want to observe inflation numbers before putting out any further action/interest rate hikes. Also, the macro environment and country’s relations are also top of the mind issues for 2H 2023.

We do see some recovery overall in the markets but people are starting to be wary as the FED seems insistent on pushing inflation down back to 2% and we see UK facing inflation numbers that are still high hence they are also raising rates to combat inflation.

I have been investing in REITs and it has been volatile, prices are very sensitive to news especially on rate hikes and pauses, I am still continuing as I don’t think high interest rates will remain forever, good to buy in when the prices are depressed although diversification matters meaning not all into REITs. 1H 2023 is almost over and it has been a great ride, from the downs in Q1 2023 to the AI boom in Q2, looking forward to the the rest of 2023. How are you positioning your portfolio? And what is your outlook for 2H 2023?

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Sunday 18 June 2023

Do we all need to have multiple jobs nowadays? | Exploring and doing what I like

My family was watching news on CNA and the topic of AI was in focus specifically on how it will help companies cut costs significantly. I blurt out that will be quite scary if AI can take over all our jobs which in actual fact I think it might in coming years.

My mum continued sharing that her friend’s son also has 2 jobs at the moment even though he has been in the workforce for quite some time, he has his 9-5 job and also gives tuition on the side. Her friend mentioned that nowadays it’s no longer good to have just 1 job, it’s not stable and your job might be gone anytime especially with advancement in technology and how companies are.

My mum agrees with her to a certain extent and told us about it and that we maybe should give some thought about taking up some side hustle or part-time job that pays a good amount. I told her that I know what she’s worried about but I do want to enjoy my time off work and also the weekends.

I did give tuition when I just started my first full-time job about 4 years ago as the amount I was earning was low and some supplement would be great. Although I wouldn’t say I am earning lots now but I am comfortable especially since my expenses did not increase much. It was tiring not in teaching the kids but I felt tired managing the parents and their expectations, it was nice to interact with the kids and help them with their studies but the parents were tough to handle and they really focused a lot on results which I understand since they paid for my service so I eventually didn't continue as I did not enjoy it.

Should we take up another job and set up a side hustle just to earn some extra income and sacrifice some leisure time?

I am sure there are many different part-time or side hustles that can complement a 9 -5 job. Some people start their side hustle while holding a main job and some even can build their side hustle to eventually take over their main 9-5 job. Sounds like a dream come true? haha, there are so many options nowadays, Tiktok and the various social media means you can even build up a following without leaving your home.

My mum suggested to me to start something or do something that can give a side income. I can understand why she thinks that way especially when my company recently had a layoff exercise and quite a number of people were laid off. Updating her on my role changes and although I wasn’t laid off, in some sense, you never know when you will be the next one.

I don’t have any interest or hobbies nor am I great in anything to be honest, baking is not really my thing, creating accessories? Nah, also not what I like. I think it is easy to start something but to monetise it or to have it earn an income is not easy. Also, if you enjoy it as a hobby, I think sometimes it’s good to keep it as a hobby and not try hard to monetise or make it a business.

Continue exploring and trying new things

I think it is all right to explore and try new things, having to think of ideas to monetise or create a business in everything can be tough. But if you need extra income and have the means to do it, I think it is amazing and great. I recently clicked on a house hacking video and it’s amazing how people at different areas can earn a side income from various other sources which might not be feasible in Singapore because our environment and land size differs. But we can apply that theory to many things.

I understand the importance of having a flow of income and even better if you can increase it but it might not be as straightforward, so it definitely differs among individuals and I believe you can work towards increasing your income via just increasing your skills and getting a higher income in your main job. No one size fits all and trying out new things and format is interesting.

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Monday 5 June 2023

My Journey in investing in my 20s

Why you should start investing in your 20s if possible

Investing in your 20s can have significant long-term benefits due to the power of compounding returns. By starting early, you have more time for your investments to grow and compound over time. Additionally, investing in your 20s allows you to take on more risk, as you have a longer investment horizon to recover from market downturns. Finally, investing in your 20s can help you achieve your long-term financial goals, such as saving for retirement or purchasing a home.

What if I invested $1000 10 years ago? (Past performance is not a guarantee of future results)

If you invested $1,000 in QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) 10 years ago, on June 2, 2013, your investment would be worth $4,118.19 as of June 2, 2023, assuming you reinvested all dividends. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5%.

QQQ is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, which is a basket of 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Nasdaq-100 is known for its high concentration in technology stocks, which have outperformed the broader market in recent years.

However, it is important to remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future results. The stock market is volatile and there is always the risk of losing money when investing. If you are considering investing in QQQ or any other investment, you should carefully consider your investment goals and risk tolerance.

Here is a table showing the performance of QQQ over the past 10 years:

Year	Price	Return
2013	$60.26	-12.80%
2014	$73.75	22.00%
2015	$74.89	1.70%
2016	$102.36	39.50%
2017	$157.60	53.60%
2018	$156.91	-0.40%
2019	$184.23	17.60%
2020	$212.26	16.30%
2021	$309.17	45.20%
2022	$299.05	-3.70%
2023	$315.94	5.30%

As you can see, QQQ has had a very strong performance over the past 10 years, with a CAGR of 17.5%. However, there have been some periods of volatility, such as the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are considering investing in QQQ, you should be prepared for the possibility of short-term losses.

My Journey

There has been a lot of young individuals who are very interested in investing but do not know when or how to start. To be honest when I first started when I was around 22 years old, I had the inertia to start as well, from which brokerage to use to finding out process for it. After creating my accounts, I was throwing small amount of money, few hundreds at different counters in the SGX. Buying Singtel, Design Studio, Tai Sin, SGX , Nikko AM STI ETF and OCBC. Some ended up profiting but some completely went to 0 which made my overall negative.

Design Studio was a huge lesson for me as I saw it halt in trading and so until now, I am unlikely to be able to sell it off and to be honest, it was a painful lesson as I just bought it without researching much and the profit guidance came just after some time that I bought it. SGX and OCBC turned out well but the losses from my other counters still overpowered the gains.

I held on to my SGX holdings but stopped adding and instead move towards the US market (bought some individual stocks although I also bought the index ETFs). It was much better over there due to the bull market and I bought the index but also occasionally dabbled into individual stocks, still listening to what was popular and I bought in. It was all good as it was a bull market and crypto came along, I bought some BTC and ETH when they were low but in minute amounts then came specifically LUNA. I decided I was going to put a substantial amount of money into LUNA and liquidated all my SGX holdings and split it into US stocks and crypto, looking back now, I was glad that I did allocate some of that money into US stocks (Tesla) rather than all in on crypto.

I am sure you know what happened next, the money in LUNA/UST went to almost 0. I cashed out whatever was left and just swap it for BTC/ETH. If I did not lose that amount, I would have attained my financial goals quicker but it was a good lesson and I learned from it including profit taking and risk allocation as well as not being greedy.

After that, I am now just buying into index ETFs and with small amounts that I have remaining after purchasing index ETFs, I put them into ETH, that’s my overall strategy for no, I do get tempted to buy individual stocks but I control that urge haha and tell myself, 'no, I should be building a base of index ETFs first or rather that should be my priority before I venture further.' So yup, my 20s have been about experimenting, buying different things that usually resulted me in losing money and finally just settled on index ETF specifically VOO and QQQ. What and how is your investing journey so far?

Sunday 4 June 2023

How would AI allocate money for someone in their late 20s? | Checking with Bard

As AI is not a human, it does not have the need to allocate money for personal use. However, if we were to consider a hypothetical scenario where AI had to allocate their money, it would depend on the purpose and function of the AI.

For example, an AI designed to maximize profits for a company would likely allocate its money towards investments that have a high potential for returns. On the other hand, an AI designed to assist with social and environmental causes may allocate its money towards investments that support sustainability and social responsibility.

It is important to note that AI is only as good as the programming and data it is given. Therefore, the allocation of money by AI would depend on the goals and values of its creators and users.

How would an individual in her late 20s allocate $10,000 into investing once she has her emergency funds put aside?

For an individual in her late 20s with $10,000 to invest, it is important to consider her financial goals and risk tolerance. One potential investment strategy could be to diversify the funds across multiple asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

A common rule of thumb is to allocate a percentage of the funds to each asset class based on age. For example, a 28-year-old could allocate 70% to stocks, 20% to bonds, and 10% to REITs. However, this allocation can be adjusted based on personal preferences and risk tolerance.

It is also important to consider the fees and expenses associated with each investment option. Low-cost index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can provide broad exposure to different asset classes at a lower cost than actively managed funds.

Ultimately, the allocation of funds should be based on the individual's financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. It is recommended to consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

The type of stocks a young person should invest in depends on their financial goals and risk tolerance. Generally, it is recommended to diversify the portfolio across different industries and sectors to mitigate risk. Investing in a broad-based index fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the performance of the overall stock market can provide exposure to a range of stocks. It is important to do thorough research and consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Following up with an article soon on my own personal human portfolio allocation.

Friday 2 June 2023

Being Homeless in Singapore | Learning more about it

Another great documentary from CNA although I would very much like to have an update on the individuals in a few months or a years time to see how they are. If you are not sure what I am talking about, here is Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

I won’t be going in depth about the individuals mentioned in the documentary and I like what was mentioned in the opening where homelessness in Singapore is viewed as an individual who have done something wrong in his life but it actually is a much more complex issue as you see how the individuals in the documentary became homeless, there are many different situations, some of which was out of their control. And over time, they became homeless.

Homelessness in Singapore

If we were to compare homelessness numbers with other countries or even just neighbouring countries, our numbers are significantly lower and to be honest, really low because we do have numerous organisations that offer help to them especially if they are willing to seek help.

Using Bard from Google, we can do a deep dive into the statistics in Singapore. From a nationwide street count, in 2021, there were about 1,036 homeless people and majority of them are males, about 85% with an average of 52 years old. Some of the most common reasons for homelessness are unemployment, mental illness, and addiction although there are also other numerous reasons why some of them end of being homeless.

Some interesting findings about the homeless population in Singapore are that:

The homeless population is concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the country.
The majority of the homeless people are single, with no children.
The homeless people are often from low-income families.
The homeless people are more likely to be unemployed and have mental health problems.

How homelessness feels like

Of course, I am definitely not in a position to talk about how it really feels as I have not experienced homelessness however based on the documentary, I would like to share about how the individual feels and how they usually spend their time.

It’s survival mode for Mr Hamad Bin Shukri as he get his water supply from a public toilet to wash his hands and brush his teeth. Additionally, he buys bottled water from the supermarket for about $5.30 per week. I do take water for granted, having supply straight from my tap and my family do boil water before drinking it so it’s quite different from having to walk a distance to replenish my water supply. He has to wake up early to pack his stuff into the aircon generator room, to charge his phone and to take a bath, he waits till late before using the hawker centre/market toilet to wash up. It’s tough as he has to make use of public facilities which means that he has wait till the cleaner is off work and when there are lesser people around. He also works part-time as a packer in Giant. He also has family members in Indonesia that rely on his income.

The next individual is an 81 year old lady who has been homeless for 3 months. She spends her day walking around and taking a rest when she is tired, she packs bread and water for her to eat as a snack, she would also settle her meals at the coffee shops. She also works part-time to earn some money but generally keeps her expenditure low. There are many more who shared their experience and you can watch to know more.

No one wants to be homeless

Throughout the documentary, we can see the individuals trying their best to obtain a place to call their own but of course each individual do have their own criteria which affects how fast they can get a property.

No one wants to be homeless and having a roof over your head and a place to call home is something that I take for granted as well. I would say that I am privileged in having a roof over my head, a job that pays me enough to spend and a country that is safe and stable. I haven’t experience homelessness but it’s difficult to say that I will not be homeless. Some of the individuals were doing well in life and even had their own property like Mdm Yeo who was doing well but sold her property to get capital to start/sustain her events company. So she rented but as rent and property prices increase over the years, she was unable to afford to buy one.

Everyone has a reason why they became homeless but it is not up to us to judge and I believe that they would like to have a permanent roof over their head. The documentary also shows the tough application process as documents need to be prepared and as people who do not have a permanent place to store their items, some of the documents can be difficult to attain.

Great coverage and it will be nice if there is some follow up on these individuals and how they are after some time. Nice to see topics like these being covered and how we view individuals going through a tough time, how they manage it and how for some of them, none of these is their fault but could be due to lack of planning, surrounding issues or sudden changes that resulted in it.

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