tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41455182106279734592024-03-29T15:24:39.658+08:00Singaporean Talks MoneySingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-41653097013304037402024-02-25T21:58:00.002+08:002024-02-25T21:58:07.901+08:00How I budget when I was a fresh grad versus how I budget now as a working adult <p> Budgeting is a huge part to managing your finances. Making a suitable budget and sticking to it can make your financial journey easier and accelerate achieving your financial goals.</p>
<p>It might not be easy at first and you might make some slight adjustments but once you have a budget that you can work with, in the long term, the results will be visible. Making a budget as a fresh graduate from university is definitely different after working for 4 years as you would probably see your income grow and inevitably, there might be some lifestyle inflation.</p>
<p>My budget from 4 years ago is definitely different from now and mainly because of income and current expenses. But if we were to see it as percentage terms, there really isn’t any huge change in percentage but definitely changes in absolute number terms. So let me share on how I budgeted.</p>
<h3>Budget as a fresh graduate</h3>
<p>Graduating and getting a job was nice, I felt like I was ready for the adult world and all ready to carve out my own journey. But when I first started, my starting salary was $2700 gross so after CPF deduction I took about $2160. This was not much to work with especially after giving allowance to my mum and paying the bills. Also, since I just started full-time work, building up an emergency fund was my first priority instead of investing.</p>
<p>A larger proportion went to my savings as a fresh graduate and I also had to find ways to reduce my expenditure to be able to save more. Fortunately, most of your peers would have also just started working so the expenditure of all of you would be roughly the same and so my friends mostly met at affordable options.</p>
<p>Below is a rough graph on how my budget was as a fresh graduate after I have build up my emergency funds of about 4 months:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp7SJAPkcCHndIxqh-t-kzr1MzIGzhIvtSyrP56W7mrFc8lkERZKaL0iD-MYYO9NIFMY1BHunp5mtbddxMbkKoVOzlLBb4iRjIU-ZzG1gABUKvcZKv1Fn4QNMFxabTel67-LRL5rFdrCaMizjtiOzs6Fqweky3fzgdp4MwdUcKUE1CpYndbNSLsjd5eM/s600/Budget%20as%20a%20Fresh%20Graduate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp7SJAPkcCHndIxqh-t-kzr1MzIGzhIvtSyrP56W7mrFc8lkERZKaL0iD-MYYO9NIFMY1BHunp5mtbddxMbkKoVOzlLBb4iRjIU-ZzG1gABUKvcZKv1Fn4QNMFxabTel67-LRL5rFdrCaMizjtiOzs6Fqweky3fzgdp4MwdUcKUE1CpYndbNSLsjd5eM/s320/Budget%20as%20a%20Fresh%20Graduate.png" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As a fresh graduate, there might be expenses where you are tempted to spend for example an expensive outfit or branded bag or wallet but know what is a need and a want is the most important thing. I also don’t think there is a need to manage and scrutinise every expenditure but don’t go too crazy.</div>
<h3>Budget after 4 years of work experience</h3>
<p>Over the past 4 years, my salary has seen some increment not huge but big enough for me to be able to put aside more for investing as well as increase my expenses slightly.</p>
<p>I like to go for good meals with my family in the weekends and travel a little more frequently compared to the past. Beside being able to classify these as experiences, I believe it is good to spend some money to let my mum enjoy herself although I don’t pay for her travel expenses but help by giving her an allowance monthly and pay for meals when we eat out.</p>
<p>Budgeting has changed quite a bit but in terms of percentages, it has not deviated much. Here is my current budget allocation, you can see that I am still saving although lesser, I do have my emergency funds build up already and set aside but I am still putting aside money every month, this savings that I am setting aside monthly is for big ticket items like insurance payments, travel expenses and bills. I don’t track my expenses but just ensure that I have sufficient liquid cash savings in my ‘savings’ account which is actually a spending account, the account holding my emergency funds is never touched. Whatever is left in the ‘savings account’ will just be left there or if the amount grows big then it will be re-allocated.</p>
<p>I didn’t hugely increase my allowance to my parents so that is why other areas are seeing an increase for example investments and expenses. Of course, it depends if you would like to increase the budget for your parents and it differs for every individual.</p>
<p>Current Budget:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lPZSKpeRx8HCTdMYTBxrwRNkIiRKZjQOZAvJ_s3y6z1D38ZZUpZHxPHtZ9rDmCOARqID22sx8e24VHEaRCXwaiY2lJwoDZCYD3tYrnTJBg3Jzzkv52jHQ0VGde61Q-jsrC50hUnJrzI_51JYRpABLTBejjyrzQF3hABvyYLokJpX4GYu85k1hJRx2NM/s600/Budget%20after%20working%20for%204%20years.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lPZSKpeRx8HCTdMYTBxrwRNkIiRKZjQOZAvJ_s3y6z1D38ZZUpZHxPHtZ9rDmCOARqID22sx8e24VHEaRCXwaiY2lJwoDZCYD3tYrnTJBg3Jzzkv52jHQ0VGde61Q-jsrC50hUnJrzI_51JYRpABLTBejjyrzQF3hABvyYLokJpX4GYu85k1hJRx2NM/s320/Budget%20after%20working%20for%204%20years.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Plan and work with what fits you best</h3>
<p>Everyone is different and the circumstances are not the same so there is no one size fits all budget but instead you need to plan and find what best fits you. Also, in the first few years of working is when you can maximise your savings and investment rate as you have lesser big ticket items.</p>
<p>You will be able to survive on lesser too as you have just graduated from school and shouldn’t have that big of an expenses. Some of us might have study loans to repay and so remember to budget that in as well.</p>
<p>As mentioned in a previous post I did, where I mentioned that your investments are not going to grow linearly so in the early years, building up will seem tough as the compounding is not huge due to the capital amount but keep at it and you will see the difference in the long run.</p>
<p>It is a good first step to managing your finances and having the habit of budgeting makes sure that every dollar is accounted for. As your income grows, your budget might change but you would have had a good habit via your budget allocation hence setting you up for success in achieving your long term goals.</p><p>If you are interested in creating any account with the below, it will
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SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-66240917911214337572024-02-18T21:36:00.002+08:002024-02-18T21:36:36.910+08:00How my investments in 2024 will go | Plan for 2024, am I still holding onto TSLA?<p>The first month of 2024 has just passed and already my portfolio is facing some downward pressure. If you are not aware, I do have a substantial percentage of my portfolio in Tesla, with the recent months of adding QQQ, the percentage has gone down but it is still about 30% of my whole portfolio which can have huge impacts considering it’s share price after the recent Q4 2023 results.</p>
<p>The share price has fallen below $200 and we do see some selling pressure as the outlook for 2024 seems rather dull judging by what was said and in the AI innovation portion, Elon Musk was rather negative on the innovation especially when it was related to the Dojo supercomputer as he mentioned that a hedge would be to get Nvidia’s GPUs. So how then am I investing in 2024 and am I letting go of all my Tesla shares?</p>
<h3>Hold or let it go</h3>
<p>It really goes back to why I invested in Tesla in the first place, I can justify that they still have a lot to achieve and have the potential for huge growth ahead but we can see some obstacles ahead as we do not see the exponential growth that was set originally. Additionally, Elon Musk seems to be facing various pain points in gaining the majority stake in the company which will allow him to do what he wants or think is the best for the company.</p>
<p>Although Tesla is an innovative company but it now has grown to a substantial size and with great power comes great responsibility so it seems tough for Elon to have control over how he hopes to navigate or organise the company. It also seems like Elon has a lot of haters although there are many who also stand by Tesla. I still am holding to my Tesla shares and will be seeing how it goes.</p>
<h3>What am I doing while holding</h3>
<p>I am adding QQQ as this AI growth has benefited numerous companies and some of the magnificent 7 has seen good growth and opportunities like <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-explained-meta-crush-004732591.html">Meta</a> and Microsoft and of course Nvidia. I am now more into index investing while doing covered calls, so no individual stocks as I have mentioned previously. No plans to trim any of my individual stocks at the moment.</p>
<h3>Things are not fixed, action as we go along</h3>
<p>With all that being said, all plans are not fixed and it might changes as things happen considering the markets and economy is really volatile. Everyday, we are hearing of layoffs as companies stay lean and slowly incorporate AI into their work streams.</p>
<p>I can also see it in my company as we are a technology company though not part of the big tech but it is still going through some changes as we adapt and accept that AI will be taking over some of the mundane and repetitive work.</p>
<p>The price action for Tesla shares have been in a rout as we do see negative outlook on it as interest rate remains high, comparing Tesla with Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon, it is rather painful. Some times, I do wish that it has been allocated to maybe Nvidia so the growth recently would have been exponential.</p>
<p>I do see how Tesla can grow in time to come but short term, it looks really tough for it to break out especially since the automobile sector is what it is in focus for now, there are many other energy sectors that Tesla is developing but for now, it seems tough with profit and growth not as predicted and share prices being compressed.</p>
<p>We shall look back again at the end of Q1, Q2, Q3 and 2024 to see how it all goes, in the meantime, QQQ is my building block.</p><p>If you are interested in creating any account with the below, it will help me with a little incentives but if you have your own affiliate links/Codes, go ahead and use them instead. Thank you<br /></p><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p><p> </p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-7794665247487408632023-12-31T22:08:00.001+08:002023-12-31T22:08:04.423+08:00End of Year Portfolio Review | Total Investments hits $100,000, marching towards $150,000 by end of 2024<p>2023 is almost over and the stock market as well as the world has been on a whirlwind of emotion ride. Wars are happening and yet the stock market has been recovering steadily towards the year end. It is a lot more positive in the market than what I expected. </p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iw9bZ9C0uQE?si=trDHkGrsI9QVzWWr" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</p><p>As we review my financial portfolio, let’s also pray for those suffering and hope that this difficult time will be over for them soon. With my total net worth hitting $100,000 about 1 or 2 months back, with the bull market in stocks and cryptocurrencies, my investment portfolio alone without cash has also hit the $100,000 mark.</p>
<p>With that, it is nice seeing the 6 digit goal being hit before I turn 30 in 2025. Aiming for $150,000 for when I reach 30 years old but not too extreme now as I think I can let off some steam since reaching $100,000. The data on my portfolio below is recorded on 24 December 2023 on Christmas Eve for the record.</p>
<h3>Stocks Portfolio (Data recorded on 24 December 2023)</h3>
<p>This has been a great recovery year, consistently buying monthly has helped with the portfolio value and happy with where it is although Tesla is still a large portion but trying to bring it down by adding onto index ETFs like QQQ.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE9tt_XuuEWWU5h0U2GIcPlYSnEFYPTuktsTsY3Kl1GlrkP0eVTdP0Csv5Wqinz9Raz2sqbf39pzngqHgyLaZPfq8Eastb8F6Ez5ItHgHU2WTkummYEfFXcjIGUr1CVBBmJfINT0vkTEK8VSr7GAGhDYF-6RyU7gROASAebjo1pyzK7nusYULvg0QpXs/s600/Stock%20Portfolio%20(SGD).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE9tt_XuuEWWU5h0U2GIcPlYSnEFYPTuktsTsY3Kl1GlrkP0eVTdP0Csv5Wqinz9Raz2sqbf39pzngqHgyLaZPfq8Eastb8F6Ez5ItHgHU2WTkummYEfFXcjIGUr1CVBBmJfINT0vkTEK8VSr7GAGhDYF-6RyU7gROASAebjo1pyzK7nusYULvg0QpXs/s320/Stock%20Portfolio%20(SGD).png" width="320" /></a></div><h3>Cryptocurrencies Portfolio (Data recorded on 24 December 2023)</h3>
<p>Wow, what a great end to cryptocurrencies, I was not adding much positions throughout the year so not crazy gains for this portion of the portfolio but I have been HODL-ing to my positions so it was nice to see the jump in value and it contributed in helping my investment portfolio to hit past $100,000. Crypto has not been back at all time highs but we can see some recovery.</p>
<p>Not really adding positions here although from various opinions online that 2024 is the year of cryptocurrency since multiple huge events are coming up like the Bitcoin spot ETF, Bitcoin halving and institutions wanting/having to allocate a portion into crypto. Maybe will add some ETH but other than that, not much here. Saw some altcoins going crazy like the previous bull market, as people double their portfolios with them but at the moment, not into that.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE5K7L7A6qkAvM4HyX0ZMrU2AGy9jINjo7wEg0piTBNnMsUPuXtOzlMNoRWSzsl4QOfEJq-EGBNyahHDkMpvV1RJIlBN1i45aqmIvw0b0936KZWtBkNDaZLJjW1tFsMnec2Xcb44TQxzs4Qi8E0fMXUJUOQKavgjpIMaeQaqaUXcRoDUYgxOJrd_R_UQ/s600/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE5K7L7A6qkAvM4HyX0ZMrU2AGy9jINjo7wEg0piTBNnMsUPuXtOzlMNoRWSzsl4QOfEJq-EGBNyahHDkMpvV1RJIlBN1i45aqmIvw0b0936KZWtBkNDaZLJjW1tFsMnec2Xcb44TQxzs4Qi8E0fMXUJUOQKavgjpIMaeQaqaUXcRoDUYgxOJrd_R_UQ/s320/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div><h3>Syfe REITs (Data recorded on 24 December 2023)</h3>
<p>REITs have seen some improvement since Powell mentioned about holding rates and that they are thinking of stopping rate hikes at the moment. The jump was quite substantial as my Syfe REITs portfolio jumped from a loss to profit. Not changing much here, reinvesting dividends since my portfolio is not huge enough to allow dividends to be paid out and a contribution monthly.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHVb-4AzRuVO655d9MWfGyv5TdHm34jn_Zr_AsJA_Op45ysfEgEZ7JYDaRPcfXqiNy7Gs6XhFcdkFXpkZK1zyQbeeQ3-wNNccWQON5o_YnJtk9BL8UNu2KxczHVnsQJArdb9y9-6tjulud8LedGL9yZ4bl9l7MZrR8jvElfX7ndsl-w7EcEdObuccccI/s600/Syfe%20REIT+.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHVb-4AzRuVO655d9MWfGyv5TdHm34jn_Zr_AsJA_Op45ysfEgEZ7JYDaRPcfXqiNy7Gs6XhFcdkFXpkZK1zyQbeeQ3-wNNccWQON5o_YnJtk9BL8UNu2KxczHVnsQJArdb9y9-6tjulud8LedGL9yZ4bl9l7MZrR8jvElfX7ndsl-w7EcEdObuccccI/s320/Syfe%20REIT+.png" width="320" /></a></div><h3>Options</h3>
<p>Options (mostly covered calls) have been something I picked up at the later half of 2023 and still learning a lot from it. So far, it has been a profit but I did make mistakes a few times when I first started. I did weekly covered calls on Tesla which is a volatile stock so within a week, it can fluctuate huge and hit the strike price. I had 2 occasions where the strike price was hit, I was afraid of missing out on gains and immediately bought back on Monday which was a wrong move as with any huge tick up, a correction would happen and prices would drop so on that 2 occasions I could have waited and bought back with no losses but I FOMO-ed and bought in straight when market open.</p>
<p>However, the difference was not huge since I bought weekly so total premiums would still make it a profit but recently, I have moved to monthly where I can choose a further strike price and get reasonable premiums due to time decay.</p>
<p>Currently only doing it on GOOGL and TSLA, GOOGL is relatively steady so it’s been good so far, premiums are not as high as TSLA but it is a good balance. I am not adding to any individual stocks so the premiums are usually redirected to buying of QQQ. Not much premiums in terms of overall but some nice extra change to build up cash or set some buys. Not focusing huge on options as I just see it as a small supplement.</p>
<h3>Total Portfolio (Data recorded on 24 December 2023)</h3>
<p>Since hitting $100,000 in investments, can really see the larger fluctuations in that 10% is suddenly a larger number compared to $10,000. Looking forward to growing it to $200,000 but watching out as well on the positions/risk. 2024 will be an exciting year for the markets as Bitcoin spot ETF and Bitcoin halving will lead to volatility and even major adoption of Bitcoin. Even for the stock market, interest rate cuts and inflation will be major indicators but we can also see tensions raising among nations and most recently the Red Sea attacks. All these will bring about huge disruptions and we shall see how things go.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkAjnalaM2hUoDDUZeeAKm-UX8bayt1ceZnmzS3LZNvfK_r9r_wktCfuNnIvfCGKRR5IszllbeaxtA-PkGZRqfGVeSrSc2E9WoWitO18XRhlC38wUZzxKgSKlHYdZvepDzf2VpLQ3yrAGlf4wwfE5tSEokHRs1S7YGbjGh9QjAl8fWkeQxGz8QdoKs9A/s600/Total%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkAjnalaM2hUoDDUZeeAKm-UX8bayt1ceZnmzS3LZNvfK_r9r_wktCfuNnIvfCGKRR5IszllbeaxtA-PkGZRqfGVeSrSc2E9WoWitO18XRhlC38wUZzxKgSKlHYdZvepDzf2VpLQ3yrAGlf4wwfE5tSEokHRs1S7YGbjGh9QjAl8fWkeQxGz8QdoKs9A/s320/Total%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><h3>Starting my Youtube channel again</h3>
<p>I have always been interested in content creation and recording my journey but laziness got the better of me in recent years so I was not churning out as many articles and videos really require substantial effort. But for 2024, hoping to start releasing some youtube videos although I think focusing on articles are still my main focus.</p>
<p>Interesting to see how different platforms attract different age groups and reach different populations. Wishing that 2024 will be a peaceful year and fruitful year as I enjoy the last year of my twenties!</p>
<p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-13006294690566334792023-12-24T15:00:00.002+08:002023-12-24T22:17:12.216+08:00Your investments are not going to be growing linearly | Sharing my experiences investing for the past 6 years<p>My investment portfolio broke above $100,000 recently and I wanted to share some of my thoughts as a reflection as I reach this milestone. I started investing when I was 22 years old, which was 6 years ago and what a journey it has been.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QA42PrXN9dg?si=jHnmMrS5uLI9wNNq&start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>There were moments in the 6 years journey where I thought building wealth was so difficult and there were times when I felt money was so easy to get, it was indeed a rollercoaster ride and even so in the upcoming years. But all in all, I learned a lot and there were some things that I hoped I started doing earlier.</p>
<h3>Times I thought building wealth was so tough and when can I see significant results</h3>
<p>When I first started, I only had less than a $100 or to low hundreds per month to invest, this meant that I needed to accumulate for a few months before I could invest. When I started, I only invested in Singapore stocks so my portfolio was not growing as fast as I wanted since Singapore stocks usually do not fluctuate much and is mostly a dividend kinda play.</p>
<p>During my early twenties, there were no neo-brokers like Syfe Trade, moomoo, tiger brokers and Interactive Brokers needed $100,000 in asset minimum otherwise there was a monthly charge so I felt like it was easier to start with Singapore stocks. But if I could start, I would start buying US stocks first as the return would have been much better.</p>
<p>I have to say that my investments only became significant in 2020 when it was closer to $50,000 and we sort of experienced a bull market coupled with a change of job in 2021 with a significant pay raise.</p>
<p>I do believe that increasing your income is one of the main ways to increase and see significant effects in your investments as you would have more disposable cash to invest.</p>
<h3>Times I thought I was going to be rich</h3>
<p>The crypto boom that happened in 2020–2022 made me increase my net worth although I did lose a significant portion but it exposed me to cryptocurrency and taught me lessons on risk and position allocation. My portfolio was up enormously even reaching close $100,000 which was crazy.</p>
<p>I thought I would be rich and it was because cryptocurrencies rose at a rate that was so much more than traditional assets. To be honest, it was like gambling and it was fun and adrenaline inducing but I remember being so focused on prices at that time that I was stuck on checking prices and finding new things to do. It was pretty unhealthy as I was addicted to the excitement and price actions.</p>
<p>There were some millionaires made during those times but I am not too sure how many managed to retain it, I lost a significant amount too but learned a lot over those few months. The phrase by Warren Buffett, “to be <i>fearful</i> when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are <i>fearful</i>.” really strike me after the whole crypto bubble and how it explain the whole situation so well.</p>
<h3>Your portfolio is not going to be growing linearly</h3>
<p>There are good years and bad years, your portfolio will not go up in a straight line. There were years where I contributed significant amounts in but it still resulted in a loss. There were also times when I did nothing but it grew. There are many factors that can affect the portfolio, as long as overall, your portfolio grows with the broad market index or even manages to beat it then it is all right.</p>
<p>You will be very doubtful in your early years of starting out but over the years of accumulating and compounding, you will see a difference. Of course, this also depends on the things that you invest in and you need to make sure that your portfolio allocation and risk appetite suits you.</p>
<h3>Things I would have done differently if I were to start over again</h3>
<ul><li>Always take profits especially if the profits prove to be huge and it is a volatile asset</li></ul>
<p>Always take some profits off first especially if it gets too juicy. I know that investing is for the long term especially when you are buying the index ETFs that track S&P or STI but during the crypto boom, I was in a profit on assets that were very new and although there was an ecosystem build for it, it seem very inflated by tokens and leverage as people were able to lend and borrow for larger amounts. There were warning signs and of course, being greedy and in an echo chamber, I thought that it will go up endlessly. If I had just taken back my principal and left my profits there, it would not have affected my portfolio that much.</p>
<ul><li>Take some opinions with a pinch of salt especially those with short term outlook</li></ul>
<p>X (previously twitter) was a huge platform during the crypto boom as many discussed and form their opinions or research. It was interesting to read and follow on all these but do not take all tweets seriously. There were many ridiculous tweet mentioning about 100x bagger when it was just a scam token.</p>
<p>You really have to make sure that you are aware of what you are investing in after all, it is your money and no one cherishes it more than you. I follow many individuals who were pro on a certain cryptocurrency and this form an echo chamber that meant I did not see other opinions and naturally just reinforced what I wanted to know/knew.</p>
<ul><li>Experts may not always be right</li></ul>
<p>We watch the news everyday and there might be a lot of negative or positive news however it doesn’t mean that it will reflect on the market. The economy is not the market and bad news doesn’t mean the market will go down so a consistent investing behaviour is always recommended to eliminate the emotional portion that can affect your investing strategy.</p>
<ul><li>Build up a base first before venturing into speculative assets</li></ul>
<p>It was good that I did not sell all my stocks and leaped fully into crypto although I did sell my SG stocks but split them between US stocks and cryptocurrency. I did came to my mind if I wanted to sell all my stocks and all in on crypto but I felt that I still needed to have the base of stocks and my portfolio was still in the progress of building. Knowing your risk tolerance is a huge part that can help guide your decisions and your portfolio growth. I will be sharing more on my end of year portfolio review in my next video.<br /></p><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-37344129376094291762023-11-12T15:31:00.005+08:002023-11-12T15:31:42.338+08:0029 years old and already $250,000 in debt... Either get rich or have no future | Undercover Korea and thoughts on it<p>Saw this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t5e0rFhuYc" target="_blank">video on Youtube and it was rather eye-catching with it’s title and after watching it, it was scary seeing how crypto and investments can make individuals addicted as they are not in fact investing but gambling as they aim to strike a huge pot of gold. A lot of people invest with the mindset of striking something big</a> as seen in the video and in South Korea, a huge proportion of people in their 20s and 30s are hoping that cryptocurrency can be the one to help them strike big. <br /></p>
<h3>Individuals in the video</h3>
<p>Many of the individuals borrowed or used leverage when they invested hence they are currently in debt. Besides that, most of them wants to make it big in a short time and preferably via one trade. This means that they are banking all on that one trade and also resulting in them trading and not have any long term perspective or positions.</p>
<p>It is sad seeing their families suffer especially those who are married and had children. Imagine having to provide for your family but being crippled with debts and addiction. For some of them, their spouses have decided to leave them or stay apart until they have solved their addiction.</p>
<h3>Allure of making it rich with one trade</h3>
<p>Cryptocurrency is huge in South Korea as they see it as the alternative investment that can make them rich.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>According to an April survey of 1,855 office workers by local recruiting portal Saramin, 40.4 percent of the respondents said they invested in cryptocurrencies while the rest did not. Those in their 30s were the most avid crypto investors, with 49.8 percent investing in crypto assets. Among those in their 40s, 34.5 percent said they traded crypto coins, while 16.9 percent of those in their 50s said they were crypto investors. - <a href="http://www01.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210519000174">The Korea Herald</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are many South Koreans who game and people who game are very comfortable with in-game currencies which I would say is like cryptocurrencies so it is easier for them to adopt it and use it.</p>
<h3>The other side of the trade</h3>
<p>Besides telling the stories of those who are in debt and lost more than their money but also relationships, they also showed “successful stories” where individuals film on social media how they have made 6 digit profits in a single month. They share stories of how they started with 4 digits and turn it into millions.</p>
<p>These stories sound so appealing and make it seem like I can make it too but how true are those stories? No one knows as stories can be made up and even if they did achieved that, telling people that they are double leveraged not showing the risk they took and that it could also go very very wrong.</p>
<h3>Thoughts</h3>
<p>The stock and cryptocurrency market has become a place for people to park their money as it is easily accessible and property seems so unachievable particularly those who live in the cities where property prices has gone up relentless over the past few years.</p>
<p>Many think that the older generation made it through property and that there is no way the younger generation can afford property considering the rise in prices and so they put all hopes into stocks and cryptocurrencies.</p>
<p>Many of the brokerage also gamify investing, showing lists of top traded stocks, news that is related to a certain stock and even encourage you to do more trades with free gifts or zero commission charges and even using margin or leverage. There was a time where you needed to call your stock broker to make a buy or sell action. Today, everything has become so much more accessible but the lure of taking up loans and leveraging is very dangerous and most do not know the consequence of it until it happens.</p>
<p>It is contradicting as well as the government wants the stock market to look good during their time so an upward bull market is like one of the checklist to showing that you are a great leader hence they need money to flow into the market.</p>
<p>It is important not to take on debts or leverage and make sure you know what you are doing, do not follow blindly on the advice of others and make sure that you secure the basics first before proceeding. It is sad to see news of people in debt and having their family repay them together as it is not only affecting a single individual but everyone around him suffers as well. It really is a good documentary to understand what some of the South Korea citizens are facing. <br /></p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-79521023937198045932023-10-29T14:05:00.001+08:002023-10-29T14:05:00.143+08:00Curse of 35 | Does your career end when you reach age 35?<p>When I first entered the workforce, I never thought that there would be a time where I might become redundant or I might have been building up the wrong skills since I was fresh out of university and soaking up on the job knowledge and information like never before.</p>
<p>Fast forward 5 years, hurt by the corporate world after seeing the retrenchment and redundancy exercises in the companies I have been in due to the changing and difficult times, my thoughts and feelings towards the corporate world has changed from when I was a fresh graduate who thought that my hard work would be fairly compensated. But really, I have become lazier and comfortable. Also, the skills that I have learned over the 5 years might not have been what is needed in the future.</p>
<p>It could also be the constant attention to complains from various sources that have clouded my view but I came across a few articles that wrote of the “Curse of 35” that has been going around in China. To be honest, it sounds scary as 35 years old would still be considered rather young but people in China aged 35 and above are finding it tough to find employment. The jobs environment of China has been tough as we saw high youth unemployment and China-US relations are suffering coupled with a property industry bust where property has been a huge proponent of China’s economy. The extended lockdown has also caused many local businesses to wind down.</p>
<h3>Curse of 35</h3>
<p>It’s been a few years of ‘cute’ slogans, tang ping, bai lan, quiet quitting, lazy girl jobs etc, curse of 35 is also another one of these. But it can be very real especially when we see AI rising and whether what we are doing now will be relevant when I enter my late 30s.</p>
<p>In China, <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/curse-of-35-china-s-state-media-takes-aim-at-ageist-hiring-policies">it was found that many job advertisements explicitly limited the age of candidates to below 35, including for civil service admissions and jobs with several local governments. Another study conducted by Sichuan University, found that out of 300,000 job postings, over 80 per cent in Shanghai and more than 70 per cent in the south-western city of Chengdu sought applicants under 35.</a></p>
<p>Many in China are worrying especially since restructuring and layoffs have been rampant in recent times considering the downturn in China’s economy as manufacturing jobs are moving out and the property industry isn’t hiring like before. Being 35 years old is too young to retire but corporations are finding you too old to work as mentioned by a Weibo user.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/forget-60-china-life-over-35-2023-7">An article from Business Insider</a> mentioned that this ‘curse of 35’ sprouted most likely due to the ‘996’ culture of China. The 996 culture is where individuals work from 9am to 9pm for 6 days per week, considering this gruelling schedule, younger workers are usually preferred as they are thought to have more energy and vigor to last through the hours. Companies also assume that individuals above the age of 35 are less flexible, less tech savvy and slower in learning.</p>
<p>There are also hordes of youths looking for a job and if at age 35, you are still doing an entry level job, then the company might just replace you for a fresh graduate since they might not need to pay as much and have a lot more options to select from.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mr. Liang, now 38, is a technology support professional turned personal trainer. He has been unemployed for much of the past three years, partly because of the pandemic and China’s sagging economy. But he believes the main reason is his age. He’s too old for many employers, including the Chinese government, which
<a href="https://www.chinagwy.org/html/gdzk/sichuan/202301/75_556673.html">caps the hiring age</a> for most <a href="https://www.chinagwy.org/html/kszc/gj/202210/42_543516.html">civil servant</a> positions at <a href="http://www.gxpta.com.cn/contents/414/6907.html">35</a>. If the Curse of 35 is a legend, it’s one supported by some facts. “I work out, so I look pretty young for my age,” he said in an interview. “But in the eyes of society, people like me are obsolete.” - Taken from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/business/china-jobs-age-discrimination-35.html">The New York Times</a></p>
</blockquote>
<h3>Thoughts</h3>
<p>The population in China has came up with this term as professional white collar jobs there are getting lesser due to foreign investments reducing their presence and China is/was a manufacturing hub but produced a large number of degree holders and even master degree holders over the past few years. However, they did not pivot their economy or jobs to align with the more educated population although their technology companies have been doing well but restricted due to common prosperity and crackdown. The pandemic has also affected them.</p>
<p>For me, looking at those who are 35 and above in my company, most of them carry themselves well and having the experience from working longer does make them react to situations differently from a fresh graduate which is important and provides a different perspective.</p>
<p>To be honest, I don’t really see it happening in Singapore however there are PMET who are more vulnerable to layoffs even though they have more experience from working longer. It does seem that in certain industries, ageism is very prominent. Jobs like lawyers and doctors, you definitely want someone older and more experienced but in marketing or anything related to digitalisation or tech, ageism can be seen.</p>
<p>This curse of 35 is making individuals in China give up on working hard as they don’t see a future where they will be valued by the companies as they grow old. The situation is definitely made worse by the job postings in China blatantly listing for those age 35 and younger</p>
<p>Scary to think as I would say my role is still somewhat an entry level and IC role so it definitely is cheaper to get a fresh graduate to do it. Even I foresee that if I were to remain stagnant in this role, I will be out when I turn 35 years old since it is more administrative and almost anyone can do it. So learning new things and making myself adaptable is important. The future is scary but working on my present self is what I can do.</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-66515393384753076522023-10-08T14:56:00.003+08:002023-10-10T22:01:54.419+08:00Q3 2023 Portfolio Review | Are we going up, up and beyond?<p>Many things have happened in September as well as in Q3, Huawei Mate 60, iPhone ban in China, iPhone 15 release, CPI release and ARM IPOs are just a few of the events that have made Q3 exciting. We shall see what the final part of 2023 brings us as we move along. A review of the numbers for Q3 to keep track and record the progress we are seeing in the portfolio.</p>
<p>Read more: <a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2023/07/q2-2023-portfolio-update.html" target="_blank">Q2 2023 Portfolio Update </a><br /></p>
<h3>Stocks Portfolio</h3>
<p>As the FED/Powell mentioned that rates would stay higher for longer, the equities hasn’t been doing too well as we also see Singapore Savings Bonds having a 3.32% if you hold for 10 years and relatively attractive rates for T-bills.</p>
<p>In terms of US, the treasuries are popular and money is not yet flowing into equities as we are predicting that rates will stay longer and higher. Tesla released it numbers for Q3 and it wasn’t what was expected by analyst and Elon did mention that numbers would not be as high as production was low. Just holding on for now and selling covered calls on it. I am continually adding index ETFs into my stocks portfolio on a monthly basis, had a nice rise in value but it dip and went down again towards end of Q3.</p>
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<h3>Crypto Portfolio</h3>
<p>Crypto did have a very very slight upward for Bitcoin but overall still a sideway market. Just BTC and ETH for me, definitely a long term play for this.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh58mRrqE0ax_Rmjib8dBKzM3N9i3E6hQIcRm1x6ggTmXFzmrOfKCcNwUFhRFi1JtjBDnYzJ8OCyp5LR9ElF63aFQbuKtGU1sU8x0RfDVnICw2SpBW_25x6WvkQnXn5SJCux8vfUWOlYXClVvjyQZcVUSjbXqOCC9DDpwiuaaKWze7Y5T23V3MOr3nJ3s/s600/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh58mRrqE0ax_Rmjib8dBKzM3N9i3E6hQIcRm1x6ggTmXFzmrOfKCcNwUFhRFi1JtjBDnYzJ8OCyp5LR9ElF63aFQbuKtGU1sU8x0RfDVnICw2SpBW_25x6WvkQnXn5SJCux8vfUWOlYXClVvjyQZcVUSjbXqOCC9DDpwiuaaKWze7Y5T23V3MOr3nJ3s/s320/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(2).png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Syfe REIT+</h3>
<p>Higher interest rates isn’t all that good for REITs who hold debts to acquire assets and have to return a significant portion back to investors as well, Syfe REIT+ has seen a significant drop since I started. So value has not increased although small amounts are being put in non-periodically.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooIv-5pX6Uhm5POp3C90e9N-AC4JukMqZDdZTiCLFBpbxEjLePRdSJXWDC5Ba1_Hyl-fynVaylvePb_0YxIZVpIL5JhcJENKhvXaqoI3B1jPrJC7xq7a8S7b0WhxthF8B9FPEBe3xMCioUYWTcnH1kQohSNnknzwdDasmxe3rigJU2fFxAGDnmuMXtsg/s600/Syfe%20REIT+(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooIv-5pX6Uhm5POp3C90e9N-AC4JukMqZDdZTiCLFBpbxEjLePRdSJXWDC5Ba1_Hyl-fynVaylvePb_0YxIZVpIL5JhcJENKhvXaqoI3B1jPrJC7xq7a8S7b0WhxthF8B9FPEBe3xMCioUYWTcnH1kQohSNnknzwdDasmxe3rigJU2fFxAGDnmuMXtsg/s320/Syfe%20REIT+(1).png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Options Premium</h3>
<p>Adding on to my investments are premiums from selling covered calls. So far, it has been a positive journey and I set the strike price quite a distance away from the market price. I did make some mistakes in August but overall a gain, works best in a sideways market but I have so much more to experience.</p>
<p>I have learned not to overtrade, overtrading could mean to set it a strike price on Monday, Wednesday sees a price drop and readjust the strike price down. As the market is volatile, we don’t really know how the markets would react in 3 days. Also, I now do not roll my trades over to the next week but let it expire on Friday so that if any news are released during the weekend, I can adapt accordingly on Monday.</p>
<p>Read more: <a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2023/09/selling-covered-calls-for-2-months-what.html" target="_blank">Selling Covered Calls for 2 months | What I have learned and mistakes done </a><br /></p>
<p>The steps above are being followed as Tesla is pretty volatile and so just some rules that I try to adhere. Not really wanting to increase but hoping to make it steady so learning along the way. Nice seeing some extra income to be directed into the money together with my usual DCA amount.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoRMYSyEWRccj5du32t4WYWjVEjMOe5-nTTtgW7kZdHzqYju-vTUg4WBrmsAMVAQ8I_FOEIQpf9yo73oUuYloJCN1RH-acikb5pckJjPa-ZcBs0VzMSjXHXhHXBuJS0QD9xoy9QWxqrVsri0mcBYsxrQ9aJHl3Do8o4TmFvTnZqD7fF2DKO6_SzdaEb0/s600/P&L%20(SGD)%20vs%20Months%20(2023)%20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoRMYSyEWRccj5du32t4WYWjVEjMOe5-nTTtgW7kZdHzqYju-vTUg4WBrmsAMVAQ8I_FOEIQpf9yo73oUuYloJCN1RH-acikb5pckJjPa-ZcBs0VzMSjXHXhHXBuJS0QD9xoy9QWxqrVsri0mcBYsxrQ9aJHl3Do8o4TmFvTnZqD7fF2DKO6_SzdaEb0/s320/P&L%20(SGD)%20vs%20Months%20(2023)%20.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Moving towards Q4</h3>
<p>I think moving forward, inflation is a huge factor we are looking at as the FED definitely does not want to see it go back up again. At the moment, a lot of people are saying that not enough pain is being seen yet.</p>
<p>With that said, inflation has been tough, my mum can see groceries prices go up and water prices will be increasing which in turn affects everything too. We don’t want to see every year getting crazy inflation and eventually our wages are not even enough, that’ll be crazy.</p>
<p>In terms of the whole portfolio, it is inching really close to $100,000 and excited for it as the portfolio value compounds and growth can be seen more significantly compared when it was in it’s lower 5 figures.</p>
<p>With all that negativity, Q4 is a festive period with a winding down and reflection period as we end the year, so going for that final sprint before relaxing and seeing how everything is. In the meantime, stay safe and stay strong my comrades!</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p><b>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br /><b>► Where I store my Cryptocurrencies:</b><br />► Ledger: <a href="https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM">https://shop.ledger.com/?referral_code=980EF358BYAQM</a> (Earn $10 in BTC)<br /><b>► Where I buy my stocks:</b><br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-9087531073071032562023-09-17T17:09:00.000+08:002023-09-17T17:09:45.468+08:00Selling Covered Calls for 2 months | What I have learned and mistakes done<p>I have been doing some covered calls since July and it’s been a learning experience as I earn some side cash on the side and maybe also some losses? There have been times when I did things in a rush and it ended up with me having to lose some profit which I will share more. In the end, if I did not panic, it would have turned out fine. </p>
<h3>Selling covered calls on………</h3>
<p>TSLA and PLTR. Most of the premiums are from TSLA since it is a volatile stock and it is a popular stock for options since the premiums are rather huge compared to others. PLTR is a smaller value as I don’t hold as much of it as compared to TSLA. 100 shares of TSLA is very different in absolute value against 100 shares of PLTR.</p>
<h3>Panicked when the market price came close to the strike price, rolled it at a loss and bought eventually bought it back at a loss as well</h3>
<p>I started selling covered calls in mid July and it was great in the beginning as the market was a sideways market for TSLA and PLTR, it was a slightly downward market meaning that selling covered calls were good as price got lower, I can readjust it and earn more premium as the market price got lower.</p>
<p>On 21 August 2023, Tesla experienced a jump up in prices and it did scare me as I saw it go substantially nearer to my strike price. My strike price was about $10 in difference from the original market price but as Tesla shares are exceptionally volatile, the market price went up.</p>
<p>I panicked and rolled it up towards another week with a slightly higher strike price but I realised that I should have not as now I will need to wait another week for it to expire and with the price rising at a rapid pace, it might zoom past my strike price even before the week comes.</p>
<p>I then proceeded to buy back the covered call and recorded a loss. Eventually, I realised that I should have just left it to expire because even though the market price was near the strike price because it eventually did not hit it and even if it did and someone took over my shares, I could have sold a cash secured put for it. I learned through that and I think there will be many more lessons but it was a great learning point.</p>
<h3>Lost my shares</h3>
<p>As Morgan Stanley released a report on Tesla’s Dojo Supercomputer on a Sunday, 10 Sep 2023, the stock soared in the week of 11 Sep 2023. I had a covered call with a strike price of $267.5 which was exercised and currently, as of 16 Sep 2023, Tesla is at $274 after market.</p>
<p>I shall see on Monday how the shares are and sell a cash secured put. Selling a cash secured put means that I can choose a price that I would like to buy 100 shares at with a premium received but the buyer will be the one who has to exercise it for me to be able to get the 100 shares at my strike price.</p>
<p>I checked with chatGPT and got the following response since it will be my first time selling a cash secured put, “If you have sold a cash-secured put option (also known as writing a put), you do not have the right to exercise it. Instead, the buyer of the put option has the right to exercise it if they choose to do so. As the seller, your obligation is to buy the underlying asset at the strike price if the buyer decides to exercise the option. You are at the mercy of the buyer's decision, and you must fulfill this obligation if exercised, but you cannot initiate the exercise yourself.” I will maybe update on this if I have the time.</p>
<h3>More to come</h3>
<p>It’s been a period of learning and I kinda get it but of course with TSLA being a very very volatile stock/company, anything can happen within the span of a week. It’s been interesting and I will continue to learn and share updates on it.</p>
<p>I read up a lot before embarking on this but I realised that the best way to learn is to experience it and you will get a better gauge of it. Exciting journey and I will keep exploring and learn.</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-57296832827095834562023-09-10T11:03:00.001+08:002023-09-10T11:03:07.356+08:00Taiwan’s low wage university graduates<p>I came across this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2CK-j-pR7M&t=127s">documentary</a> on Taiwan youths by CNA. It explores the low wage situation in Taiwan for fresh graduates as 54% of their youth (aged 25-34) have university degrees hence tougher competition and coupled with declining growth in the country, SMEs (small, medium enterprise) are not willing to pay more as there is an oversupply of labour that can be taken.</p>
<p>Many of the individuals interviewed worked multiple jobs with some being part-time or full-time. To add to the tough situation of low wage, many of them come from other cities to work in Taipei and need to pay for rent which is a huge recurring cost. Rent takes up a huge proportion of their salary hence resulting in them not being able to save money at the end of the month.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4574732">The Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) unveiled the average starting salary at between NT$24,000 (US$808) and NT$47,000 (US$1,245) for working-age graduates in 2021.</a></p>
<h3>Very privileged to be born in Singapore</h3>
<p>Opportunities and circumstances are better in Singapore than Taiwan although a much higher cost of living is coupled with that. For starters, most of us would not need to rent a place as we stay with our parents and do not need to move inter-cities to work because Singapore is a city state. At most, you will need to go to Tuas for work while staying at Pasir Ris. Of course, that is provided your parents have a property that you do not need to help pay for or that you are able to live with them, renting in Singapore is expensive and has balloon over the past year. So it depends on your circumstances but for the majority, we would be able to live with our parents.<br /></p>
<p>Based on this <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spore-population-better-educated-across-age-ethnicity-women-make-greater-strides">article released in 2021 about Singapore</a>, 33% of residents above 25 years of age has obtained a university degree in 2020. A smaller proportion compared to Taiwan (54%) but as most Singaporeans get older, they do see a larger population getting a degree.</p>
<p>Having more opportunities to explore, it can create a world of difference. We have MNCs here and various associate graduate programs and scholarships, even if you do not choose either of the 2, I would say that there are jobs available although fresh graduates would have to really work hard on first building that experience through internships or have good interview skills to get that first job.</p>
<h3>Hardwork</h3>
<p>The girt of Taiwanese can be seen in the video, this is what I see through the lens of the few individuals featured and also the female professor who said that without the language barrier, the diligence of Taiwanese and their education would definitely make them attractive to employ.</p>
<p>The resilience seen in the youths are strong and they are working hard for a better life even if the odds are against them. Many take on a second job and harbour the hopes of making their dreams come true. It’s interesting to see how the youths in other countries are surviving and that in a way we all do face similar yet different situations.</p>
<h3>AI revolution</h3>
<p>With the earnings of Google and Microsoft out, we can see a huge focus towards AI. Even during my company meetings, many also voiced out feedback and opinions on AI and how will it affect our day to day operations whether will it help us or eventually displace us. It is after all an unpredictable future ahead. <br /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-giants-mentioned-ai-168-times-on-earnings-calls-2023-4">A businessinsider article mentioned that Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon mentioned "AI" 168 times in their earnings calls last week.</a> We can see the importance of AI and how the various key figures know that this can increase productivity which could very well mean that manpower will be reduced.</p>
<p><a href="https://vulcanpost.com/827134/ai-prompt-engineers-rising-demand-singapore/">AI engineers are very much in demand</a>, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/05/chatgpt-is-the-newest-in-demand-job-skill-that-can-help-you-get-hired.html">even knowing how to use ChatGPT is a huge plus point if you are looking for a new job because the employer knows how much time it can save you if it can be a partner in your work.</a> Although some say ChatGPT is outdated considering the pace at which AI tools are being generated. <br /></p>
<p>The world is changing, adaptability as well as the willingness to learn is so important. Industries are set to revolutionise and the years to come would be interesting to watch.</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-90164045006969541482023-09-06T18:20:00.001+08:002023-09-06T18:23:07.631+08:00Experiencing another loss in my family<p>My grandmother passed on about 1/2 week ago and it really is in the midst of our busy life where we pause and gather to mourn the passing of an important person in our lives.</p>
<p>Seeing my grandmother’s life, she has worked hard all her life, providing care and support to our family and to those around her. Life was tough during her time and I would remember fondly when I stayed over at her place and she would cook and take care of me.</p>
<p>One most memorable memory with my grandparents was when in the wee hours of the morning (I used to stay over at their place alone as my primary school was nearby and I was in the morning session), someone shouted FIRE and there was commotion within the estate. We woke up and found smoke rushing into the flat, we wasn’t sure what was happening but my grandma rushed us to get a cloth and wet it to place it over our nose. As a small room was being added to the flat unit at that time as part of an upgrading project, we climbed over the concrete barrier, closed the window tightly (supposedly the door but it was not yet completed) and hid in that small room. My grandfather shouted down for help and we just stayed in there.</p>
<p>My grandmother was very calm and to be honest, being a primary school kid, I was panicking and I told them that I wanted to pee hahaha, what great timing. I really thought I was gonna die as images of being dead at such a young age flashed through my mind. My grandmother found a plastic bag and told me that I could pee into it which I did.</p>
<p>After some time, the firefighters came and extinguished the fire and it originated from the 2nd floor unit below us so the smoke and fumes travelled upwards which explains why the house was filled with smoke making it impossible to escape at that time. I was relief but did have some scary thoughts whenever I stayed over.</p>
<h3>Memories</h3>
<p>There were many memories with my grandmother as I used to stay with them in the afternoon when I was young while my mum was at work. I remember reaching home from school and starting to play video games and when the time was nearer towards my mum coming back, my grandmother would pester me to bathe and not play games as my mum was gonna be back any minute.</p>
<p>It was nice to have someone there to tell me what to do and help prepare my meals. I took it for granted when I was young that my grandmother would always be there for us but as time passed and I started working, I spent lesser time with her and every time I visited her, her health deteriorated and at a certain point, we all knew that we would not be able to taste her delicious cooking or hear her nag again.</p>
<p>I guess this is what life is, you work hard and build relationships and as you age, only the closest relations remain as many of my grandmother’s friends passed away earlier than her including my grandfather. My grandmother also had a helper who was really good to her and helped her and us a lot during her later years.</p>
<h3>Letting go</h3>
<p>I used to be really scared of losing my grandmother since she took care of me and we relied a lot on her when my mum was working full-time. She cooked lunch and dinner every single day and made sure to take care of us whenever my mum was busy working.</p>
<p>She was always there and her home was like a childcare centre as my cousins and I took turns staying there or having our meals there. This went on for quite some time although we moved out of her place when I was in secondary school but we still had our meals daily there until I was in polytechnic. As I progressed onto university and her health deteriorated, the visiting lessened and LNY (Lunar New Year) was really the only huge event when everyone would be there. We spent lesser time with her as we got a helper to take care of her and we all became busier with life.</p>
<p>I remember there were a few times when she felt ill and we rushed over to her place, for the first few times, I cried when I went over as the thought of losing her was painful. This went on for a few years and even more frequent this past year as she went into the hospital a few times and each time, the doctor would tell us that she would not last long but she was strong and like what my brother said, “Ah ma was a fighter and survivor”. She would bounce back from her critical condition each time and we took it for granted until now when she could no longer fight.</p>
<p>We took her passing relatively in our stride because we had so many ‘warnings’ and also because we knew it was a relief for her especially the past year where she became bedridden and was not able to take any solid food towards the last few months of her life.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Ah ma for all the love and care you have given us, we definitely took you for granted but know that we will always miss you for all that you have done for us. We love you and see you.</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-6486855672727178252023-08-06T21:22:00.002+08:002023-08-06T21:22:49.359+08:00Trying my hand in selling options | Collected $300 in premiums so far<p>I was watching some videos on <a href="https://youtu.be/D5Rjx_7XG2U">options</a> and also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6MqKI2uMIE">KelvinLearnsinvesting</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7alFOJeUM">here</a>, where he provides such a great simpler version and so it is much easier to understand so I decided to check out how it works. I first needed to learn how it works and so I read and watch video tutorials on covered calls and cash secured puts.</p>
<p>There are a lot of information online and I won’t go too deep explaining it since I might get it wrong too but for a covered call, you will need 100 shares and you are selling a call option and if the price of a stock reaches the strike price or beyond what you selected then you will need to sell your 100 shares and you will lose the difference if the stock prices goes up up and beyond your strike price where you would also get to keep the premium. If it doesn’t hit the set strike price you selected then you can keep the premium after it expires and continue selling covered calls.</p>
<p>For cash secured puts, you will need to prepare cash for 100 shares of whatever you are selling a put option for so in case the stock prices drops to what you set, then you will need to pay for the 100 shares and keep the premium if it doesn’t hit then, you can keep the premium and continue with your cash secured puts. I hope what I have said is correct but I have started a few transactions and so far, it’s been profit but this is in a short term market and a market that is trending downwards (due to Fitch downgrade) so covered calls so far has been great.</p>
<h3>My experience</h3>
<ul><li><strong>Palantir shares</strong></li></ul>
<p>I do have 100 shares of 2 stocks and I have started buying covered calls on them. Both are pretty volatile stocks and they are…………Palantir and Tesla but for starters, I chose Palantir as it is an easy entry into getting 100 shares but I did make a mistake where I bought a month long covered call (also cos the premium was more) and it will expire after the earnings call which is scheduled for 7 August 2023. To be honest I was aware of it but I did not know the price will fluctuate so much.</p>
<p>When I bought it, it was not at it’s current price, it was lower and I bought a covered call expiring on 11 August 2023 with a strike price of $21 since my cost price is about $20 (bought during the high). I collected a premium of $54 (USD) for it. This was my first covered call and I didn’t mind losing the 100 shares and wanted to familiarise in using the platform and how it will be. More of a learning experience, if I have to sell it, at least I would learn it at a lower cost.</p>
<p>As Palantir shares started going up in value due to the AI hype and upcoming earnings, my covered call become less valuable, I did panic a little but wasn’t really worth it to close or to roll it. I know that I could roll my position but the loss would still be there. So I am just holding onto it at the moment and see how it goes. If it sells off due to the shares hitting $21 then I will just change and sell cash secured puts on it.</p>
<ul><li><strong>Tesla shares</strong></li></ul>
<p>Tesla shares are super volatile and we can definitely see that over the years. So far, I have sold weekly options on it with premiums of about $100 per week. It has been trending sideways/downwards so I have been earning the premiums and selling it on a new week. I started from setting my strike price at $280 and for this week, I set it at $270. I am setting the strike price to be further out of the money to maximise my profits in case it hits beyond and yet a comfortable premium that is substantial. The week has ended so next week, I would see how it is and sell a new covered call.</p>
<p>My cost price for my Tesla shares are lower than the current price so selling it at any price would be a profit for me however we know that Tesla shares are very volatile and if a sudden good news comes up the price will shoot up so if it hits my strike price then I would have to sell the 100 shares hence limiting my upside. But I can go ahead and sell a cash secured put right after.</p>
<p>Weekly call options has been good and I will continue but if the market turns super bullish then I might take a pause and see how it goes. It has been an exciting journey and I have learned along the way, a lot more to be learned since I have just started about 3 weeks ago. A lot of things can only be learned on the job so getting started has been the first step to learning.</p>
<h3>How I track my transactions</h3>
<p><a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/94f3ab6baf" target="_blank">I have been using the google sheet from KelvinLearnsinvesting</a> and it has been a great experience. I am using interactive brokers to administer the selling of options. A sideway market is great for this and I shall see how it goes, will share more on my journey. My DCA-ing into index ETFs still continues. Still very new and will just try and learn more of it for some time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc4xlXhYaG9CNM-DIXMOnk1kREf7qZd_PXhErZBopxkw91aC5VBxmxuskdXw5WpLxN5F4lQKl5L29xr9c4hwzV1GYGajeol59e0Bt0bkHxzLoKztPRb1NNOSWCBoVSKdtR898ENie-K8zSoBTbnNOLl31oQGUsx267LMhLO-KFfsKFbHghYTfN9dSmz8/s2009/Screenshot%202023-08-03%20at%2023-01-00%20Option%20Tracker.xlsx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="2009" height="22" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc4xlXhYaG9CNM-DIXMOnk1kREf7qZd_PXhErZBopxkw91aC5VBxmxuskdXw5WpLxN5F4lQKl5L29xr9c4hwzV1GYGajeol59e0Bt0bkHxzLoKztPRb1NNOSWCBoVSKdtR898ENie-K8zSoBTbnNOLl31oQGUsx267LMhLO-KFfsKFbHghYTfN9dSmz8/s320/Screenshot%202023-08-03%20at%2023-01-00%20Option%20Tracker.xlsx.png" width="320" /></a></div> You can also find me on<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-38968786138680157192023-07-30T19:00:00.004+08:002023-07-30T19:00:38.236+08:00Stealth Wealth and Quiet Luxury<p>Stealth wealth is the practice of being wealthy without flaunting it. Stealth wealth individuals may drive modest cars, live in modest homes, and wear nondescript clothing. They may also choose to keep their financial status a secret from friends, family, and colleagues.</p>
<p>There are many reasons why someone might choose to live a stealth wealth lifestyle. Some people may do it to avoid unwanted attention from friends, family, or criminals. Others may do it to maintain a sense of humility or to avoid being seen as materialistic. Still others may do it simply because they don't see the need to show off their wealth.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, stealth wealth is a growing trend. A recent study by Fidelity Investments found that 62% of wealthy Americans are now choosing to live a stealth wealth lifestyle.</p>
<h3>Where I first heard it</h3>
<p>I read about stealth wealth when I was reading financial samurai and it wrote about how you can stay invisible to the society. Stealth wealth is the act of being wealthy without having to show it off. In Singapore’s context, we have heard of many examples <a href="https://www.iras.gov.sg/news-events/newsroom/durian-sellers-convicted-for-evading-$708-000-in-income">where people with booming businesses</a> were reported to IRAS and not saying that you should not be paying your taxes but not putting yourself out there can reduce the amount of attention that you are getting and live your life peacefully.</p>
<p>Also, we always say that the people who are the richest are those who are wearing singlets and slippers because to them there is no need to flaunt the wealth as they already have everything they need. In a way, if you can dress in a way that elude elegance regardless of the brand that you are wearing then that is the way to go.</p>
<p>The purpose is not to be flashy as you attract unnecessary attention but in today’s world where attention can be monetised, I guess in a way, if you like to be loud about your wealth then go for it. With all that said, I would think that this applies to individuals of a certain wealth level because you don’t want to be evoking other’s hate.</p>
<h3>Quiet Luxury</h3>
<p>Quiet luxury is a style of living that emphasizes understated elegance and quality over overt displays of wealth. It is often characterized by a minimalist aesthetic, with a focus on timeless pieces that are made from high-quality materials.</p>
<p>Here are some of the key characteristics of quiet luxury:</p>
<ul><li><strong>Understated elegance:</strong> Quiet luxury is all about understated elegance. It is not about flashy logos or over-the-top designs. Instead, it is about choosing pieces that are simple and classic, but that still exude a sense of sophistication.</li><li><strong>Quality materials:</strong> Quiet luxury is also about quality materials. It is important to invest in pieces that are made from high-quality materials, such as cashmere, leather, and silk. These materials will last longer and look better, even if they are more expensive.</li><li><strong>Timeless pieces:</strong> Quiet luxury is about timeless pieces. These are pieces that will never go out of style. They are the kind of pieces that you can wear for years to come and still look
stylish.</li><li><strong>Minimalist aesthetic:</strong> Quiet luxury is often associated with a minimalist aesthetic. This means that there is a focus on simple, uncluttered lines and designs. There is no need for a lot of bells and whistles when you are trying to achieve a quiet luxury look.</li></ul>
<h3>Difference between Stealth Wealth and Quiet Luxury</h3>
<p>While these two are easy to confuse, there's one fundamental difference between them. Those who practice stealth wealth dressing are truly trying to hide their
affluence, while quiet luxury is just another (albeit, very understated) way to appear wealthy.</p>
<h3>Presentation of Wealth</h3>
<p>I saw the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxhHb53ysVk">podcast/video on The Woke Salaryman</a> where they talked to Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend, a fee-only wealth advisory firm in Singapore and he described the high net-worth individuals who engage them usually dress simple and do not flaunt their wealth and in a way, is an example of stealth wealth.</p>
<p>When I was young, I always heard that when we go Orchard Road, the really really rich people are those in their singlet and slippers although I don’t know how true that is, I believe that there is some truth in it. To me, stealth wealth is a good way to live and we can see many examples of it especially in the older generations (eg. Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger)</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-7339892276943136902023-07-24T00:18:00.004+08:002023-07-24T00:18:51.616+08:00Introducing my sibling to investing<p>My brother started work mid last year and towards the end of 2022, he was interested in getting into the stock market as he was saving and knew that his friends were investing as well. He knew that I am investing and so came to me to ask on how he could get started. There were definitely some things that I had to tell and let him know before starting.</p>
<ul><li><strong>Remind him that the stock market is volatile and there is the possibility of losing money</strong></li></ul>
<p>He has the basic understanding of the stock market but was clueless about how to start and what suits him best. What I did was to explain to him broadly what investing is and how I do it. I also shared some general information and websites to him to read up. I felt that he needed to be learning and reading up on it since he was the one interested and after he had some understanding, I could help him further with questions that he had.</p>
<p>So of course even after all that reading up, I also told him that the stock market is not like leaving your money in your bank account, it can go down and depending on what you invest in, it can be volatile in bad times. And on having an emergency fund as well as ensuring that he builds a base of index ETFs first before venturing to individual stocks that he was interested in.</p>
<ul><li><strong>Understand your emotions and not be too fixated on the numbers unless you think you need to change your investing strategy<br /></strong></li></ul>
<p>I also wanted to let him know that the stock market is not linear and it could go down for quite some time meaning that you must be in check/control of your emotions and not sell whenever you see a huge dip or buy only when the market is in a bull market.</p>
<p>During a bear market is when you can see how you react, keep to your routine and ensure that you do not stop buying during a bear market. It is crazy experiencing a drop or a change from a bull to bear market market, you really can’t imagine it unless you experience it but you can prepare yourself for it.</p>
<p>When he started investing last year, it was a bear market and I have to admit that he was a little upset when he checked his portfolio monthly and he would tell me that he was losing money but I told him that he knew what he was investing in and believe that those companies would do well in the long term or rather USA as a country would also do well.</p>
<p>Fast forward to now, his portfolio is in the green but he hasn’t really experience a downturn in that he started when it was down but although I have gone through the COVID drop, Ukraine and Russia war that triggered the downturn, I haven’t yet experience something drastic like the 2008-2009 financial crisis which was crazy.</p>
<ul><li><strong>Choosing a brokerage for yourself</strong></li></ul>
<p>I think it was a process of trying out the different brokerages to get a feel of what you want and it is also all right to have a few brokerages to use at the same time which I am doing.</p>
<p>Most of my friends would like to just have one brokerage account and to have everything in there but I do have a google sheet where I manually track and so allow me to have a few brokerage account and if I want to know the total, I can just refer to my google sheet. But it works either way, my brother liked Syfe Trade interface as compared to FSMone. Most of my friends do not like interactive broker’s interface but I am used to it so my main account is interactive brokers.</p>
<p>I recently also started some options (covered calls and cash secured puts) so interactive brokers has been helpful since there are many tutorial videos on it. This really depends but fees and a few other things also play an important part so it’s good to also check and read up before starting.</p>
<ul><li><strong>DCA is the best if you automate it</strong></li></ul>
<p>My brother has saved an emergency fund and knew that he would have excess from his monthly salary coming in, I suggested to him to start an automated monthly buy to ensure it is a hands-free approach for him. I guess he is working well with that as he doesn’t like to manually fixate on the prices although he is slowly dabbling into the individual stocks.</p>
<h3>Getting started is the best</h3>
<p>When I first started investing, I did have a lot of reservations as I wanted everything to be perfect in that the best brokerage, best timing/period to buy stock and also to ensure that everything was in place. But eventually, getting started and doing something first was the best as you would learn along the way on different things that you thought would be best but turn out otherwise.</p>
<p>It is a journey and a slow buildup especially in the first few years if you do not have a big capital and rely on your main income to supplement your investments but down the years, depending on what you have bought, it should accumulate. Investing has become so easy to access but there are definitely pros and cons to it so if you are interested in investing, read up, learn more and get started!</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-71702735968777485122023-07-09T10:30:00.001+08:002023-07-09T10:30:00.130+08:00Q2 2023 Portfolio Update<p>This has been a phenomenal quarter for the portfolio in terms of recovery and of course, hoping for the same next quarter although we are expecting 2 more interest rate hikes, I would say the market is still rather bullish although many are expecting a recession but the economy is not the stock market so we shall see how it goes.</p>
<p>Tesla has been on a great run together with QQQ which both have rather substantial positions in my portfolio. Not doing much at the moment so not much to update on. Weather has been crazy, starting with rainy and cooling temperatures in the morning but turns into the vicious sun with sun rays that can kill in the afternoon, I have been staying indoors mostly.</p>
<p>Work has been tense and tough as teams are getting leaner, we do see some tough situations as we have some restructure, turnover rates are pretty high but I am surprised how fast people are able to get a new job? It’s been quiet for me although I have been applying to a few positions just to survey the market and checking out but no interviews came in. Maybe my resume needs some brushing up. <br /></p>
<h3>Stock Portfolio</h3>
<p>Reaching some great numbers for the total portfolio as the dca-ing into VOO and QQQ over the past few months shows it’s positive effect. Also, I bought some VT to increase my exposure to the world. Not a bad 1H 2023 for the stocks portfolio</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61I1-0x19pUFCg07Xvk0GnqAe8Ep5WZqlcEcxkxLlzn7lvUvV6Qnkpc1Q4RKpr8134gfKD7cP65G2YVKLyvw8rZkB0Cll_CQgLSbYUe84iQlTa_Ki7u1en9_Lpg1rz_-Garc3M2h0plNw_k4FZws43I1I2w9CV_HROvhIIeKsCvspfFvvZuttkrN_2bc/s600/Total%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61I1-0x19pUFCg07Xvk0GnqAe8Ep5WZqlcEcxkxLlzn7lvUvV6Qnkpc1Q4RKpr8134gfKD7cP65G2YVKLyvw8rZkB0Cll_CQgLSbYUe84iQlTa_Ki7u1en9_Lpg1rz_-Garc3M2h0plNw_k4FZws43I1I2w9CV_HROvhIIeKsCvspfFvvZuttkrN_2bc/s320/Total%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p><a href=""></a></p>
<h3>Syfe REIT+</h3>
<p>Not really adding much into Syfe REIT+ but I added when the market was down although now it's even lower, it will be a sporadic addition. But I would much prefer my funds to be going into the US market. The dividends although not much are re-invested back so I am just leaving it for now and adding small amounts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84IzhgDk5C18hiG5Gd2he3NEWIw4os30nE4Nb2_4RK8y8qKhmrBxe3mumMRoApOfnICS-Ypk1WmhSgFRvUQgp3IbN85MA1xpE_RIDVjqfLAJes7tUwl6bm2Kj0qWTTNo8bPCCv-fT9Cm4xAA0_BX8a4bot4Va4qfuVST13duuj5aVu8txVoN4VRUSltE/s600/Syfe%20REIT+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84IzhgDk5C18hiG5Gd2he3NEWIw4os30nE4Nb2_4RK8y8qKhmrBxe3mumMRoApOfnICS-Ypk1WmhSgFRvUQgp3IbN85MA1xpE_RIDVjqfLAJes7tUwl6bm2Kj0qWTTNo8bPCCv-fT9Cm4xAA0_BX8a4bot4Va4qfuVST13duuj5aVu8txVoN4VRUSltE/s320/Syfe%20REIT+.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Crypto Portfolio</h3>
<p>Nice to see Bitcoin going above USD 30,000 and ETH inching closer to USD 2000. No addition and I don’t think I will be adding much in the months to come. Comfortable with my position in crypto and I will just ride it out.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76yyvGuP8Kq4WNtF6AOCFUXhmVOBmK5XAThNz4GV7ZrEg9U6GyzygiM99jnqWBBoDEAajWgNKbBET2qaSSHdH7RdI7Xcnl--szJf2v5Fl3GJAFLgnZMz2Rhi2bAJUvpvy1Uv-WqtHrHhaX1QA61l1T20JRHUhCQ0gKvSdeCZymQAWZvAUNYzt4ISltV0/s600/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76yyvGuP8Kq4WNtF6AOCFUXhmVOBmK5XAThNz4GV7ZrEg9U6GyzygiM99jnqWBBoDEAajWgNKbBET2qaSSHdH7RdI7Xcnl--szJf2v5Fl3GJAFLgnZMz2Rhi2bAJUvpvy1Uv-WqtHrHhaX1QA61l1T20JRHUhCQ0gKvSdeCZymQAWZvAUNYzt4ISltV0/s320/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Overall and steps ahead</h3>
<p>No change for the DCA-ing into index ETFs but the volatility in prices is something I am liking in that as we near the date of the July FED meeting, we can see more red as more investors are cautious. So nice to buy during those times too although low could go lower.</p>
<p>Whatever it is, main goal is to accumulate as much as I can. So we shall see how Q3 goes!</p>
You can also find me on<ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-89925124750191474522023-07-02T14:58:00.000+08:002023-07-02T14:58:27.369+08:00building up a system to reaching $100,000 and beyond 🚀<p>I was watching an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqBYMIrMqcc&t=221s">interview by The Minimalist</a> that was released about 3 years ago but financial advice doesn’t expire so I still find the conversations in there very relevant and useful. In it, Ramit Sethi who was being interviewed talked about building up a set of systems for his finances. With this systems being done, he spends only about 1 hour per month to manage it so that he has time to do other things that are much more meaningful and fulfilling.</p>
<p>Interestingly, he started out with a blog and wrote about financial topics and treated his blog like a laboratory with experiments. A lot of people asked him questions and so he released a book to answer it all. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSgY_PxL_Zo&t=3035s">Another good interview he did was here on Impact theory.</a></p>
<h3>Building your own systems and making sure to stick to it, adjust if needed</h3>
<p>His version of setting up a system is to automate everything as much as possible from bills to spending and to investments which you can read more <a href="https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/the-psychology-of-automation-building-a-bulletproof-personal-finance-system/">here</a>. In Singapore, we can use standing instructions to set up a monthly or periodically transfer to the other bank accounts/external brokerages from our main account.</p>
<p>In his article, he also wrote about how important it is to match up your dates especially for bills to make sure you are paying them on time. Different schedules can be set up for your bills, investments and savings. For example, if your pay comes in on the 5th, set up schedules to automatically transfer or pay the amount.</p>
<p>Most of us would have a regular income coming in but if you have irregular income then a good amount of buffer cash on the side will be good and you might want to put aside a little more into savings before starting out on investments but this really varies depending on the amount you are getting and frequency.</p>
<p>What I do is that on a google sheet, I put down the exact values of what goes into each of my accounts, making sure that it fits the after CPF amount that I receive each month then start setting up everything in the system/bank accounts. This can be aligned with the financial goals you have set for yourself and you can set up the allocation accordingly. Here is an example of how it might look like. It is just an example for reference and will differ from everyone.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OJRjnobt_dkmClPW_uB2oefDVm9r0DMxhEdU4hskkYlOa__vBup3LNmBI79ALiCdItrRuKK_ZtUBUXMCFmq_dXTJBqAVKwCeULyVa3WvFuDqG0W6qw39aWpVNIdTuDB3aIgBYavfEb33he7C1k_4Df8_p3_C0YipZ4_pYI-h-oWHqUCXt8FYE6W4FCU/s600/Allocation%20of%20Monthly%20Salary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OJRjnobt_dkmClPW_uB2oefDVm9r0DMxhEdU4hskkYlOa__vBup3LNmBI79ALiCdItrRuKK_ZtUBUXMCFmq_dXTJBqAVKwCeULyVa3WvFuDqG0W6qw39aWpVNIdTuDB3aIgBYavfEb33he7C1k_4Df8_p3_C0YipZ4_pYI-h-oWHqUCXt8FYE6W4FCU/s320/Allocation%20of%20Monthly%20Salary.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<p>At the beginning, you might realise that it is not working as well, maybe you allocated too little to expenses or too much to a certain part, try to see if you can optimise eg cut out certain spending otherwise make changes accordingly but make sure to stick to it. After you have it on over a certain time, you will realise that you do not need to make much changes unless you have a pay raise coming.</p>
<p>Remember that as you automate your credit card bills, do check the statements by enabling email notifications/sms so that you can look through the bills for any fraudulent transactions and also annual fee charges so that you can waive it as needed.</p>
<h3>Your system needs time to accumulate and build, give it time to do so</h3>
<p>Just as I have mentioned above, everyone will have different needs or goals and so your system might be different from others but what you want is to set up something for accumulation and to ensure that you are doing it consistently.</p>
<p>It will take some time for the results of the whole system to show as time will allow it to accumulate and you will be able to see the results after a few months or a year. The setting up might be a little tedious as you will need to look through your spending and determine what is a good amount to allocate to it and trying to cut it down so that you can increase or build up more savings.</p>
<p>Once you start the whole system, it will be easier over the long run as it will be automated. This will free up more time to do other times as you will not need to manually transfer the money every month. Everyone’s allocation will differ but you will find a number for each section.</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-51959880329524296902023-06-25T20:08:00.001+08:002023-07-02T14:57:02.600+08:00What’s after $100,000? | Living more in the present and focusing on my social connections<p>With my recent hitting of $100,000 in liquid assets, which you can read <a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2023/05/i-have-hit-100000-in-liquid-assets-cash.html" target="_blank">here</a>, I did mention that my next step is to <a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2023/05/i-have-hit-100000-in-liquid-assets-cash.html" target="_blank">obtain $100,000 value in my investments alone</a>. 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.</p>
<p>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?</p>
<h3>Focusing too much on the numbers might not be great</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>Living my life towards the next $100,000</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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).</p>
<h3>Been a good ride for 1H 2023</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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?</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-32600104977040716092023-06-18T15:51:00.001+08:002023-06-18T15:58:59.169+08:00Do we all need to have multiple jobs nowadays? | Exploring and doing what I like<p>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 <a href="https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-replacing-jobs-creating-jobs">which in actual fact</a> <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/ibm-to-pause-hiring-for-jobs-replaceable-by-ai.aspx">I think it might in coming years</a>.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>Should we take up another job and set up a side hustle just to earn some extra income and sacrifice some leisure time?</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>Continue exploring and trying new things</h3>
<p>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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAoXCHSCVT0">house hacking video</a> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> <br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-55376067520736011892023-06-05T13:00:00.001+08:002023-06-05T13:00:00.132+08:00My Journey in investing in my 20s<h3 style="text-align: left;">Why you should start investing in your 20s if possible</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>What if I invested $1000 10 years ago? (Past performance is not a guarantee of future results)</h3>
<p>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%.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Here is a table showing the performance of QQQ over the past 10 years:</p><p></p><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; table-layout: fixed; width: 0px;"><colgroup><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Year"}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Year</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Price"}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Price</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Return"}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Return</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2013}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2013</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":60.26}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$60.26</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":-0.128}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">-12.80%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2014}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2014</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":73.75}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$73.75</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.22}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">22.00%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2015}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2015</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":74.89}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$74.89</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.017}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">1.70%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2016}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2016</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":102.36}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$102.36</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.395}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">39.50%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2017}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2017</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":157.6}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$157.60</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.536}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">53.60%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2018}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2018</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":156.91}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$156.91</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":-0.004}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">-0.40%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2019}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2019</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":184.23}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$184.23</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.176}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">17.60%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2020}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2020</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":212.26}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$212.26</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.163}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">16.30%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2021}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2021</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":309.17}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$309.17</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.452}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">45.20%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2022}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2022</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":299.05}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$299.05</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":-0.037}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">-3.70%</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2023}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">2023</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":4,"2":"\"$\"#,##0.00","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":315.94}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">$315.94</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="{"1":3,"2":"0.00%","3":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.053}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">5.30%</td></tr></tbody></table><p><style type="text/css">td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;</style>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.</p>
<h3>My Journey</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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?</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-64385094373875292222023-06-04T17:07:00.001+08:002023-06-04T17:07:25.130+08:00How would AI allocate money for someone in their late 20s? | Checking with Bard <div style="text-align: left;">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.</div>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">How would an individual in her late 20s allocate $10,000 into investing once she has her emergency funds put aside?</h4>
<p>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).</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. <br /></p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-55917144884231569072023-06-02T15:29:00.004+08:002023-06-02T15:29:40.924+08:00Being Homeless in Singapore | Learning more about it<p>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 <a href="https://youtu.be/zdNX-PBOzFE">Part 1</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/1SYBqJ3FRtk">Part 2</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/vfyo1938fak">Part 3</a>.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>Homelessness in Singapore</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Some interesting findings about the homeless population in Singapore are that:</p>
<ul><li>The homeless population is concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the country.</li><li>The majority of the homeless people are single, with no children.</li><li>The homeless people are often from low-income families.</li><li>The homeless people are more likely to be unemployed and have mental health problems.</li></ul>
<h3>How homelessness feels like</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>No one wants to be homeless</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. <br /></p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-23248530657387737912023-05-28T10:21:00.003+08:002023-05-28T13:09:08.538+08:00I have hit $100,000 in liquid assets! - Cash + Investments + Endowment Plan<p>Yes, I have finally hit the $100,000 mark! It is not just through my investments although that is my next goal, I am adding up my cash positions, investments (stocks and crypto) and 1 endowment plan value based on surrender value (although it will only be paid out when I am 31 years old). Small milestone checked but DCA-ing continues and life still goes on.</p>
<p>It’s been a very very interesting period as we experience the debt celling discussions, saw Nvidia’s crazy stock price action (thought my eyes saw wrongly when I saw pre-market gains of +75 USD and how AI is slowly taking over the world. With Tesla slowly going up towards $200, QQQ and VOO going up with AI hype increasing tech companies and semiconductor companies gaining, my portfolio has some gains though not as much as Nvidia's gains alone.</p>
<h3>How I feel hitting the $100,000 mark</h3>
<p>To be honest, I was expecting myself to feel amazing or great hitting $100,000 however I don’t feel that there are any changes. Also because I track my investments separate from cash and endowment plan so the number is not in my face but I don’t feel any huge happiness but I am glad to have achieve it although it may fluctuate especially in this volatile period where my stock and crypto portfolio might drop the next moment depending on how the whole environment is.</p>
<p>Hitting $100,000 is not gonna let me retire but at least I know that my financial habits are leading me in the right way and having build a foundation, I just need to maintain them and if my income increases over time, I can have spare cash to allocate or spend.</p>
<p>My next aim is to build solely my investments (stocks and crypto) to $100,000. I have adopted a lot of automating my purchases and also just sticking to index ETFs as I find individual purchases not efficient considering my small purchases monthly, so I am to be honest feeling a bit lousy as I missed out on the Nvidia gains (my friend did tell me about Nvidia as he knows about the semiconductor industry) but I do hold some AMD shares although not a large amount but still happy to be in it. QQQ and VOO holds some percentage of Nvidia too, so still some gains in the portfolio.</p>
<p>Overall, I think it is great having checked a small milestone although we are unsure of how the stock market will be like in the remaining 2H of 2023.</p>
<h3>Thoughts about my portfolio</h3>
<p>As I slowly approach my 30s, I do want to build up more cash on hand considering I might get a property when I am 35 (resale HDBs) and HDBs are really not as affordable as ever. Renovation costs are also on the rise including all the miscellaneous cost. So I have to say I have been pretty aggressive in investing but will slowly pivot as I did lose some in crypto and don't want to be allocating so much to volatile assets as I reach 35 years old. When I reach my 30s in about 1 and half years time, I will slowly depending on my income at that time re-allocate my income to holding more cash for spending.</p>
<p>My stocks portfolio is a lot more volatile as about 50% of it is in Tesla stock. That is why I am now adopting a monthly automated buying strategy into index ETFs to balance up the portfolio. The index ETFs proportion was higher in the previous weeks but with Tesla gaining some momentum this week, it’s back to 50/50. Well, I will just keep my monthly index ETFs buys and build it up. But this also means that my portfolio value fluctuates quite a lot but I am all right with it, exciting to be honest.</p>
<p>Well, a great end to the month of May and June will also be an interesting month as we approach the end of Q2. Time really flies but day to day seems long. Take care and excited to see how Q2 portfolio review will look like! I am also happy to have a platform like this blog to document my journey as it feels like I have a place to share my journey and not give up halfway, like a form of accountability, so whoever is reading, thank you too!<br /></p><p>You can also find me on</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeantalksmoney-604773003226469/?modal=admin_todo_tour" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">SingaporeanTalksMoney </span></a></li><li>Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/singaporeantalksmoney/"><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;">SingaporeanTalksMoney</span></span></a></li><li><span style="color: #9c27b0;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SGTalksMoney" target="_blank">SGTalksMoney</a></span><br /></span></span></li><li><span style="color: blue;"><font color="#000000">Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCGBEThwpgNKSkPuoj7CXA?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank"><font color="#0F9D58">SingaporeanTalksMoney</font></a></font></span></li></ul><p><u><b>Affiliate links/Codes:</b></u><br /></p><p>► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:<br />►Use my referral link <a class="anchor-url" href="https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57</a> or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up<br />►Gemini: <a href="https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg</a> use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.<br />► Where I buy my stocks:<br />FSMone Referral: P0364886 <br /><a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">Tiger Brokers</a> (Free stock and commission free trades, check out more <a href="https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/marketing/glsg?lang=en_US&invite=SGTALKS" target="_blank">here</a><br /><a href="https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/Application?referrerCode=shanyen420" target="_blank">Interactive Brokers</a> (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)<br />► Google Pay: <a href="https://g.co/payinvite/v89ph61" target="_blank">v89ph</a>61<br />►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX<br />►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-75319996251596361902023-05-15T19:56:00.003+08:002023-05-15T19:57:56.195+08:00Planning for a trip in 2023 | Experiences and how I feel about the prices<p>I recently just came back from a trip and a pretty long one. I went to Fukuoka, Japan for about 18 days where I travelled around Kyushu visiting Beppu, Kumamoto, Imajuku. It was a nice and relaxing trip as the region of Kyushu is not as hectic and crowded as Tokyo or Osaka.</p><p></p>
<p>Fukuoka was recommended by my travel partner since she went there before and enjoyed her time there. It is more of nature and scenic, I also believe a lot of people go to Kyushu for hiking as there are quite a number of hiking trails there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHDA0Kw44AvbiEESFJzZYwPt0jmoqLFAIcF3uGEaP_iAmaLBWtqq8q5k2zaOd3N2oMJdv5G8o1u4oRlFrkc52bQHhJIiYojg2ihKbrgYosLSFbDq1bjOMTxL_N_yzQZ7SJLpjP4xJKEEcCjUGg1nqmGh1VzbHdu8WnnQaOEHN17rSi0JQOKtWjFreq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHDA0Kw44AvbiEESFJzZYwPt0jmoqLFAIcF3uGEaP_iAmaLBWtqq8q5k2zaOd3N2oMJdv5G8o1u4oRlFrkc52bQHhJIiYojg2ihKbrgYosLSFbDq1bjOMTxL_N_yzQZ7SJLpjP4xJKEEcCjUGg1nqmGh1VzbHdu8WnnQaOEHN17rSi0JQOKtWjFreq" width="180" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3qJzP7KU88bPSu3MCIvdxb8a3e8lWD-QaNKYORxmDNKudIq6QaWHn_sx74hhiAtBnLUu9EvQ6_lQ8Y4zGmcxBbcBiuQd4APP_kOlss6_QVEivm7657AOfKVqnv8ARrF86KMXkXC4AW0cgneBiRHlsE3fRSaw2gPOQYGsywiWKDGIoArmhlLzyTSsA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3qJzP7KU88bPSu3MCIvdxb8a3e8lWD-QaNKYORxmDNKudIq6QaWHn_sx74hhiAtBnLUu9EvQ6_lQ8Y4zGmcxBbcBiuQd4APP_kOlss6_QVEivm7657AOfKVqnv8ARrF86KMXkXC4AW0cgneBiRHlsE3fRSaw2gPOQYGsywiWKDGIoArmhlLzyTSsA" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p>
<h3>Cost</h3>
<p>The prices were definitely one concern considering that I travelled with my family and so we did try to keep costs low for accommodation and plane tickets so that we could optimise it in other areas, food and experiences. When we tried buying air tickets, tickets were crazy high especially for direct flights as Japan is a popular destination, Tokyo and Osaka being the easiest. Fukuoka is one of the 10 biggest cities in Japan, not being in the top 3 means things are still not as crazy as Tokyo but with borders opening, it is still a rather popular destination especially among South Koreans where the flight there from South Korea is just an hour.</p>
<p>We chose a full service airlines but we stopped over in Incheon before reaching Fukuoka so still a little hassle but the stopover was not too long so it’s all right. We managed to get tickets for about $800 plus per pax.</p>
<h3>Accommodation</h3>
<p>I would say accommodation in Asia is usually more affordable than Europe or USA and even comparing to Singapore, Japan and South Korea have pretty affordable accommodations if you are willing to search.</p>
<p>Rooms were slightly more expensive for the time we travel as it was the cherry blossom month between end March to April so prices were slightly high but I think it is still all right. There are areas that are more expensive and as we move towards the outskirts, the prices do get more affordable. Of course, how can we miss out on ryokans when in Japan so I we splurged a little more for 2 nights to spend it at a ryokan with onsen and breakfast as well as dinner.</p>
<p>Onsen was amazing, you just feel so relaxed after soaking and especially when the weather is cool. The ryokan also provides dinner and breakfast which is great after a good soak.</p>
<h3>Transport</h3>
<p>Within Fukuoka’s city subway, the prices are all right and you can just use an IC card to travel around. Of course, to travel to other areas of Kyushu, you would need to get a JR pass, it is pretty worth it depending on how you plan your days. I managed to visit Beppu, Kumamoto and Nagasaki with it.</p>
<p>Taxi are also available for areas that are further out, we took a taxi for one of the days as it was far and there 3 of us, the tourist recommended us to take a taxi as it was going to be around the same price as a long distance bus ride. Overall, I feel that if you can get a car to drive around, it can be better as the scenic areas are quite out of the way, Parking can be quite expensive especially for overnight but if you have a bigger group then it might be more worth it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV4kFR_kOV1nOSruU39IwbyCw2N1xcPUzh0KJ1ISDmw1VqTpeJ2hMgSdxp7iMn-5n5t2eRnqOuaccfLkSdRDYsf8IzFqENykQ4QxGIZSh-GxaJzi6nZm0mv4ZdStHWNCGHGnuvKnz5M97LMItddFVWIGBC5Kb9NYMvrA3wqAgFkzHkYTsXYa4UDFk/s4032/IMG_7482.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV4kFR_kOV1nOSruU39IwbyCw2N1xcPUzh0KJ1ISDmw1VqTpeJ2hMgSdxp7iMn-5n5t2eRnqOuaccfLkSdRDYsf8IzFqENykQ4QxGIZSh-GxaJzi6nZm0mv4ZdStHWNCGHGnuvKnz5M97LMItddFVWIGBC5Kb9NYMvrA3wqAgFkzHkYTsXYa4UDFk/s320/IMG_7482.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm_RsgGokSjNRMsheHdt3eMtjiFTAmnGporJdHyjzMrB4YpqPtm5JeN76gUX57ekloBJfKqYXiYZFUo3eCS-h0RBNTBqG2O1mhPEgJHdbBvR8wP9rGhEfNuwDLxmdihHOpk5Mrwklm7k6gC0Az5Q0O7rnQ67WuZEalWPiQIFLY4U9ohZOMLAIgPnP/s4032/IMG_7594.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm_RsgGokSjNRMsheHdt3eMtjiFTAmnGporJdHyjzMrB4YpqPtm5JeN76gUX57ekloBJfKqYXiYZFUo3eCS-h0RBNTBqG2O1mhPEgJHdbBvR8wP9rGhEfNuwDLxmdihHOpk5Mrwklm7k6gC0Az5Q0O7rnQ67WuZEalWPiQIFLY4U9ohZOMLAIgPnP/s320/IMG_7594.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihajWPxPsBfCx0jPVpRoLthGwrXXUIE3VcANMSctuqcUkbG4jcKpMmYwOLbgFIjkll_0Xj5a0b6ddye33SLsRV_4g1luWuWsVZEgWY6ca6tTjbRHJH12pybFqd_bxMdjy3OVC25i5C2ES_RHLQdwa_oyhuMJ4R37c6PiwVmFFePxh4SRFGu8kXHzNx/s4032/IMG_7663.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihajWPxPsBfCx0jPVpRoLthGwrXXUIE3VcANMSctuqcUkbG4jcKpMmYwOLbgFIjkll_0Xj5a0b6ddye33SLsRV_4g1luWuWsVZEgWY6ca6tTjbRHJH12pybFqd_bxMdjy3OVC25i5C2ES_RHLQdwa_oyhuMJ4R37c6PiwVmFFePxh4SRFGu8kXHzNx/s320/IMG_7663.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR6U1-UFMNf-a6avXMBQuLgwQb_WjxqRoLqC2EICKNw7VlU8Y1LAsvSwAmv3_LbJMQOMVHk9soOeGUo_0m1fSDAE8V3OkmGEG0oQpeT6JTbyoy_3syv4NX_dLedh1t91K3g7cjl_2bofKRn6RhrQQah6T_ftzIMfeRVsRHK29uE-CTs2H2v9y8DMY/s4032/IMG_7669.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR6U1-UFMNf-a6avXMBQuLgwQb_WjxqRoLqC2EICKNw7VlU8Y1LAsvSwAmv3_LbJMQOMVHk9soOeGUo_0m1fSDAE8V3OkmGEG0oQpeT6JTbyoy_3syv4NX_dLedh1t91K3g7cjl_2bofKRn6RhrQQah6T_ftzIMfeRVsRHK29uE-CTs2H2v9y8DMY/s320/IMG_7669.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>
<h3>Overall expenditure and experience</h3>
<p>I would say overall the total expenditure has been affordable and great value. Even though we spend a bit on accommodation considering it was an 18 days trip and we did book better places for certain nights.</p>
<p>To be honest, after borders have opened up, many Singaporeans have started travelling and I have found it enjoyable, being able to experience another country after some time and I want to be able to travel more in the coming months.</p><p>Even though it is more expensive travelling than before the pandemic overall, considering tickets, food and transport is kinda more expensive, the amount of rest and experience is amazing and I think travelling is so amazing in that you put yourself into another environment and try new things. <br /></p>
<p>But I have to admit that after my holiday, I did feel a little overwhelmed by work when I came back as I went to Japan for 18 days and I kinda got used to waking up and wanting to explore rather than working on a laptop after waking up.</p>
<p>I find myself losing motivation to write and record down my thoughts as well, explaining a lack of articles as work and personal life have made me tired and lazy. Also because the market hasn’t been that interesting but I will definitely still be doing my quarterly portfolio updates to see how the portfolios are. Looking forward to my next trip and experience! In the meantime, hustling hard and earning that guap.</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-44658952575517889422023-04-29T21:42:00.000+08:002023-04-29T21:42:06.399+08:00Millennials & Gen Z: Young And In Debt. Why? | Thoughts and my position as a Millennial<p>Very good documentaries and programmes from CNA, covering local context which I think many can relate to. I also liked the food delivery <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mEMPx-FB98">episode</a> that talked about delivery drivers, how the algorithm works and they are subjected to many things beyond their control.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP8UILvfXVEm5FS-wDC0-ccl0NSmP-S-x72_zzd-7ARYKWOiJlI3kYVm1K7Al8Ba65qTHl-D7nJCqSgvTN5Te1uK20ypIcmHb-WLe_C8D5TN3e7kvObAQONwfZ0Rg-3pQENEZ0vKJW0H1fgCyoXKD4mWi_MB3y5Y43Ylp9udyGTtQqkMom9gux3ai/s1920/How%20much%20you%20should%20have%20saved%20by%20age(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP8UILvfXVEm5FS-wDC0-ccl0NSmP-S-x72_zzd-7ARYKWOiJlI3kYVm1K7Al8Ba65qTHl-D7nJCqSgvTN5Te1uK20ypIcmHb-WLe_C8D5TN3e7kvObAQONwfZ0Rg-3pQENEZ0vKJW0H1fgCyoXKD4mWi_MB3y5Y43Ylp9udyGTtQqkMom9gux3ai/s320/How%20much%20you%20should%20have%20saved%20by%20age(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p>A recent episode I saw was about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37oP3T5Cj4E&t=510s">Buy Now, Pay Later where they had a few individuals on the show to share their spending habits and how they are coping with the finances especially in the face of inflation right now</a>.</p>
<h3>When you have income coming in and get used to spending freely, you kinda take it for granted after awhile</h3>
<p>From the first individual, she does have good meals and take ride-hailing services frequently. She does also feel that the ride-hailing services are taking up a huge portion of her spending and wants to cut it down but it is not as easy especially when she has got used to it.</p>
<p>She indulge herself with at least one good restaurant visit per week with her friends. Additionally, she is also renting her own place so expenses does add up with these spending that is being done. To add things worse, her dog fell sick recently and almost wiped out all her savings. To cut her spending, it will definitely involve some sacrifices on her end like what she mentioned, having to wake up early to travel using public transport. She does reduce expenses by getting second hand items or by swapping items with her friends to try new things.</p>
<p>The next individual has a student loan, upcoming mortgage and wedding expenses. She is aware of the unnecessary spending that makes her unable to save especially with make-up and skincare products. She does not seem to have the habit on saving and main thing is the charging of items to credit cards and BNPL which makes spending seem so smooth so she spends almost all her take home pay.</p>
<h3>Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)</h3>
<p>The rise of BNPL companies have sky rocketed in recent times especially when you see their advertising. I remembered I walked into Sephora with my friend once and a certain BNPL company was offering some discount if you downloaded the app and split your payments.</p>
<p>My friend who was paying for something did that instinctively as she was able to and why not for the discount. But from there, if she was not careful with her spending and found the splitting of bills very convenient, she might be sucked into using it and excessively buying and chalking up huge bills. Of course, if she is able to pay it off then that’s great and a good way to snag the bargains that the BNPL companies are offering.</p>
<p>There are advantages if you know how you can use BNPL to your advantage and I think there has been quite a bit of coverage on BNPL like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_zj2OmTRJk">here</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmoq3kazSn0">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvwe8g0nBvo">here</a>. So in the CNA show, the second lady using BNPL seems to be quite stuck in the habit of using it excessively and splitting it up especially when she has commitments on the side like a student loan which is also being paid with a credit card and she misses payments on some occasions.</p>
<h3>In the US</h3>
<p>USA is a country that influences the world through the many things as they are a super power. The BNPL as well as credit card industry there is huge as the general population rely on credit for big ticket items and especially so during the pandemic when people lost their jobs but needed to pay for daily necessities. The US population generally does not have a huge saving buffer hence an emergency can land them in trouble where they will then have to rely on credit cards to pay the bills.</p>
<p>In this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4wxG2PT7h8&list=FLDPY7J8PqOfrvwmZzHqnLmQ&index=1&t=63s">video</a>, it talks about how millennials in their 30s have taken on debt at a rapid rate since the pandemic. This group also have taken on debts higher than any other generation.</p>
<p>They interviewed a 31 year old lady who has 2 children and lives just outside of Miami. She shared that she now has 3 more credit cards as compared to the start of the pandemic and has maxed them out but have cleared her debts for 2 of the cards . She is now limiting her spending by not going out and not buying anything if possible.</p>
<p>It is a vicious cycle once you rely on credit cards to pay your bills and not paying the bills in full as the interest rates for credit card debts is so high, you would be struggling to plug the hole as the debt increases.</p>
<h3>Evaluate and spend within your means if possible</h3>
<p>If we were to look at the individuals in the Singapore context of the CNA show, they are mostly spending on their wants, ride-hailing services and make up products, so if they can take the time to evaluate their spending and reduce slowly on the things that are not a need, they should be able to reduce their expenditure by quite a bit and save more.</p>
<p>Of course, not every millennial is in debt or not managing their money well, I believe there is a good proportion of millennials who are doing well financially and managed their finances. With Seedly and The Woke Salaryman with other financial education blogs and platforms, I believe Singaporeans are aware of financial management but spending habits can sometimes be tough to change.</p>
<p>Always try not to inflate your lifestyle unless you are already at a minimum lifestyle haha, but it is always good to start saving and starting young is great because habits usually stays and if you can maintain good habits from the beginning, it will help as time pass. It’s good to also form a circle of friends who do not spend frivolously, a good support of friends can help your wallet.</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-56685502286448721742023-04-09T22:01:00.000+08:002023-04-09T22:01:30.308+08:00Q1 2023 Portfolio Updates | Portfolio has recovered substantially but still volatile and 2nd half of 2023 will be interesting<p>Q1 2022 is over and after my birthday month, it feels crazy thinking that I am reaching my 30s soon! I believe and hope that my 30s will be a great time as I would hopefully understand myself more, be able to do better in my career as well as personal life although we never know what will happen in the future. But of course, I will enjoy my last bit of 20s!</p>
<p>March has been a volatile and a roller-coaster month as almost everyone thought the FED would be very aggressive in it’s interest rate hike to fight inflation but on 10 March, we saw SVB faced difficulties and domino’s effects as well as the huge Credit Suisse being bought over by UBS. March 2023 definitely felt like a crypto month but just that banks were the ones making the news. From the aggressiveness of the FED and majority thinking that a 50 bps hike will be done to eventually it being a 25 bps and even before the interest rate hike, <a href="https://thehill.com/business/3908875-goldman-sachs-expects-pause-in-feds-interest-rate-hikes/">Goldman Sachs</a> <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/03/13/goldman-sachs-fed-hit-breaks-interest-rate-hikes-silicon-valley-bank-collapse/">gave a warning that the FED raising the interest rate further would break the banking industry.</a> T<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/24/european-markets-live-updates-investors-digest-latest-rate-hikes.html">here was a scare with Deushce Bank as their shares plunged</a> and people are worried about it as the past 2 weekends we have seen SVB collapse and Credit Suisse get bought out so whether will anything happen on the consecutive 3rd weekend.</p>
<p>We can see that inflation is still the main goal for the FED and they want to bring it down but right now with the risk of banks collapsing and bringing down the whole economy, many have already been saying that the FED will have a rate cut soon but the FED has mentioned that they will still keep rates up to combat inflation but we shall see. In terms of the portfolio, I would say it has recovered quite significantly although I am still in the red for certain counters but overall it is still looking in a better state than end 2022 and early 2023 which was quite bad.</p>
<h3>Stocks Portfolio</h3>
<p>It does feel finally that the amount I am investing in is building onto the value of the portfolio as stocks (mainly Tesla) and index ETFs gain some however I do think we are still in for a volatile and tough 2023 as the FED is bent on fighting inflation and so even though rate increases is nearing an end with probably rate cuts (?) but <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/22/fed-rate-hike-decision-march-2023.html">it still depends on the data coming in, rates should still remain high as we fight against inflation.</a></p>
<p>More layoffs are on the way as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/14/meta-layoffs-10000-more-workers-to-be-cut-in-restructuring.html">Meta</a>, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/23/business/accenture-job-cuts-19000/index.html">Accenture</a> and others show more cuts and also <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/business/credit-suisse-s-9000-job-cuts-are-foretaste-of-ubs-takeover">Credit Suisse would most likely also face cuts especially for roles that are similar especially in the investment banking business when UBS takes over it most probably at the end of 2023.</a> Even Endowus is cutting which we can see many companies are cutting costs and the most direct way is to cut manpower. Don’t really know how bad it will get or whether things will stagnate but yea, just DCA-ing in.</p>
<p>Portfolio has gone up in value but not early 2022 levels which was a bull market but I like that I have automate my investments and it really is a hand-offs with more weightage in my monthly DCA to index funds as I build it up.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO-mIHsoA1oS64G0aZy1ZBrV6iHJEAo6QmdkA5WkUcjQC97h5xnPgaLHA0lVrWt5tCRVjZukrjqqedqfjnTqVW3q4UJoWpzuTOKoiIL4gtY0B91FOWLYgfJdGPwu2unMSUSq3zOTgGRPSPZ7AkSUpvgEHlbcLLmdLTvZss7ZvW216esnbBcCWdxoB/s600/Stocks%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO-mIHsoA1oS64G0aZy1ZBrV6iHJEAo6QmdkA5WkUcjQC97h5xnPgaLHA0lVrWt5tCRVjZukrjqqedqfjnTqVW3q4UJoWpzuTOKoiIL4gtY0B91FOWLYgfJdGPwu2unMSUSq3zOTgGRPSPZ7AkSUpvgEHlbcLLmdLTvZss7ZvW216esnbBcCWdxoB/s320/Stocks%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Crypto Portfolio</h3>
<p>After the Luna and FTX incidents, I have pivoted all my crypto funds to BTC and ETH. Losing money was not fun and a pretty substantial amount at that.</p>
<p>Read more: <strong><a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2022/05/i-got-liquidated-and-lost-my-whole-luna_10.html">I got liquidated and lost my whole LUNA position | Anchor Borrow</a></strong></p>
<p>Anyway, crypto saw a little recovery, not a huge portion of my portfolio but it still affects the overall amount so still happy about it. I am currently not really adding positions into crypto except for small amounts. I want to build up a larger base of index ETFs before venturing into the “fun” stuff. So here is my crypto portfolio at the end of Q1.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_R4bqhCaFrhx6iDYr-t7-GcPAOYnYmezfmEGXfVDSJ2JU7Ptz4KstQ6Ozz4fWDuusOA4Qv3i3Ctd4p2axnQF1W0gYwBPIM6f1APXEELqcwF_qt8fTyUQz4tC50dxM2JIyMitQZvGtOo1ot4pnotJBRqQlMP9N9lKA2tjU77HigWNh0DwV9lblB832/s600/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_R4bqhCaFrhx6iDYr-t7-GcPAOYnYmezfmEGXfVDSJ2JU7Ptz4KstQ6Ozz4fWDuusOA4Qv3i3Ctd4p2axnQF1W0gYwBPIM6f1APXEELqcwF_qt8fTyUQz4tC50dxM2JIyMitQZvGtOo1ot4pnotJBRqQlMP9N9lKA2tjU77HigWNh0DwV9lblB832/s320/Crypto%20Portfolio%20(SGD)%20.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Syfe REIT+ Portfolio</h3>
<p>Syfe REIT+ portfolio has been interesting for me as I started DCA-ing into it in September 2022 before all the interest rate hikes and focus on inflation. Over the past few months, it has been volatile but exciting as we see the news and macro environment affecting REITs.</p>
<p>Read more: <strong><a href="https://sginvestment-lady.blogspot.com/2022/10/q3-portfolio-updates.html">Q3 2022 Portfolio Updates | 💎 🙌 🐻</a></strong></p>
<p>The portfolio has grown a little as you can see here mainly due to dividends. I will still continue DCA-ing in monthly as long as I have sufficient cashflow. Hoping to grow this up.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAWB5jx5b46mXo18Nazhw0t6crocj7lX6rPzesuIRvasE5u19R7AR_03Qkdp2mDjnZ7EmPNkcG9Dl0-uUpVcK-Gs89hJWdv4nve_pHO7MPB_0GjRt9t3stZoBnU6UG1zRUmyohGXGhVuZLumwVLMyoJVA1wb-aC0GdCqTdjV2WoWLMZZ1R1lgoNkM/s828/IMG_6602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="828" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAWB5jx5b46mXo18Nazhw0t6crocj7lX6rPzesuIRvasE5u19R7AR_03Qkdp2mDjnZ7EmPNkcG9Dl0-uUpVcK-Gs89hJWdv4nve_pHO7MPB_0GjRt9t3stZoBnU6UG1zRUmyohGXGhVuZLumwVLMyoJVA1wb-aC0GdCqTdjV2WoWLMZZ1R1lgoNkM/s320/IMG_6602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>Q1 thoughts and reflections</h3>
<p>Not much thoughts to be honest, life has been keeping me busy, I am travelling and work also keeps me busy so with my investments on automation, it does feel like everything is set, I just have to wait for the bull market to come although we do not know when that will be exactly.</p>
<p>I am getting closer to my goal of hoping to reach $100,000 in investments and cash savings although the market is volatile but still looking pretty on track. Job stability is one thing on my mind and other than that, life is good.</p>
<p>Many weddings in the next few months as my friends are starting to settle down with their other half. Happy for them! 2nd half of 2023 will be interesting as we see how the FED navigates the situation and all eyes on the banks as we see if the industry is strong enough to tide through.</p>
<p>Crypto can be seen as a strong contender as people start to realise leaving all their cash in the banks might not be as safe as they think but of course, cryptocurrency is a lot more volatile and risky if you are not sure of what you are buying or how you are storing it. Overall, it’s been a great quarter, onwards to the next!</p>
SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145518210627973459.post-55760062473647856962023-03-19T08:42:00.001+08:002023-03-19T14:42:20.733+08:00Things can turn bad fast | My thoughts on what is happening so far<p>I am sure you would be aware of what has been going on these few days or from last week, from Silicon Valley Bank facing difficulties to cover withdrawals due to how they manage the deposits and failing to meet the withdrawals to Signature Bank collapsing and other regional banks like First Republic facing huge amount of withdrawals as fear spread after the news of SVB and depositers worrying about their capital. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltuA3jEhsajOdBB3uMXW3LpgBRawYUjrkpZkTzymUxmjugK986HLeLKVayCG3jMvc1O3yzFbhqbNMnuJKbcDjlDV265qe6edxbjtiJSZbTlRE6YGwDV5b-UhriS6nDA2n4D0x1lParcMX8KHdwtip8I-nMFk-O4_zob_pn1r0XK8SYhAt2fuT_gAK/s1920/How%20much%20you%20should%20have%20saved%20by%20age(14).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltuA3jEhsajOdBB3uMXW3LpgBRawYUjrkpZkTzymUxmjugK986HLeLKVayCG3jMvc1O3yzFbhqbNMnuJKbcDjlDV265qe6edxbjtiJSZbTlRE6YGwDV5b-UhriS6nDA2n4D0x1lParcMX8KHdwtip8I-nMFk-O4_zob_pn1r0XK8SYhAt2fuT_gAK/s320/How%20much%20you%20should%20have%20saved%20by%20age(14).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>This week, we saw Credit Suisse a <span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">global systemically important bank (G-SIBs)</span></span> facing difficulties as large amounts have been withdrawn from the bank and it's biggest investor saying that they will not be buying more shares as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/15/credit-suisse-shares-slide-after-saudi-backer-rules-out-further-assistance.html" target="_blank">they do not want to be holding more than 10% as it is a regulatory issue</a> which sent their share price on a downward trend. <br /></p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/credit-suisse-update-says-cash-outflows-accelerated-start-q4-2022-11-23/" target="_blank">Last year, Credit Suisse did show some warning signs regarding their liquidity issues as they saw huge amount of outflows</a> however following the SVB and other smaller banks collapse recently, coupled with higher interest rates, Credit Suisse is not looking good at the moment. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/16/credit-suisse-to-borrow-up-to-about-54-billion-from-swiss-national-bank.html" target="_blank">They did get a $54 billion loan from the Swiss National Bank where the shares did slightly recover </a>but <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/credit-suisse-meets-weigh-options-under-pressure-merge-with-ubs-2023-03-18/" target="_blank">over this weekend, news outlets are reporting that UBS is planning or eyeing on buying over Credit Suisse. </a></p><p>Nothing is concrete right now on the Credit Suisse situation. Over the past week, we do see a lot of intervention from the bigger guys, from the Fed announcing that SVB depositors will be repaid in whole even if they had deposited more than the FDIC insured $250,000 amount which is crazy if you think about it. The amount is massive and who exactly is footing the bill? </p><p>Next, HSBC bought over the SVB UK arm for <span>£1. From this <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/hsbc-uk-silicon-valley-bank-svb-acquisition-3342901" target="_blank">CNA article</a>, "</span><span></span>Asked about HSBC's white-knight role, Hunt said the finance ministry's
priority had been to avoid using British taxpayers' money. SVB UK is ring-fenced from the US group, and HSBC said the assets and
liabilities of the parent company were excluded from the transaction. SVB UK has loans of around £5.5 billion and deposits of around £6.7
billion, HSBC said, adding the takeover completes immediately. The Bank of England said SVB UK had a total balance sheet size of around £8.8 billion." </p><p>To be honest, depositors would have lost confidence in SVB even if the UK arm is all right and ring-fenced from the US side as the name has already been "tainted", instead, matching it to a stronger and bigger bank like HSBC brings it a backing and support. From reading the article, HSBC seems to have gotten a good deal although I would think there might be other issues but I am not an expert in mergers and acquisitions so I might be wrong. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">My thoughts</h2><div style="text-align: left;">It's crazy crazy times, I thought inflation and interest rates coupled with Tech layoffs and declining corporate earnings was all I had to deal with. As I thought that people would be holding more cash during uncertainty and volatility, banks would be considerably safe. Of course, it is my first time hearing of Silicon Valley Bank since I am not in the start-ups industry and I am surprised that the bank services so many start ups and venture capital that when the tech industry is hit, most start ups would withdraw cash as it was more difficult for them to get funding and so the dominoes fall. In my impression, I only know the bigger banks, and not so much on the banks that services a smaller population. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I have learned more about the banking industry and how trigger events can cascade into bad situations, also how banks handle client's deposit can affect their liquidity. Interesting to know that a buildup of tough macro-environment can trigger events to happen. With this Credit Suisse saga, it does reflect to me that it is more of a see and wait situation, as we see how things pan out.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can understand the confusion of the depositors whether to withdraw it out or to leave it in the bank especially for those in the US who are using the regional banks, for those whose money is not diversified and all in one bank, it is good to diversify it although currently we don't know how widespread the "damages" are. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We did see crypto, particularly Bitcoin where the price surged to almost $28,000. I still do not know where exactly is a good place to invest but I am continuing to DCA into index ETFs but also putting aside cash. Viewing the situation now, it doesn't hurt to hold more cash as the economy could get another blow and we just don't know how bad it will get. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Only time will tell. My strategy so far has not changed but it's tough looking from the sidelines so I haven't really been updating or writing much as I just go about my daily life and not be so involved with the stock market although I do read and watch the news everyday. 2023 will be volatile and exciting, we shall see where we end up at the end of 2023. Wishing everyone the best and stay safe! <br /></div>SingaporeanTalksMoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10897850362138325542noreply@blogger.com12