Rainbow on FI

If I were to construct a high-yield REITs portfolio of 10 stocks (prices were taken from Nov15 as I drew this last month), this is how it would look like: Market $ Entry $ Div yield% Shares P/B EV/EBIT Amount invested S-REITS Ascendas Hosp Trust 0.625 8.20 4800 0.7 26.7 $3,000 First Reit - health 1.19 7.00 2600 1.1 20.1 $3,094 CDL hosp 1.32 7.20 2300 0.8 15.6 $3,036 Ascott hosp 1.2 7.10 2500 0.7 28.8 $3,000 Mapletree logistics 1.005 7.30 2800 0.8 18.5 $2,814 Lippomall 0.305 10.20 10000 0.5 10.8 $3,050 Starhill global 0.765 6.80 3000 0.8 19.3 $2,295 Frasers Centrepoint 1.89 6.10 1600 1 20.3 $3,024 Ireit 0.685 7.60 4000 0.896 $2,740 CapitaRetailChina 1.335

Singapore's interest rate is expected to rise in the coming year as Fed hiked interest rate ( http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/singapore-interest-rates/2356210.html ). So let's keep our eyes peeled to see if SSB would be following suit should bank savings interest starts to rise. Is the economy really expected to be recovering next year or would it be toiled by the rate hike? I really have no idea... but if you want to have an inkling of idea how a rate hike would affect investments read interest-rate-and-its-effect-on-market . To read more about Singapore Savings Bond, click here . SSB is for you if... You do not need money for middle to long term Have a stomach for low risk bonds Wanna park your money somewhere safe but  more flexibl e than the lock-in CPF Think that banks would not raise their interest rate any higher than SGB's Get updated information at  http://www.sgs.gov.sg/savingsbonds and  http://www.sgs.gov.sg/savingsbonds/Your

I have tried it but eventually gave up. Here are the top five reasons why I do not fancy a budgeting app: 1. I don't like to do frequent data input. It can get quite irritating at times if I forget to key in any income or expense and the figures don't add up. Also it's a headache to be counting 'every cent in the wallet'. 2. I consolidate spending / savings on 3 monthly basis, since online banking statements are usually laid out in 1-3 months frame. I do a personal cash flow excel sheet yearly (or half yearly, depending on my mood) and review what are the unnecessary expenses. 3. I have a rough mental monthly budget on regular fixed spending, example: daily meals, transport, insurance. Then I just take note of any infrequent, extra spending that month, example: books, clothes, gadgets, travel. Groceries are all accounted for using one credit card. 4. I am not at risk of negative saving. I only invest opportunistically, not keen on regular investment plans.

It's the time of my career once again and surprisingly this time it didn't take as long as the previous one to decide. I like to go with reasons more than my heart (although sometimes they coincide to the same conclusion). Here is my rationalization process: Why I work - To earn a living - To satisfy my passion for something I like to do - To sell / provide solutions to others - To achieve a cause that I believe in Why I want to resign - The main motivator above doesn't hold true anymore - Of lack of recognition given for my work done - There are better choices out there eg. pay, progress - The big boss add fires instead of giving support in fire fighting - Sacrifice for the cause is too big or stressful to bear What I am forgoing - A stable income - Work incentives and medical benefits Post-resignation plans - Take a hiatus, travel around abit, and work part-time in between - Find a full-time job of a different field (need to redefine my 

Another just-for-fun gadget troubleshoot post here. Stock market is currently too boring and I am not about to post another 'Blue chips still still in red sea" + triple sad face. I have just bought a digital tv setup box in preparation for UHF digital signal migration which is reported to be entirely replacing the current analogue signal by 2016. If you have no idea what I am talking about or have not watched the Kim Ng's advertisement saying how clear her pink hair would look on digital, please youtube it. If you already possess a digital TV (you will know if it has that label on the black box below), you would just need to purchase an antenna to receive the signal. And those of you with subscribed TV channels eg. Mio, you don't need to get any set up box or antenna. Troubleshoot questions and answers If you don't want to pay all this fees (below), please read on. How to receive the signal? 1. Ensure the antenna that comes togethe

It is in the human psychology to want to win back what we have lost. It is exactly this psychological notion which set us back and made us sit on our paper losses hoping that one fine day those losers would make a comeback. It is also this that made us 'throw good money after bad money'. Createwealth8888 did a very good chart illustration here on why we should control losses. We should treat our stocks like poultry instead of antique. If the hen has stopped laying eggs or fell sick (lost its value), then we should say bye-bye to it. Don't live in the illusion  of hope or hold on with sentimental value. There's no need to time the market when cutting losses - because bad hens do bad whether in good or bad times. (See fundamental analysis  and High value is not the same as low price  in choosing the good hens.) I first published this post back in 2012 but the articles here are still very much relevant. *Note the following links would bring you to external sit

STI snapshot STI components are down an average of 22.9% from their all time high this year. Highlighted in yellow are the "more shock-proof" stocks which are currently down less than 10%, whereas those in red are down by at least 30%. The generally shock-proof ones are namely SATS, ComfortDelgro and SPH. I would expect Telcos to be resilient but I guessed because of being over-valued at the high, the rebounds are limited. Most of the blue chips have slightly rebounded since my previous post in September, which were down by an average of 26.2%. How many of these blue chips could ride the waves and retain their operating profits in downturn? Contract-based companies, those with steady income stream, those dependent on crude oil prices - go figure. If you are vested, do keep a lookout for their annual reports. Most of the companies has already published their quarterly unaudited earnings on the SGX website.

I realised there was a same titled article published in Straits Times according to Investmentmoat's Kyith  http://www.investmentmoats.com/budgeting/saving-100k-by-the-time-you-are-30-years-old/ . I didn't read that article but just thought I would share my 2-cents worth here. Assuming one starts working from age 22, there's 8 years to save this amount (for ladies, for SG guys you gotta add 2 more years). If you are a poly grad, then you would start work earlier, so plus-minus again. To save $100k by age 30, you would need to save at least $12,500 a year. In the table illustration below showing yearly saving sums, you see that you could actually start off with a lesser saving amount and increase your savings gradually by 5% a year  (an estimate, assuming yearly and promotional pay rise, investment yields etc) and still reach your goal by age 30. That's barring any unforeseen event requiring huge expenditure. If you have started saving from young then you would alrea

That's me, I am the real budget barbie (er ok just kidding, I do spend on big items now and then... *sheepish smile*). This year my trusty UOB One card has increased its tier for quarterly rebate from $300 a month to $500. It is quite difficult to hit since I do not drive and I have just quit my gym membership. So now my credit card spending just revolves around groceries (fyi I don't cook), dining, lifestyle shopping and holidays (max twice a year). I was disappointed to find out that I failed to hit the quarterly rebate before they up-ed the tier as my July spending did not hit $300 (I was still naively spending on big items the following month with the card). This is because UOB's definition of July spending is really 'June spending' as they take the month reflected on the statement date rather than the month which the spending took place. PLUS one must spend on at least 3 transactions in those months. Blur me. The famous OCBC 365 is out of my picture

[Links in the post lead to external sites.] The bearish stock market has led me to revisit this post on Contract for Difference which was what I have read up to kick-start short selling. BUT this is not a post to encourage anybody to do so, it's more of an FYI. CFD is one of the instruments that can be used for short selling which gives you more flexibility to investment and also hedging power, read more here . Only some brokerages offer CFD and it is traded using a margin (leverage) account. Type of CFD The brokers that offer CFD can be subdivided into DMA or MM . DMA seems like a better option with higher transparency. DMA stands for direct market access which reflects the actual stock market prices. Here's an interesting read about what is short interest . But I have yet to discover where can we find short interest ratio for sg stocks. Using CFD - Risks Short selling can be used as a hedging tool. It can also be used to earn money in a bearish market. However, d

Hmm... Sweet deals for deploying your war chest? Make sure you log in to Vickers from your POSB or DBS ibank site and not direct to Vickers in order to enjoy these offers. Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid advert.

In deciding whether to buy, hold or sell a stock, we need to do FUNDAMENTAL analysis. In determining the short term trend and entry point in a stock, we need to do TECHNICAL analysis and also review market sentiments. Here's my understanding on fundamental analysis and what indicators should be considered. Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash Quantitative indicators: Price to earning ratio (low or high relative to competitors) Year-on-Year profit (note revenue does not mean profit) Net asset value (how much is the company's asset worth) Debt to asset ratio Dividend yield (increasing, decreasing? is the payout consistent?) Free cashflow & cashflow from operation Qualitative indicators - Understanding the business: Sources of revenues (does it earn from recurring income and not from one off from asset disposal?) Business plans and development (what acquisitions made?) Does it have a business moat? (eg. high barrier of entry, consumer cos

When I step into any of the well-known local banks, one thing that never fails to irritate me would be having financial advisers (or whatever position the bank prefers to call the personnel) coming to sweet-talk me into putting my money 'somewhere with better returns' when all I was there for was to open an FD account. Upon further probing, the products or package that they are trying to sell me are none other than endowment or annuity policies. By definition of wikipedia - "An endowment policy is a life insurance contract designed to pay a lump sum after a specific term (on its 'maturity') or on death. Typical maturities are ten, fifteen or twenty years up to a certain age limit. Some policies also pay out in the case of critical illness." "An annuity is a financial contract in the form of an insurance product according to which a seller (issuer) makes a series of future payments to a buyer (annuitant) in exchange for the immediate payment of a lum

Blog post number 111. It's been seven years of front line sales work, I start to think it's about time for me to move on to do something else. Doing sales may prove to be challenging work, especially for a fresh grad or natural introvert which I think I was once both. Doing sales has toughened me up greatly. Along the arduous journey from which I didn't start off from a sales background, I have come to realize the following rules on doing and closing sales these years... Smile Speak your customers' language Communication is tough if one speaks chicken and one speaks duck. Language is really a power tool. Ok, now where's my Google translate... Cluck cluck... you talking to me? Ask and listen before you speak. There's a Chinese saying: "The more you talk, the more err." So learn to listen first. Speak with confidence and conviction When you do open your mouth. Identify the potential client 80% of your sales come from 20% o

好看的不一定实用，但往往价格昂贵。 昂贵的不一定实用，实用的不一定贵。 买（昂贵）东西前的3大考量： 1. 这是不是个必须品？ （如果没有这个， 有其他更好或更便宜的代替品） 2. 这东西实用和耐用吗？ 3. 这东西我会每周使用吗？ *** "福生于清俭，德生于卑退“

My premonition of STI breaking support  in June turned out to be true, just that I didn't anticipate the big plunge. :( STI is on average down 25.1% from it's all time high this year. 8 counters have gone down 30% or more from their all time high. All counters suffer price decline with the only exception of SATS. I did not go digging up each business's net profit/loss. Interested to go blue chip shopping yet? Then you could perhaps look up on the business profit/loss and maybe the dividend yields for those that interest you. And once again the advice here is - don't catch a falling knife. *Correction: STI was down 26.2% when CapitaLand is factored in instead of Singapore Exchange (repeated lines). 

Read also:  My thoughts on Financial freedom . Financial freedom is defined as having the passive income so that you do not have to work or can choose to work to sustain your current needs and lifestyle. The key word is PASSIVE. This is usually the case when one invest sufficiently in businesses and have enough savings to generate a hefty sum of interest from bank or whichever source (ok... 'hefty' is pretty subjective here). As I thought about financial freedom, I have these questions popping into my head: Is it possible to achieve financial freedom in Singapore on retirement by relying on our good o' CPF and good o' HDB flats? Aiyo... retirement age is getting older and older. Resale HDB lease expiry getting nearer and nearer. At least the minimum sum in CPF is getting higher and higher.  Let's bang on the high interest rate there shall we? Provided our daddy doesn't change policy... Can we really achieve financial freedom through investing?  Then w

[Update year 2020: This fund has been closed by Nikko AM and is no longer available for subscription.] This is the very first fund I bought just to dip my toes into funds about 3 years ago. No RSP is subscribed. I shall do a quick review on how it's doing. When started: Year 2012 Price: $1.05 per unit Received dividend payout ONLY twice (3c per unit) from purchase to date. Thereafter, I was told by Nikko AM that the dividend is being reinvested into the fund after I feedback to POSB on the lack of dividend payout when the fund annual report says there's dividend (why does it seem like coins dropping into an endless depth with no echo at all...). Current price: $1.13 per unit (highest $1.31) Annualized return: 0.2% (huh?) Those bluechips that make up the fund are all dividend yielding, but the fund unit price growth is far from the yields. What does this mean? As we all know bond prices fluctuates very little and the stability comes in getting the yield. There's

When we can't fill our stomach, substitute time for money . When our basic needs are fulfilled, then we should  substitute money for ME TIME  - go for a holiday, go shopping, gaming, upgrade your skills, read on self-improvement, investments etc. In life we always need to find  balance. (We can talk about  Maslow's hierarchy of needs  in another post.) When we find ourselves selling ourselves, our souls and our precious time to money, Pause. Take a break and think.  ☕ ***

Ordered 'The five rules for Successful Stock Investing' by Pat Dorsey on 17 Aug. I saw that this book was highly recommended by a few finance bloggers and have personally borrowed it from NLB previously. The book was sent out 19 Aug (BD will email saying that item is on the way) and I received it on 3 Sep. The book came nicely packaged in a carton box-like parcel. Quite happy with the purchase experience overall except the late delivery (website says to SG is 5-9 working days but I have waited beyond that duration). There's no delivery charge, so what you see on the website is what you pay. No hassle at all. Price wise is reasonable too and may be cheaper than what we could get at local sg bookshops. (I couldn't find this Pat Dorsey book anywhere in the local mall bookshops and I saw Kinokuniya is selling at a higher price than BD.) Shall find time soon to read it again in more detail and dig out more 'gems' from it. ***

"Financial freedom is used to describe the state of having sufficient personal wealth to live indefinitely without having to work actively for basic necessities " - Wikipedia. It can also be defined as 'having a passive income so that you do not have to work or can choose to work to sustain your current needs and lifestyle'. However, the road to financial freedom may require much sacrifices.  If financial freedom and retiring early is the ultimate goal, what is the purpose of you wanting to get there? To escape from the work rat race? Can one really be satisfied with one's life after achieving so-called financial freedom? As long as we covet a certain lifestyle beyond the basic necessity and constantly seek for betterment, we might never TRULY reach financial freedom. The road to financial freedom itself is a rat race with a moving goal post. To work and enjoy life at the same time vs seeking financial freedom and lead a stressful life Which one wo

It's been a while again from my last update as I have been busy fire-fighting at work. A note to my previous post, Singapore Savings Bond is finally up for grab this October. So ready your cash cos the stocks don't look set to crash (despite the Greek crisis stirring in the background). I have remained dormant while I see my stocks go into the red zone and back to green again. So what's interesting lately? I have been to a job interview. To cut things short, it's kind of a one-man-show job which I could probably learn a lot on in terms of running a business. The downside is that the remuneration package is much lower than what I am getting in current job. After weighing the pros and cons, plus the total working hours (8.5 official hours a day, with alternate Sat half-day. There goes my pilate classes..), my financial goals, direction of this business and what I thought of the boss - I said to myself "Heck with what learning la, you don't know what you ar

Or maybe support already broken? Looking at the market, it has been quite volatile in the past weeks with the Greek bail out still uncertain and oil prices nowhere near rebound. No major news that would shake the market but also no catalyst to push it back up at this point. Some things to note in my portfolio - Keppel Corp which I bought when it was 8.83 not too long ago has plunged to 8.44. Aztech group (AVZ) stock consolidation has taken place (10:1) in an attempt to raise their stock price in accordance to the minimum stock price requirement of SGX but it has resulted in further drop in price from $1.30 to 0.98 (I have yet to do an analysis on its business intrinsic value now but it was bought from years ago). If OCBC drops further (now is trading at $10.10), I would consider picking some lots. I have just reinvested its dividend at a pretty good $9.52 premium price. The sudden Mers outbreak in Korea might dampen Asia's economy, particularly as businesses and tourism w