Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (4)

Read? Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (3)

More ideas from the book: "What Color Is Your Parachute? For Retirement."

Three Levels Of Retirement Happiness

1. Pleasure - Level 1
2. Engagement - Level 2
3. Meaning - Level 3

Engagement - Level 2

This level introduces a new element: challenge. But why would you want challenge in your retirement?

Here 's what Csikszentmihalyi's research discovered. When the challenges in your life are to far above your level of skill, they create anxiety. You've probably had a job like that at one time or another. But when the challenges in your life are too far below level of skill, they create  boredom. You probably wouldn't want a retirement like that. Perhaps you'd like more of a middle ground. That's what engaged retirement is about.

The secret is regularly finding interesting challenges that are a good match for your favourite skills and strengths. When you find these interesting challenges and become actively involved in them, you get a sense of accomplishment from doing them well.

Createwealth8888 thinks aloud

Exploring, gambling, trading or investing in the stock market may have presented interesting challenges to many retirees; otherwise where can we find such activities where there are so many retirees are participating them.  Don't believe me? Just go to any AGM, you will see many retirees there.

Probably, another reason is that retirees may think that trading or investing is another form of continuous "working" but at leisure pace to earn some retirement income as they generally will have much smaller profit target and once they hit it they may feel a sense of accomplishment.

So will trading in the stock market becomes my version of engaged retirement?

STI

Straits Times

3,144.70

-13.51

-0.43%

SINGAPORE - Singapore shares closed lower on Tuesday with the blue-chip Straits Times Index down 13.51 points to 3,144.70.

Volume was 1.35 billion shares worth $2.27 billion.

Losers led gainers 304 to 172.

Compare Your Annual Income 2010 against others in Singapore?

Try it yourself? Compare Your Annual Income 2010

See how well you rank against all resident taxpayers in Singapore?

(***** Someone's comment: There are 2 segments not included – those who don’t earn enough to be taxed and those who are too rich to work for an income (they are only taxed on their rental and dividend incomes, so it’s not particularly representative).

So are you happy with your ranking?

If you are already rank very high up there, perhaps

you may Want Happiness? Invest in Relationships, Not Just Markets

Median income of Singaporeans rose 4.2% in 2010: MOM

SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) said the median monthly income of resident Singaporeans in full-time employment rose by 4.2 per cent over the year to S$2,710 in June, boosted by the strong economic recovery.


That is higher than the marginal growth of just half a per cent in 2009.

MOM said even after adjusting for the higher inflation this year, the median income rose by 1.8 per cent, recovering from a slight dip of 0.1 per cent in 2009.

Part-timers also saw a significant increase of 13 per cent in their median income to S$700 this year.

Overall, the nominal median income for all employed residents rose by 3.3 per cent to S$2,500, after falling by 1.2 per cent last year.

MOM said the growth in income this year came earlier and stronger than in the previous recovery, when the median income hardly moved from 2001 to 2006, before rising significantly in 2007.

The Ministry also said that the strong economic recovery has boosted the employment rate.

The increase in employment rate was broad-based across both prime and older age groups, especially among women. A record 71.7 per cent of women in the prime-working ages of 25 to 54 were working this year, up from 69.4 per cent in 2009.

Nevertheless, MOM said their employment rate was still below the 92.4 per cent for prime-working age men, which increased from 91.6 per cent in 2009.

The proportion of residents aged 25 to 64 in employment rebounded to a new high of 77.1 per cent from 75.8 per cent in 2009, after falling by 1.2 percentage-points from the preceding year due to the economic downturn.

The employment rate for older residents aged 55 to 64 rose to a new high of 59.0 per cent in 2010, after holding steady at 57.2 per cent over the past two years.

The rise was largely contributed by a marked increase in proportion of older women in employment from 40.1 per cent in 2009 to 43.4 per cent in 2010.

The employment rate for older men was also at a record high of 75.0 per cent in 2010.

Supported by the economic recovery, the resident unemployment rate and number improved significantly from 4.5 per cent in June 2009 to 3.2 per cent in June 2010.

-CNA/ac

Understanding Debt, Risk and Leverage (Re-visit)

Read? Understanding Debt, Risk and Leverage

"debt-free and that, to me, is richness enough" - Tabitha Wang


Read? debt-free — and that, to me, is richness enough

Tabitha's life story is a good reminder to us that in the current low-interests rate environment it doesn't mean rosy long-term investment returns ahead. It may also unexpectedly trap us if we are too highly leverage in our investment at the next deep recession. Who knows it could be just a few years down the road from 2011 as economics and market cycles seem to be shorter now.

DOW

Dow

11,052.49

-39.51

-0.36%

By: Abby Schultz, JeeYeon Park

Stocks declined, but ended significantly off session lows, as financials gained and the dollar slipped, although investors remained concerned about the effectiveness of Europe's attempt to contain sovereign debt troubles.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 39.51 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,052.49. The blue-chip index plunged 162 points earlier in the day, falling below the psychologically important benchmark.


The S&P 500 fell 1.64 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 1,187.76, while the Nasdaq fell 9.34 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 2,525.22. Both were off lows of the session. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, fell below 22.

Kep Corp - Good chance of it breaking 11.06

Holders of SML may start switching out and into Kep Corp.

Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (3)

Read? Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (2)

More ideas from the book: "What Color Is Your Parachute? For Retirement."


Three Levels Of Retirement Happiness

1. Pleasure - Level 1
2. Engagement - Level 2
3. Meaning - Level 3

Level 1 - Pleasure

It's usually based on your interests in the world outside of work. It's the same kind of stuff that you pursue whenever you have free time: hobbies, entertainment, spectator events, travel, socializing. these things are enjoyable partly just because they're work. And they are enjoyable partly because there's something about the subject or pastime that you find interesting.

During your working life, these low-involvement activities bring a welcome counterbalance to your work. In retirement, though, these activities are no longer counterbalancing work and they may not have enough weight to stand on their own. They may not be rich enough to bring the amount of happiness that you expect from them. They were up to the task of filling your all-too-short weekends and a week or two of vacation. And it helps if you can choose from a wide range of pleasureable activities that you've already lined up and experienced. But they may not be up to the task of filling weeks and months and years and decades of retirement.

Createwealth8888 thinks aloud

I think it is far better to find a hobby that you can still DIY without the help or need of a partner to derive that little pleasure.  My goodness! What are you thinking? Masturbating? LOL.

No lah. I am talking about fishing.

Fishing is not just pleasure and it is also a source of FRESH food supply especially when I love to eat seafood. When I go fishing, I don't just limit to fish. There are blur sotongs for me to jig. Crabs for me to trap and may even hook up sea mantis.

Read? Want Happiness? Invest in Relationships, Not Just Markets

To be continue ....

Want Happiness? Invest in Relationships, Not Just Markets

By: Darren Connell
Senior Producer,

We’ve all heard that money can’t by you love. Now comes the news that once you reach a certain level, it can’t even buy you happiness.

Australian Unity and Deakin University released the results from Australia’s most comprehensive study ever into happiness and wellbeing last week. The report spanned ten years of research, 24 surveys, with responses from more than 80,000 participants. Some of the findings were enough to make you throw in the suit and tie.

Most importantly for investors, the report revealed that once you reach a certain level, money does not really bring happiness. In Australia, this happens once gross annual household income reaches between A$101,000 to A$150,000 per year. After that, the report’s author, Professor Bob Cummins of Deakin University’s school of psychology, said you’re better off investing in relationships, not shares.

“Our research shows that having an intimate relationship is the most important thing. If you’ve got one solid intimate, emotional relationship, then you’re very well off,” said Cummins.

But the report did show that money brings happiness to those on lower incomes. For a household earning A$15,000 per annum it would take just A$6,000 to increase their wellbeing level by a single point. For households earning between A$151,000 and A$250,000 per annum, it would take an extra A$147,000 to boost wellbeing levels by the same margin.

"What is the key to a happy life? According to the report, the answer is to invest in your relationships and community, just as much as you invest in the markets. Plus, don’t forget to have a drink while you do it."

“If you can’t afford the basics, it leads to a great deal of unhappiness. On average in Australia, people need about A$100,000 of gross household income. That will pretty much maximize the happiness you can get from money. Beyond that, money doesn’t matter. If you’re living with unhappy children what can you do? There are some things where money is not an inadequate defense,” Cummins said.

So what does bring us happiness? Well the results are surprising.

According to Professor Cummins disasters like September 11, the Bali Bombings and the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria were all healthy for the nation’s sense of wellbeing.

“There’s a phenomena called the rally index, as in people rally to the flag. People turn to each other and the government in times of need for support. People connect with others and get a sense of being part of a community. This is good for wellbeing because it gives people a sense of belonging to a larger group."

Giving both your money and time to charity is also good for wellbeing. The study found that volunteers are amongst the happiest people in Australia. Professor Cummins puts this down to the fact that as human beings, we need to feel like we are part of a community.

“Volunteering brings people into contact with other people in a positive environment, it gives us a sense of we’re in this together to make the world a better place. It’s a very positive thing.”

So what then is the key to a happy life? According to the report, the answer is to invest in your relationships and community, just as much as you invest in the markets. Plus, don’t forget to have a drink while you do it. The study found that people who drink every day have a very high rate of wellbeing, while those that don’t drink at all, came last in the category.

Keppel Corp (BN4.SG) in sweeter spot after Petrobras tender bids revealed,

0714 GMT [Dow Jones] DBS Vickers says Keppel Corp (BN4.SG) in sweeter spot after Petrobras tender bids revealed, could win 4-11 contracts worth US$3.5 billion-US$8 billion, while SembCorp Marine (S51.SG) could end up with 0-7 drillship contracts. Keeps Keppel at buy, raises FY11/FY12F earnings by 2.0%-3.0% on shortened recognition period for newbuild orders to 24-27 months vs up to 36 months previously, raises target to S$12.20 vs S$11.30, raises valuation peg on O&M division to 18.5X vs 16.7X. For SMM, says competitive edge weakened by higher pricing. "However, given the Alusa consortium''s absence of track record, Petrobras may choose to award contracts to SMM, to diversify its risk exposure." No change to estimates, target of $5.48, keeps Buy. "In the event SMM loses the Petrobras bid, the impact on its FY12F earnings could be up to 5.0%." Keppel +1.1% at S$10.92, SMM down 1.7% at S$4.76. (matthew.allen@dowjones.com)

Will You Try To Pay Off Your Housing Loan ASAP If You Have One? (5)

Read? Will You Try To Pay Off Your Housing Loan ASAP If You Have One? (4)

"When I told some colleagues that I dumped all available CPF money to pay up and took up only 5-year housing loan. I believe some of them might think that I was stupid not to take advantage of the cheapest loan available." - Createwealth8888

I know that the housing loan is the cheapest loan in town and I also heard many times from Mr Property Guru and Mr Banker that housing loan is GOOD DEBT if you are a savvy investor. Really ah?

But I also know that debts will cost me interests payment ..

You need to remember that as long you have debts, any money you invest elsewhere is costing you interests payment since you are not paying off that money towards your debts so actually there is a net effect between Returns on investment and interests payment.

A Simple Case Study

Let assume ...

Investor A and Investor B are both savvy investors. Both have $300K cash to purchase their home and $10K per year to invest for the next 30 years.

Investor A chooses to pay off $300K upfront and starts off investing at Year 1 with only $10K while Investor B takes up a 30-years term housing loan at 1% fixed interest mortgage rate and starts investing at Year 1 with $310K and both investors can generate compounded ROC at 2% for their accumulated investing capital for the next 30 years.

[I use this Mortgage Calculator to get the yearly loan payment for $300K loan at 1% for 30 years term. (Property tax, PMI = 0%)]

Here is the Maths:

At the end of 30 years, Investor B made 17.8% more than Investor A or annualized of 0.6% better than Investor A. However, for 30 years, Investor A can sleep soundly at nights during multiple recessions that can be expected since this is the way economics cycles work.

I also learnt that Every Bull and Bear market may impact you differently. Beware!

In this case, Investor B is exposed to higher capital loss risk since Year 1 while Investor B is exposed to capital loss risk gradually every year.

Seriously, do you want to be Investor A or Investor B?

Kep Corp and Semb Marine

Pg 36, invest, thesundaytimes Nov 28, 2010

5 Building your stocks war chest
.....  DBS Vickers strategist Yeo Kee Yan ...

Mr Yeo recommends ....

Firstly, rig builders Keppel Corp and Sembcorp Marine stand to win new orders next year.

It could be a record year for SembMarine if it clinches Brazilian oil company Petrobras' contract for seven drill ships, with aprojected total order of $11.4B

Likewise, Keppel Corp stands to win total new orders of $11B, including $6.5B from Petrobras.

--------------------------------------------------

I believe many retail investors will read and pay close attention to "invest" section's articles and may act with good faiths.

Will Kep Corp and SML be well supported by retail investors on any pullback?

Kep Corp Weekly - Still have room to move up.

SML Weekly - Went up too fast. Probably limited upside with more profit taking likely.

What does the Govt thinks of Singaporeans?

1. Regarding their investment skills and market savvy

The following CPF rules related to CPF investment:

From 1 May 2009, only monies in excess of $20,000 in your Ordinary Account and $30,000 in your Special Account can be invested.

Up to 35% of investible savings can be invested in Shares, Property Funds (or real estate investment trusts) and Corporate Bonds.

You should always check the CPF website www.cpf.gov.sg for any updates in the rules for CPF investment.

2. Regarding their retirement fund

SINGAPORE--Singapore will raise the retirement age for its citizens to 65 from 62 by 2012 and eventually to 67 to account for the higher life expectancy of its ageing population, its prime minister said on Sunday.

"The best way to be all right in old age and to have enough savings is to stay employed and to work longer. Because with longer lifespans you cannot retire at 55 and live until 80 or 85 or 90," Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech on state television to mark the city-state's national day.

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng has indicated that the country may need to raise its retirement age to 68.

Mr Lim, who's in Finland accompanying President S R Nathan on his state visit there said Singaporeans need to work longer as their life span increases.

That is because they need to accumulate more for their old age.

Mr Lim who is also the minister in charge of issues on ageing in Singapore, cited Finland as an example, and will use this trip as an opportunity to study how the Finnish are dealing with their ageing population.

Mr Lim added there are areas that Singapore can emulate. One of which is to mobilise the elderly to organise themselves and form retirement communities that can provide mutual support and friendship.

A law that will make it mandatory for employers to offer re-employment to workers beyond the age of 62 will be in place by 2012.

"We are raising the retirement age, through the process of re-employment from the current 62 to 65 in January 2012. Beyond that we would have to examine how we can further raise the retirement age. In Finland, they have raised it to 68, so it gives us an indication about where we should be heading.Because the Finns are not living longer than us, we have a life expectancy of about 80, I think the finns are little less than us," said Mr Lim.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Government needs to step in to help and protect the average CPF members on their investment by setting investing limit and investment guidelines. It also help to enable average Singaporeans to work longer as their life span increases by raising official retirement age so that they can accumulate more and may have enough for their retirement.

In another word, if we want to retire well and early before the latest official retirement age, we must rise above the Average Singaporean by earning more, saving more, and investing well to build up enough retirement fund to see us through longer life expectancy of about 80 or more.
 
More importantly, we may have to start thinking of retirement much earlier than our parents' generation.
 
Have you started thinking of your own retirement or still worrying about your kids education fund. BTW, your kids can borrow from banks for their university education but you can't borrow from the banks for your retirement.

Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (2)

Read? Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (1)

Some understanding from the book: "What Color Is Your Parachute? For Retirement."

Why "Enough Money" Isn't Enough?

If life is a journey and retirement is a journey too.

First, a true journey always has an element of the unknown.

Second, there is a need to maintain well-being in this journey.

Well-being

It has three distinct dimensions:

1. Prosperity (material abundance)
2. Health (a sound body)
3. Happiness (a positive subjective experience)

We need all three dimensions in our retirement journey.

A Recipe for Retirement

Here's an analogy for how the dimensions of well-being combine. Many dessert baking recipes call for four basic ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, butter. It's amazing how many varied and delightful desserts you can create by using just these four ingredients in different amounts and proportions (plus different flavourings and spices). But no one of these ingredients can take the place of any of the others in the recipe.

Not only does each contribute a different sensory pleasure to the eating experience, but each also play an essential, irreplaceable chemical role in the transformation from dough or batter to baked dessert. If you don't have any eggs, you can't just add more butter and expect the recipe to work. If you're a bit short on sugar, you can't increase the amount of flour to compensate. When you choose your recipe, you must have the enough of these ingredients on hand - no substitutions.

When you're planning for well-being in retirement, think of the three dimensions of well-being - prosperity, health, and happiness - as essential baking ingredients. You can't just keep adding money and expect it to turn into health or happiness. In your life and in your retirement planning, don't waffle on this issue - demand your just desserts.

Work Less and Gone Fishing Planning Room (1)

Read? HOW TO RETIRE?

Four Pre-Conditions for Retirement


You can retire only when you fulfill these 4 pre-conditions:

1. Your children are financially independent (e.g. they got jobs),
2. You have zero liability (all your borrowings are paid up),
3. You have enough savings to support your lifestyle for the rest of your life,
AND most importantly,
4. You know what you would be doing during your retirement.

DO NOT retire till you meet ALL 4 Pre-Conditions. And of course you should not retire if you enjoy working and are getting paid for it!

Countdown to Four Pre-Conditions for Retirement

Pre-condition 2 to 4 - No problems as condition 2-4 are already meet.

Pre-condition 1 - It will be fulfilled when my Endowment Life policy matured on Mar 2016. The amount should be more than enough to provide my youngest son for his university education and living expenses starting from Aug 2016 till he starts working in 2020/21.

If by taking the good advice from Mr. Cheng, I should only retire after Mar 2016 or probably the best time is at 60 (BTW, the official retirement age is 65 or 68 by the time I reach 60). In another word, it is still an early retirement for me.

But Expected the Unexpected

Ya. I am fully aware that starting from next year (55 lor), I will be in HR's name-list as part of the cost-cutting elements in the organisation to help the company to improve its bottom-line.

How do I know that I have Enough?

"The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money." - Johnny Carson

How Much Do You Need for Your Retirement? I did this simulation.

Major STI Data Points since 1990

Money Management - What to do with your year-end bonus?

Tomorrow, there will be an article in thesundaytimes on Money Management - What to do with your year-end bonus?

But for me it is a different question - What to do with my last year-end bonus?

After experiencing my first pay-cut and zero bonus during 1997/1998 Asian financial crisis, and thereafter I have decided upon on this strategy - keeping the full current year-end bonus as reserve and spend last year-end bonus till the next bonus. In this way, I may not under-spend my money and to avoid spending away future money and I will be in better position to face the next  pay-cut and zero bonus scenarios if it happens.

Firstly, part of last year-end bonus is reserved to pay income tax. LOL

DOW

Dow

11,092.00

-95.28

-0.85%

By: JeeYeon Park

Stocks finished the week lower Friday during a shortened trading session amid lingering uncertainty surrounding Europe's debt worries and a warning from North Korea.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 95.28 points, or 0.9 percent, to end at 11,091.87.


The S&P 500 declined 8.95 points, or 0.8 percent, to finish at 1,189.40, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 8.56 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 2,534.56. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, was above 21.

For the week, the Dow lost 1 percent, while the S&P 500 declined 0.9 pct. But the Nasdaq gained 0.7 pct for the week.

All key S&P sectors were under pressure, led by materials, energy and financials.

Volume has been extremely light as U.S. stock markets will close at 1 pm EST following the Thanksgiving holiday.

In Europe, the Portuguese government denied a news report suggesting it's being pressured into seeking a bailout from other euro zone countries and the European Central Bank, but market jitters continued.

Another report said the International Monetary Fund and European Union were considering plans to force senior bondholders to foot some of the bill for bailing out Ireland's banks.

European shares were sharply lower across the board on the back of the reports. Asian stocks were also in the red with South Korea's Kospi index seeing the worst of the declines.

The dollar rose against other major currencies, sending the price of oil down near $83 a barrel and gold down below $1,355 an ounce.
LinksList Documentid: 40379613

China warned against military acts near its coastline ahead of U.S.-South Korean naval exercises that North Korea said risked pushing the region towards war, further rattling investors. The North shelled a South Korean island earlier this week.

Fears over debt spiraling out of control were expressed in the U.S. too, with FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair writing, in an op-ed in the Washington Post, that the next crisis could start from Washington if the US does not work to cut its debt.

Meanwhile, shoppers prepared to kick off the holiday shopping season, with retailers hoping for strong sales on the all-important "Black Friday."

Early anecdotal evidence from shoppers who lined up at stores well before dawn on Friday and from industry analysts who hopped between several malls suggested traffic was strong and the appetite to buy was up from a year ago.

"Judging from the excitement at Toys R Us at 10 p.m. (Thursday) and throughout the evening, the shopper is back," Toys R Us Chief Executive Jerry Storch told Reuters.

Resource-related stocks were in focus as key base metals prices fell, pressured by a rise in margin requirements by the Shanghai Futures Exchange that prompted liquidation of speculative positions.

Sabana REIT makes weak debut

Does it means game over for the Bulls?

-----------------------------------------------------------
SINGAPORE: The world's largest Shari'ah-compliant REIT by total assets opened to a sluggish start on its first day of trade in Singapore because of weak market sentiment.


Sabana Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust or Sabana REIT closed its first day of trade at S$1.02.

That's 2.8% lower than the IPO price of S$1.05.

While it may have been a tepid debut for Sabana REIT, some analysts said they expect strong appetite for such products in the future.

Sabana REIT's portfolio includes 15 industrial properties which are located in Singapore, where the manager of the REIT believes there is sustained demand for industrial properties.

HSBC is the sole financial adviser to the REIT, and it says this could be the first of many such listings in the market here.

HSBC's managing director and head of real estate advisory for Asia Pacific, Jason Kern, said: "I do think it will be a bit of a trend. I think what we have demonstrated through the execution of this IPO is that there is incremental demand out there for investors who don't normally invest in Singapore REITs.

"We have roughly 30% of the demand for this deal (from) brand new sources of capital.....the Middle East, Malaysia, Shari'ah compliant investors. So I think that's very powerful."


- CNA/ir

Biosensors Weekly - Still looking good!

STI

Straits Times

3,159.37

+0.14

+0.00%

SINGAPORE : Stocks in Singapore closed flat on Friday in quiet trade overshadowed by tensions on the Korean peninsula and the eurozone's debt woes.

The Straits Times Index fell 1.15 points to close at 3,158.08.

Volume was 1.16 billion shares.

Losers led gainers 271 to 140.

Keppel Land shed 1.30 per cent to S$4.57, while Keppel Corp rose 0.2 per cent to S$10.80.

Sabana REIT, which made its debut on the Singapore Exchange, closed 2.8 per cent lower at S$1.02, compared to its initial public offering price of S$1.05 per unit.

Golden Agri Resources declined 0.7 per cent to S$0.735, Wilmar International ended steady at S$6.08, while Olam International was unchanged at S$3.09.

Sembcorp Marine was down 3.8 per cent at S$4.84, while Sembcorp Industries declined 1.62 per cent to end at S$4.87.

Kep Corp

With more good news coming out from Kep corp and

with the recent pullback Kep Corp should be able to break into the next higher box.

Singaporeans continue to get richer: MAS

By SIOW LI SEN


SINGAPORE - Singaporeans continue to get richer supported by buoyant property prices. Households balance sheets have on the whole remained strong, supported by the continued broad-based recovery of the Singapore economy, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore Financial Stability Review 2010 released on Thursday.

Property holdings have reached an estimated $651 billion in Q3 2010, up 21 per cent from $537 billion in Q3 2009

Household net wealth, defined as household assets less household debt, stood at an estimated $1,156 billion in Q3 2010. This represents a 29 per cent improvement from the trough in Q1 2009.

The gain was largely due to the higher value of property holdings as the property market continued its upward trajectory after bottoming out in Q1 2009.

Property holdings have reached an estimated $651 billion in Q3 2010, up 21 per cent from $537 billion in Q3 2009.

Another contributing factor to rising household net wealth was larger holdings of equity and managed funds, owing to the turnaround in global equity markets in Q3 2010.

CapitaLand, HPL unveil d'Leedon at average S$1,680 psf

By ANGELA TAN


CapitaLand, Hotel Properties Limited and their partners on Thursday unveiled d'Leedon, a residential development along Farrer Road on the site of the former Farrer Court.

d'Leedon, designed by internationally-renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid, is being developed by a CapitaLand-led consortium that includes Hotel Properties Limited, a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate and Wachovia Development Corporation (a unit of Wells Fargo & Company).

A total of 1,715 units - comprising 1,703 apartments and 12 exclusive semi-detached houses - will be built on the expansive 840,049 sq ft site. The apartments are spread over seven 36-storey residential towers.

The average price of the units is S$1,680 per square foot.

Keppel wins US$180 mil KFELS B Class jackup rig contract from Standard Drilling

The rig will be duilt to KFELS B Class design and will be able to operate in water depths of 400 feet and drilling depths of 30,000 feet.


Standard Drilling also has the option to build two more jackups, which if exercised,will bring th total contract value to about $550 million, said Keppel in a statement.

The first rig is due for delivery in the second half of 2012.

Standard Drilling is fully owned subsidiary of Norwegian investment company Ferncliff TIH.

"We are seeing activities and opportunities in the jackup market recovering quickly and are positive that this demand for newer, safer, high-specification jackups will be sustained, given the growing need worldwide for premium units with capabilities to operate safely in more challenging locations,” said chief executive of Ferncliff Martin Nes.

STI

Straits Times

3,159.23

+22.22

+0.71%

SINGAPORE - Singapore share prices ended 0.7% higher on Thursday, in line with global markets.

Stronger-than-expected US labour numbers helped global markets claw back ground lost over recent sessions due to Korea-related geopolitical concerns and eurozone debt worries.

Singapore's blue-chip Straits Times Index (STI) finished up 22.22 points at 3,159.23. On the broader market, gainers outnumbered losers 302 to 155. Volume traded was 1.10 billion shares worth S$1.16 billion.

With US markets closed on Thursday and half of Friday for the Thanksgiving public holiday, leads for Asian markets on Friday are expected to be fairly limited and volumes light.

Time is the Cause, Volume is the Fuel and Price is the Result

By Benjamin Lee


There are many laws governing the financial markets just as there is gravity law to hold things together on the earth. One of the powerful financial market laws is summed up in this phrase "Time is the Cause, Volume is the Fuel and Price is the Result." There is a lot of market wisdom in this principle. If we could truly understand this, we could potentially unlock the mystery of the financial markets. In fact, if we look hard enough at the world that surrounded us, we could see patterns that conform to this universal law that works beautifully in the stock markets. In fact, I spent a lot of time researching into this phrase and would like to share some of my thoughts with you.


I will break down the whole phrase into three distinct parts and I will begin the exploration from the bottom up.

1. Time is the Cause
2. Volume is the Fuel
3. Price is the Result

Let us begin with the topic of price analysis. Stock price is something that most people are interested in. Very simple as to why they do so. Stock prices determine their profits in stock trading or investment. If you purchased company equity at $5 per share and it goes up to $10, you practically double your investment portfolio. The first thing when we look at the stock ticker tape, we notice the market price of the shares traded in the stock exchange.

Naturally many people think that the ultimate thing about stock trading is about the price per share. How limited that understanding is because we are looking at the stock market thru one dimension only.

In fact, stock market operators use the stock prices as the bait for drawing the public to purchase their shares of which they are desperately want to dispose. How to fish if there isn’t any bait to feed the fishes? There are many technical indicators which are wonderful technical analysis tools available ranging from simple moving averages to the famous MACD indicator, use the stock price as the base variable for the formula calculation.

Price indeed is a powerful variable to study in the analysis of financial markets as it is the direct result which all of us are interested in. Fibonacci, one of my favorite technical analysis tools, could be used to project potential retracement levels of the stock prices in the pullback. Another powerful market analysis tool available to us is the study of chart patterns.

Volume is the driving force of the rising stock price. This is where many people miss the point. A stock rises from $5 to $10 does not mean much if the volume is only 100 shares transacted. That would be just a $500 – $1000 dollar value shares transaction. So, the public often get excited when they see some barely active shares jump up 50% in a single trading day. I would put much emphasis on the volume analysis in the light of price analysis to get a better glimpse on what is happening behind the scene.

Stock market operators put great emphasis on volume rather on the stock price. The main reason is because the volume determines how many shares they can dispose to the public or how many shares they can accumulate from the retail investors.

Stock market operators are very smart individuals or collective groups of people. They too can engineer public interests by stirring the calm water by increasing the transacted volume thru buying and selling using different trading accounts. When the retail investors saw that a buyer purchased the stock at $10 with a single transaction volume of 100,000 shares, they immediately thought some rich guy is behind the purchase and therefore the stock will be going up in price. Unknown to them, that the seller of those 100,000 shares was actually the same buyer.

The retail investors got tricked into chasing the rising stock price as the fear of missing the boat and the greed of profits grip them. Therefore, we must pay much attention to the volume analysis to know what is going on behind the scene. What we would want to derive from the volume analysis is to whether the smart money is accumulating the shares or disposing the shares.

Therefore, a healthy rising stock price must be fuel with "healthy" volume. However, a declining stock price can happen without much volume. Shares fall at their own weight as though there is some gravity inclination.

Looking at the volume in analyzing stocks is likening to looking at the market using two dimensional views.

Time analysis in stock market is even uncommon especially to the retail investors. Time analysis provides what I called it as three dimensional views to the stock market. Everything is about timing. There is even timing in the breath that we take in every single moment.

Time animates everything surrounding us including us. This laptop that I used to write this blog is also animated by some clocking mechanism that provides the pulse to parse the instructions stored in the microprocessor. Let me tell you something which you might not hear before. When the time comes for the stock market to move upwards, it will move up regardless of the news that we hear surrounding us. Even if there are wars going on or earthquakes happening somewhere, if it is time to move up, it will move up. I repeat, it will move up. How many time we short on bad news only to find that the stock soars higher regardless of the "outlook" as perceived by our own understanding.

WD Gann once said the Time is the most important variable among Price, Volume and Time. As mentioned, Gann tools are some of the powerful timing tools to analyze the stock market timing. However, if you delved deeper, you might find some of the methods are not so conventional. I can only say that if you want to disprove that market theory, then you have to study it first and see for yourself.

In conclusion to the above post, I have basically chart out the entire learning path that any stocks, commodities, futures, options or forex traders should embark in learning more of the financial markets. Each section itself has vast division to explore further.

• Price Analysis
• Volume Analysis
• Time Analysis

"Time is the Cause, Volume is the Fuel, and Price is the Result. Over all these three, Time is the most important of all."


Read more? Volume and Price action?

DOW

DJI	11,187.28	+150.91

On Wednesday November 24, 2010, 4:32 pm EST

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street rallied as stock investors put aside worries about swirling global problems on Wednesday, turning to improvement in the labor market and signs consumers are ready to open their wallets ahead of the biggest shopping day of the year.

New claims for unemployment benefits hit their lowest level in more than two years last week while consumer spending rose for a fourth straight month in October, suggesting the economy is nearing a self-sustaining recovery.

The data boosted enthusiasm in the consumer sector, which has outperformed all year, as Black Friday, a key date for retailers and the traditional kickoff to the year-end shopping season, approached.

Utility of additonal wealth and investment choices

Read? What's wrong with REITs and NCPS?

Before you start borrowing big fat boys' investment strategy, you may want to understand the behaviour theory behind it.

Bernoulli (1738) popularised the concept of the utility of additional wealth is inversely related to the amount already processed. This may help to explain why many wealthier individuals (big fat boys) may be more inclined to choose fixed income investments over day-trading. Their unwillingness to assume greater risks is related to their perception that they have much to lose in the realm of personal possessions and not much to gain in the realm of personal needs.

STI

Straits Times

3,137.01

+10.71

+0.34%

Keppel & Nakilat launches premier marine & offshore facility in Qatar

New shipyard signs service arrangements with eight major fleet owners.


Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), Qatar's premier offshore and marine facility jointly developed by Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (Keppel O&M) and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat), was launched yesterday by the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang.

On this occasion, N-KOM strengthened its credentials to be a leading shipyard in the Middle East with the signing of a three year fleet servicing agreement with Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCo) for ship repair services. N-KOM further signed a memorandum of understanding with Gulf Drilling International (QSC) and also entered into letters of intent with, Idemitsu Tanker, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, NYK Line, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line), Iino Kaiun Kaisha (Iino Lines) and Marine Contracting Association (MARCAS) to provide shipyard and drydocking services for their vessels.

Mr Choo Chiau Beng, CEO of Keppel Corporation and Chairman of Keppel O&M said, "When we embarked on this landmark collaboration with Nakilat in 2007, we had envisioned that it would be a best-in-class shipyard, and the preferred partner for marine and offshore solutions in the region.

"As N-KOM opens its doors to the world, we are on the journey to transform this vision into reality. We would like to thank our valued customers for their confidence in us with the signing of these fleet servicing arrangements. We look forward to delivering our projects safely, on time and within budget. This is Keppel's quality hallmark, which we bring close to our customers and markets, wherever they are."

Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang remarked, "The launch of N-KOM today is a result of the strong desire by Singapore and Qatar to forge greater collaboration, and the years of hard work between our countries and companies.

"This positive development reflects how Singaporean companies like Keppel can bring their successful operations into the Middle East. With Qatar's ambition and commitment to grow its energy sector, there are many opportunities for Singapore and Qatar companies to collaborate. I look forward to International Enterprise (IE) Singapore to continue its support of Singapore companies to take root in Qatar, as it did successfully for Keppel."

As part of the inauguration, N-KOM was also presented with certification from DNV (Det Norske Veritas) for its Integrated Management System covering ISO 9001 for Quality, OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health & Safety and ISO 14001 for Environmental Management.

His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry for the State of Qatar and Chairman, Nakilat, said, "The Nakilat Shipyard combines world-class facilities with outstanding international partners which will establish Qatar as an internationally recognised centre of excellence in shipbuilding, repair and conversion along with new capabilities in industrial fabrication and construction".

Mr. Muhammad A. Ghannam, Managing Director of Nakilat and Chairman of N-KOM, added, "We chose to partner Keppel because they are the leaders in their field and with their proven experience, expertise, and the Can-Do spirit, N-KOM will grow from strength to strength. We are confident that with the leadership and endorsement of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, this landmark shipyard will establish Qatar as a centre of excellence in the marine and offshore industry."

As part of a global network of 20 yards, N-KOM replicates the Keppel's proven management systems, and will further leverage the Group's experience, expertise and the resources to provide value-added offshore & marine solutions to meet the needs of an international clientele.

The above mentioned agreement, memorandum of understanding and letters of intent are not expected to have any material impact on the net tangible assets and earnings per share of Keppel Corporation Limited for the current financial year.

What's wrong with REITs and NCPS?

Just for Laugh ....

Actually nothing wrong when you have a bigger and fatter account size to generate a large income stream.

May be it is not be so right when you have a smaller and thinner account size looking to grow your wealth at a faster rate.

Next time before you borrow someone's strategy, may be you should ask them. "Hey!, What is your account size?"

REITs. Simply explained! (6)

Read? Why REITs and Business Trust are not always good investments

Reproduced part of it here:

"Investors should not harbour any delusions that REITs are created primarily for their benefit. REITs are created first and foremost to help owners dispose of unwanted assets.


As a general rule, the best assets do not get sold into a REIT, they are held forever by the original owner. From a purely rational perspective, REITs are simply a convenient dumping ground to offload undesirable assets to a gullible public. An outright sale would be difficult since the buyer would likely do due diligence and negotiate a discount for lousy assets. But the public can be convinced to buy anything in a bull market. In fact very little convincing is needed – the public is happy to convince itself, especially in today’s low-interest rate environment.


Sponsored trusts are created to help owners divest unwanted assets. The management fees are just a bonus.


Non-sponsored trusts are created primarily for the management fees."


Read? REITs. Simply explained! (5)

Capitaland and its six REITs

At CPL Celebrating 10 Years Investors Day, someone asked the Horse: "Should I buy CPL or its REITs?"
 
The Horse replied: "Depending what you want. You want growth with some income buy CPL. If you want income only then buy REITs."
 
More understanding from the Horse's Mouth
 
"CPL is actively re-cycling its capital to maximize returns to its shareholders. When a piece of its properties has become MATURED it will then offload it into one of its REITS to recover its capital and to look for better investment yield by taking higher risks"
 
Why not simply ask any experienced private property investors, will they invest in matured properties just for their rental yield? What can you expect from their answers, good or bad?

DOW - Breaking down 11,000 and more pains to come since it is a shorter week

Dow

11,036.37

-142.21

-1.27%

CNBC

Why Stocks May Have Seen All Their Gains for This Year


A series of daunting events-from renewed tensions between the two Koreas to a flareup in Europe's debt crisis to a growing insider-trading probe of hedge funds-has investors pulling out of stocks again, leaving some pros to wonder if this year's rally is finally over.


Federal Reserve asset buying helped lead a charge that saw the market gain 17 percent from Aug. 26 to Nov. 5, two days after the central bank announced the second phase of its so-called quantitative easing program.

But the market has clearly cooled off since then. The Standard & Poor's 500 (INDEX: .SPX) has fallen roughly three percent, though it still is up over seven percent for the year.

With praise for QE-2 turning to harsh criticism, Europe's debt problems rearing their head and new hostilities between North and South Korea, investors are reluctantly coming to grips with the fact that there are significant headwinds in the markets.

"Based on momentum and sentiment extremes achieved at the nearby highs, it seems likely that the stock market will be on a declining path, at least through year-end," David Rosenberg, economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto, wrote in his daily analysis.

Rosenberg cited five factors conspiring against the markets: China monetary tightening amid inflation fears; a rescue plan for European debt not working; fiscal austerity in the US with the political change coming when the new Congress takes over in January; gasoline price hikes; and questions over whether a slew of tax breaks will be extended.

An intensification of even a few of those factors likely would further dampen investor enthusiasm for the market.

"Most pundits believe we are in a cyclical bull market but that is not the case-it has been a sideways market now for over a year," Rosenberg said. "Moreover, after testing support in July, the market hit resistance levels in November, so it would seem logical to expect the index to make a run at the low end of the range. The only question is whether support will hold up once again."

Investors had been waiting for the Fed's Nov. 3 decision as well as the national election results for more certainly about the course ahead.

But even though the market got what it wanted with a Republican victory and the prospect of gridlock, along with a $600 billion QE program, other concerns quickly clouded the landscape.

The chief worry among many market pros seems to be the European debt issues in countries such as Ireland, Greece and now Portugal. Along with creating global financial instability, the crisis also has sent investors into the safety of the US dollar, the rise of which has been a negative trigger for the stock market.

"Sovereign debt is the wild card," said Art Hogan, managing director at Jefferies. "If we bounce from Ireland to Portugal to Spain and the dollar firms up at every level, then I think it's going to be very difficult for equities to catch a bid here."

Markets have behaved much like they did in April when sovereign debt worries first surfaced and stocks stumbled through the summer, prior to the rebound. The market is beginning to take more serious notice of the problems in Europe.

"Ireland could weigh on things a lot more than people think. They're still dismissing it," said Kathy Boyle, president of Chapin Hill Advisors in New York. "Unless you have someone close to you in distress, the view is still rose-colored glasses."

Closer to home, investors have to grapple with worries over whether problems with mortgage documents will cause banks to deal with putbacks-or the need to repurchase securities sold under fraudulent circumstances.

"We came into earnings season with the mortgage putbacks as top priority for the banking space," said Justin Wiggs, vice president of trading at Stifel Nicolaus in Baltimore. "People are starting to digest the fact that putbacks aren't going away and are going to be a drag on earnings for a couple of years."

To be sure, there are things to like about the market.

Analysts at Nomura Securities pointed out in a note to clients that a surge in stock prices often acts as a leading indicator for holiday shopping-that is, rising stocks make people feel like they have money which they will spend at the stores.

Hogan said clarification on tax issues hasn't been priced into the market and could provide a boost should Congress continue the majority of tax cuts set to expire.

And most of all, the market has only pulled back 3 percent after a 17 percent surge, which Wiggs said shows some strength.

"It's sputtering," he said of the market. "A pause here is probably healthy for the markets."

How Much Do You Need for Your Retirement?

Read? Uncomfortable With Draw-down Method? - 2nd Visit

I have revised the worksheet for Retirement Planning with simulation function for me to key in various parameters for CPF OA, CPF Life, Cash, Passive and Active Portfolio, etc...

I just need to play around with the various parameters till I get "Yeah!" and that is the amount that I need for my retirement or I need to "Try again".

For example:When ROC = 7% for Active Portfolio . Not yet ready for retirement. Try again!

For example:When ROC = 8.8% for Active Portfolio

If you like my revised worksheet and want one copy of it. Just email me.

S'pore Oct CPI up 3.5%

By JULIANA TAY


SINGAPORE - The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 3.5 per cent in October 2010 from a year ago due largely to higher costs of transport, housing, food as well as 'recreation & others', latest data from the Singapore Department of Statistics showed.

Higher holiday travel cost and salary for foreign maids raised the costs of 'recreation & others' by 2.4 per cent

The cost of transport advanced by 9.5 per cent as a result of higher prices of cars and petrol.

Housing cost moved up by 3.5 per cent, owing to higher accommodation costs and electricity tariffs.

Food items cost 1.7 per cent more, arising from dearer prepared meals, vegetables, rice & other cereals, fresh seafood as well as dairy products & eggs.

Higher holiday travel cost and salary for foreign maids raised the costs of 'recreation & others' by 2.4 per cent.

Excluding accommodation costs, the CPI rose by 3.5 per cent in October 2010 compared with a year ago.

On a monthly basis, October inflation edged up 0.5 per cent from September on account of higher costs of housing, transport as well as 'recreation & others'. Excluding accommodation costs, the CPI was 0.3 per cent higher.

In the first ten months of 2010, the CPI was 2.5 per cent higher compared with the same period in 2009. Excluding accommodation costs, the CPI rose by 3.2 per cent.

STI - Finally the Bears have won!

Straits Times

3,126.30

-64.62

-2.03%

By JOANNAH PEREZ

SINGAPORE - Singapore shares closed lower on Tuesday with the blue-chip Straits Times Index down 64.62 points to 3,126.30.

Volume was 2.03 billion shares worth $2 billion.

Losers led gainers 506 to 85.

HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares fell 2.67 percent on Tuesday due to global market tremors and tensions on the Korean peninsula, with measures to cool the property market also weighing, traders said.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 627.88 points to close at 22,896.14 on turnover of 92.24 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$11.89 billion).

In Shanghai, the Composite Index, which covers A and B shares, closed down 1.9 percent on concerns Beijing may adopt more tightening measures to help rein in inflation.

The Composite was down 56.09 points at 2,828.28, on turnover of 145.1 billion yuan (US$21.7 billion).

- AFP/ir



Live Simply? (3)

Read? Live Simply (2)

Live simply is never easy to do it especially for Goal No 1 and 2:

1. Say No to car
2. Say No to upgrade the primary residence at least once.

especially when your spouse know that your current/near future earning can support it; then your main source of pressure may actually come from your spouse. I can't remember how many times that I have managed to overcome this pressure. Not easy, right? he he

DOW - Good recovery; otherwise it could have been worse!

Dow

11,178.58

-24.97

-0.22%

By: Abby Schultz, JeeYeon Park

Stocks clawed back from the lows of the session, but still ended mixed, as techs and retailers rose in the final half hour of trading and the market continued to digest a potential insider trader scandal as well as a lack of clarity over the direction of financially troubled European countries.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 24.97 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 11,178.58, after sliding 149 points earlier in the session.


The S&P 500 fell 1.89 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,197.84, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 13.90 points, or 0.5 percent, 2,532.02. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, rose to above 18.

Financials, energy and industrials sectors fell, while technology and consumer discretionary stocks rose.

The market's downdraft for much of the day, coupled with a spoke of more than 9 percent in the CBOE VIX to about 19.7, was not a signal the market is about to trend lower, according to Nate Peterson, senior derivatives analyst at Charles Schwab.

A 9 percent rise is a significant boost, but it’s off of a VIX of 18, which is below the average of 23 for 2010. The VIX had hit a monthly high of 23 last Tuesday as stocks sold off sharply on concerns about Ireland's financial situation, and a potential slowdown in the Chinese economy, but then the index quickly reversed when the market rallied later in the week.

Moreover, Peterson pointed to fundamental as well as technical reasons the market was likely to continue to move higher. On the technical side, the S&P 500 Index continues to trade above its 50-day and 200-day moving average of 1,174, he said.

"From a technical standpoint, that’s why the VIX pulled back pretty good last week, from 23 down to 18," Peterson said. The fact the S&P has remained above 1,174 "reassured a lot of traders that the uptrend is still intact."

Fundamental support to the market was provided by largely strong third-quarter earnings reports and the fact stocks typically do well in the fourth quarter as investors seek to dress up their portfolios before the year ends. Also, Peterson said, traders now believe the economy can grow without a resurgence in jobs.

"The fact we’ve been at 9.5 percent unemployment for some time, I think traders have gotten more comfortable with a jobless recovery in the U.S. market," he said.

The dollar was lower against the euro [EUR=X Loading... () ] and yen [JPY=X Loading... () ]. Oil prices erased earlier gains and slipped above $81 a barrel while gold rose to about $1,357 an ounce.

Bank stocks continued to be among the hardest hit after the FBI raided two hedge funds, Diamondback Capital Management and Level Global Investors, run by former managers of SAC Capital in connection with a widening probe into insider trading, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Federal prosecutors are expected as soon as this year to unveil a new series of insider trading cases against hedge fund traders, consultants and Wall Street bankers, several lawyers familiar with the investigations said.

Goldman Sachs [GS Loading... () ] tumbled ercent after the banking giant was among companies cited in a report on the probe in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday. The newspaper said prosecutors and regulators were looking at whether Goldman leaked information about transactions.

And the introduction of new Basel III global banking regulations could cause a shortfall of between $100 billion and $150 billion in the top 35 U.S. banks, according to Barclays Capital.

The news pressured Wells Fargo [WFC Loading... () ] and Citigroup [C Loading... () ], as well as Bank of America and JPMorgan. Morgan Stanley [MS Loading... () ] also skidded.

Retailers were among the best performing stocks, boosted by report of strong sales earlier this month, as the S&P Retail Index [RLX Loading... () ] rose.

Most retail categories rose from a year ago, according to MasterCard's SpendingPulse national survey of aggregate retail and services sales. Apparel sales rose almost 10 percent in the pre-holiday season through Nov. 13 from a year earlier, up from an 8.2 percent year-over-year rise in October, according to the survey.

Most apparel retailers rose on Monday. Zumiez [ZUMZ Loading... () ], JCrew [JCG Loading... () ], DSW [DSW Loading... () ] and Buckle [BKE Loading... () ] were among the best performers.

Kep Corp - Breaking resistance soon!

Due to this news article : S'pore rig builders poised to kick into higher gear?

Will you buy at $11?

Depending who are you?

Do you buy on Greed? Buy at breakout. That is buy high sell higher.

Do you buy on Fear? Buy at breakdown. That is buy lower sell higher

STI

Straits Times

3,190.92

-6.45

-0.20%

Live Simply? (2)

Read? Live Simply?

Read? Future planning: Investing for retirement is a non-negotiable financial goal.

"Families in Singapore typically have four main lifestyle goals: replace the family car every five years,  educate the children overseas, and achieve financial independence by age 60."

This is quite true as I look at peoples around me and realize that many have such goals.

But, I don't.

1. No car to replace the family car every five years,
2. Say No to upgrade the primary residence at least once,
3. Say No to educate the children overseas,
4. Say YES to achieve financial independence by age 60.

So I only have ONE GOAL that is same as them: to achieve financial independence by age 60. 

The outcome of my working life may be very different if I have included the similar four goals.

Punter takes stock and prospers after losing money

invest, thesundaytimes Nov 21, 2010

I can't help and notice that my investing strategy is quite close to that of Mr Brennen Pak.

• Focusing on Singapore stocks.
• Building portfolio mainly on Singapore blue chips.
• My average yearly dividend income excluding realized P/L from short-term trading is 5.8% of total capital (based on total of long-term and short-term capital)
• Holding a few multi-baggers.
• During a market run-up, I may divest myself of stocks that I don't wish to keep for the long term and keep cash as a war chest for future market dip.
• Investing in stocks using money that is not needed for the next 5 years or more.
• Not investing in property but still prefer to invest in stocks as I love multi-baggers and made me feel so shiok!
• Not owning a car.

Except I have no business. May be I should start thinking ...

S'pore rig builders poised to kick into higher gear

By JOYCE HOOI

LOCAL rig builders are well-placed to feast on a lion's share of the sector's recovery as orderbooks for rigs and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels are poised to get fatter.

An end to more than two years of subdued activity is in the wings, a report put out by Citi Investment Research & Analysis on Thursday said.

'A strong pickup in rig demand, strength in FPSOs and high margin rig upgrade suggests the orderbook has troughed and is poised for recovery,' the report said.

'Contract wins could double in 2011-2012 versus 2010 to reach $4.5-5 billion.'

In addition, the Petrobras factor means that surpassing the peaks of 2007 and 2008 could be within reach.

Even as the day rates for existing rigs are increasing, the ageing fleet means that the replacement cycle is due to pick up pace.

The report noted that more than 300 jack-ups and 100 semi-submersibles today are more than 25-years-old.

Strengthening the outlook for newbuild jack-ups is the prohibitive cost of reactivating a cold-stacked rig - one that has been shut down and stored at a harbour or shipyard.

The cost of reactivating a third of Transocean's cold-stacked jackup fleet is estimated to be as high as US$60-80 million, the report noted, which would be 30-40 per cent of what it costs to build a new high-spec rig.

'Recent strength in high-end jack-ups further differentiates the distinction between old and high performance rigs. This positions Singapore rig players well, as Singapore yards have 60 per cent global market share in jack-ups,' the report said.

Of the local rig-builders, Citi analysts favoured Keppel Corp, with the view that the conglomerate had the strongest positioning among global exploration and production (E&P) peers in Petrobras' E&P programme.

Keppel's 'buy' rating was maintained, while its target price was increased from $11.10 to $12.80 by Citi.

While Citi noted Sembcorp Marine's 'strong execution and growing footprint', the stock was downgraded from a 'buy' to a 'hold' because of valuations that were less attractive, post-rally.

According to the report, Sembcorp Marine's share price has risen 34 per cent year-to-date, compared to the Straits Times Index's 12 per cent gain.

The counter's target price was increased from $4.60 to $5.60 in the report.

Its parent company, Sembcorp Industries, kept its 'buy' rating and saw its target price raised from $4.73 to $5.60, boosted by its acquisition of water firm Cascal and growing demand for electricity in the region.

'We recommend accumulating (Sembcorp Industries) since it offers exposure to cyclical recovery in the oil and gas segment . . . and growing regional utilities footprint in US, UK, Middle East and China,' the report said.

To make money fight 'fleeing instinct'

Read? Stop loss or Cut loss?

By Philips Loh, invest, Nov 21, 2010, the sundaytimes

Some key points noted in the articles:

• The urge to cut loss when stocks fall works against 'buy low, sell high' tactic
• Qualities of a good investor - The most successful investors are those who are able to overcome their innate fear and greed during wild market gyrations, and discern real risks, as opposed to perceived ones. They have a keen awareness of their limitations and predictive powers.
• Associating the wrong reasons with a profitable trade can be damaging to our investment quotient in the longer run.
• We must not forget that the markets are full of predatory players who make a living out of having small investors for lunch. These professionals do so well because they are experts at tricking retail investors into reaching wrong conclusions. Therefore to do well in the investment game, investors must be keenly aware of their instinctive ability to detect a pattern and react accordingly, overcome this instinct. Only then can they raise the probability of scoring gains in the game.

Read more? Portfolio Management - Stop Losses?