Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 18

Read? Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 17


1. Completed Central Urban Loop
2. Completed Eastern Coastal Loop
3. Completed Southern Ridges Loop
4. Completed Western Adventure Loop

5. Completed North Explorer Loop Today!

Sembawang Park --> Andrews Ave --> Jalan Mempurong --> Simpang Kiri PCN --> Yishun Ave 2 PCN --> Khatib Bongsu PCN -- Bus back to Yishun Ave 2 --> Khatib Bongsu -->  Lower Selatar PCN

17 Years In Short-term Trading and Long-Term Investing As Retail In Singapore's Local Stock Market (SGX)

The truth and results ....

2016 Annual Household Expenses

Read? Children Are High Expenses But A Good Relief When We Are Retired!


Household expenses naturally cut without doing any cost control!

Good. Right?

Counting The Cost Of University Education at SUTD (3)

Read? Counting The Cost Of University Education at SUTD (2)


Year 1 Semester 2 ....

Look like Year 1 budget is alright.

Happy New Year To You And All Your Loved Ones!

Full Year 2016 Investment Performance Report

Read? Q3 2016 Investment Performance Report

A Goal-based Approach Investing Strategy

Uncle8888 has adopted a Goal-based Approach investing strategy by setting for himself a 10-year progressive Goal Targets to be achieved for each year from 2012 to 2021. 

Our investing journey is not Horse Race or Rat Race where we compete against others.  No! It is our investment Marathon Race where we set our own pace and compete against ourselves to win our own race.

Year 5: Full Year 2016 Result for Tap No 3 (Cash Flow from Investment Portfolio)

 Achieved 38.7% against 44% of 2021 Goal Targets.

Investment Portfolio XIRR
  
Track, Measure and Visualize! 

Without doing it; how to revise investing strategies and to improve year-on-year investing performance? 

Investment Portfolio's XIRR includes all investable cash plus the current stocks value at market closing price as on 30 Dec 2016.

Since one year ago: 0.6%
Since 1 Nov 2008: +1.1%
Since 1 Jan 2003: +7.0%

Since 1 Jan 2000: +6.6%

The reality of riding market cycles of Bull and Bear


Until we master the Art Of Market Timing to optimize our gains; we will be riding up and down the market cycles without real significant gains.

Building Sustainable Retirement Income For Life Across Future Market Cycles

Real Taps. Real Money!

Tips for newbies/young ones: The bulk of our net worth comes through our saving from our hard earned incomes from our jobs and our investment portfolio will be the Accelerator to become wealthy or reach financial independence earlier when we get it right.

Stop day dreaming from Get Rich Fast scam or 30 minutes a day effort to get rich!

Who Is Real? Who Is Fake???

When we read investment blog posts or articles ..

You should be doing this or that; you shouldn't be doing this or that; you should have avoided this or that. 

WTF! What have I done? 

Shiok man! Did you see my numbers?

Who Is Real? Who Is Fake???

EXPERT ROUND UP: BEST FINANCIAL ADVICE IN 2016

Read? EXPERT ROUND UP: BEST FINANCIAL ADVICE IN 2016

“It is better to do capital drawdown to protect capital than to be dogmatic about dividend cash flow with capital loss. Be mindful about investing strategies during the bull market. (Credits to CreateWealth8888 and SMOL)” by SillyInvestor


It is not just an empty talk at Starbuck to lim kopi!

Why he prefers his Three Taps solution model to build sustainable retirement income for life instead of commonly advocated dividend income for life in the investment blogosphere?

One Of The Financial Goals You Should Stop Aiming For In 2017???

After reading somewhere in the Cyber world; huh!

So far; Uncle8888 hasn't met any retail investors who are still in the stock market and have admitted that they can't beat CPF OA interest rate of 2.5% CAGR. 

For his generation of seniors in their late 50s and 60s who have admitted; they have chopped their fingers and move on and never touch the stock market again.

Real People. Real outstanding HDB loan.

One ex-colleague who sat in his same ex-office has lost so much cash & CPFIS fund during AFC. At last known, he still have several years of HDB loan to pay off. He couldn't met his minimum sum requirement and CPF automatically pledged 50% of his 5-rm HDB flat.

Every retail investors believe they will become above average retail investors when they are working hard at acquiring more financial knowledge and improving their investing skills; but where do the winners get their wealth from?

Read? Where Does The Money In The Stock Market Come From? (Time for a fresh as it is timeless!)


4 Aiming For Zero Debt

It’s normal to think that being debt-free should be a key financial goal. Who doesn’t want to own a home that is fully paid for already?

Yet at the same time, clearing your home loan prematurely may not necessarily be the best use of your money. A HDB loan charges an interest rate of 2.6% per annum, a mere 0.1% higher than the base interest rate given by the CPF Ordinary Account. Other bank loans may charge a lower interest.

Instead of clearing his loan, an investor may be better off making his money work harder through investing. If an investor can earn a return that is higher than 2.6%, or whatever the interest on his home loan may be, then it makes more sense to invest rather than to clear his debt.

Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 17

Read? Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 16


1. Completed Central Urban Loop
2. Completed Eastern Coastal Loop
3. Completed Southern Ridges Loop
4. Completed Western Adventure Loop

5. North Explorer Loop in progress

Admiralty West PC --> Woodlands WaterFront PC --> Marsiling PC  --> Woodlands (SLE) PC --> Woodlands Station --> Bus --> Canberra PC --> Sembawng PC

Senior Citizen : Minor Drop In Some Expenses

Transportation : Fixed at $60 per month

Weekly Purchase at NTUC Fairprice on Tuesday : 2% discount

Hair cut : $8 -> $7 so save $1 per cut every 1.5 months

Cash: A Call Option With No Expiration Date???

Golden Rabbit  26 December 2016 at 08:29:00 GMT+8

Can we look at cash rotting in the bank as a "separate" asset investment from stock portfolio?

Cash: A Call Option With No Expiration Date.

Hmm ....

For those with earned income; cash as a call option with no expiration will not have any significant impact even over prolong market cycle; but for those retirees like Uncle8888 who is depending on his portfolio and net worth's asset to generate cash flow to support his household expenses is a different story.

Retirees' cash as call option must have expiry date near the bottom of Bear or beginning of Bull; otherwise this call option without expiry over market cycles will eventually cause him to draw down on his net worth's assets to meet household expenses. 

Once into aggressive asset down; his sustainable retirement income for life will be doom!

For retirees; it is not just about opportunity cost with cash as call option; it is serious concern on sustainability and survival. 

Don't play, play with call options!

Frugality, Time, And Money??? (2)

Read? Frugality, Time, And Money???


Depending on which finance and investment bloggers you ask?

Uncle8888 has recently tobang this brand new Audi Q5 home a few times.

Why buy a new Audi Q5 when Audi's owner is going to retire soon on official retirement age? 

Not frugal? Not financially savvy?

Actually; he wanted to buy a cheaper one; but his wife told him to get the Audi. She told him off. Do you want to bring your money to your coffin?

Hmm ... Okay!


Depending on which finance and investment bloggers you ask?

Do we really want to bring tons of our money to the coffin and let others happily spend them for us?

Isn't better to spend on our beloved ones when we can still see them happily enjoying on our spending? 

The worst case is letting strangers becoming our last minute good friends to help us to spend our money.

Measuring Our Investment Portfolio? (2)

Read? Measuring Our Investment Portfolio?

Why measure as closely as possible to commonly accepted measuring methodology?

This is to indicate to ourselves that we are active or DIY retail investors/traders who are continuously looking to revise our strategies and methods to achieve better performance than investing in some ETFs or Funds or doing CPF Top Up; otherwise why waste our time, energy and resources doing it.

For true performance measuring; cash as war chest is obviously part of our portfolio. When cash as war chest is fairly large and hold continuously over several years during the whole measuring period; it will drag down portfolio performance under current low interest rate environment. Bo pian!


Another way to wow our readers and to inspire them is to show them large number!

Did you see that landed property or Ferrari behind me?


Few will question how?

Earn More and Save More; BUT ....

Uncle8888 is in the camp of earn more; BUT .....

Sometime, we are NOT in control of our body even our mind is very focus and determined to succeed by enhancing our human asset to earn more. BUT; the sad truth is bad thing happened. It may happen earlier than expected to throw out our dream of becoming who we wanted to be. That is Life!

A timeline picture tells his lifetime story of his human asset, path to Financial Independence and retire from full-time job as employee at 60. 

Fortunately; after reading this book Rich Dad. Poor Dad in Dec 1999; he has a mind flip and that helped him to begin his search to achieve financial competency to accelerate his journey to the Land of Financial Independence. Finally; he has reached his level of financial competency to implement his Three Taps solution model to build sustainable retirement income for life and exercise that option to retire earlier @ 60.

With 17 years of getting his hands dirty in the real financial and investment domain with real practice and applied knowledge on the ground; he has achieved that level of financial competency to share with others - Wa Ka Li Kong! 

When Do You Want To Become Financial Independence???

You will have higher chance to become financial independence in your ...

30s - Stay single and even better stay away from any female companions!

40s - Can get married; but stay as DINK!

50s - Can get married and can have one child!

60s - Can get married and can have more than one child.

Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 16

Read? Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 15

1. Completed Central Urban Loop
2. Completed Eastern Coastal Loop
3. Completed Southern Ridges Loop
4. Completed Western Adventure Loop

5. North Eastern Riverine Loop in progress

Sembawang PCN --> Woodlands (SLE) PCN

No Free Lunch : Cash In Our Portfolio As War Chest Is Rotting But Also Act As Stabilizer Too During Volatile Market

Merry Christmas To You And Your Loved Ones!

Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (5)

Read? Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (4)

Uncle8888 is so eng and went to Bishan CPF branch again and then next to Bishan NLB to read newspapers. 

This time he wanted to find out more for his CPF withdrawal strategies for 2017/2018 onward to build sustainable retirement income for life - His Three Taps solution model.

CPF OA forms bulk of his Tap 1!

This time, he is an expert visitor to CPF branch. He passed his Q ticket and IC together to counter staff to save one step in their SOP.

IMPORTANT to note if you are going to withdraw your CPF money for the FIRST time after your retirement.

betta man21 December 2016 at 08:45:00 GMT+8


Regarding withdrawal of CPF after 55, here is what CPF board wrote to me in black and white:

CPF Withdrawal

After setting aside the FRS in your RA, you can withdraw the remaining CPF balances in your OA,SA. When you withdraw your CPF savings, the Board processes all withdrawals of members who are 55 and above, using the deduction sequence as follows:

1) the interest earned in the Special Account (SA) then Ordinary Account (OA) from the beginning of the year up to the month before the withdrawal, followed by 

2) the contribution/refunds credited to the SA then OA in the same month of the withdrawal, and lastly, 


3) Monies in the SA then monies in the OA.

CPF : What can I do for you?

CW : I want to confirm my understanding that I can withdraw all interests from CPF SA and OA.


CPF : You can withdraw interests from SA, OA and MA too.

CW: Pls help to check how much interests I can draw out without touching my SA and OA.

CPF: Wah! You have lots of interests to draw out. It is $XX,XXX. Do you want to draw out now?

CW: :-)

CW: No. Not now. I will withdraw next year on January.

CPF: No. You can't withdraw your interests on January. Your interests credited on January will become your principal. You have no more interests to withdraw. You have to be careful as you will be withdrawing your principal in CPF SA first and then principal in CPF OA. CPF SA is 4% interests. Be careful! You better withdraw now in December. Your interests for November has been credited! Do you want to withdraw now?

CW: No. I will withdraw next year in December.

CPF : You no need the money now?

CW: No need!

Hmmm  ... may be CPF counter staff is thinking ... Rich CPF Uncle doesn't need his CPF money now. :-)


For retirees thinking of using their CPF to build fixed income annuity; the best time to withdraw all these interests from SA, OA and MA is at first two weeks in every December after 5th December when interests for November has been credited. You will have 11 months of interests to withdraw. That is max and leaving interests for Dec to become principal in the following year. We will have perceptual fixed income annuities for life with our principal intact for beneficiaries. Good? Right?

Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (4)

Read? Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (3)


On CPF Housing Loan

Before turning 55 ...

The System will show us this ...

There is net amount used (Principal amount) and accrued interest; then this form is applicable.

Sometime after 55, the System will show us this when we meet FRS ...

Housing loan and accrued interests are cancelled by the System. 

Once this has been cancelled; the System cannot process any refund request.

Option trading As Passive Income is still Hot!!! (2)

Read? Option trading As Passive Income is still Hot!!!

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Read? What you may not know??? (Refresh)

Real People. Real Excitement. Unbearable Temptation.

Lucky for him to have old man sitting next to him. LOL!

You look at date of the above blog post. It was 30 Aug 2016 when this ex-colleague (Now) told Uncle8888 about it.

This colleague was sitting beside Uncle8888 in the meeting room and after reading one of his FB's post he briefly mentioned one trader became rich by trading binary options and showing off his Ferrari! 


Uncle8888 heard it and told him not to trust all these unaudited statement or claims. He also shared with him on his real encounter and face-to-face with one of our local "Gurus" and the other one till his grave also no answer to simple "Yes" or "No" question.

Max Up Our CPF Life For The Max Power???

Before we decide ...

We can look at our grand-parents; then look at our parents and finally examine our health condition.

The clue to the decision may be found here ...

Search for the clue? 昨天；明天

Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 15

Read? Jog The Singapore's Park Connectors - Round 14



1. Completed Central Urban Loop
2. Completed Eastern Coastal Loop
3. Completed Southern Ridges Loop
4. Completed Western Adventure Loop

5. North Eastern Riverine Loop in progress

Springleaf PCN --> Lentor Ave --> Mandai PCN - Central Catchmnet PCN --> Ulu Sembawang PCN --> Woodlands Ave 12 PCN