Have You Took The National Steps Challenge Season 4? (3)

Read? Have You Took The National Steps Challenge Season 4? (2)

Last collected $5 NTUC voucher was on Friday, 22 March 2019

9 days later, Uncle8888 collected the last $5 NTUC voucher for completing Tier 2 MVPA today!

Total rewards from HPB : $30

This is the end of National Steps Challenge Season 4!

Uncle8888 has only managed to collect total $30 worth of NTUC vouchers because he has started this game quite late!

Counting The Cost Of University Education at SUTD (11)

Read? Counting The Cost Of University Education at SUTD (10)


One more year to burn cash instead of generating dividend income!

It looks like total spending will be below the original budget of $100K

Lost Your Money In Hyflux???

All investment and lending money by nature are risky!

Money already spent are safe from losing back to Mr. Market so spend your money wisely to make it safe! :-)


Even investment bloggers who are supposed to be savvy enough to know the risk/reward are caught in Hyflux and lost their money. 

So what is the critical difference between whose retail investors/lenders who are badly affected - money management and position sizing!

Don't ever invest or lend money significantly; if you haven't full understand 3M's 

Method, Mind and Money Management!

Uncle8888 also tio Hyflux! Another zero begger. Four zero beggers liao!

Blame MAS and SGX?


Read? The Past Is Not Present And The Present Is Not Future



Those Hero stocks of 2009 - 2011 that helped to recover from 2007 to 2009 draw-down of - 53%

Top two past heroes are dead!

Noble (Wrote off)
Olam (All sold)
Kep Corp (Top 1 holding)
Semb Corp (Top 2 holding)
Semb Marine (All sold)
Hyflux (Wrote off)
Biosensors (Taken Private)

CPL (Reduce to minor holding)

In The Land Of Distribution - What Matters More Going Forward?

Do we need to shift significantly our investing and money mind when we transit from Accumulation to Distribution phase?

In land of distribution; we no longer need to build more wealth for retirement so we should be more focus and concern on liquidity, longevity and legacy if applicable since not all of us really need to bother on legacy.

Looking at past and forecasting the future to cover liquidity and longevity with lesser uncertainty and surprises!

Read? Investing Lessons That You Can Learn From Real Life Veteran Retail Investors (2)

Who Loves My CPF???

Good News For Hardcore Savers!

Read? Deposit insurance coverage rises to S$75,000; gig workers gain insurance policy protection

DEPOSIT insurance will rise to S$75,000 to give savers more protection in the event of bank or finance company failure.

Insurance policy owners who use their cars or homes to generate income will now also be protected should their insurer go under.

Depositors and insurance policy owners will enjoy such enhanced protection from April 1, 2019, said the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) on Thursday. 

The latest changes to the deposit insurance (DI) and policy owners' protection (PPF) schemes protect deposits up to S$75,000 per depositor and extend protection to personal assets used for commercial purposes, it said.

"The increase in deposit insurance coverage to S$75,000 from next Monday will ensure that more than nine out of 10 depositors will have their savings fully protected if a bank or finance company fails," the SDIC said.

Fixed Or Variable Compensation For Time & Effort Spent???

Hmm ..  may be some job related unhappiness is due to fixed or variable compensation for time and effort spent by us.

For variable compensation, we work more and get paid more so there is sense of fairness and achievement. Want more! Work more! So simple!

But for fixed compensation; there may be a threshold or tolerant level or some benchmark against our peers exists somewhere in our mind  . 

When this threshold or tolerant level or benchmark has been persistently crossed; we may become unhappy!

Hmm .. somehow Uncle8888 came to realize this thinking. :-)

Fixed or variable compensation may affect our mind on fairness on time and effort spent. Song or bo song!

Why Many Want To Pursue Financial Independence And Get Out Of Rat Race?

Read? A whopping 92% of working Singaporeans are stressed – and women are prioritising families over themselves, study finds

If you’re feeling stressed at work, you’re not alone. A vast majority of working Singaporeans are under stress, and women in particular feel that it’s less manageable, a survey has found.

In the 2019 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, a whopping 92 per cent of working Singaporeans report feeling stressed, higher than the global average of 84 per cent.

Of this, 13 per cent say their stress is unmanageable, which is on par with the global average, according to the study which surveyed a total of 13,200 online interviews in 23 markets, including 502 residents in Singapore.

And stress doesn’t go undetected in the workplace. The survey found that 55 per cent of Singaporean respondents notice their colleagues’ stress. Cigna’s report said this could be a sign that they are hiding their stress or aren’t comfortable talking about it.

Noticing colleagues’ stress in turn makes respondents more self-aware, it seems. 30 per cent of respondents feel more conscious about managing their own stress upon seeing others stressed at work.

And a vast majority (90 per cent) agree that stress has a serious impact on the workplace. Some of the more worrying effects are lowered morale and even resignation.

Will Anyone Know Who My CPF Nominee(s) are?

The CPF nomination details are kept confidential. Hence, your family members will not be informed of the identity of your nominee(s). It is also not possible for any person to check with the CPF Board if they are someone’s CPF nominee.

However, you may authorise the CPF Board to disclose the identities of your nominees to specific individuals after your demise.


Today, Uncle8888 visited CPF Branch again; but this time it is not about withdrawal of CPF interests.

He has authorized CPF Board to disclose the identities of his nominees to the Executors of his Will as specific individuals after his demise.

I Am Still Entitled To Official Retirement Award @ 62 After Two Years Of Voluntary Early Retirement @ 60 in Sep 2016

62 is the current official retirement age in Singapore.

After 62; it is just re-employment on yearly re-contracting basis till 65.

Ha ha. Good that he is still not forgotten to receive his entitlement!

Won 7th prize in Lucky Draw!

Not too bad! 

A Hole In The Heart. In Investing Too

Read? My Life Journey So Far At One Quick Glance On Mar 2019


In Dec 1999, Uncle8888 after reading that book "Rich Dad. Poor Dad" and had a mind flip and strongly believe that he can get out of rat race through Investor quadrant. He knew himself very well so he won't bother with Business Owner quadrant. 

He gathered all his spare money as his investing capital and dedicated one bank account to hold his investing capital and investment. In this way; his investment money is always physically and mentally separated from all other money and liquidity needs. Every single cent is tracked!

Read? Two Bank Accounts? No, You may need Four! - (5)


Unknown at that in Jan 2000; he had dug a BIG hole in his heart for investing journey to be filled. Indeed a big hole to fill by Sep 2011 at age 55! 

As a single household income without more capability to continue to inject more capital; it was indeed a risky path to pursue financial independence; but when you have a big hole in your heart to fill; you probably don't think too much of the negatives!

That investing capital on Jan 2000 is the only capital he could afford to inject into his investment portfolio till today.  Lucky; he is still not too blinded by this hole in his heart in investing and over the years built up other taps for his retirement plan.

For his money management and position sizing since Jan 2000; it has been consistently sized and positioned to this total investing capital.

Towards 2006 and 2007; he tasted bigger investment gains and cash flow from short-term trading and became aggressive and kan cheong spider to quickly fill up this hole and declared "I am Financial Independence" even ahead of his planned FI on Sep 2011.

Shiok man!

Any way; that was history!

Now; that hole in the heart has become so much smaller and  there is no more urgency to fill up this hole. In fact; this small hole has become a leaking hole. Instead of filling up; it is about topping it up whenever it is possible to slow down the leak! 

To slow down a leaking hole; he knows that he will have more time to do it! Not worry about it! BTW; investment is one of his three taps solution model for sustainable retirement income for life!

One Full Market Cycle Is What You Need To Know Your Investing Personality And Effective Strategies

One full market cycle of either Bull-Bear-Bull or Bear-Bull-Bear; if you are lucky enough you may encounter this full market cycle in less than 10 years or unlucky more than 10 year or 20 years.

That is why investing is tough!

Read? Wise Words Series - Part 3

Stock picking is part science, part art, part luck, part intuition, and always uncertain - "not precisely knowing." (Who say it? Forgotten)

or you just go for index investing which is easier as there is no stock picking!

Have You Took The National Steps Challenge Season 4? (2)

Read? Have You Took The National Steps Challenge Season 4?


Last collected $5 NTUC voucher was on Tuesday, 12 March 2019

10 days later, Uncle8888 collected another $5 NTUC voucher for completing Tier 3 today!

Total rewards from HPB : $25

Finland is again the happiest country in the world – and it’s now offering to fly visitors there to ‘rent’ a local who’ll show you how it’s done

Read? Finland is again the happiest country in the world – and it’s now offering to fly visitors there to ‘rent’ a local who’ll show you how it’s done



Experiences may range from visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at a real summer cottage.


Hmm ...


Singapore is an island and yet most parts of the island ban fishing!

Dumb!

Why I Am Going To Avoid The Upcoming SIA 5 Year 3.03% Retail Bond???

To lend at 3.03% interest rate in hope of Return OF Capital???

Got screw loose somewhere???

Why need detailed analysis???

My Life Journey So Far At One Quick Glance On Mar 2019

My Family 

My Human Asset : Self and career development and dead wood!

My path to pursue financial independence and having option to retire @ 60 from full-time job as employee

My current Net Worth as presented in Three Taps Model solution model. It covers basic retirement planning issues on liquidity, longevity and legacy.

Liquidity : Two years cash reserve in bank for 2019/2020

Longevity : Tap 1 and Tap 2 which are non market volatile fixed assets.

Legacy : Tap 3 which is investment portfolio which is very volatile across future market cycles. 

My current cash flow to fund annual household expenses

Is money enough?

STI since the day I have started serious learning and investing on Jan 2000 to pursue financial independence through short-term trading and long-term investing.

Alamak!

Started investing at the peak of Dotcom Bubble. Wrong market timing!

More capital into the market. More paper losses. Dividends are just Panadols!

My Investment portfolio performance across market cycles since Jan 2000

Any paper gains are an illusion of wealth in the market; but any paper losses can be real losses!

Paper losses become real losses when your losing stocks are suspended, bankrupted and de-listed. You lost 100% of your invested capital. In the other case; your losing stocks are taken private and de-listed; your paper losses become realized losses!

Beware!

Your money management skill through market cycles is the one that can save you from wealth destruction and chop fingers!

So far since Jan 2000, I have three zero baggers which lost 100% of invested capital! 

Why? No stop loss!


Top winners to top losers

Lynch provides insight on how to achieve exceptional results

In an interview he gave to PBS, Peter Lynch discussed what is needed to achieve a track record similar to his. Even though the answer seems simple on the surface, it has many insights that are worth commenting on.

Q: Was that your secret?

A: Well, I think the secret is, if you have a lot of stocks, some will do mediocre, some will do OK, and if one or two of 'em go up big time, you produce a fabulous result. And I think that's the promise to some people. Some stocks go up 20% to 30%, and they get rid of it, and they hold on to the dogs. And it's sort of like watering the weeds and cutting out the flowers. You want to let the winners run. 

When the fun ones get better, add to 'em, and that one winner, you basically see a few stocks in your lifetime, that's all you need. I mean stocks are out there. When I ran Magellan, I wrote a book. I think I listed over 100 stocks that went up over tenfold when I ran Magellan, and I owned thousands of stocks. I owned none of these stocks. I missed every one of these stocks that went up over tenfold. I didn't own a share of them. And I still managed to do well with Magellan. So there's lots of stocks out there and all you need is a few of 'em. So that's been my philosophy. You have to let the big ones make up for your mistakes.

All you need for a lifetime of successful investing is a few big winners, and the pluses from those will overwhelm the minuses from the stocks that don’t work out. - Peter Lynch

No of winning stock pick : 30

No of losing stock pick     : 26

Winners/ Losers ratio = 30 / 26 = 1.2

Such lousy stock picker! How come didn't lose money?

Total Winning $ / Total Losing $ ratio = 2.1

Being Debt Free And Illness Free Is A Blessing In Disguise

Until we personally face them during turbulence in our life journey; we may not be able to appreciate that blessing in disguise.

Technically; it is about  Having RESIDENTIAL housing debts on negative net worth in your late 40s or 50s???


Those with outstanding housing loans can be also net worth POSITIVE! It is totally different story!

The Reason To Transfer CPF OA to SA???

Uncle8888 read this morning from FB and smiled ..


“a) I transferred my CPF-OA to CPF-SA because I don't want my future girlfriend to see a single cent in my CPF-OA and push me to buy a private condominium. Today, I get over $10k from the CPF board on my interest alone for my SA and MA accounts.”


Walan!


Read?Encountering At Least One Major Economic or Market Crisis Is Good For Our Future Prospectives!!! (Time for a re-fresh)

Food for thought for some wives to unduly pressurize your hubby with such thought?


On Housing Upgrade

For years, he has resisted Auntie8888 from housing upgrade and he chooses to be debt free for the rest of his life without having sleepless nights over future economic and market cycles.




A man is not a man; until there is a house that he may call his castle. A woman is not a woman; until she has a place she may call her home. And neither a man nor a woman can say anything about their house, until they are the masters of it, and own it outright and unencumbered. - Albert Yang


Yesterday morning; one new Starfish and his wife bought Uncle8888 breakfast at Hougang mall for chatting and he told him he did the same thing on housing.

For years, he has resisted her wife from housing upgrade from HDB to private condo!

Now the couple is talking about securing their retirement planning and retirement income for life; and realized the financial benefits of staying in HDB heartland. Heartland is good those don't feel a hole in their heart in a place called home!

The Risk of CPF Accrued Interest So Scary Meh??? (Refresh)

Read? The Risk of CPF Accrued Interest So Scary Meh???

Read?  Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (2)

It seen that some CPF members may not understand CPF accrued interests well enough and then own-self scares own-self!

This morning; Uncle8888 again heard this concern on scary CPF accrued interests! :-)

How Soon Should You Start Investing Your CPFIS And SRS? (2)

Read? How Soon Should You Start Investing Your CPFIS And SRS?


Is SRS fit for its purpose i.e. to secure our retirement fund?

Super low interest rate at 0.05% and some tax saving will quickly corner most retail into investing ASAP to beat inflation and grow their retirement fund at faster rate. Compounding wonder!

Wonder any statistics on SRS investment performance like CPFIS statistic?

Another real life investing story on SRS, trading and investing to show that it is not that easy as we often hear those success stories presented in previews, conferences, talks or seminars.

Armed yourself with sufficient trading or investing knowledge; you are on your way to compounding wonder???

Where are the missing parts?

How come after many years you are still losing money?

Did you ever wonder why?

One Uncommon Act Of Kindness! (5)

Read? One Uncommon Act Of Kindness! (4)


It has been long time since the last encounter with act of kindness!

One of the wedding party members accidentally dropped the glass cup of green vegetable on the void deck; never clean up but moved on with the party plan! 

Argh ...

This kind auntie saw and worried that children playing at void deck later may not notice the broken glass and get hurt! 

She helped to clean up!

Act of kindness!

Greatest Traders vs. Greatest Investors??? (Refresh)

Read? Greatest Traders vs. Greatest Investors???

As Retail Investor Do You Stress Test Your Investment Portfolio???

Read? "How Singapore Manages its Reserves"


MAS employs a comprehensive range of stress tests to assess the risks to the portfolio on an ongoing basis and establish whether the portfolio remains resilient to potential tail risk events over the medium term.

Three types of stress tests are conducted:

Historical: Shocks are applied to the portfolio using asset price movements seen in historical stressed episodes, such as the Global Financial Crisis, 2000 dot-com bust, 1994 bond market selloff, etc.
Vulnerability-based: The portfolio is subject to hypothetical scenarios which stress in turn each of the portfolio’s risk factors such as equity, interest rate, credit, inflation, and foreign exchange.
Thematic: These are forward-looking stress tests and are designed by taking into account prevailing market conditions and potential risk events on the horizon.
Depending on the stress test results, MAS will consider appropriate responses and portfolio adjustments when needed.

The risk management framework is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it remains fit-for-purpose.

What Is The Real Cause Of Low CPF Payout In Some Mederka Generation???

Read? Josephine Teo’s data of Singapore Elderly’s Low CPF Payout is Depressing. Still, it meets the CPF’s Expectations of how much in our CPF we Should have


Hmm ...

Read? Chop Fingers liao!!! (2)

Read? More posts related to AFC

Have You Took The National Steps Challenge Season 4?

Read? National Steps Challenge Season 4 (2)


Uncle8888 is very late to this Game; but it still better late than never!

Tracker is free and still can collect voucher while walking as daily exercise. Okay leh!

Completed Tier 1 MPVA and earned another $5 NTUC voucher!

Total rewards from HPB : $20

Kopi kosong money!

How Soon Should You Start Investing Your CPFIS?

Read? How Soon Should You Start Investing Your CPFIS And SRS?


Read? Did CPF Savers Really Lose Out To AVERAGE CPFIS Investor?


How soon?

How do you know you already have competency to beat 2.5% compounding interests Wonder?

See for yourself!

Average CPFIS return from 2011 to 2018.

That guy mentioned in the earlier blog post is 6 years into investing his CPFIS i.e. starting in 2013.

Here is the truth and fact:

How much opportunity cost did CPFIS market timer really lose out from 2011 to 2018 waiting for market crash in SGX?

How Soon Should You Start Investing Your CPFIS And SRS?

We often hear from those "Gurus" or commercially vested bloggers. Start early and let compounding works wonder for you!

Chun bo?

Here in this blog, Uncle8888 will share with you what real life retail investors had shared with him.

In the investment blogophere; you are most likely to hear successful investing stories or how much dividend income they are receiving. Oh! How tough can it be?

Very seldom do we hear about pain in the ass on their real life investing experience on the ground.


One more real life story:

Saving pennies on his tax relief in SRS; but losing dollars in investing his SRS.

He is not happy with CPF OA 2.5% compound interests; but losing X times 2.5% negative compounding return in his CPFIS.

Six years into investing his SRS and CPFIS; and also he has spent his time and effort reading many investment books and daily visits to investing forum e.g. currently IN (Hmm.. it is more like TN) to improve his investing knowledge and skill

You can judge for yourself.

Investing is tough as we will never believe that we can lose so much when we started investing. Right?

Read? Minimum You Have To Go Through One Full Market Cycle: Bull-Bear-Bull or Bear-Bull-Bear. If Not Don't Talk Too Loud!

Investing your CPFIS is even tougher. Why not happy with compounding interests of 2.5%?

Stewed Duck???

What is stewed duck?

Hmm ..

How is this stewed duck different from Teochew Braised duck or 潮州卤鸭 ?

 Okay .. must try!

 Arh .. instead of kway chap type of kway in soup form; it is dry kway teow!

 $5.50 + $0.70 = $6.20

cpf 1m google search

Hmm .. Top google search and even beating dollarsandsense. 

Hee hee!

FIRE Is That Easy AS We Have Thought

Real People who have tried FIRE or manage to really FIRE!


Case 1 : Just after three weeks of retirement, he was back to work. Lucky his vacancy was not filled and he got back his old day job.

Read? You think it is so easy to retire early???


Case 2 : He took one year no pay leave; but after three months he gave up and went back to work.

Case 3 : He took one year no pay leave and finally he realized that working routinely is still better than having to find activities to pass time.

Case 4 : She took 6 months no pay leave and went back to work to fulfill the one month notice for retirement. During her 6 months no pay leave; she managed to find some other activities to pass time and survived the six months test.

Case 5 : Last chat with him seems that he has finally came to term with boring. No more irregular heart beats that his previous job gave him!

Read? "Early" Retirement??? (2)

SGX (2)

Read? In The Market; There Is Always Buyers And Sellers

Wah!

BBs continue to buy SGX while retails are selling!

Read? SGX


Testing $8!

This should be psychological strong resistance!

National Steps Challenge Season 4 (2)

Read? National Steps Challenge Season 4


He received another two $5 NTUC voucher for completing Tier 2 - Steps Healthpoints.

Total rewards from HPB : $15

Now he has formalized his daily walk with statistics. LOL!

Did CPF Savers Really Lose Out To AVERAGE CPFIS Investor?

Read? Market decline drags CPFIS-included funds into losses in 2018

Assuming CPF SA, OA savers and AVERAGE CPFIS investors each has $100K on 1 Jan 2011

CPF Shifting Goal Posts. Did Merdeka Generation See It Coming???

Read? The Credibility a Stage Lends You

Quote : 

Naturally, his talk on CPF’s structural risk was also woefully inadequate. If he had been a Financial Advisor, he would be penalized or sacked. I’ve written on it a couple of times, like this one. 


CW8888:

Hmm ... What if Mr 1M65 is in the Merdeka Generation and he was shouting loud and clear on his 1M55 movement to those Merdeka peers who were in their 20s and 30s to top up their CPF to reach 1M55 and retire at 55 as millionaires. 

Remember those days in 1970s and 1980s; the official retirement age for Merdeka generation was 55 and CPF withdrawal at 55!

20 years later, those Merdeka generation folks who have listen to Mr 1M55 movement would scream or f.. him instead of thanking him big time!


Shifting CPF Goal Posts for Merdeka generation from 55 to 60 to 62 to 65!

Did Merdeka generation see it coming? NO? Right?

In those days in 1970s, Mr 1M55 might be shouting loud and clear ......

Top up your CPF to earn risk free 6.5% and let 8th wonder of the world compounding interests help you to reach 1M55! 

Top up liao. Mai tan!

See for yourself what happen after that!

Why like that?

Walan!

Did Merdeka generation tio screwed? No?

Government policies can change!

Government can also change in the future too!

Remember this Hokkien phase .. Kiang Jiu Jo, Mai Ge Kiang which means smart can already but don't  act to be too smart!

Hmm ...  Luckily, Mr 1M65 is not in Merdeka generation for his 1M55 movement!