My SRS Portfolio Sept 2021

My SRS Portfolio and Thoughts [Sept 2021]

My SRS Portfolio Sept 2021
My SRS Portfolio Sept 2021

We are done to the last quarter for the year. Have you accomplished your goals? Hope that things have been going well for you. In any case, this article is a simple reporting for my SRS updates.

Disclaimers: This is not and should not be taken as a buy/sell recommendation.

If you would like to see my past quarter thoughts, you can refer to March2021 and June2021.

It is also close to the end of the year, you might be considering SRS investment. Please refer my most read SRS article, 5 Things You Need To Know About SRS to learn more.

My Thoughts And Consideration

My SRS Portfolio Sept 2021 Data
My SRS Portfolio Sept 2021 Data

The elephant in the room is the exposure into Chinese Technology Stocks (SGX:HST). It has obviously pulled down the entire portfolio as 50% of my portfolio is invested into it. Unfortunately, this SRS portfolio is still small and there is a concentration risk that I acknowledged.

Policymakers in China announced regulatory reforms that has impacted sectors like construction (think Evergrande), private education (think TAL Education Group) and Technology companies that are handling data (think Didi).

In the case of my SRS impact, it was due to the technology sector. As you can see in the Top ETF holding for SGX:HST, it haven’t been doing well year to date.

SGX HST ETF Top 25 Holdings
SGX HST ETF Top 25 Holdings

I remain positive in this exposure as this ETF is invested into quality Chinese companies that can deliver sustainable growth in the next 3 to 5 years. With high internet penetration in China, I believe the performance of the companies will follow suit.

SGX: BTOU is a recovery play in the portfolio. The recovery will depend on COVID19 recovery attempts in US. I’m optimistic that the recovery towards working in office will come in 3 to 5 years time.

Lastly, I’m still considering if I should inject new capital into the SRS portfolio.

Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: this is not and should not be taken as a buy/sell recommendation. Like what Charlie Munger famously said: the big money is not in the buying or selling.. but in the waiting.

We have be having a 3 parts webinar for last quarter of the year. Feel free to reach out to me for more information.

Chengkok is a licensed Financial Services Consultant since 2012. He is an Investment and Critical Illness Specialist. Wealthdojo was created in 2019 to educate and debunk “free financial advice” that was given without context.  

Feel Free To Reach Out To Share Your Thoughts.

Contact: 94316449 (Whatsapp) chengkokoh@gmail.com (Email)
Telegram: Wealthdojo [Continuous Learning Channel]
Reviews: About Me

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.

 

 

Purge Your Money Burdens

Purge Your Money Burdens

As I’m writing this, I am clearing out some old books from my cupboard. I looked at some of them and wondered how it managed to be on my shelves for so long. Some of the books have long served their purposes and probably could do with a new owner.

As I look at the tidier shelves, I struck me that my “financial journey cupboard” was cluttered years back. It was only months later that I realised that some of those things should have been removed.

Purge Your Money Burdens
Purge Your Money Burdens (Photo: Source)

Our worries and burden comes from things that are cluttered. Think about the last time you had a tough day a work, it might be because of “things are not moving”, “stuff piling up” or “too many things to do at one time” You have a clutter problem. Just like finances, things might have piled up before you could have realise it.

If you are feeling stuck in your financial journey, this article might help you purge the money burdens.

First: List Out Everything

This is the heavy lifting that most financial services consultants will do to help you declutter. Here is a list of things that you have to find before we can purge your burdens

  1. List out all your incomes sources (last 3 months)
  2. Print out your credit card statements (last 3 months)
  3. List out all your insurance coverage
  4. Your latest loan amount
  5. Your latest assets amount

In a nutshell, you can see that you are listing our your assets, liabilities, income and expenditure. This is allow you to have a clearer picture of your networth and also cashflow.

Second: Purge

You might have discovered that you might have some income or expenditure that you should purge. Let me help you list out some of the most purgeable items.

  1. Subscription that are recurring are usually forgotten. They might be your Netflix account, your Spotify account or Seeking Alpha assess. Purge out those that you have not used for the last 3 months but are still paying for it. If you have not use it for the last 3 months, you probably won’t be using it for the next 3.
  2. Purge out income sources that are not efficient. You might be doing a little of everything (mystery shopping, survey, Network Marketing, Fiverr, Grab). Potentially, you might have became too tired by spreading yourself too thin. Focus on one and let it grow.
  3. Is there an extra insurance coverage that you have bought years ago? Is there a loan that you can paydown or refinance? Re-analyze your assets and liabilities and purge those that should be gone.

Third: Recreate

Your financial journey is not only about clearing. It is also about recreating. It is only with a clearer lens that you will be able to organise and add for the future.

  1. Is your insurance serving you well at your current life stage? If not, what can you do about it?
  2. What kind of assets can I focus on based on my risk appetite? Should you top up your SRS? Should you contribute more to your CPF?
  3. How can I enhance my income? Is it adding about new skillset?

Move forward. If you are stuck again, don’t be afraid to do another purging exercise until you are satisfied.

 

Final Thoughts

To those that might be thinking the more the better (especially when it comes to income sources). This exercise helped me a lot during a time I was overstretching. I discovered I had 12 income sources and I was spreading myself extremely thin. I couldn’t focus on all 12 and eventually didn’t do well in all 12. It was really painful experience. I had then purge 9 of them and focusing on 3 right now.

Hope that you will have a better financial journey than I do. Till then, stay safe!

Chengkok is a licensed Financial Services Consultant since 2012. He is an Investment and Critical Illness Specialist. Wealthdojo was created in 2019 to educate and debunk “free financial advice” that was given without context.  

Feel Free To Reach Out To Share Your Thoughts.

Contact: 94316449 (Whatsapp) chengkokoh@gmail.com (Email)
Telegram: Wealthdojo [Continuous Learning Channel]
Reviews: About Me

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.

We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not

We are “forced” to be investors whether we like it or not

We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not Low Interest Rate
We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not: Low Interest Rate Singapore 25 Years

This one chart explains it all. It was just a “few years” back when my parents told me that it is important to save money in the bank. Saving money in the bank does have many tangible benefits. Firstly, it creates a pool of emergency funds for a peace of mind. Secondly, it gives you a lump of money to prepare for any opportunities. Thirdly, if you don’t do anything, the banks will give you up to 7% interest per annum (Dec 1980). That sounds good to me!

Fast forward to 2021, the bank is giving on average around 0.05% and it seems to be getting lower. The low interest rate environment has changed many areas of finance. Firstly, it has already affected the insurance companies’ participating plans. Secondly and more importantly, it has lead to the erosion of money.

This means that the money you have now, will be worth less in future. For every $10,000 you have in your bank, the real value of your $10,000 will be halved ~$5,454.84 in 30 years if you continue to keep money in bank. (assuming 2% inflation rate)

You can say that we are in a generation that is “forced” to invest or suffer the erosion of money value with time.

We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not Value Erosion

What It Means For You?

Whether you are in your 20s who might be working for the next 40 years (damn) or in your 50s who might be retiring for the next 30 years, we are all exposed to the same erosion. As a retiree, it is important to understand that your savings value will go down in quantity and value. As a working adult, it is important to understand that your hard earned money is worth less down the road.

There is only one obvious thing to do. Either you keep pace with inflation (endowment plans/selected bond funds/etc does a decent job for this) or you have beat inflation. If you want to beat inflation, you will most possibly be expose to other asset classes which might have higher volatility and risk. It is crucial to know your risk profile here before you proceed.  You might be not suitable for certain asset classes and it is important to talk to professional to assess this.

The Chase For Higher Yield

There are only 2 ways to do this. Either you do it yourself or let others do it for you.

Do it yourself: This is an active role. It involves many things such as knowing what asset classes to buy, what assets in the asset classes to choose from, the pros and cons associated into each assets, the co-relationship between each assets, the duration of investment, the investment thesis and when to exit. This list is not exhaustive.

There is a very strong emphasis here on the level of financial knowledge which might take years to acquire. (All this time, still spending most of your waking hour working on the job). It is a longer process but definitely rewardable.

Do it for you: This is a semi passive role. There is still a personal responsibility to know what you are investing in. Otherwise, you are completely at mercy of the provider. In Do It For You, usually a portfolio is readily available. There will be an explanation on the investment thesis and if you subscribe to the investment thesis, you can consider taking up the Do It For You.

Annual reviews or semi-annual reviews are important here to see how the investment is doing. Generally, it is a passive role after that.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose to do it yourself or do it for you, the reality is that you have to do something. If you don’t, the retirement journey just might be a little hard.

We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not
We are forced to be investors whether we like it or not

Till then, take care!

Chengkok is a licensed Financial Services Consultant since 2012. He is an Investment and Critical Illness Specialist. Wealthdojo was created in 2019 to educate and debunk “free financial advice” that was given without context.  

Feel Free To Reach Out To Share Your Thoughts.

Contact: 94316449 (Whatsapp) chengkokoh@gmail.com (Email)
Telegram: Wealthdojo [Continuous Learning Channel]
Reviews: About Me

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.

Is it possible to profit from passion

Is it possible to profit from passion?

Drawing, gardening, home-based baking. These are some of the emerging trends where passion meets profit. To most people, this could be a dream come true. A dream where you are paid for things you enjoy doing. You could even supplement your wealth management journey through your passion.

You might have received an invitation to a limited time entrepreneur webinar or click through a Facebook advertisement asking you to “BE YOUR OWN BOSS”. In any case, I believe that it is definitely possible to profit from your passion.

In my journey to talk to my readers on their experience profiting from passion, I noticed some key trends that emerged. I realised that most people fail because they did not ask themselves these 3 important questions early on. To help you save your time and effort, I have dedicated time to write this so that you will not fail in this journey on profiting from passion. I have also interviewed a few entrepreneurs who are willing to share their valuable experiences at the end of the article.

Is it possible to profit from passion
Is it possible to profit from passion

Identify Your Passion

For most people, this comes intuitively. For others, it may take time.

Personally, it took some time for me to “identify” my passion. Reading good financial articles (like this one.. haha) and sharing about financial knowledge has been a great pleasure for me. Initially, I do it very sub-consciously. I started off sharing about the best credit cards, simple wealth management tips and also the lessons I learnt from books. It was just something that I enjoyed doing. Though, I did not profit from any of them. I enjoyed the process.

This was “invisible” to me until one of my friends pointed it out to me. He asked me why not look for a career in the financial services space where you can make full use of your passion. It took me 4 years just to “identify” my passion. While it certainly took a long time, I enjoy every moment of my career now.

Coming back to the original topic, one of the most popular question that I hear from my readers is this: “How can I profit from my passion?”

After spending some time to discuss with them, I realised most of them cannot identify or admit truthfully that they have a certain passion. Most of the time, it is because the “passion” appears to be profitable. Their minds were thinking about profitability rather than passion. I think this is very normal. We do have real priorities like improving our standard of living, saving for retirement etc.

In the midst of finding our passion, we lost our way.

I believe the first step is to identify your passion. This will take time. I believe that passion are met to be a net positive in life. Even if it is not profitable or not yet profitable, it has to give you an intangible benefit like happiness.

For Vivian from Platter With Love, she “accidentally” discovered her passion. One faithful evening, she designed a platter (out of pure fun) and brought it home. She witnessed how her family was amazed and delighted at the beauty of the platter arrangement, the food, and also the taste. That was the start of her venturing into the platter business.

Step #1: What is your passion?

 

Does Time Permits?

You will need time. It is very frustrating if your passion now becomes a time burden to indulge in along with the other responsibilities you have in life. I asked a passionate hobbyist Plantssg his biggest challenge. This is what he mentioned.

“One of the biggest challenge is to make sure your assets don’t die. It must grow well and thrive”.

While he did not mention about the amount of time he spend in his garden, I personally believe he would have spend a lot of time there.

Before I scare any of you away, I would like to add another dimension to this. I believe that Time is about Consistency. It is okay not to make any money it your passion yet. It is okay to spend time on it. The most important is to consistently schedule it and commit to your passion. For now, forget about the profit and just doing it consistently will make you better and better. You will hit gold sooner or later.

Even for Liling from Ola.bakess, she had to schedule time outside of her full time job to plan for her business. Her weekends were spend baking while weekday nights were spent in business planning.

Step #2: Schedule your passion

 

Be Honest

Do you really need this passion to be profitable? Sometimes, your passion will turn to become a frustration. Just imagine while preparing your bread for your next customer, you receive a ridiculous bad review. This will definitely put a damper on your mood for the rest of your day.

Is it possible to profit from passion bad reviews
Is it possible to profit from passion ridiculous bad reviews

Honestly ask yourself if this passion needs to be profitable for it to bring happiness to the lives of yourself and others? I would rather you love the process. Not all passion has to be profitable although it can.

Step #3: Are you mentally prepared?

 

Final Thoughts

I believe that it is definitely possible to profit from passion. It is a journey of exploring, having fun consistently and if it makes you happy, profit from it! If you have a story when you tried to profit from passion, I would love to connect with you. Do email me or text me. I look forward to some of your stories.

Continue scrolling to read the interviews with fellow entrepreneurs. Wishing you the best in your passion =)

Alternative, find out more on some of the best ways to earn extra income in Singapore.

 

Chengkok is a licensed Financial Services Consultant since 2012. He is an Investment and Critical Illness Specialist. Wealthdojo was created in 2019 to educate and debunk “free financial advice” that was given without context.  

Feel Free To Reach Out To Share Your Thoughts.

Contact: 94316449 (Whatsapp) chengkokoh@gmail.com (Email)
Telegram: Wealthdojo [Continuous Learning Channel]
Reviews: About Me

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.

 

Special Interviews

Disclaimer: I’m a great supporter of these businesses. I do not collect any forms of remuneration by featuring them.

Vivien (Platter With Love)

  1. What made u decide to venture into selling platter with love ?
    The business is very much an extension of me as a person; my love for gastronomical fare, my love for quality time spent with family and friends, my love for variety and options, and my belief in contributing back to the community. I have worked as a school teacher before this. Despite years of teaching in schools; in primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges, I still feel inadequate. I was missing life lessons. Though I am still a teacher at heart, I had wished to be better myself as a person before heading back to the classroom (possibly in my retirement years). One evening, I designed a platter, out of pure fun and enjoyment, and brought it back to my maiden home. I witnessed how delighted my family was as they marveled at the beauty of the platter arrangement, like that of a piece of valuable art work. After digging in, the platter sparked many conversations, my family was curious as it was not a conventional fare. They enjoyed the liberty to try out different food combinations. Not only that, the platter provided something for the whole family, from my niece who was one to my grandmother who was 91 years old. Everyone huddled around the platter and delighted in the meal, it was a precious sight. That was when I resolved to turn it into a business.
  2. Before you started selling your products, how long have you been practicing making platter with love?
    Platters are a relatively new concept, especially in the Singapore market. The concept started in 2016, in Australia/New Zealand, when it was done as a grazing table at a wedding reception. The grazing table offers a variety of food options, primarily cheeses, charcuterie, fruits, and just about anything else you like. Unlike conventional buffet lines where you queue for your food, the concept allows for a freestyle selection, according to your preference. When Covid-19 hit last year, I read about many who have lost their jobs. The job market did not look promising. Instead of viewing that as a crisis, I started to do extensive research and reading up on my passion: gastronomy. I have always enjoyed experimenting and cooking. It was after months of experimentation and research, rounds of feedback from family and close friends, that we arrive at the menu we have today. At the same time, I underwent officially training as a private chef and went for food hygiene certification. I have run this business for over a year now.
  3. How much time a week do you put into running this business?
    I do not stipulate hours when it comes to running Platter With Love. As an entrepreneur, I learnt that we not only possess the ability to dream, but we need to be willing to put in the hours to set our dream into motion. Apart from customer service, fulfilling customers’ order, hours need to be put aside into creation of content for the website, maintaining customer relations, inventory checks/replenishment, licensing, etc. At the end of the day, the raving reviews from my customers are an acknowledge of my efforts. It gives my great satisfaction to know that I have done my best in ensuring happiness and bliss, (apart from a delectable food platter) are safety delivered to my customers. More importantly, the true reward comes in how this business is serving as a vehicle to donate meals to the needy in Singapore, and that makes everything is worthwhile.
Profit from passion Platter With Love
Profit from passion Platter With Love

 

Liling (Ola.Bakess)

  1. What made u decide to venture into selling Ola.Bakess?
    I just like to bake and eat macarons (Hahaha)! Macarons are very delicate almond cookies and require a lot of attention. The recipes are very challenging but I get a sense of excitement and happiness especially when it becomes perfect. It is my dream to make perfect macarons
  2. Before you started selling your products, how long have you been practicing making Macarons?
    It took me almost 1 year for my macarons to be at the level of my satisfaction. I took various courses such as macarons class to have a deeper understanding on the basic foundation. There were also a lot of try and error practice to be satisfied with the recipe.
  3. How much time a week did you put into running this business?
    This is difficult to quantify. I have a full time job. I usually do business planning during weekday evenings. My weekends are reserved for baking.
Profit From Passion Ola Bakess
Profit From Passion Ola Bakess
My SRS Portfolio June 2021

My SRS Portfolio and Thoughts [June 2021]

My SRS Portfolio June 2021
My SRS Portfolio June 2021

It is scary how time flies. It was 3 months since the last updates. Here are some of my thoughts on the SRS portfolio.

The Standard Disclaimer: This is not and should not be taken as a buy/sell recommendation.

Before looking into using SRS to invest, these are some links you should read first before continuing.

Start Here: The $1 SRS Strategy

Basic Knowledge: 5 things you need to know about SRS when you are 40 and older

Your SRS Overseas Retirement Guide: 3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore

For 40s and above: 10 SRS Investments to Consider Especially if you are 40 and older

Income Tax and SRS: How Much Is My Income Taxes [2021 Edition]

SRS Portfolio March 2021.

 

My Thoughts and Consideration

My SRS Portfolio June 2021 Data
My SRS Portfolio June 2021 Data

The price for SGX: HST is an ETF which tracks the biggest technology stocks in China seems to be under pressure possibly due to the USA-China trade tensions and also regulatory risk in China. However, business fundamentals have not change. This will remain as a core position in the portfolio. Unfortunately, the portfolio is lagging the US market due to a heavy exposure into this ETF.

Manulife REITS BTOU Q12021 Highlights
Manulife REITS BTOU Q12021 Highlights

SGX: BTOU fundamental numbers to be be quite stable. In the AGM, the management mentioned that tenants are gradually bringing their employees back to office, with the physical occupancy of 13% in Jan 2021 to 20% as of May 2021. Management are also opened to reviewing potential acquisitions across sectors. This could be good news for shareholders if the property is yield accretive. This will continue to be a core position in the portfolio.

New injections into my SRS might happen at the end of 2021. The injection depends on the potential taxable income in 2021. I’m currently looking into a product that is offered by an insurance company. The investment engine sounds great as it focus on value and growth companies which is the objective of my SRS portfolio.

 

Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: this is not and should not be taken as a buy/sell recommendation. Like what Charlie Munger famously said: the big money is not in the buying or selling.. but in the waiting.

Are you investing your SRS well?

Chengkok is a licensed Financial Services Consultant since 2012. He is an Investment and Critical Illness Specialist. Wealthdojo was created in 2019 to educate and debunk “free financial advice” that was given without context.  

Feel Free To Reach Out To Share Your Thoughts.

Contact: 94316449 (Whatsapp) chengkokoh@gmail.com (Email)
Telegram: Wealthdojo [Continuous Learning Channel]
Reviews: About Me

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.