Confession I used to believe that millionaires were always right about money

Confession: I used to believe that millionaires were always right about money.

by with 2 Comments Investment AccumulationMoney ManagementMoney Mindset
Confession I used to believe that millionaires were always right about money
Confession: I used to believe that millionaires were always right about money

I still remember the first Wealth Management Seminar that I went. I woke up early that morning to take a 1.5 hours bus ride to expo. It was going to be 3 days where millionaires were invited on the big stage to share how they become rich. There were various strategies. Properties, Tax Lien, Value Investing, Options Trading, E-commerce, SRS hacks, you just have to name it.

I have to admit. I was impressed by the seminar. I thought I was in the presence of legends. I was introduced to a few “self-made millionaires” and I thought that I was really blessed to be able to hear their sharing. I took notes of every single word they say, every single habit they have and every single tip they gave.

I was all fired up.

Today, I’m a little wiser and can tell you with 100% conviction that just because they are a millionaire (or appear to be), it does not mean they are right about money.

 

Confession #1: I look up to them without knowing their source of wealth

I know of a guy who was in his 20s (I will not be sharing his name to protect the identify of the speaker). On stage, he was explaining his methodology on how he became rich. He shared that to be successful you have to be humble, live within your means, invest and compound. He went from a $1000 portfolio to managing a 7 digits portfolio in 3 years and he was still in his 20s! That’s incredible.

After being acquainted with this person, I realised that he wasn’t really following any budget and was spending lavishly. I questioned his habits only be dismissed by saying he can make it back easily by selling his course.

I was really disturbed after I heard that. I acknowledge his ability to make money but lost respect for he did not practice what he preached.

I believe many young people (like myself) look up to these “rich” people hoping to be one of them. At the end of the day, you do need capital to invest. It is easier to grow toward 7 digits portfolio when you already have a property that you want sell or an high income skillset.

Don’t look up to “successful” people blindly without truly understanding where their source of wealth is from. It could be range from inheritance to insurance proceeds and not what you thought it is.

 

Confession #2: I get intimated by fanciful titles

Just because someone is financially educated or more experienced than you, doesn’t mean that they’re always right. “Fund manager”, “Assets Enhancing Specialist”, “Chief Investment Officer” etc are fanciful titles that you probably see on the newspaper. It could come in other forms like “Value Investing Guru”, “The Options Specialist” or “Asia Real Estate Guru”.

Those titles are impressive. My friend was “promoted” to be a senior manager in her company because her customers only want to work with someone from the management. Her pay scale was the same, her job scope was the same but the company had to inflate her title so that she will get a response from her customers. It sounds weird but titles do make an impression in our lives.

Another friend of mine is a Chief Financial Officer of a company. He was earning around $15,000 monthly (Our most popular article: Is $30,000 salary a month enough?) and I thought he probably had a good financial plan. It turns out that he have less than $1,000 in his bank account, owes 5 digit credit card bills and no asset under his name.

Morale of the story: Don’t be intimated by fanciful titles. (Not even wealth sensei)

Ridiculous job titles
Ridiculous job titles

 

Confession #3: I was impressed by jargons

When I first started investing, there were many times I felt being out-jargon in a seminar. The more jargons they said, the more I felt I needed to learn. I love it when the trainers pop out words like “50 days exponential moving average”, “cashflow conversion cycle” or the “gamma of the option” out of the blue. I was impressed on their wealth of knowledge and want to learn from them.

While they have the wealth of knowledge, I realised that some of them never invest before in the stock market. They were using “difficult terms” but when I asked about the practicality and the application, they don’t seemed to have the answer or able share any experience. I was really surprised.

Don’t be impressed by jargons.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether it is the love of jargons or fanciful titles, find someone who embodies the meaning of wealth to you. Follow them, learn from them, become wealthy yourself too.

True Wealth
True Wealth

PS: Wealthdojo was selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 75 Singapore Investment Blogs on the web. I would like thank our readers (yes you) for your support in reading and sharing our articles. We will strive to be better and better in the years ahead!

Top 75 Singapore Investment Blog
Top 75 Singapore Investment Blog

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.

 

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore

by with 6 Comments General EconomyInvestment AccumulationMoney ManagementMoney MindsetRetirement

It is the Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) contribution season. If you are 40 and above, do check out my previous post on the 5 things you need to know about SRS. Interestingly, someone emailed me on my 6 Level Wealth Karate System Page to ask about what will happen to their SRS account if they leave Singapore.

In this article, we will talk about 3 potential scenarios (i) if you are a foreigner and continue to stay in Singapore (you should!) (ii) if you are a foreigner but decide to leave Singapore (iii) if you are local and intend to retire in overseas (Thailand, Phuket, you name it).

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore
3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore: Don’t leave =(

I’m a Singaporean and proud to be one. Singapore is a wonderful country. You should not leave =). Unfortunately, I do meet people who love Singapore but have no choice but to leave because they were asked to relocate to another country. Anyway, let’s set the context for the SRS. Most people will probably be concerned if it is worth it to contribute to their SRS when long term stay in Singapore is not confirm. We will touching on that.

I would also need to point out the withdrawal tax concession and the 5% early withdrawal penalty.

 

SRS Early Withdrawal Penalty (Local and Foreigner)

Withdrawal after retirement age (current age 62): You can start making penalty-free withdrawal from your SRS account. You will only be taxed 50% of the amount you withdraw for the calendar year.

Withdrawal before retirement age (current age 62): Although you can make withdrawal from your SRS account at any time that you want, you will be subjected to a penalty of 5% of the amount withdrawn. In addition, the full amount withdrawn will also be subject to income tax.

There are other special circumstances which we will not be going into detail (Death/Medical Grounds/Bankrupt)

 

SRS Additional Withdrawal Criteria (Foreigner)

As a foreigner, you can withdraw your SRS monies without the 5% penalty if you meet the following criteria:

(i) a foreigner for a continuous period of at least 10 years preceding the date of withdrawal.
(ii) one lump sum after maintaining your SRS account for at least 10 years from the date of your first contribution.

For such withdrawal, you will be taxed 50% of the withdrawal amount.

After understanding the above criteria, let’s consider a the few scenario that might happen to you.

 

Case #1: Foreigner and continue to stay in Singapore

James is a foreigner who is staying in Singapore for many years. When I first met James, he told me that he really love Singapore. He likes the sunny weather, he likes the hawker food (his favourite is chicken rice) and also a father of 2 beautiful young children.

He has an intention to stay in Singapore to raise his family.

James contributes to his SRS account every year. This is because as a foreigner, he does not have CPF contribution. By contributing to the SRS, he is able to reduce his taxable income, save on taxes and also save for retirement.

James is 45 this year and he is plan to contribute the full $35,700 into his SRS every year. He makes around $160,000 a year. Assuming no other personal tax deduction.

Without SRS: James pays $13,950 of taxes that year.

With SRS: James pays $8,595 of taxes that year. (His chargeable income is $160,000 – $35,700)

In total, he saves $5,355 worth of taxes that year. He also saves $35,7000 in his SRS which he can use to invest for his retirement.

In 10 years time, he save a total of $53,550 worth of taxes. At the same time, he would have accumulated nearly $481,462 if he decides to invest his monies in his SRS assuming it grows at 4%. He can decide if he wants to withdraw the lump sum.

If he does so, he have to pay 50% taxes on withdrawal amount. Let’s assume he does not have any income that year. He will be taxed on $241,000 (50% of $481,462). He pays a tax of $28,945. He saves about $24,605 ($53,550-$28,945) if he contributes to SRS. In this case, he benefits from this.

However, James may not want to do this at all. At age 55, he is still young and most likely have a good income, saving or investment to depend on if he does proper wealth management. James is a happy man.

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore happy family
3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore happy family

 

Case #2: Foreigner and decides to leave Singapore

In an unfortunate case where you have to leave Singapore, there are some strategies that you might want to consider for the SRS. I met Lucy a few years back. Lucy has been in Singapore for 3 years now but have not contributed to her SRS. She’s working in an MNC in Singapore and earns around $160,000. She fears that the economic downturn will affect her job opportunities in Singapore and asked to be returned to her country. This has been escalated due to COVID-19. Similarly, if she contributes $35,700 to her SRS, these are her numbers.

Without SRS: Lucy pays $13,950 of taxes that year.

With SRS: Lucy pays $8,595 of taxes that year. (Her chargeable income is $160,000 – $35,700)

In total, she saves $5,355 worth of taxes that year. She also saves $35,7000 in her SRS which she can use to invest for her retirement.

What if Lucy were to leave Singapore? Her fears are valid. It would mean that $35,700 would be stuck in her SRS. What if she leaves Singapore AND really needs the money? In this unfortunate situation, she will have to pay a 5% penalty and also be taxed on 100% of the withdrawal amount. This can be avoided if Lucy plans using the 6 Level Wealth Karate System.

Ideally, she can wait for 10 years from her first contribution to avoid the penalty and be taxed on 50% of the lump sum.

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore Sad Woman
3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore: I don’t want to go

 

Case #3: Local but wants to retire overseas

This has been a dream of many Singaporeans. Andrew has been working in Singapore all his life and contributes to his SRS account regularly. He has been telling his colleagues about his retirement which is happening in a few years time. He dreams that he will be able to retire in Thailand. He enjoys Thai food a lot and can’t wake to wake up on the beach of Phuket every day for the rest of his life.

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore Phuket
3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore Phuket

We are in the midst of checking if SRS will be taxed differently due to the change of tax residency. We will update this article accordingly.

Update: SRS will be taxed according to tax residency and it depends on the following factors.

3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore Tax Resident
3 things you need to know about SRS if you plan to leave Singapore Tax Resident

Final Thoughts

Please check in with your tax advisors for the above strategies. We also note that the rulings change from time to time so we want to be mindful about that.

Whether you are a local or a foreigner, it make sense to contribute to SRS (as discussed in the previous article). I will be talking about what to invest in using your SRS in the next article. Stay tune.

 

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.

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

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

by with 12 Comments General EconomyInvestment AccumulationMoney ManagementRetirementSRS

During the end of the year, the topic of Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions will become frequently searched topics for wealth management. This is because for every additional dollar contributed, we might pay lesser in taxes. If you are 40 and older, this article is for you. We are going to talk about taxes, retirement and worse case situations.

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

 

#1 Quick Summary of SRS

SRS is a voluntary program started in 2001 to help individual (local and foreigners) to save more money for retirement. You are eligible for tax reliefs by contribution to SRS subjected to the cap of the personal income tax relief (currently $80,000). There is also a maximum that you can contribute to SRS (currently $15,300 for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents; and $35,700 for foreigners).

For example, I earn $100,000. I contribute $15,000 into my SRS. My taxable income will now be $85,000 (assuming I have not hit the cap of the personal income tax relief).

Your returns in the SRS account will be tax-free and 50% of the withdrawals from SRS are taxable at retirement.

Your contributions must be made before the 31 Dec of the year to quality (hence, the interest at the end of the year).

You can make withdrawals on or after the statutory retirement age (currently at 62) for you to enjoy penalty free withdrawals. Withdrawals are made in a 10 years window.

For investments in life annuities, the 10-year withdrawal period does not apply. So long as you continue to receive your annuity streams in perpetuity, 50% of the annual stream will be subject to tax.

A 5% penalty will be imposed for early withdrawals.

For more information about withdrawals, head over to IRAS withdrawals to understand more.

 

#2 The Best Case Scenario

The best case scenario is to have $400,000 in your SRS account at the age of 62 and you are not working by then. We assume that we will be drawing out $40,000 evenly over the next 10 years. Since 50% of the amount withdrawn will be taxable, the taxable income is $20,000 (assuming no other income). At $20,000, there is no income tax payable.

This rigid best case scenario creates a conundrum because it creates a happy problem that you have ALOT MORE than $400,000 due to excellent investment returns AND you still have a well paying job by then.

 

#3 The “Worse Case” Scenario

Suppose you are 30 year old today and contribute the maximum of $15,300 into the SRS account every year until age of 62. If your ROI is 20%, you would have $31 million in your SRS account. You would have to withdraw around $3 million yearly and be subjected to the highest income bracket.

If we manage our expectations and have a reasonable ROI of 5%, you would have $1.2 million in your SRS account. In this case, you would have to withdraw roughly $120,000 yearly. If you are still working and at the peak of your career getting a good income, you will be possibly subjected to a highest income bracket.

The “worse case” is to have really good investment skills and still be working by then. However, I feel this as a “happy” problem to have.

 

#4 What if I’m just a normal human being?

$1.2 million sounds big and you might not even be sure you will still have a job then at 62. Most of my client ask me what if they are a normal human being, how does SRS still make sense to a layman?

Firstly, we have to start with the question of contribution. How much should you make a year before SRS contributions make sense?

5 things you need to know about SRS when you are 40 and older income tax contribution
5 things you need to know about SRS when you are 40 and older: income tax contribution

SRS is a tax planning tool. Hence, it is important to know at which chargeable income bracket (after CPF contribution, tax relief) will it make sense for us to contribute to SRS.

Personally, SRS contribution will start to make sense after the $80,000 chargeable income bracket. Any other income after the $80,000 is subjected to a tax rate of 11.5%. Hence, I find it reasonable to contribute to SRS unless I can find an investment instrument that can give me 11.5% easily. Of course, there are other reasons as well.

#4.1 Tax Savings

To give an example, Amy earns $120,000 annually (after all personal tax relief).

Without SRS, she pays $7950 on taxes.

With SRS, her chargeable income becomes $104,700. She now pays $6190 on taxes.

She saves $1760. (which is a probably an extra month of family expenses)

However, in a situation where by you need liquidity for big purchases such as down-payment for a property, you might want to skip this year’s contribution. The balance of liquidity and tax saving should be taken into consideration.

#4.2 Emergency Funds

If you already have money in your SRS and have a URGENT need for cash, you can still withdrawal from SRS with a 5% penalty instead of having it locked up like the CPF. Of course, we ideally do not want to withdraw from our SRS. However, in an event of a unforeseen circumstances, the funds are still available.

 

#5 Then why after age 40?

I’m assuming that after age 40, it is likely that our income is more than $80,000. Plus, we might need liquidity for housing/renovation/marriage/children purposes before that. There is also an (irrational) fear is that if we contribute too early, we might compound it too much by then.

Hence, 40 years is ideal because there will be possible substantial tax saving, not having a liquidity issue and also closer to retirement age (lesser compounding period).

A potential solution to the “worse case” scenario is to get an annuity (but you will still be effectively taxed on half the annuity’s payouts every year).

 

#6onus How should you open a SRS account?

To open a SRS account, simply go to the 3 SRS operators (DBS/POSB, UOB & OCBC) website and you can do it online. You can register an account with any of them. There is little difference which bank you choose because you can invest in SRS approved assets from any institutions.

OCBC SRS Account

UOB SRS Account

DBS SRS Account

I suggest that you wait until the end of the year before applying. Typically, there are promotions to open a SRS account at the end of the year. On a side note, I’m don’t think there will be a promotion this year (2020) due to the COVID-19 situation. The banks have also been reducing their benefits this year.

5 things you need to know about SRS when you are 40 and older OCBC Promotion
5 things you need to know about SRS when you are 40 and older OCBC Promotion 2017

 

Final Thoughts

I believe that SRS is a great tax saving tool for you if you are 40 and above. Your contribution might save your family one month worth of household expenses. When we are younger, it is important to balance tax-saving and liquidity. Upon retirement, SRS can  provide a source of income for us in addition to possibly rental, dividends etc.

 

 

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.

CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire

CPF Accrued Interest Trap: Can You Downsize and Retire?

by with 6 Comments CPF AccumulationInvestment AccumulationMoney ManagementProperty InvestmentRetirement

“My plan is to downsize my house to use the (capital appreciation) money for retirement.”

I was walking past a coffee shop and I happened to hear the above statement. The man who looked like he was in his 50s seemed to radiate confidence about his statement. I wonder if it was possible. While we are going to explore that today, do check out my most popular blog post in 2020 so far: 5 mistakes people make using their CPF.

CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire
CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire

Context Setting

To buy a home in Singapore, I would say a good majority of us will take a loan. As we are able to take up to 90% (HDB loan) or up to 75% (Bank loan) of the property prices, this means we have to put a down-payment. To illustrate, a $400,000 HDB property would require us to fork out at least $40,000 as down-payment.

To pay for this down-payment, I know most people would use their CPF-OA to pay for it. At the same time, most people will also use their CPF-OA to service their home loans.

This means that our CPF-OA might be wiped out throughout our loan bearing years.

What most people fail to recognized is that we are charged interest for using our CPF-OA, this is known as accrued interest.

 

CPF Accrued Interest

Accrued interest is the interest amount that you would have earned if your CPF savings had not been withdrawn for housing. The interest is computed on the CPF principal amount withdrawn for housing on a monthly basis (at the current CPF Ordinary Account interest rate) and compounded yearly.

(Source: How does the Board calculate the accrued interest on the amount of CPF used for my property?)

As CPF is meant for our retirement in our planning of Wealth Management, to safeguard the “loss of interest” during the years the monies are used for property, we need to refund the CPF-OA the following.

  1. The down-payment that was used
  2. The monthly installment that was used
  3. The accrued interest (interest that we would have received from our down-payment and installment if we didn’t withdraw from CPF)

 

Will the plan work? Let’s put it to the test

Let’s fixed a few reasonable assumptions to form an illustration. We will looking at downsizing from a 4 bedded HDB to a 3 bedded HDB after the loan tenure of 25 years.

HDB 4RM Value: $400,000

Down-payment: $40,000 (10%). Buyer Stamp Duty (BSD): $6600. Legal Fee: $3000.

Loan amount: $360,000. Monthly Installment: $1634. HDB Loan: 2.6%

CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire Calculations
CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire Calculations

In month 1, we add the down-payment, BSD, legal fee and the first monthly installment of $1634 to get $51,234. From day 1, the accrued interest would already be $106.74. In 25 years time (300 months), the total accrued interest would have already accumulated to $184,698!

Assuming the property market grows at 3% annually, your $400,000 property will now be worth $837,511. Isn’t that great? Your profited $437,511!! Before you think that your profit will be $437,511 and can be used for retirement, here is when the accrued interest trap comes in.

When you sell your house, you have to return back to your CPF the down-payment, the monthly installment and also the accrued interest. This would mean that you have to return $724,498 ($539,800 + $184,698) into the CPF. Your cash proceeds will only be $103,013.

Wait there’s more! 

Because you are downsizing, you can use your existing CPF-OA to acquire a HDB 3RM. Using time value of money, a HDB 3RM wroth $300,000 now will be worth $628,133 in 25 years time if it grows at the same 3%. You have to make sure that you have enough money to acquire that HDB 3RM.

Wait there’s even more!

You have to pay the HDB resale levy of $30,000 (as of 2020), agent fee of $8,375 (1%) and also legal cost of $3000.

Wait there’s even some more!

After the age of 55, you have to set aside your Full Retirement Sum (FRS) which is a combination of your Ordinary Account and your Special Account. This might post some problems to use your CPF-OA to acquire a HDB 3RM if you are unable to reach your Full Retirement Sum.

And lastly..

Assuming that you can acquire the HDB 3RM without problems, would $113,013 be enough for retirement?

CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire
CPF Accrued Interest Trap Can You Downsize and Retire: Oh Damn

 

Conclusion

Retirement planning is often more than a single solution. There are many caveats that stumble the best of us. To ensure your retirement is secure, work together with someone that you trust and exhibit good expertise in this matter.

In my experience helping people plan for retirement, I realised those that retire in comfort usually have a combination of retirement tools ranging from properties, stocks, annuity and also insurance.

Thank you the uncle at the coffee shop who inspired me to write this article. Please help to share this article so that this article may find its’ way to him.

 

No one will care about your money as much as you do.

In Wealth Management, it is important to Pay yourself first. Beware of scams. Before you invest in any company or popular investment opportunity, be sure to do your own due diligence. If you wish to learn more about investment, I hope to nurture genuine relationships with all of my readers.

Check out my most popular blog post in 2020 so far: 5 mistakes people make using their CPF.

Please feel free to contact me on my Instagram (@chengkokoh) or Facebook Page or my Telegram Channel! Or subscribe to our newsletter now!

Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now

Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX: D05) now?

by with 3 Comments General EconomyInvestment AccumulationMoney ManagementMoney MindsetStock Analysis

Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now? $19 seems to be a popular price that people will talk about DBS Group Holding. In wealth management, investing in good companies are essential to build up the capital to achieve our financial freedom. This article will hold some of my thoughts I have regarding DBS Group and some of it will shock you. Is it a mistake or will we have regrets? (Read all the way down).

Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now
Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now? Introducing the cat indicator. Meow~

 

Is DBS Group a Good Company and Undervalued?

Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now numbers
Should you buy DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX D05) now?

These are the numbers that I look for in a banking stock. You can find this numbers from the annual report of DBS Group. We want to analyse whether the bank is first a profitable and efficient bank.

To look at profitability, we want to look at the Net Interest Margin (NIM) to be as high as possible. Banks earns a spread by borrowing money from people like me and you and giving them out as loan. We also want to see non-performing loans (NPL) to be as low as possible. There will be people who will default on their loans given various situation, we want to see it as low as possible.

Next we want to see the efficiency of the bank in terms of operations and per dollar invested. We have used the cost to income ratio which we want as low as possible. A lower cost to income ratio means their expense is low as compared to the revenue. Return on equity (ROE) we want it as high as possible.

Personally, I think it is quite a good company based on these set of numbers.

The valuation is also attractive at PB 0.99. This means you are buying it at 99 cents for every dollar it is worth. On dividends, it gives a 6.95% dividends based on previous dividends.

 

Verdict

It really looks not bad isn’t it.

 

The Forgotten Track Record

As investors, we like to talk about track record. I realised that this only applies to numbers, valuations and also share prices. There are numerous things we forget and we are more forgiving and tolerant to these companies who have better numbers. Let’s talk about the forgotten track record that DBS Group has.

2020: Hin Leong Trading

DBS has the highest loan exposure to HLT at US$290 million, while OCBC and UOB are owed US$220 million and US$100 million, respectively. The sharp plunge in oil prices, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, had brought one of Asia’s largest oil traders to its knees. (Source: The Business Times: DBS, OCBC, UOB faced with over US$600m total exposure to Hin Leong)

The exposure is considered immaterial to DBS Group’s Profits.

2017: Energy Saga

DBS Group Holdings Ltd. reported a surprise drop in third-quarter profit as Southeast Asia’s largest bank boosted bad-loan allowances more than sixfold in an effort to deal with its problem lending to the regional oil and gas services sector. (Source: Yahoo Finance: DBS Profit Sinks as Bank Tries to Put Bad Energy Loans Behind It)

Allowances for bad assets of S$1.66 billion compared with S$261 million in the year-earlier period.

This would easily be blamed on the cyclical energy market when oil and gas services first got the worse hit.

2007: Lehman Brother Mini Bonds

Following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers, about 10,000 retail investors in Singapore lost all or a large part of their investments total-ling over S$500 million in structured investment products linked to the American investment bank. They were mis-sold these relatively high-risk products to investors, many of whom were the elderly and less educated. (Source: NLB: Lehman Brothers Minibond saga)

There are perhaps many more examples but forgotten with time.

 

The Way Forward

This section is my own personal opinion. While it may or may not contribute to the bottom line of DBS Group, I strongly believe it will contribute to a great brand which is largely intangible.

$500 minimum deposit of a fine of $2 will apply

I struggle to accept that DBS bank, our people’s bank have such a rule. The people who are most needy will be those with less than $500 as their minimum deposit. These people are from the lower income group and would need as much liquidity as they can get. I also struggle to accept that additional dormant accounts would cost the bank money. In my limited knowledge, I can only guess it will take extremely huge number of dormant accounts to really make a dent in the bottom line of the company.

Legacy Issues

DBS remains the bank to have the longest queue for its’ ATM or for bank tellers. I can only guess vast amount of paperwork that still continues to be done today. I’m also unsure of any technological advance in the company as we are only exposed to the mobile app and internet banking features which largely remains the same since 3 years ago.

Fintech

Fintech has disrupted lives around the world. I haven’t seen much in this space for DBS Group. The one that is most impressive on their website is was dated July 2018 for projects in 2017. (Source: Case study: DBS – the edge)

Negative Interest Rates

With the world moving towards negative interest rates, will we follow suit? Will our NIM will be affected in the future.

 

No one will care about your money as much as you do.

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