Personal finance, life hacks and financial technology

Making mum’s CPF OA work harder with Endowus

In Finance, Fintech, ReviewsTags cpf, endowus, roboadvisorJanuary 24, 2020

While the CPF pays interest on your cash – 2.5% on your OA and 4% on your SA and MA, and an additional 1% interest on combined balances below S$60K, the interest rate paid on your OA barely beats inflation in Singapore, estimated to be around 2% annually.

The strategy for digital retail banks in Singapore

In Banking, Finance, FintechJanuary 19, 2020

In mid-2019, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced that it will issue 5 new digital full bank licenses to non-bank players in a major move to liberalise the banking industry in Singapore. But how far can they disrupt the industry?

Was the phase I trade deal a big deal?

In FinanceTags economyJanuary 19, 2020

You've read the headlines - the first phase of the US-China Trade pact has been signed between the two largest economies in the world after they first slapped tariffs on each other in July 2018. Was it significant? I explore further.

Why roboadvisors might be worth the fees

In Finance, FintechTags robo, roboadvisorJanuary 17, 2020

It's probably is contrary to popular belief - but if you're like me and you want things to work seamlessly, easily and effortlessly, then sometimes paying a premium for a product or service that delivers just that - might be worth paying a little more for.

FSM One ETF RSP Thoughts

In Finance, ReviewsTags fsm, reviewJanuary 12, 2020

FSM One launched their Regular Savings Plan (RSP) for select ETFs in November - up to 40 of them from their focus list across SGX, HKEX and US stock exchanges. In this article, I share my thoughts why I use them.

Focus on your strengths or fix your weaknesses?

In LifestyleTags thoughtsJanuary 11, 2020

Should you focus on your strengths or your weaknesses? The traditional way to resolve this would be to fix what you're bad at, but the modern way offers something different.

Understanding tax efficient ETFs – avoiding US withholding taxes

In Finance, InvestingTags education, estate tax, taxes, withholding taxJanuary 4, 2020

Without being too technical about the details, this article will explore the finer nuances about investing in Ireland-ETFs and how Singaporean investors can take advantage of this knowledge to maximise their returns from an ETF.

DBS Multiplier revises policy effective Feb 01 2020

In Banking, FinanceTags dbs, multiplier, policy changesJanuary 1, 2020

Unfortunately, many good things eventually come to an end. DBS announced today that there will be policy changes to their Multiplier account which will take effect from 1 Feb 2020.

Q4 2019 Portfolio Review – stay invested, stay safe

In Finance, InvestingTags portfolio, reviewDecember 27, 2019

In this Q4 2019 portfolio review, I talk about staying invested in the equities despite the volatility as economic conditions remain healthy. We are now seeing an extension of the current economic cycle thanks to the resurgence of growth optimism.

GrabPay MasterCard – more choices for consumers

In Credit Cards, FintechTags grabpay, mastercard, paymentDecember 25, 2019

In the year which saw numerous multi-currency debit card launches, Southeast Asian tech giant Grab has also joined the fray with the public launch of its GrabPay MasterCard after announcing its early access program earlier this year. In this article, I share my thoughts about why the launch of GrabPay MasterCard is great news for consumers.

The Best of Everything for a working adult – my recommendations

In Lifestyle, ReviewsTags reviews, the bestDecember 21, 2019

In this summary post called the best of everything for a working adult, I summarise the best of the financial and non-financial products, services, platforms and apps based on my personal opinion so that you can quickly get started in the right direction.

Preparing my personal finances for 2020

In Finance, LifestyleTags personal financeDecember 6, 2019

With just a month to go before the new year, I thought it'd be a good opportunity time to do a review of my personal finances with little Marie Kondo-inspired twist this year - simplifying my finances and getting rid of 'unloved' investments.

Bogleheads philosophy: keep your investment portfolio simple

In Finance, InvestingTags bogleheads, investingDecember 1, 2019

The Bogleheads' Guide to a Three Fund Portfolio describes a simple, low-cost three-fund indexed portfolio that has outperformed most investors in history.

G3B vs CFA vs MBH vs A35 – investing with SGD-denominated ETFs

In Finance, InvestingTags dca, etf, investing, passive, rspNovember 24, 2019

The introduction of the NikkoAM-StraitsTrading Asia ex Japan REIT ETF (CFA) and the Nikko AM SGD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (MBH), investors now have the option to invest in Asia ex-Japan real estate as well as investment grade bonds denominated in SGD.

Finding your secondary income source as a fresh graduate

In FinanceTags income, passive incomeNovember 15, 2019

In this post, I'd like to share my experience in several ways on how a fresh graduate with not much initial resources and money can get started to build a stream of alternative sources of passive income.

Revolut vs TransferWise – the battle of travel multicurrency wallets

In Finance, Fintech, Reviews, TravelTags multi-currency, revolut, transferwise, walletOctober 25, 2019

Revolut and TransferWise are both useful digital platforms offering you a multi-currency wallet and exchange between currencies within the app without expensive markups - saving you tons of foreign transaction fees when travelling or paying in foreign currencies.

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