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Month: March 2023

FED Printing machine “activated” again – what’s next for investor now?

Posted on by careyourpresent

Printing Machine activated

Many would have known that the last 1-2 weeks were very exciting! Many of the US banks collapsed!

  • Silver Gate
  • Silicon Valley Bank (that caused bank run of $USDC over last weekend)
  • First Republic Bank
  • Credit Suisse

In the last weekend with the news on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the market went down. $USDC (Crypto stablecoins) also de-pegged to below $0.9. I have seized the chance to make a small trade.

My twitter post

I was hoping that the Market would collapse more so that I can utilize my 60% war chest, but it didn’t. Market went up instead. FED came to the rescue again, but it is not termed as “QE”. For those who are interested, can read about New Bank Term Funding Program. Furthermore, the interest rate dropped again.

What happened since then?

Since last Monday, what has happened?

+~$148 billion – net discount window borrowing
+~$12 billion – the new Bank Term Funding Program
+~$143 billion – borrowing for banks seized by FDIC

Total: ~$300 billion

But according to FED, the $300b spike in the Fed’s balance sheet is not QE but an increase in “Loans” via the Bank Term Funding Program and credit extensions to banks. Really?

Is this QT or QE? So do FED hike interest rate to control inflation or pump more money into system to let the ever-increasing inflation to go higher?

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WALCL

What’s next?

My guess is FED will continue to print money to solve problem until one day they can’t. Guess as investor, we have to be patient and wait for the best chance to strike. Meanwhile, if there are good opportunities, I would continue to trade and earn some pocket money.

Last Monday during the dip, I bought Mapletree Industrial Trust (ME8U) at $2.25 and will be collecting around 4k worth of dividends/interest from various sources this month.

Recently I have also bought CLP Holdings Limited at 57.60 for the 1.21 dividend. Yay. almost free dividend.

Cash Rotting

Predicting that the market will goes down and timing the market pays dearly when you are holding too much cash while the market rally (like now where I am still holding 60% cash). As a result, my cash is rotting. Luckily at this market with high interest rates, I could still easily get 4% yield from Money Market Funds.

Options for Savers to earn high interest

SBAPR23 GX23040S – Singapore Saving Bonds (SSB) above 3% again. Buy or Bye?

I posted the above article on 2 March 2023. My guess now is I will buy more SSB to keep instead of Bye.

However, SSB liquidity is around 1 month. Meanwhile I still want to keep my cash liquid to capture any potential market opportunities. Hence, I will continue to keep my money via the two options below which I have mentioned previously (See post: SAVERs – How to maximize your interest and my Market Transaction/Updates). But I have took out the option for Treasury bill as the recent 3.65% is not attractive to lock up my funds for 6 months. I rather put either of the two options below.

Option 1: MoneyOwl WiseSaver – few days liquidity higher interest

MoneyOwl Wisesaver is investing in Fullerton SGD Cash Fund – Class A (SGD) which invested mainly in SGD Fixed Deposit and backed by Temasek. MoneyOwl itself is under NTUC income. It is as safe as you can get!

https://www.moneyowl.com.sg/wisesaver/

The latest rate is around 3.95%. This is liquid and you can take out anytime. Compared this to the latest 6 months Treasury Bill of 3.65%. It’s more worth it!

Insure, invest, or do a financial planning with MoneyOwl and get welcome Grab credits when you join using my referral link/code. You can use my referral link (or key in 6SHU-93MC) to get free $20-$60 Grab Vouchers when you invest with them.

To earn the first free $20, simply sign up for WiseSaver which the underlying fund is Fullerton Cash Fund – invested in rolling SGD Fixed Deposit and backed by Temasek. Then put in minimum $10 via FAST transfer to fund this account to earn full liquid ~4% yield. Since free money and risk free, why not?

Option 2: Fundsupermart Autosweep – slightly lower interest but immediate liquidity

The latest yield is 2.824% which is very decent. But the most attractive part of this option is that I am able to use the fund to trade directly and immediately. Option 1 Moneyowl WiseSaver may take a few days to transfer the money out.

Personally, I am using FSMOne.com to invest in funds & ETFs (including money market funds).

FSM is good due to the low comms and the free transfer from FSM to CDP (last year I did a few transfers and took less than a week to transfer. However, my most recent transfer was initiated on 4 Feb 2023 but the transfer to CDP was only done on 23 Feb 2023 around 2pm). Hence, user might want to take note.

If you do not have an account, you can sign up here. Please use my FSMOne referral code: P0413007.

https://secure.fundsupermart.com/fsmone/cash/autosweep-account

My humble view

Of course, although I still think the Macros are still not good and market will go down within the next few months, but FED could keep printing to print their way out for “bailout” until something break/crack.

Meanwhile, if there are good opportunities to accumulate strong companies, I would because I follow this idea “No Dividend No Buy and only buy those that I am willing to keep long term of at least 10 years. Must pass sleep test.”. (See related post: If I am a dividend investor, this is what I would do….)

Additionally, I would continue to trade and earn some pocket money. Last Monday during the dip, I bought Mapletree Industrial Trust (ME8U) at $2.25.

Lastly, I would keep calm and collect dividend/interest. This month I will be collecting about 4k worth of dividends from various shares and interests from various account. Luckily, despite that I am only 40% vested, my whole year estimated dividend/interest per month is around SGD$3447.78 per month or SGD$41373.34 per year or SGD$113.35 per day.

The above cashflow should be more than enough to cover my household monthly cash expenses of around SGD$3000 per month. Do note that these cash expenses exclude my house monthly mortgage and childcare fee. The reason why I excluded this is because my spouse and my CPF OA current total amount exceeded total loan that I still owed to HDB. Hence, I can pay off the flat anytime that I want to but I don’t wish to do so. For childcare fee, I have already locked up the sum in CDA acccount which will pay the fee via monthly GIRO automatically, hence I don’t need to bother with this too.

Of course, there is also the monthly paycheck that we have sacrificed our time to earn it.

Please also dont forget to build up your CPF account (See post: My Special Account Money (SA) in Central Provident Fund (CPF) – Cornerstone or Last Resort for Retirement?) too!

The very last but the most important point that I want to mention again and again is don’t forget to live Living a regret-free fulfilling life daily regardless of circumstances (See recent post: 11 Important Unexpected Life and Money lessons to learn from Your Children). Also see all my related posts in Care Your Present category.

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

Webull: Spend $0.01 and earn US$50 to US$500 for free!

Posted on by careyourpresent

Welcome Free Money

Free money that comes from minimal effort. Everyone loves it. So, do you? As mentioned in my blog many times, I would only share things that I am using.

Recently there are many people sharing about this promotion – Spend $0.01 and earn US$50 to US$500 for free! This is basically the most recent promotion by Webull until 31 March 2023!

The best part is you can deposit any amount ($0.01 will do!) and get 5 free shares if you hold this amount for 30 days. This is the best promotion that Webull has so far since they onboard Singapore’s shore months ago.

Original I didn’t want to sign up another brokerage account, but this is simply too attractive. Usually, I would like to test any new account with small sum first before actually using it.

If you refer to the promotion by other brokerages (even the early promotion by Webull), the welcome bonus usually required user to deposit $xxx or even $xxxx! This is not suitable for most people who simply like to test the account with small amount first. Even better still, there is no need to perform any trade!

Thus, this is the best promotion ever and I have signed up two nights ago on Thursday Night (16 March 2023) at around 11.00pm and got my approval before midnight on the same day. After which, I only funded SGD$0.01 and I got my 3 free lucky draw shares worth US$30 around 08.42 am on the next day!

I am not so lucky to draw the shares of higher values, but luck will be better for you! Total there will be 5 lucky draw chances (3 draws upon funding $0.01 and 2 draws after you maintain SGD$0.01 for 30 days). Each lucky draw chance gives you the chance to draw share worth US$10 to US$100, so in total you can earned a minimal of US$50 to the maximum of US$500 for SGD$0.01 with little time spent! (See screenshots below!)

Let me share with you on what I have did.

4 Simple Steps to get free money and a very decent brokerage account

Step 1: Registration

Click here to register a new account.

After clicking “Sign Up” you will be directed to registration page.

Here are what you need to do:

  • Fill in your phone number
  • Click “Send Code” and the system will send a code via SMS to you
  • Key in the verification code
  • Read and agree with Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
  • Click “Next”

You have successfully registered for a new account! Now, it’s time to set up your account.

Step 2: Setup Your Account

The next step is to setup your account. To do so, here are the steps you need to take:

  • Download Webull App on your mobile
  • Login with your mobile number
  • Click on the “Open Account” tab at the bottom center of the screen
  • Fill up your particulars. For simplicity, you can login with your Singpass.
  • After submitting your particulars, wait for Webull’s approval (my approval took only 30 minutes from the time that I have applied). You will receive an email from Webull to tell you about your account’s approval.


Click “Open Account” to start setting up your account. Then, fill up your particulars.

After submitting the form, you will be shown this page. Wait for approval email from Webull.


After approval, you can go to the app and click Webull logo at the bottom center. Then, set your trading password.

Step 3: Make a Deposit of ANY amount in 1 transaction (SGD $0.01 will do)

After your account is approved, it’s time to make a deposit. Inside Webull app, select “Webull” tab at the center bottom of the screen.

There are 3 ways to make deposit: eDDA, Fast or Telegraphic Transfer.

eDDA method means you’re authorizing Webull to transfer money from your bank account into your Webull account. Setting it up is very easy, just click on “eDDA” then follow the instructions, login to your internet banking, set the amount limit and you’re done.

FAST method means that you need to manually transfer money from your bank account using FAST option. This is only applicable for deposit made in SGD. After you’ve done the transfer, you need to click “Notify Webull of Transfer Completion” and the money will be reflected into your account within 5 to 10 minutes.

Telegraphic Transfer (TT) method means that you need to manually transfer money from your bank account using the traditional Telegraphic Transfer method. This is applicable for deposit made in SGD, USD or HKD. After you’ve done the transfer, you need to click “Notify Webull of Transfer Completion” and the money will be reflected into your account within 1-3 days.

Please note: The registered name of the bank account holder and Webull account must be the same for all deposits and withdrawals. Deposits must be from your own individual bank account, not third-party bank accounts, joint accounts or third-party payment platforms.

To make deposit, click Webull logo at bottom center, then click “Deposit Now”. After that, choose your deposit method.

This month promotion requires you to deposit any amount in a single transaction and maintains it for 30 days.

After depositing your SGD, if you want to convert it to USD to purchase stock in the US market, here’s how.

Click Webull logo, then click “Details”. After that, scroll down to find “Exchange Currency” button.

Step 4: Maintain Your Account for 30 Days

Next, you need to maintain you Net Cumulative Deposit at SGD 0.01 or above for 30 days after the initial deposit. That means, all your total deposit minus total withdrawal should be at least SGD 0.01.

It is alright if your portfolio falls below SGD 0.01 during the holding period, as long as your Net Deposit is at least SGD 1. If you don’t perform any withdrawal, your net deposit remains SGD 0.01.

After meeting all of the above simple steps, you will receive your rewards within 7 business days. Please remember to use the rewards WITHIN 30 days. After 30 days, the unused rewards will be expired.

Do take note of the T&C for the first 3 lucky draw chances and the 2 additional lucky draw chances later:

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

Top 10 Regrets in Investment

Posted on by careyourpresent

Regrets in Investment

Picking the stocks that will do well for an investor is a little bit of an art and a little bit of luck. If you read up on investing, you will find that most of us are not incredibly good at it- even if we start out with a financial background. Hence, they are often many regrets in investment.

I think the problem lies in the fact that the majority of investors go into this weird world expecting to succeed after the first couple of tries. Investing money is like weightlifting or running. You need to learn how to be disciplined and put forth continuous effort in order to see results.

Investing is a crucial aspect of financial planning, and a well-executed investment strategy can have a significant impact on an individual’s wealth over time. However, many often wonder what their regrets and often have regrets about their investment decisions, and these regrets can result in missed opportunities, underperformance, or even losses.

Since recently ChatGPT is getting popular. Let me ask ChatGPT and see what I get.

Top 10 Regrets in Investment – Courtesy of ChatGPT

Disclaimer: The paragraphs below are written by ChatGPT, not me.

  1. Failing to start investing early

One of the most common investment regrets is failing to start investing early. The power of compounding means that the earlier an individual starts investing, the more time their investments have to grow. Unfortunately, many individuals delay investing until later in life, and this can result in missed opportunities for growth. To avoid this regret, investors should start investing as soon as possible, even if it is a small amount. A regular investment plan can help in building wealth over time.

  1. Not having a well-defined investment plan

Investing without a well-defined plan is like driving without a map. A clear investment plan should include the investor’s financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment time horizon. Without a clear plan, investors can make poor investment decisions or miss opportunities that align with their goals. To avoid this regret, investors should have a well-defined investment plan that aligns with their financial goals and regularly monitor their progress to ensure that their investments are on track.

  1. Failing to diversify investments

Concentrating all investments in one asset class or sector can lead to significant losses in case of market volatility or economic downturns. Investors should diversify their portfolio across different asset classes and sectors to spread their risk. A well-diversified portfolio can help reduce the impact of market fluctuations and provide a higher level of stability. To avoid this regret, investors should diversify their portfolio across different asset classes, sectors, and regions.

  1. Investing based on emotions

Investing based on emotions, such as fear or greed, can lead to poor investment decisions and result in underperformance. Investors should avoid making investment decisions based on their emotions and instead base them on research, analysis, and a well-defined investment plan. To avoid this regret, investors should maintain a disciplined approach to investing and avoid getting caught up in market hype or short-term fluctuations.

  1. Timing the market

Timing the market by buying and selling investments based on predictions of market movements is a common regret among investors. It is difficult to time the market successfully, and attempting to do so can lead to missed opportunities and losses. Instead of timing the market, investors should adopt a long-term investment strategy that aligns with their financial goals and risk tolerance. To avoid this regret, investors should focus on a long-term investment strategy and avoid making investment decisions based on short-term market movements.

  1. Failing to monitor investments

Not regularly reviewing investment performance or adjusting investments to align with financial goals can lead to missed opportunities and underperformance. Investors should regularly review their portfolio’s performance and adjust their investments to ensure they align with their financial goals and risk tolerance. To avoid this regret, investors should set up a regular review of their investment portfolio and make adjustments as needed.

  1. Not understanding the investment risks

Lack of understanding of the risks associated with investments can lead to unexpected losses. Investors should understand the risks associated with their investments and make investment decisions that align with their risk tolerance. To avoid this regret, investors should conduct thorough research and analysis of potential investments and understand the risks associated with them before investing.

  1. Chasing hot investments

Investing in popular or trending investments without doing proper research and analysis can lead to poor performance and losses. Investors should avoid chasing hot investments and instead focus on long-term investment opportunities that align with their financial goals and risk tolerance. To avoid this regret, investors should conduct thorough research and analysis of potential investments..

Investing is a crucial aspect of financial planning, and a well-executed investment strategy can have a significant impact on an individual’s wealth over time. However, investors often have regrets about their investment decisions, and these regrets can result in missed opportunities, underperformance, or even losses. In this article, we will explore the top 10 regrets in investment and how investors can avoid them.

  1. Overreacting to short-term market fluctuations

Overreacting to short-term market fluctuations can lead to poor investment decisions and result in underperformance. It is essential to keep a long-term perspective when investing and not get caught up in short-term market movements. Investors should avoid making impulsive investment decisions based on short-term fluctuations and focus on their long-term investment strategy. To avoid this regret, investors should stay disciplined in their investment approach and avoid making hasty investment decisions based on market fluctuations.

  1. Not seeking professional advice

Failing to seek advice from a financial advisor or professional can lead to missed opportunities and poor investment decisions. A financial advisor can provide valuable insights into investment opportunities, help in developing an investment plan, and guide investors in making informed investment decisions. To avoid this regret, investors should seek professional advice from a financial advisor who can help them in developing an investment strategy that aligns with their financial goals and risk tolerance.

Do you have any of the above regrets? Is ChatGPT powerful? Perhaps AI will be changing the world in future?

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

11 Important Unexpected Life and Money lessons to learn from Your Children

Posted on by careyourpresent

Lessons

We often thought that as adults, we should know much more things as compared to young children. Moreover, we were young once and now being adult, with richer life experiences, we are always better and more right from children. There is nothing to learn from them. Instead, they should be learnt from us and followed us as their role models. This is definitely the mindset of many adults.

However, I beg to differ. There are many life lessons that are either long forgotten or suppressed by our own parents as we grow up.

In my personal opinion, we should respect the child’s view (my two kids, 7+ and 4+ years old), listen to their thoughts and learn from them.

Let me share 11 important unexpected Life and Money Lessons that I have learnt from them.

1. You don’t need a lot of money to be happy

As we grow older, we have more and more material want. We want car, nice house, high income/bonus, nice food etc. When your 9 to 5 gives you higher bonus and salary, promotion etc compared to past years, most people will be happy. However, most forget that very often this means higher responsibilities and lesser time left for yourself and your loved ones.

The older I get, the more I realize a happy life need not be costly. In fact, it is free most of the time. A rich life doesn’t need to be expensive. Looking into the beautiful sky while enjoying the breeze in park is free. Just simply holding the hands of your loved one is free.

Most important, guess what your children need most from you while they are young?

Time + Companionship are the most precious things that you can gave to your child, not money. They will never remember how much money/what things that you have given them while they are young, but they will remember the feeling of the together time that you have spent with them.

2. Enjoy NOW and be happy regardless of circumstances

Most of us adult always like to regret past and worry about future, example worrying about paying bills, whether one has enough money for retirement etc (but put it in a very blunt way, are you sure you are still alive at 65 years old to spend your CPF retirement money?).

This is a very common thing. I only truly understand living in the moment only after recent death of my mum (read: Truly understand Living in the Moment now and Farewell Mum. You are always in my mind.)

“You are so anxious about the future that you do not enjoy the present. You therefore do not live in the present or the future. You live as if you are never going to die, and then die having never really lived.”

Dalai Lama

But to be very honest, to practice it daily and every moment is not easy, especially if one is in a very unfavorable circumstance. However, but my younger girl is constantly living in that way.

Incident 1

She only really thinks about now only. For example, one evening (22 Feb 2023), she wanted to go out and play in the playground, but it was quite late about 6pm plus close to 7 after I picked her from pre-school after work.

We told her that Daddy is tired, and it would be better for us to bring her out tomorrow (23 Feb 2023). Furthermore, tomorrow we can bring her out earlier maybe 4plus or 5 plus. But this suggestion didn’t work. She kicked a big fuss and cried sadly. There is no such thing as delayed gratification in her dictionary. My guess is we also don’t have such “delayed gratification” when we were young, but our society always taught us to plan and think ahead for better future. We have forgotten how to enjoy now.

In the end, I agreed to bring her out. She was so happy at that moment. Enjoy Now not tomorrow!

Incident 2

I brought her to dentist on 15 Feb 2023. This visit is a follow up from past visits where we are monitoring one of her left back teeth with cavity. She is a girl which like sweet things.

During the visit, the dentist informed us that there is “abscess” found above the gums in two of her tooths – her left back teeth (which we were monitoring since months ago) and front tooth. I was told that we are not advised to wait any further. We must extract her front tooth because root of the tooth is already damaged and no point saving. As for her back left tooth, they can try to dig out the cavity and then do crowning as the root of the teeth are still fine. Extraction will take 10-15 minutes whereas the other will take two sessions of 45 minutes each. To young kids (parents will know), it will be very difficult for her to sit still receive treatment and the idea of treatment/extraction terrified her when we are the dentist. I was told to bring her home first and then slowly talk to my child.

But the strange thing is after we leave the dentist to go home, I am the person who keep thinking on how to explain to her, how to make her sit still for two x 45 minutes for dental treatment. Whereas for her, she has totally ignored what dentist had told her (and also what we had explained to her on the same day later), she just focuses on she wants to play, especially today she can skip preschool.

This is truly:

Enjoy NOW and be happy regardless of circumstances

3. Let it go and be free – unrestricted and courageous

As we grow older, we become fearful. We become fearful of how others see us; how well we do in exams/work; fear of not enough money; fear of sickness etc. We lost all our Courages.

But I saw unrestricted courage in both my kids every day.

Take example, in playground, they just jumped down from very tall part of the playground to the floor (should be about 2 meters at least). Wow I remembered many adults during NS are afraid of jumping down while doing SOC.

Learn to Let it go. See this post (Careyourpresent: Frozen. Let it go!) which was written previously.

Many people don’t let their kids play in the rain, but we have allowed and even played with them.

Let it go and be free!

4. Trust and Relationship takes time to build

Many parents consciously or subconsciously will tell their child that they cannot do this, they cannot do that, they must play in this way in the playground etc. but we are not such parents. We told them they can do whatever as they want as long as they are confident in whatever they are doing. If they any help or has anything to ask or even cry/sad after failing and trying, just come and find us, we won’t scold you.

As a result, they trusted us, building great relationship with us. This don’t happen within a day; we been teaching them this way since they were babies. They told us they rather come home as compared to being in school. Trust and relationship take time to build.

This is totally in contrast to my relationship with my parents and my wife with her parents. We rather be in school when we were young because we want to escape home. They don’t trust us at all. Even when I am adult, they don’t trust me to be capable of making my own decision such as riding a bicycle to their house, making a decision on my own etc.

Please empower and give trust to your child. Build real relationship with them.

5. Learn to Play like a Child

Guess what is the full-time job of a child is? PLAY!

Guest what is the full-time job of an adult is? A full-time job!

See the contrast?

When we were young, we just play play play. When we are old, we have forgotten how to fully immerse in play (we know how to take break take leave take vacation to relax and play, but unconsciously or consciously we may not be fully present in playing because we always have thousands of other things in mind).

The main point is play is not just play. Recap and think how you played when you were young. ARE you able to really fully immerse in what you enjoy doing when you are an adult? Recap how a child play,

Recap how you as a child play in the past, learn to fully present in play, clear your mind of other things while you are enjoying doing something.

This is not easy but is something I am trying to learn from young kids.

Learn to play like a child, be fully immerse in things that you really enjoyed instead of what society want you to be.

6. Notice little things

When we walk around every, most of us have lots of things thinking in our mind, we are looking at our phones, thinking about work, thinking about food, thinking about news, thinking about investment etc. But we never stop and observe what is around us?

But the children will. They will stop and notice what are the little creatures in the grass, the leaves, sands, soils etc on the ground.

As we grow older, we only observe big things but forgot about little things. Learn to stop, look and observe little things that are most often ignored/missed/forgotten.

(Don’t just focus on interest rate increasing, little things like money supply are actually decreasing will be the main issue…)

7. Reflect, share your feelings at the end of each day

I didn’t know how to reflect, or should I say didn’t remember that I should reflect my days, months or even years. I was too engrossed with many many other things in life. But my kids truly taught me how to reflect. Recently I have wrote a reflection post (see: Portfolio Update: Feb 2023 and Reflection at half-life (hopefully) mark – 40 Years old)

Every night, my kids like to share with me on what they have experienced in the day on bed. It’s cool to hear from them to learn how they think. Sometime very touching, I remembered that once my son told me he is very happy that he has completed this lego robot today by himself – can hear the proudness in his voice.

We should always learn to reflect our life. It can be every day, once a month or anytime. Just remember to stop and reflect.

8. Love Unconditionally Forgive Readily

Children do this all the time and while many adults say this very few people actually practice this in real life.

As an imperfect parent I have constantly been on the receiving end of this motto.

As much my wife and I aspire to raise our children with respect, patience and love, there are moments of weakness and hurt that we could not overcome, and we let the children down in a variety of ways: we may lose our patience and temper, we may not be able to keep up to every single promises, or there may be hopes and little wishes that we could not afford to keep up. Despite these imperfections, the children always think the best of us, and forgives all our wrongs.

Seeing us after school is still the best part of their day.

Cuddling beside us is still the most fulfilling thing to do.

Spending time with us doing anything, everything, or nothing at all is still their most favorite moments.

No matter if raised our voice moments ago, or if we had to say no to small things, or if we failed to keep a promise.

Love unconditionally, forgive readily.

9. TIME has no reset button and is ticking away as each day passes

“Time has no reset button” is what I used to be saying. (see: Truly understand Living in the Moment now).

But after my mum passed away on 19 Jan 2023. I realised that not only time has no reset button, it is ticking away very fast as each day passes. (see: Farewell Mum. You are always in my mind)

Hence, it is more accurate to say:

Time is ticking away For each passing day You have one less day with your spouse,parents,children,yourself Escape 9 to 5 and be yourself

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

We always thought that we have more time to play with your kids while they are growing up every day very fast. With a blink of an eye while you are busy hustling away 9 to 5, trying to earn more and more money (maybe you already have enough, but you keep thinking you don’t. Read this post: You will likely never run out of money with 1 million: Expectation vs Reality), they are already so big. They no longer want to play with you. They want to go out with friends. By then no matter how rich you are, 10 millions/10 billions, they still rather go out with friends. You missed it means missed it. There is no reset button.

I realized that I should spend more time with kids and really be present (not just physically present but mind is not present). TIME is TICKING very fast away each day.

I have shared this picture before, let me share again.

https://twitter.com/pascalcampion

10. Don’t need to be bother with other people opinion(s)

To many people, this is a very controversial point. We should be mindful of other people opinion(s), take in good opinion(s) but reject the negative unproductive comment(s). However, as adult, most people will find it hard to differentiate between good/bad comments – in fact many will take it to heart on bad comments while feel complacent/happy over compliment comments.

Let’s look from a child perspective.

Few weeks ago (18 Feb 2023) during weekends, instead of taking bus, my whole family took at long walk 30-60 min to our nearby fire station for a short tour. We treat it as a family bonding walk/exercise.

For those who are not aware,

Members of the public can visit our Fire Station Open House in person. Guided tours are available at the Fire Stations listed below for members of the public on Saturday mornings over two time slots – 9.00am to 9.50am or 10.00am to 10.50am. (Visit SCDF Establishments)

A fire truck photo that we took during the visit

After the kids had fun at the Fire Station, we wanted to walk to a nearby mall for lunch. However, my son complained tired and asked us to carry him (7 years old). I was carrying my daughter, hence my wife decided to piggyback him. After walking passed a park, an elderly auntie saw us and commented “Aiyo, so old already still need people carry!” We ignored that person and continue to walk further down. After some distance away, my wife asked my son “What you do think? Are you affected by what the Auntie said just now?” We thought that our son might feel “paiseh”, hence we wanted to find out how he feels.

But without any hesitation or thinking, he answered, “Why bother with what other people said? Mama carry me, I am happy :)”

As adult we are so wrong, we are always bothered with other people said but 7 years old taught us this important life lesson.

No matter what you do, other people sure got things to comment. Hence, don’t need to be bother with other people opinion!

11. Do what will make you happy

Children always like to do what that will make them happy, best is with no adult interference.

But the truth is often otherwise. Adult likes to put/enforce their thinking/habits into their child. It is very common to see an adult telling a child that he/she should do this and do that instead of this and that that the child actually wanted to do.

As we grow up, the society taught us to do what is the best for the current circumstances not what makes us happy. In the end what happened?

There are lots of sad adults that do things that doesn’t follow their hearts, and, in the end, they are innately sad.

There are lots of child who are always playing and happy everyday provided they have the empowerment and chance to do what they like.

Do what will make you happy, not others happy.

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

Market Updates- 11 Market 2023

Posted on by careyourpresent

Risk off Mode or Risk on?

I have shared before I am waiting for the chance to make my purchases. Either Mr Market gives chance or will put some dry powder in SSB first (see post: SBAPR23 GX23040S – Singapore Saving Bonds (SSB) above 3% again. Buy or Bye?).

This will be a dangerous post for market prediction, but I just want to make it on record that I have typed this before. For those who don’t believe in market prediction with some timings of the market, please do not read on.

Market Updates

The markets have been down for the past few days. The prominent ones would be the crash of Silicon Valley Bank. Who say a stock that is up for decades can’t be down within days? Do note that the collapsing contagious effect of this is not out yet.

Google
Market Watch

Don’t forget the contagious effects that will come.

For those into US market, do be careful. SG market likely will down but the extend we won’t know, but my guess should be much lesser than US. For those who are buying into SG dividend stocks, should be safe if you have the cashflow to keep average down good dividend stocks. However, do note that if big brother sneeze, the rest better take care too. Pace and plan your buys.

Twitter

Let’s fast backward and see what I have posted in Twitter.

QT, SIVB, inflation, decrease in money supply etc – something will crack, and the contagious effect will come.

Pictures speak a thousand word.

Some time for quick update, it is easier to post in twitter/share in telegram than writing a long post in blog. By the end edit finish in blog, the issue is already long over.

This article is a rare post for me to share quick snippets of what have happened and might happen. I will continue to write longer articles in blog and share quick latest updates in Twitter/Telegram. Do join us if you are keen.

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

Guide to Real Estate Investment Trust (Reits) – Hows and Whys

Posted on by careyourpresent

What are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)?

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are getting popular nowadays. For those who are not familiar with REITs, do read this article. For those who are familiar, this article will be a refresher and may have things that you never think of in the past.

Why and What?

In terms of capital, you can start investing in Reits from as little as $1000 as compared to real properties where you need at least 5-6 figures for the downpayment! Thus, it is a very affordable option for people who want to invest in properties for cashflow but only has limited funds.

To put in in very simple terms, in summary, REITs are

  • popular investment options for those who are interested in real estate, but do not want the hassle of managing multiple properties themselves.
  • investment vehicles that own, operate, and finance income-generating real estate properties such as apartments, hotels, office buildings, data centre, rural farms, shopping malls etc
  • investment trusts that own, operate, and finance income-generating real estate properties. In return, REITs were required to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends, which mean cashflow for investors.

Advantages of Reits

  1. Diversification: REITs provide investors with exposure to a diversified portfolio of income-generating real estate properties unlike a single property for a real physical property that one purchase directly.
  2. Dividends: REITs generate income through rental payments and interest payments from real estate loans and they are required to pay 90%. This income is typically distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends, providing a steady cash flow.
  3. Liquidity: REITs can be easily bought and sold on stock exchanges (can even use RSP), providing investors with the ability to quickly liquidate their investments if needed. This is totally unlike a real property bought from the real estate market.

Disadvantages of Reits

  1. Volatility: Like all stocks, REITs are subject to market volatility and can experience significant price fluctuations, especially for those weaker reits. In Singapore contexts, we can see what happened to the US office reits 🙁 Conversely, real physical property prices are usually steadier.
  2. Interest Rate Risk: REITs may be impacted by changes in interest rates, which can affect the cost of financing for real estate loans. We can see this in the recent rate hikes.
  3. Potential right issues: Reits doesn’t keep much cash, hence for acquistion of new properties, repayment of debt, they may raise cash using rights issue.

Key Metrics to look out for before investing

Before investing in Reits, we should always take note of these nine metrics. Of course, these are not the full list, but one should at least know these nine metrics.

Distribution Per Unit (DPU)

Distribution per unit (DPU) is the amount of dividend paid per share. One should at least aim for 6% and above since the current risk-free treasury rate is 5%.

DPU is one of the most important metrics to evaluate when investing in REITs. It is a measure of the REIT’s ability to generate income and course the cashflow to investors. Investors should look for REITs with a history of consistent and sustainable DPU growth. If DPU keep decreasing due to Reit issue (rather than Macros situation such as COVID), investors better take note and decide if one should continue with this investment.

Growth in Distribution Per Unit

The growth in distribution per unit (DPU) is the increase in the REIT’s DPU over time. Investors should look for REITs with a consistent track record of increasing DPU. IT can be slow increase but at least must increase. One can look at the Mapletree Family of Reits such as Mapletree Logistics Trust for example.

To put in another word, a REIT that consistently grows its DPU over time indicates that it is able to generate more rental income from its properties over the years, and thus, has the potential for long-term growth. However, please take note the DPU growth should not be from the growth in debt.

Occupancy Rate

Occupancy rate measures the percentage of the REIT’s properties that are currently leased. A high occupancy rate is a positive indicator of the REIT’s ability to generate rental income from its properties. Investors should look for REITs with a consistent history of high occupancy rates, as this indicates strong demand for their properties. Typically, 90% plus will be good.

Gearing

Gearing measures the amount of debt that a REIT has relative to its equity. Too much debt can increase the risk of right issues and the potential defaults in the very worst scenerio. Investors should look for REITs with a manageable level of gearing, which should not exceed 40%.

Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B Ratio)

The price-to-book ratio (P/B Ratio) measures the market value of a REIT relative to its net asset value (NAV). A REIT trading at a discount to its NAV indicates that the REIT is trading at a discount to its properties.

However, low P/B values doesn’t mean the Reits in good. Conversely, usually good Reits trade above book value (example Parkway Reit). Investors should look for REITs with a P/B ratio by referencing to its historical average or those of its peers with similar assets.

Interest Coverage Ratio

The interest coverage ratio measures a REIT’s ability to pay its interest expense using its operating income. The interest coverage ratio is calculated by dividing a company’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) by its interest expense during a given period.

A high interest coverage ratio indicates that the REIT can easily meet its interest obligations, while a low interest coverage ratio may indicate financial distress. Investors should look for REITs with a high interest coverage ratio, at least above 2.0.

Quality of Sponsors and Growth Prospects

The quality of sponsors and growth prospects are critical factors to consider when investing in REITs. The sponsors’ quality can provide investors with confidence in the REIT’s management team and its ability to generate long-term growth. Sponsors can also support potential right issues, thus price support too.

Additionally, investors should evaluate the growth prospects of the underlying properties, which can provide insight into the REIT’s potential for long-term growth. In Singapore Contacts, Capita, Ascendas, Maples and some frasers families of Reits will be great!

Rental Reversion

REITs signed agreement with Tenents for a certain agreed period. Leases will be renewed every few years. When they are a change in rental rates, this is called Rental Reversion.

Positive rental reversion means that REITs managed to get a higher rental rate from its tenants. If the rents drop, it is called negative rental reversion.

Investors should always look for REITs with positive Rental Reversion. This signal that this REITS have the bargain powering in the industries and also reflected the importance of its location and other features of the buildings. This indicates competitive advantages.

Lease Expiry Profile and Weighted Average Lease Expiry (WALE)

The lease expiry profile and the weighted average lease expiry (WALE) are metrics that provide insight into the stability and visibility of the REIT’s rental income stream. The lease expiry profile measures the percentage of the REIT’s leases that will expire in the next few years, while the WALE measures the average remaining lease term of the REIT’s portfolio.

Investors should look for REITs with a stable lease expiry profile and a long WALE. A stable lease expiry profile indicates that the REIT’s rental income stream is secure and that it has sufficient time to renew leases and find new tenants. A long WALE indicates that the REIT has a stable and predictable rental income stream, which can provide investors with a sense of comfort that the REIT’s earnings are predictable.

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

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At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

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