Skip to main content

Articles to kick-start year 2019


The Year 2018 in Review: A Mountain of Question Marks


Why 2019 could be very good for stocks, after worst year in a decade






-----------

We don't know what 2019 will bring for us but we should keep ourselves well-prepared, whether be it for the bull (war chest for fire) or the bear (get ready to short or move assets into defensive sectors). 


I ended my last trade of 2018 with a measly +$6 (my pair trade was overly in sync). My 2019 trading objective is simply not to make the same disastrous mistakes that I have made this year. I won't attribute them to bad luck because I define bad luck as 'unfortunate events that happened beyond my control'. To avoid over-trading and getting 'addicted' to always be in a position, I have decided to use less of margin in my strategy now on, unless the risk-reward is really really compelling. Another reason is because margin trading costs eat heavily into the profits.

My other objectives for this year would be to build more meaningful relationships, continue to learn new things (I know my Think & Grow Rich review is way overdue), explore ways to save time and money so I can be a 'lazy winner'.



Everywhere I see articles about saving money but few talk about how we can save time, when time = money. Some daily changes which I have already made to save time are as follow

1) use my POSB credit card to auto reload my Ezlink (Citibank card also has admin fee waived)
2) wear no-ironing needed clothing (or else learn how to iron a shirt/blouse in 2 minutes)
3) use visa paywave / master paypass / paynow /giro, basically whatever non-cash payment modes I have, as far as possible, to save the hassle of counting money or issuing cheque
4) de-cluttering the Konmari way so that I can find my things more easily
5) Listen to podcasts when ironing and folding clothes or when taking public transports


Investment wise, I will continue to purchase stocks under my radar when the right opportunities arise. My portfolio overall ended with a modest gain. I have recently installed a new mobile app called Jstock. It is simple enough to use with price alerts (my number 1 criteria), charts and it can also display associated news for the stocks that I am watching. How cool.

For dividends watching I am using this website - www.dividends.sg which I find much friendlier than the SGX website, as I can get the data I want with minimal number of clicks.


A side track here, I am wondering if there is a service exchange app specifically for Singapore. Something like an interactive application where user A can request for something and see if user B can fulfil for a price. Leave a comment below if you know of a (reliable) one. Thanks in advance.



Happy New Year 2019 folks! :)


"Baby steps to earn money is good, so we won't be complacent. 
Earning some money is better than not earning any money. And not earning money is better than losing money."

***
Check out my Blog Archives here for previous posts
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous01/01/2019, 15:15

    For Ezlink why not go with Account Based Transaction using any Mastercard or Visa? Mastercard over 1 year already, and Visa just joined.

    No need to top up at all.

    And rides currently count towards cashback & transactions for those jump-thru-hoops savings accounts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainbow01/01/2019, 16:47

      Hi Anonymous,
      I have a propensity of losing my ezlink card, so I shall just stick to auto-reload of my credit card to my ezlink card for now. :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reflections for year 2024

2024 has been a relatively peaceful year. So peaceful that I have read countless novels and other books, met my sports buddies almost every weekend and picked up horticulture. Physical and mental health As we say, health is wealth. I have stuck fairly consistently with my exercise regime and tried to include more fruits and vegetables in my meals (although I eat out more and cook less these days). My weight, BP and cholesterol levels are doing ok. For those 40 years and above, remember to get your  subsidized health screenings from the government . Working less and meeting up with friends more contributed to an improved mental health. I see that the government has stepped up on initiatives in the community but work place initiatives from employers still seemed lackluster, especially for those who can't WFH and need to commit 44 hours or more a week at frontline work. I have also started a Gratitude journey to celebrate all my little life milestones. Financials Investment wise ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The best credit card for my new house renovation

As updated in my previous post, I have finally bought my own place. For the past few months I have been busy coordinating with various contractors and vendors for my house renovation. As I am still on A flexi work schedule, I decided to be my own ID. With only a simple renovation plan in mind, I set my reno budget at $20,000 (aircon & fixtures inclusive). The renovation process and acting as my own ID were not as easy as I thought. It took me about a month to gather and compare quotations from different contractors and another few weeks to finalize all the things that I need my chosen contractor to do. I eventually settled for a main contractor who specializes in carpentry work but also provides painting, tiling and electrical services. I have grossly underestimated the amount of defects that need fixing for this resale flat. Fortunately, the floor tiles and some of the existing built-ins are still in good condition so I kept them, otherwise I would have burst my budget. The first ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shit happens and I lost my low-hanging fruits

My POSB SAYE account just hit its 25th month —the much-anticipated “month of maturity.” I was all ready to enjoy the 3.5% bonus interest I’d patiently saved for… only to receive a measly $17+ cash gift instead of a few hundred dollars. I was about to send a message to query the bank what caused this interest drop versus what I have gotten on the 13th month. Confused, I double checked my account history and— gasp! —found a single $50 transfer I’d made to a joint account in one of the past months. I hadn’t even realized that I’d chosen the SAYE account as the fund transfer source. For those unfamiliar with the T&Cs of POSB SAYE: “To receive the additional 3.5% p.a. Cash Gift Interest, ensure that you do not make any withdrawal from your POSB SAYE account.”   “If a withdrawal is made in the month, this will result in the previously accumulated additional 3.5% p.a. interest to be forfeited.” Yes, one tiny transfer = months of bonus interest gone . Even depositing it back the...
Post a Comment
Read more