Saturday, June 23, 2007

UT Portfolio as at 22 June 07

This is another intersting week where the indices went in directions abnormally. HSI went up by at least 1000 pints in the past week while DOW showed weakness. At the same time, Shanghai Composite Index has showed weakness in the past 2 days while HSI stayed positive; even though the correlation between the two should be considered high relative to DOW.


With DOW at -120 right at this moment (1:49pm US time), I hope for at subtle correction on the HSI this coming Monday. This would make my wife happy.. :)

Here's my portfolio for the week:


Thursday, June 21, 2007

Part 2A: When should i start saving?

This is a mock-up scenario to show the effects of saving earlier.

Scenario 1 : Ali, 20 years old, saves $100 per month @ 5% p.a.

At 40 years old, Ali would have contributed $24,000, and earned an interest of $17,275

Total Savings = $24,000 + $17,275 = $41,275

Scenario 2 : Billy, 30 years old, saves $200 per month @ 5% p.a.

At 40 years old, Billy would have also contributed $24,000, but only earned an interest of $7,186

Total Savings = $24,000 + $7,186 = $31,186

By delaying your saving plans, the same amount contributed would result in significantly lower returns!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Part 2: Simple methods to grow your Savings

This is part 2 of a 3 part series on Smart Money Series.

Someone once shared with me his savings methodology: "By not spending, I am already saving!" Not sure if it makes sense to you, but I am sure this is how some of the less financially savvy lead their lives.

Many of us tend to spend whatever we earn or more. Even though we knew the importance to save for unexpected emergencies or major life changes, but we just can’t seem to put some cash away.

In part 2 of the series, I will be sharing some simple methods to grow your savings. As the next part of this series will be touching on Wealth Management (Insurance & Investments), I will restrict this topic only recommending basic saving (deposit) methods available to all of us. Let’s take a look first at the types of savings instruments available:

1. Piggy Bank
2. Savings Account
3. Internet Savings Account
4. Interest-Bearing Current / Checking Account
5. Fixed Deposit
6. Foreign Currency Deposit

Piggy Bank was what I used to start my personal savings with when I was a kid. Even though my peers were fascinated with “saving stamps” I would save at least half my allowance in my little piggy bank every day.

After a sudden windfall (I scored 4A in my PSLE, I was rewards $400 from mum), I opened my first savings account. In those days, savings account does not have “fall below” fees. My savings quickly accumulated and four years later, I was ready to start a 1yr Fixed Deposit with an amazing interest rate of 6.375%p.a.!

My savings methods did not change until I started working in the financial industry some years ago. It was when I was introduced to a variety of new savings instruments like interest-bearing checking account, internet savings account and foreign currency deposit.

Today, I have small sums of money in each of the above instruments. Like the saying goes: “Never put all eggs in one basket”

My Recommendations: Family A

In theory and actual practice, we should have set aside liquid assets (e.g. cash in savings account) valued at least 3 to 6 times our monthly expenses for emergencies (e.g. due to involuntary loss of income). This can be in the form of normal savings or fixed deposit. With 25% of their gross income going straight into expenses, this should work out to at least $3750 (for 3 months survival).

Since both husband and wife are working, they should set aside 10 to 15% of their monthly income to a “Marriage Fund” while keeping separate transactional (savings or checking) accounts on their use. The aim of this fund is to set common financial goals for the couple on their journey to a lifetime commitment.

For a start, the method of saving for this “Marriage Fund” can be in the form of a Fixed Deposit (can be in local or foreign currency), Interest-bearing current account (some banks pay better interest than basic savings account) or Internet Savings Account (which pays you relatively higher interest; provided you are web savvy).

The reasons for putting the “Marriage Fund” in a:

Fixed Deposit (can be in local or foreign currency)
- Higher interest than basic savings account
- Discipline savings (money locked away for a period of time)
- Foreign currency FDs can hedge against exchange risks (and they usually pay much higher interest than local currency)

Interest-bearing current account
- Some banks give higher interest than basic savings account
- Free cheques issuance with ATM access
- Convenient withdrawal when liquidity needs arises

Internet Savings Account
- Usually no minimum maintenance required
- Ability to check account balances anytime.
- Savings from this virtual account passed onto account holders as a form of higher interest

BONUS TIPS:

Honeymoon:
Should the couple have decided their honeymoon destination, they could hedge against exchange rate risk and enjoy higher returns by placing some money in their choice of foreign currency deposits (can be in the form of savings account or FDs).

Saving for a car:
Although this is what I did not recommend during my last posting, I felt obligated to help. Besides having a “Marriage Fund”, the couple should start budgeting on the car they are looking for. Set out a target date to their dream car purchase. Select choice of saving method with a reasonably assumed savings interest. Using “Time value of money” methodology, they should be able to work out a monthly savings plan which suits their savings habit.

But I still feel taking Taxi is going to be more economical. :P

My Recommendations: Family B

Similar to Family A, we should begin the process by setting aside liquid assets valued at least 3 to 6 times our monthly expenses for emergencies (e.g. due to involuntary loss of income). With 30% of their gross income going straight into expenses, this should work out to at least $7200 (for 3 months survival).

As Unit Trust is considered quite liquid, the above rule of thumb can be considered as met.

Besides having a “Marriage Fund”, I would advocate a “Child’s Growth Fund” for each of the 2 kids. The aim of this additional fund is assist the children to kick-start their own savings habits from young.

As mentioned earlier, I started my savings regime when I was very young. I was also taught to study hard in order to get rewarded (monetarily). Apart from joint savings account with parents, children can now park their savings in accounts specially designed for the young:

Child’s Growth Fund” (Junior Savings Account)
- Higher interest than basic savings account
- Discipline savings (can be arranged using GIRO)
- Free Insurance Coverage (some are available for both child & parent)
- Participate in free workshops and activities organized by the banks

BONUS TIPS:

On Husband’s Business Needs:
Due to business requirement, husband may need a checking account for transactional purposes. Most corporate accounts come with checking facility. However, the requirement on account minimum balance maintenance can be quite irritating. Also, cheque books provided may not be free (let alone unlimited).

Choices available:
1. Open a personal savings account with checking facility (lower requirement on minimum balances)
2. Open a personal interest-bearing checking account (lower requirement compared to corporate account)
3. Apply for a Credit Line facility which pays interest on credit balances (look out for those with low annual fees) - if possible; may have constraints due to self-employment status

Saving for a car:
Set budgeting on the car they are looking for. Set out a target date to their dream car purchase. Select choice of saving method with a reasonably assumed savings interest. Using “Time value of money” methodology, they should be able to work out a monthly savings plan which suits their savings habit.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Part 1A: Taking A Loan (Being in Debt)

Hi there,

Thought i should add a comment on the previous posting on Family B:

Husband just started his own business; Financial institutions will assess your income consistency before granting loan facility, hence, file your income tax "diligently".

Have fun!

UT Portfolio as at 17 June 07

Just wanna say that I have been quite lucky and quite unlucky at the same time. Although i did manage to evade the correction in asian markets, i was not able to participate in the upside as well.



Friday, June 15, 2007

Part 1: Taking a Loan (Being in Debt)

Whatever I am going to post today was supposed to be done by someone else but.... :)

If you have followed my past postings, Debt Management is a topic which I had posted in bits & pieces. Today, I will try to piece all the bits together within the next hour or so. I will discuss on how different type of loans affect two different families in their 20s & 30s.

Before I further evaluate the families' loan profile, let me go into some basics on Debt instruments. Debts or Loans can be categorized in two forms - Secured or Unsecured.

Unsecured loans are short term loan given to any individual without the need to pledging any form of collateral (e.g. Renovation loan, education loan, personal loan from banks). Secured loans are loans which are secured with an underlying asset (e.g. a property, bonds cert., stocks etc).

Now, let me take a peek at the profile on these two families and see how i can help them:

Family A:
Husband - 27 yrs, employed
Wife - 25 yrs, employed
Gross Combine Income - $5,000
Monthly Expenses - 25% of income
Mortgage Loan - $300,000 for 30 years from HDB
Wedding Dinner in November 07 - Budgeted at $20,000
Wife has a life policy of Sum Assured $100,000, Husband has none.
Plans to buy a family car in 2 years
Currently do not have any investments, but keen on unit trust or equity investments & no other savings

Family B:
Husband - 37 yrs, self-employed recently
Wife - 38 yrs, employed
2 kids aged 1yrs & 3yrs
Have a maid & a Nanny
Gross Combine Income - $8,000
Monthly Expenses - 30% of income
Mortgage Loan - 20 years to go with monthly repayment at $1200 from CPF for their HDB Executive flat
Saving more than 50% household income - invested in unit trust funds
Husband pays about $1800 for endowment plan, ILP and MRTA, but no life insurance
Wife & kids have few life policies but not sure if adequate
Plans to buy a family car (MPV) soon

With the limited information provided, I would need to make the following bold assumptions:

1. Both families do not have any short term debt liabilities like outstanding personal loan, renovation loan, credit card or personal line of credit.
2. All of them have good credit rating in their Credit Bureau records

My Findings & Recommendations: Family A

On their mortgage loan:
At the moment, the couple is enjoying subsidized rates form HDB at 2.6%p.a. (CPFOA rates + 0.1%). Compared to the interest rates offered by banks in the market, this couple is considered to be enjoying great discounts on their mortgage loans. Hence, unless the bank’s mortgage interest rates fall below 2%p.a., they should not be looking at refinancing.

Wedding Plans:
Wedding bills can be quite hefty. Paying cash would be a good idea, although not the best thing to do. With a combined income of $5,000, the couples could invest some time to pick up a few credit card facilities before their wedding in November 07.

These credit cards will come handy to split the $20,000 wedding bill into affordable installments (possibly 0% interest) should one decide to pay off slowly. Should they wish to pay off it as a lump sum, the couple has up to a maximum of 45 days grace to do so with no additional charges. At the same time, the couple can earn points from the credit cards in exchange for house warming gifts for their new home at almost no cost.

Buying a Car:
Just like anyone out there, I am your typical Alpha man who is crazy about owning my very own sports car. I went to a car show in late 2004 empty-handed, out with a Subaru Impreza 1.6(A) and a mountain of debts. Haha, now half my salary goes to paying out the loan, petrol, parking and maintenance costs. This is the trauma for switching my sales job or a management role in the company. Sigh.

However, I would encourage those who have intention to get a car to do so. Why? We have to rationalize that the convenience it brings is second to none (of course, there are problem in getting parking space sometimes). Especially if the couple has the intention to start a family soon, it may not be a bad choice to own an economical vehicle.

As I would not be able to foretell the future pricing of cars & the respective interest rates, I can only advise that one should not have more than one-third of their salary going into a personal transportation tool; taking Taxi is definitely cheaper!

My Findings & Recommendations: Family B

On their mortgage loan:
At the moment, this couple is also enjoying subsidized rates form HDB at 2.6%p.a. (CPFOA rates + 0.1%). Hence, unless the bank’s mortgage interest rates fall below 2%p.a., they should not be looking at refinancing. However, they may consider taking up a bank loan if they need to use the unencumbered portion (paid up principal of the loan) of the property once their property privatized.

Other secured loans:
Getting a standby line of credit using the UT investments as collateral may not be a bad idea. Especially when Husband has just become self-employed recently, getting unsecured credit fro business is an uphill task. In addition, insurance policies with substantial cash value can also be pledged as collateral for getting required financing without the need to surrender such policies.

Buying a Car:
I would encourage this couple to get a car as cost is technically shared by the number of headcounts in the family. However, I still do not advocate spending more than one-third of their salary going into a personal transportation tool.

Run thru a few distributors which offer the same model (parallel importers might be able to provide better pricing but with limited warranty). If second-hand or repossessed cars are options, going for them might not be a bad deal. Just thought you might want to know, I bought my car in Dec 04 for $73,500, my loan outstanding is still over $70,000; a new car of the same model cost $55,800. Sigh….. Heartache….

Friday, June 8, 2007

UT Portfolio as at 08 June 07

The renovation of the portfolio has just completed. There are only two funds to ride out the volatility as seen in the summary below. Will start shopping for aggressive funds this coming week; once the market settles. I expect this current portfolio to have a downside of 3% or so amidst the current correction.


The Real Correction........

The real deal is here...... :) Time to shop again......

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Virtual Portfolio #2 - from 01 June to 31 Aug 07

Both Chin and me has agreed to run another campaign on the Virtual portfolio. This is the breakdown:

Chin:
33.33% DWS China Equity Fund
33.33% DWS Asian Small Cap Fund
33.33% Lion Cap Sing/Malaysia Fund

Calvin:
40.00% Fidelity China Focused Fund
40.00% Schroders ISF Emerging Markets Opportunity Fund
20.00% Henderson Asian Dividen Income Fund (USD)

Let's see how these portfolio will square off eventually........ :)

Monday, June 4, 2007

UT Portfolio as of 04 June 07

As my funds are in the midst of a switching exercise, you will not see much changes till one week later. Though the profits showed have depreciated a little, new funds purchased will also be at lower cost. So stay tuned....


Virtual Portfolio Scorecard Day

Our three-month campaign is up, time to summarize the results:

Chin (01 March 07)
DWS China Equity Fund - SGD 2.0477
Lion Capital Vietnam - SGD 0.999
First State Bridge - SGD 1.358

Chin (30 May 07)
DWS China Equity Fund - SGD 2.3335 (+0.2858)
Lion Capital Vietnam - SGD 1.000 (+0.001)
First State Bridge - SGD 1.4118 (+0.0538)

Total Growth: 0.25*0.2858+0.25*0.001+0.5*0.0538 = 0.0986

Calvin (01 March 07)
DWS China Equity - SGD 2.0477
Aberdeen Thailand - SGD 4.1917
Lion Capital Global Flexi - SGD 1.129

Calvin (30 May 07)
DWS China Equity Fund - SGD 2.3335 (+0.2858)
Aberdeen Thailand - SGD 4.4866 (+0.2949)
Lion Capital Global Flexi - SGD 1.206 (+0.077)

Total Growth: 0.25*0.2858+0.25*0.2949+0.5*0.077 = 0.1837

It's a convincing win for Calvin...... :P