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I am always happiest reading happy stories.
I mean who wouldn't be?
OK, if you need a reason, well, they are easier for me to reply to compared to sad stories.
It is true that happy stories are easier to reply to and that makes me happy but I am happiest with happy stories because they are an affirmation of the work I am doing here in my blog.
I am sharing here not one but two readers' stories and I hope they pump you up to do more in 2017:
READER #1: Because of your sharing AK, I made the following changes to my life in 2016.
In 2016, I paid off the remaining of my home loan in Jan 2016. Was using CPF to service loan. With that, for the whole year (2016), my CPF started growing faster and generating risk free interest at the same time.
With a portion of the remaining cash, I also started investing in the stocks Dec 2015. Very happy with Saizen, AIMS, First Reit, Ireit Global, ARA, etc.
Rest of cash in fixed D as war chest + emergency funds waiting to invest more when opportunity presents.
Yes, all along got insurance coverage for self and family.
I also made it a point to simplify life style. Conscious with spending. Eat less, exercise more, cycling a lot makes me happy. Don’t need much.
I banished my 3 children (wealth destroyer)…kidding. Some money still have to spend being responsible to children & parents. Looking forward to 2017 to optimize CPF, invest more when opportunity presents, save more, simplify further. Although much to work on and a bit late, I am very pleased with making the changes last year.
So please continue with the great work in “talking to yourself”.
READER #2: Hello AK, happy new year! As I read about how others feel you should continue blogging, I also wanna share how your blog has benefited me.
CPF continues to be 1 area my friends and I share different views on. I transferred my 3-4 years worth of OA to SA after discovering your blog, and feel excited logging into CPF today to see the interest collected. 
The other area is in stock investment; I used to try to time the market and it gave me unneeded stress. Your blog brought me to believe in consistent dividends, and taught me about position sizing. I find the sharings on your purchases particularly helpful and insightful.
Not forgetting your thoughts in matters of insurance, savings etc.
Please keep blogging! With general increased interest in such matters (I think), I believe someway or another people will chance upon your blog and hopefully review their financial well-being. BIG THANKS!
What has changed for the readers?
Although individually important, it is not just about saving money, investing in stocks for income or being adequately insured, for examples.
It is much more than these.
Remember, all the things I do and blog about come in a package.
Yes, it is a package deal.
Paying attention to only one area while ignoring other areas does not strike me as a good idea.
It is like some guy in a Chinese kung fu period drama stumbling upon a kung fu manual 亚西(ASSI)神功 which had 10 chapters and he decided to skip to chapter 10, ignoring the foundation chapters and everything else.
Pouring all his energy into that one chapter alone, he 走火入魔 (a Chinese term traditionally used to indicate that something has gone wrong in spiritual or martial arts training... Source: Wikipedia).
I am glad it did not happen to the readers here.
What the readers did was a major rethink of what they were doing or not doing.
What followed was a major revamp as they took action to make changes.
If we want a more secure financial future, we would do well to take a holistic approach.
My philosophy in wealth building might be boring and it probably isn't suitable for everybody.
Some are happy adopting it and it is only normal that some will brush it off.
I will say that it has worked for me and I am glad to know that it is helping these readers towards greater financial well being too.
To anyone who is walking the same path, I agree that it could be a long walk but, to succeed, we have to believe that patience will be rewarded!
(Decide how much income you will get from an asset and pay a fair price for that.)
Related posts:
1. Power to be financially stronger!
2. Make $1 million investing for income?
3. CPF a cornerstone in retirement funding.
Bloggy Award
8 comments:
I find the comments on insurance interesting. My thoughts on this would be that in fact the existing medishield life is quite sufficient. In fact many of the common insurance products that are being sold such as critical illness, eldershield have low payout ratios. In layman terms, this would mean that most people pay for premiums that cost more than they should
Hi Victor,
Personally, I don't think I need Eldershield but I was convinced to take it up. -.-"
Eldershield: What does it shield us from?
Hi AK,
May I know why you dont seem to pick the bigger cap reits which offer lower 6-7% yield.
Thanks.
Hi Unknown,
Well run or not, smaller REITs suffered a lot more during the GFC.
First REIT's valuation was really cheap compared to Parkway Life, for example. AK is cheap and he went for cheap. ;p
AK tells a reader who is feeling a bit lost and down to remember that his approach is a holistic approach. It is simple enough and if AK can do it, anyone can.
Two readers share their stories in this blog on how the approach has made them financially healthier and emotionally happier. :)
Reader says...
I like how your blog has a balance of both TA, FA, CPF and side stories of weekly life.
AK says...
Well, I believe that a holistic approach to financial freedom is the most sensible and, so, that is what I share in my blog.
Of course, my philosophy in wealth building might be boring and it probably isn't suitable for everybody.
Dolce Goh says...
It takes sheer discipline, determination & perserverence to be where AK is today. It is very easy to say ‘ Hey he earns a lot, that is why he can be financially free’ First, r u able to go without dining in restaurant, without holiday, without car, without buying so many clothes, shoes, bags etc?
Loke Oilin says...
It is veru easy to be sceptical. But they shld try themselves instead of wasting time to doubt.
AK says...
It is about taking a holistic approach to wealth building. :)
Ben says...
It's great to be in the position in which one gets to live his/her life on his/hetr term.
You are a classic example of such lifestyle.
It is also important for those aspiring to be achieve FIRE to be in his/her own style.
Different people have their own style.
AK says...
How much do we need in order to have a secure financial future?
The number will differ from person to person.
Many people think that achieving FIRE is too difficult if not impossible in Singapore.
Really, it isn't impossible.
My approach is a pragmatic and also a holistic one.
It has worked for me and I hope it will work for others too. :)
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