Ever since the CPFB introduced a colorful pie chart of our CPF savings a few years ago, I would look forward to mine every year like a teena...
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In recent times, I have found it much easier to talk to myself on YouTube.
It is faster than blogging.
This explains the greater number of videos produced compared to the number of blogs I have published.
Although it is expeditious, YouTube is only good for sharing what would require less mental processing on my part
It is good for sharing content which I have at my finger tips which means I could simply ramble while still making sense.
For anything that requires me to think more deeply and to organize my ideas, I find writing to be more effective.
This blog is going to be about something which has required more thinking on my part.
This is really inspired by 2 comments in my most recent YouTube video.
If you have not seen the video yet, here it is:
One reader told me that I am growing older and I should spend more of my money before my health deteriorates.
I know the reader means well but I have very little interest in spending more money than I do now.
In case you are new to my blog and think that I live like a pauper, I don't.
I own a condominium apartment and I have a car, for examples.
Very big ticket items in Singapore.
Still, I must accept that I am growing old, not just older.
Another reader provided the numbers by saying I would be 55 years old in 2 years from now.
Then, he asked what would I do with my CPF money and if I would choose the FRS or the ERS?
Both these readers' comments got me thinking.
That's a problem I have always had.
I think a lot and some would say I think too much.
You know what people say about young people.
They think that they are invincible and have plenty of time.
Well, I am not a young person anymore.
Although I am still relatively sharp mentally, I can tell that my memory is declining.
According to the doctors, this is normal but I am more worried about dementia now.
So, although I have said before that if we are savvy investors, we would choose the FRS and invest the rest of our CPF money ourselves, I could change my mind.
This is really consistent with having a crisis mentality.
Always asks what could go wrong?
Although it is still true that if we are savvy investors, we could possibly do better investing our CPF savings in excess of the FRS, there is this question of age related issues.
What if we become mentally infirm in our old age or, worse, middle age?
For most of us, the answer to this would be to have a bigger stream of passive income which does not fluctuate with market conditions.
CPF LIFE would fill this role admirably and by choosing ERS, we would allow it to do better.
ERS is not just for those who are not savvy investors but for anyone who wants to have a greater level of certainty in retirement funding.
I am aware that the interest accumulated in the FRS or ERS in order for CPF LIFE to provide us with an income for the rest of our lives goes into a pool and would not go to our beneficiaries in case we should bid farewell to this world earlier than desired.
However, CPF LIFE is an annuity and it is an insurance product.
It is an insurance against longevity risk.
As with all insurance products, it is about pooling resources from many to protect against shared risks.
We might not like the idea of having interest accumulated on our savings going into a pool instead of our beneficiaries but if we should be blessed with a long life, we would be dipping into other people's money in the pool as our own would have been exhausted.
We must remember that CPF LIFE is a retirement funding tool and not a legacy planning tool.
Take the good with the bad.
With this in mind, I checked my latest CPF OA and SA balances.
CPF OA
$768,628
CPF SA
$350,678
I also checked what the FRS would be like in 2026 which is when I turn 55.
55th birthday in the year of 2026?
The FRS would be $220,400.
ERS would be twice that sum or $440,800.
My CPF SA should grow to about $380,000 by 2026 just from interest earned, assuming no further contribution on my part.
If I were to go for the ERS, it would mean having the entire sum migrate to the newly created CPF RA plus $60,000 from my CPF OA.
This would give me a monthly income of about $3,400 from CPF LIFE Standard Plan from age 65.
This is quite possibly going to be more than enough to cover the basics in my life.
Of course, I am hazarding a guess here since who knows what the world would look like 10 years from now?
As I grow older, I find myself less inclined to tinker with things.
I value simplicity more and more.
In the last podcast I did with The Fifth Person, I said that I had little or no inclination to look at new stuff when it comes to investments.
I am just looking at what I already have and waiting to add to what I think are strong businesses which would pay me through good and bad times.
Having said this, true to the spirit of this blog post, there could come a time when I might not be mentally well enough to make such decisions.
Making full use of CPF LIFE would help to mitigate this risk.
Of course, all of us are different and what gives me peace of mind might be a source of discomfort for others.
Didn't AK say his CPF MA already hit the Basic Healthcare Sum which means no top up is allowed?
Yes, I did.
However, NTUC Income does a deduction yearly to pay for my private shield plan.
I try to remember to top up my CPF MA whenever this happens.
Still, I would forget sometimes.
The CPF MA pays 4% p.a.
Risk free and volatility free, it is too good to miss.
Don't have to do the top up immediately.
Just have to do the top up a few days before the end of the month since CPF only considers the lowest balance in the month when calculating interest to be paid for the month.
Of course, by doing this, it ensures we earn more interest in the CPF MA.
And interest earned in the CPF MA will overflow into the SA in the new year for those who have yet to hit the Full Retirement Sum.
The CPF SA also pays 4% p.a.
This will help grow our CPF savings faster.
Oops. I should have said 4.04% p.a.
Huat ah!
I am looking forward to topping up my CPF MA again in the new year if they increase the Basic Healthcare Sum.
This is probably going to be $3,000 or so, if it happens.
Don't look down on 4% or 4.04% p.a.
Even if we have yet to hit the Basic Healthcare Sum, with $50,000 in the CPF MA, we are still getting $2,000 in interest income per year, for example.
That would be enough to pay for most people's yearly medical insurance policies.
Of course, I first blogged about this in 2013, and I have talked to myself about this from time to time since then.
I produced a couple of videos on the CPF MA recently.
I was wondering if I should do it because people are less interested in the CPF these days.
Also, many people think CPF MA is money trapped while CPF SA is money they would get to use in retirement.
I went ahead and did it anyway because I wanted to remind myself of the importance of the CPF MA.
As expected, only a small number of viewers were interested in the videos.
However, they did get some interesting comments.
Someone asked me why didn't I talk about Careshield or Eldershield in the videos.
Well, I really don't care much for Careshield and I only got Eldershield because a friend convinced me that I would be doing my part to bring down the cost of the group insurance by taking part.
AK likes helping if it is not too costly.
I don't need Eldershield and I have blogged about this before.
Why?
Regular readers might remember that I blogged about how passive income is the best insurance in life.
Meaningful passive income.
After so many years, I believe that my passive income stream has become a river.
I should have no trouble with meeting day to day expenses even if I should become physically challenged.
However, I do worry about big financial bombs.
A constant stream of passive income is good at dealing with day to day expenses.
It isn't going to be able to cope with atomic bomb events.
This is why I keep an emergency fund.
A large emergency fund.
This is why I supplement Medishield Life with Incomeshield.
I shield myself from huge medical bills which could one shot my bank account.
When working on the blueprint for retirement adequacy, I was very much aware of my limitations.
Some things we need and some things we don't.
Must be judicious.
I want to be sure to have layers of financial protection which matter, and not anything superfluous or unnecessary through being more than enough.
This is a quick update on my plan to save for income published in a blog at the beginning of April.
Back then, I said that I should be able to set aside $10,000 to apply for Singapore Savings Bond this month.
However, I have increased that figure to $22,000.
This is because a 5 months fixed deposit placed with DBS matured and I forgot I had it.
So, with more money at my disposal, I have decided to apply for $22,000 instead of $10,000.
Why $22,000?
If I should be successful in getting a full allotment, together with the $16,000 in Singapore Savings Bonds allotted in March, I would have hit $38,000.
$38,000 is the amount I had planned on setting aside for voluntary contribution to my CPF account in January 2024.
"A spokesperson for Hong Leong Finance said that rates for fixed deposits have generally dropped slightly in the past two months.
"Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA) remains relatively high and inflationary risk will take time to ease.
"At the back of an uncertain economic outlook, rates are likely to soften later in the year.
"A Maybank spokesperson highlighted the impact of US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes on interest rates in Singapore.
"As Singapore dollar interest rates have a positive correlation to the US dollar, we can expect that if inflationary pressures recede, interest rates should soften if there is a recession risk." Source: CNA.
So, for anyone with a fixed income component in their investment portfolio, it is probably not a bad idea to lock in higher interest rates now, if possible.
The headlines which grabbed my attention this morning were two.
First, that Credit Suisse would be purchased by its Swiss rival, UBS, for 3 billion Swiss Francs.
Second, that S&P downgraded First Republic Bank further into junk as the US$30 billion infusion by a consortium of largest U.S. banks was deemed insufficient.
It seems to me that the banking crisis is still an evolving story.
In Singapore, fundamentally, our local lenders are financially sound and the Monetary Authority of Singapore has issued statements to say that DBS, OCBC and UOB are well capitalized and have little exposure to Credit Suisse.
Although I believe that weakness in the stock prices of DBS, OCBC and UOB is an opportunity for long term investors to accumulate, I am going to keep some powder dry.
From a technical analyst's perspective, the downside risk is pretty real, and Mr. Market's negative sentiment towards the banking sector could see stock prices of DBS, OCBC and UOB testing their immediate supports.
This is because Mr. Market can be pretty irrational at times and has thrown the baby out with the bathwater many times before.
We could see supports breaking then.
During times like that, when buying opportunities with potentially better future returns present themselves, we would appreciate having a war chest ready.
OK, I will stop telling horror stories about banks for now and move on to something which might be a bit more cheerful for some people.
What is it?
A piece of news which didn't quite grab my attention but was at the back of my mind had to do with a cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.
What's cheerful about Bitcoin?
The ex-CTO of Coinbase, Balaji Srinivasan, predicts that Bitcoin will hit US$1 million per coin by the middle of June 2023!
What?
OMG!
You so stunned like vegetable?
You are not alone.
He says that there will be hyperinflation in the U.S.A. as the US$ will see its value, which has been declining, ultimately destroyed.
We are seeing challenges to the US$ in many countries as major economies like China and India have been getting their trading partners to use the Chinese Yuan and the Indian Rupee respectively as their currencies of choice.
The rapid hikes in interest rates in the U.S.A. also means that the country's debt servicing burden has risen dramatically.
The Fed has not been able to contribute to the government coffers because of this and instead the U.S. Treasury is being drained at a frightening pace.
The U.S.A. is, in fact, bankrupt.
To avoid a default, the U.S.A. has to take on even more debt which is why the debt ceiling has to be raised by Congress.
If it sounds like a PONZI scheme to you, it is because it sounds like a PONZI scheme.
Bitcoin's price is rocketing higher in response to this development, it seems.
The banking crisis has further accentuated a critical flaw of fiat currencies and how they can be produced at will by central banks.
This is a very scary situation and as long as the can continues to be kicked down the road, all seems OK but is it really OK?
This is one reason why I changed my opinion about Bitcoin sometime in the middle of last year.
I explained in a blog many months ago I chose to buy some Bitcoin over Ethereum because of Bitcoin's status as digital gold.
Like gold, Bitcoin's supply is limited.
I bought another small fraction of a Bitcoin when its price dropped to its long term support last year.
Yes, I hold some Bitcoin like I hold some physical gold.
Bitcoin and gold are currencies, and like all currencies, they can be traded.
However, my purpose is not to trade Bitcoin and gold.
I look at them as insurance against flawed fiat currencies.
I believe in having insurance as I always have a crisis mentality.
Anyway, in case you missed those blogs or if you are interested in a refresher, they are linked in the references below.
We are living in very turbulent times and we can only do what we feel is right to have some peace of mind.
The banks are in a good place to enjoy a strong tailwind provided by rising interest rates.
Even in a recession, the banks should continue to bring home the bacon as they are well capitalized and should have no problem paying dividends.
Nothing was sacrosanct in the reallocation exercise and several very small positions in my portfolio were closed down while some larger positions were reduced in size.
Apart from OCBC and UOB, I could not resist increasing the size of my investment in IREIT Global as the fundamentals remain sound and the REIT's unit price hit what I felt to be distressed levels.
It would be impossible to buy any asset owned by IREIT Global at about 40% discount to valuation but we could if we bought some of IREIT Global from mid 3Q to 4Q 2022.
To be fair, that 40% discount to valuation could reduce somewhat as the REIT is going to take some time to backfill the space at Darmstadt vacated by Deutsche Telekom.
The valuation of that particular property could come under pressure, therefore.
However, if we are investing in properties for the longer term and we should be, it isn't a tragedy that it might take some time to see results as the space will be leased out eventually.
IREIT Global has the most defensive financials I can find amongst the REITs which I own while offering a distribution yield of around 8%.
With the accumulation of IREIT Global in 4Q 2022, it is my largest investment in the S-REIT universe today.
I also added to my investment in Wilmar International as the business became more profitable in spite of a challenging environment.
In the worst case scenario where we see stagflation, I have an inkling that Wilmar International could outperform as the world faces a food crisis.
I nibbled at LION-OCBC Hang Seng Tech ETF as it overshot the low formed on 15 March 2022 but like I said in an earlier blog, it would likely be the last time I added to my position in the ETF as I am not too keen on trading regularly in order to make money.
Too lazy.
I did subsequently reduce exposure when the unit price rebounded in November.
I reduced exposure again in early December as the ETF's unit price rose to test resistance provided by the descending 200 days moving average which was approximately at 71c:
Those couple of trades produced a capital gain of around 23% and reminded me of why I spent so much time trading the stock market many years ago.
Some readers might remember that I shared in my blog as well as during one or two "Evening with AK and friends" that I made around half a million dollars in my adventures as a stock trader many years ago.
Trading stocks could be financially more rewarding than investing for income but it requires more activity and some knowledge of technical analysis.
I have decided to become more laid back in recent years to spend time on other things in life.
Anyway, the average price for my remaining position in the ETF is probably low enough to make Chinese tech stocks look cheap even to value investors.
A simple reversion to mean would result in a capital gain for me.
I do not need to see euphoria and the ridiculously high valuations when the market was sloshing with almost free money in order to have a good result here.
However, it is a tiny position in my portfolio and it would not move the needle much.
In bonds, I have put money earmarked for contribution to my CPF account into Singapore Savings Bonds (SSBs) while money from maturing fixed deposits went into Singapore Treasury Bills as yields of these government bonds reached levels which I found to be more attractive.
The changes made in 4Q 2022 to my investment portfolio is consistent with what I have said many times before and that is not to be overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic but to stay pragmatic.
Having a percentage of my portfolio in fixed income like SSBs and Treasury Bills now while staying invested in equities which I feel will likely outperform fixed income (including my CPF savings) in the longer term should result in a more resilient investment portfolio.
If I feel that equities would outperform in the longer term, why am I still putting money in fixed income?
It is about having peace of mind as an investor.
Fixed income instruments are important for investors who cannot afford or at least feel that they cannot afford to be too adventurous as fixed income helps in reducing the volatility in our portfolio.
Not everyone is able to stomach greater volatility, whether it is due to a lack of financial ability or mental strength to do so.
Now that yields are reasonably attractive, they also help to reduce the cost of insurance that is the opportunity cost of not getting possibly higher returns.
There were times when I was very adventurous as an investor and I was fortunate to be well rewarded many times but I also suffered losses sometime.
The emotional roller coaster that came with being more adventurous wasn't a lot of fun either.
Anxiety and depression are only interesting topics to psychiatrists.
Having said this, I am also partial to fixed deposits which offer relatively high interest rates as I continue to maintain a meaningful cash position which is mostly my emergency fund and float.
This cash position has helped to keep me sane during bad times and it still does.
What about the opportunity cost of not being invested?
There isn't much left in my war chest as the funds have been substantially deployed.
Well, regular readers would have an inkling that there wasn't much in my war chest to begin with as I lack an earned income and consume most of my passive income.
Even the government takes pity on me and gives me money every year.
Anyway, enough of self pity.
So, how much passive income did my portfolio generate in 4Q 2022?
S$ 25,331.81
It is a relatively small sum compared to passive income in 3Q 2022.
However, to put things in perspective, 4Q 2021's passive income was:
S$ 21,283.82
So, year on year, 4Q 2022's passive income came in 19% higher.
Looks more impressive percentage wise but I get it that the dollar value increase is smaller compared to 3Q 2022 which saw a smaller percentage increase at less than 10% improvement, year on year.
4Q 2022 passive income includes income received from 6 months Treasury Bills which I started buying only in October.
This new passive income component is a relatively small trickle but every little bit helps.
My passive income for the whole of 2022 is:
S$205,999.73
This is almost 20% higher when compared with S$171,854.30 generated in 2021.
Average passive income per month in 2022 was about:
S$17,166 per month.
Can't really complain.
I am contented.
Now, I ask an important question.
What is 2023 going to be like?
It is more likely than not that recession is coming to many parts of the world even as we get used to the idea that higher inflation is going to stay with us for some time to come.
So, with inflation high and economic growth evaporating thanks in part to rapidly rising interest rates, we could also see stagflation.
Therefore, I would be quite happy if my passive income in 2023 is similar to 2022, give or take a few percentage points.
Not going to raise the bar as I could be disappointed.
What else am I telling myself?
As an investor for income, I cannot dictate how much my companies should pay me but I can certainly tell myself how to spend my money.
What to do?
Will have to tighten my belt.
Buckle up for a bumpy ride.
Don't throw caution to the wind.
Hold on tight to our emergency funds for dear life!
I continue to remind myself that fixed income investments are more attractive than before.
Having a meaningful percentage of risk free and volatility free T-bills and SSBs in my portfolio is not a bad idea.
The CPF might not be as sexy a "fixed income" instrument but it isn't wrong to keep thinking of it as an investment grade bond with a significant annuity angle.
The CPF still works as a risk free and volatility free investment grade sovereign bond which helps to provide a greater degree of certainty when it comes to retirement funding.
These fixed income options help to form the large base of my investment pyramid.
I also remind myself the importance of staying invested in bona fide income generating businesses which generate meaningful and sustainable income for us.
Getting rich slowly isn't as sexy as getting rich quickly but like I said before, the journey to financial freedom is not a race: HERE.
In summary, for regular folks, don't be too adventurous as having strong and reliable cashflow is important.
To be clear, it has always been important but with heightened rising costs in so many forms and much greater economic uncertainty, it is probably more important than ever.
Focusing on our portfolio's ability to generate income and not our portfolio's market value (now or in the future) might not be a bad idea.
Remember, I prefaced these highlighted paragraphs with the words "for regular folks."
If you are a very rich or "jin satki" person, it might not apply to you.
If you are not very rich or "jin satki" but act like you are, good luck to you.
Very rich people can take a few hard knocks and still survive.
For example, they could lose a few hundred thousand dollars or more in Tesla or Alibaba but still stay rich.
Those who are not very rich might find themselves in financial distress especially if they had borrowed money to do the same.
Peace of mind is priceless.
2023 is likely to be a relatively difficult year for most regular folks.
Stiff upper lip and stay the course.
As long as we are moving in the right direction, we should make incremental improvement and move towards financial freedom.
Anyway, it has been many years since I bought more gold and silver.
When I took a look recently, I found that, together, gold and silver formed only 2% of my portfolio.
This is lower than what I think I should have as insurance against fiat currencies.
I was watching some videos on the topic when I stumbled on a video by Robert Kiyosaki who has always said that keeping some gold and silver was sensible.
However, in that particular video, there was a twist because he was also talking about Bitcoin and why we should keep some.
That was very intriguing to me as I don't remember him talking about Bitcoin before.
To be fair, I don't follow him and what I know about him is probably dated.
Like the Dollar, Bitcoin was a currency to me but unlike the Dollar, other than being a digital currency, Bitcoin was not a fiat currency.
Then, while looking for more information, I found a video by Kevin O'Leary who said that institutional investors are looking at Bitcoin not just as a currency but as a property to hold.
So, just like gold, many institutional investors are looking to hold some Bitcoin.
Why?
They believe that Bitcoin is digital gold and, just like gold, Bitcoin is supposed to be a good store of value.
Digital gold for a digital age.
The truth is Bitcoin has gained recognition and a higher level of acceptance.
Fiat currencies are very flawed, after all, and having a crisis mentality and getting some insurance is probably a good idea.
So, I believe we need some insurance for this which is why I hold some gold and silver.
Just like how I stepped out of my comfort zone this year when I got some exposure to Chinese tech stocks, I decided to step out of my comfort zone once more to get some Bitcoin.
Why not simply get more gold and silver?
I could do that but, like I said earlier, digital gold is for a digital age.
I don't know what the future will bring but I really like "Sword Art Online" and "Log Horizon."
Is the Metaverse all hype or would it become mainstream?
I don't know.
I made the decision to get some Bitcoin some time after I decided to get some exposure to Chinese tech and both decisions surprised me for a short while.
Why a short while?
Well, considering that the prices of Chinese tech stocks and Bitcoin had already plunged significantly, maybe, it wasn't so surprising that I got interested when I did.
Anyway, the plan was to have Bitcoin make up 2% to 3% of my portfolio.
Then, together, gold, silver and Bitcoin would form 4% to 5% of my portfolio.
Ray Dalio's perspective on having a small percentage of our portfolio in Bitcoin for the sake of diversification resonates with me:
Still, I have only bought a tiny bit of Bitcoin so far and it isn't even 0.5% of my portfolio yet.
Why did I not buy more?
To invest in Chinese tech was to invest in undervalued productive assets and I nibbled even though price was down trending.
It was just to get a foot in the door.
In comparison, I cannot tell if Bitcoin is undervalued nor is Bitcoin a productive asset.
Bitcoin is just like gold and silver.
Alamak!
How like that?
All I have to depend on is technical analysis.
Very dangerous for me as I am probably somewhat rusty and could get tetanus from the exercise.
Anyway, I am in no hurry to have Bitcoin form 2% to 3% of my portfolio.
I will take my time.
Bitcoin's price is very volatile and big price swings are pretty normal.
Looking at the chart, I see what is possibly a bear flag, Bitcoin could go higher before plunging again in price.
So, after getting my smallest toe in the door earlier in the week, I will pace myself and accumulate whenever price swings lower.
I might get some Etherium too as that's the runner up to Bitcoin in terms of market cap so that I wouldn't be putting all the eggs in one basket.
However, Etherium is not exactly digital gold and, so, exposure to Etherium should be relatively small.
What about Litecoin?
Litecoin is digital silver like Bitcoin is digital gold.
However, buying Litecoin using Gemini, the crypto exchange I signed up with, requires me to use Bitcoin to do so.
So, to avoid paying more commission, I will mostly stick to Bitcoin.
OK, back to the present.
Drumroll, please.
I have done it!
I am a newly minted holder of Bitcoin.
2022 is turning out to be a year of surprises on a personal level.
Like I said, after my initial tiny purchase, the strategy is to accumulate mainly Bitcoin whenever its price weakens.
With this strategy, if Bitcoin weakens in price, I buy more and if Bitcoin appreciates in price, it means I wouldn't have to buy as much to have it hit 2% to 3% of my portfolio.
So, whichever direction Bitcoin goes, I am good with it.
OK, long time readers know I believe in keeping an emergency fund.
Emergency fund is in a chest labelled: "CODE BLUE!"
However, as many people do not have passive income that is sufficient for them to stop working, it is a good idea for them to have disability insurance.
For this group of people, Careshield Life is a better product than Eldershield for the following reasons:
1. Lifetime coverage.
We only need to pay till we are 67 years old or for 10 years after joining, whichever is later, and we are covered for life.
2. Lifetime cash payouts.
We get monthly payouts for as long as we are severely disabled while Eldershield only pays for up to 6 years.
3. Payouts increase over time.
Eldershield pays a fixed amount of $400 a month while Careshield Life pays $612 a month and it will increase at 2% per year.
Low income families probably need Careshield Life the most and they will receive significant subsidies.
For those of us who are older, we will get incentives for joining Careshield Life by 31 Dec 2023.
I received a letter from the Ministry of Health to automatically enroll in Careshield Life last month.
Based on my age, I will get a small incentive to do so too.
Since I was already enrolled in Eldershield to help lower the cost of collective risk sharing at the suggestion of a friend, I went with the automatic enrollment.
Careshield Life is a low cost disability insurance product.
For me, the premium is $200+ in the first year after subsidy and incentive.
I also like the idea that I am doing some good for society with my enrollment.
For anyone who is interested in finding out more, do a login with your Singpass at:
To be fair, although self insurance is probably the best form of insurance, we can never tell if our passive income could be impacted negatively at any point in time.
So, having some disability insurance is probably not a bad thing even for those of us who have the best insurance in life.
As a blogger, I have poetic license. This license is something I use frequently as I talk to myself here in ASSI. What is poetic license? "The act by a writer or poet of changing facts or rules to make a story or poem more interesting or effective." Source: Cambridge Dictionary. In fact, without poetic license, I wouldn't enjoy blogging as much. If you enjoy my blogs as much as I enjoy blogging, I am glad. There will be people who don't enjoy my blogs but that doesn't make me sad. The world is what it is. My blog is what it is. This is my blog. This is my style. These are my stories. Please don't expect me to change anything.
I thought about it for a bit and decided that there is a need for this blog so that people who eavesdrop on me talking to myself are in the know. Someone recently told me to retract a statement I made in my blog about getting free H&S insurance in Singapore.
In my latest reply to that person, I said: "I have also said before that I have investments which are free and I even say that my current home is free. "They are paid for by Mr. Market while my H&S insurance is paid for by the government. "Must I remove all those blogs as well because you have a different take on the matter and that you disagree? "This is my blog and there is such a thing as poetic license. "Like I said earlier, you are entitled to your opinion, of course, and if it bothers you, ignore the blogs."
It reminded me of something that happened a few years ago when I was told to remove a blog on getting free term life policies. I actually did take that blog down but later put it back up as many readers puzzled over my decision and some had yet to read the blog too. I decided since that time that ASSI is my blog and it is what it is. If people don't like what I have to say, they can choose not to read my blogs. Which blog was it and when did that happen? Interested in the story? See: Free investment linked policies or term life policies?
I later added a side story at the top of the blog hinting as to why the blog was removed shortly after posting. That blog has tens of comments from readers and that doesn't include the many comments in Facebook. Poetic license was obviously employed in the blog but readers' comments were mostly supportive. Most, if not all, thought that the blog was excellent. AK was just talking to himself about a strategy. It was pretty mathematical but I suppose it was pretty poetic too. People who choose to read financial blogs like ASSI are probably smart enough to tell the parts which are mathematical from the parts which are poetic.
While effort has been made to make ASSI light reading, it can be pretty heavy at times, I guess. OK, please pardon me as I might be giving myself too much credit here. Pat on the back or slap on the back?
Whatever. ;p
Remember that AK is just talking to himself in his little corner of cyberspace. AK is not seeking agreement from anyone and, most definitely, he is not seeking approval from anyone on how he should talk to himself. Remember, eavesdrop on AK at your own risk. Why AK says that? Well, it could drive you crazy. However, please don't push self talking AK to the brink as well. Thank you very much. Related posts: 1. How to get free medical insurance in our old age? 2. How to get free medical insurance in Singapore? Recently published: 2019 CPF savings in a pie (chart).
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