Blog about my increasing portfolio value?

Reader:
Many of your stocks have risen in price. Examples are CCL, FLT, SGR, CRT, CRCT, RHT. The actual list is much longer definitely. 

In addition to your quarterly reports on your passive income, would you consider sharing the change in the value of your portfolio as well? 

I am sure many readers are interested and it would be inspiring too.

AK:
I know some investment bloggers do what you said but I won't because it doesn't gel with my motivations both as an investor and also as a blogger. 

My focus is on investing for income and price movements don't really matter to me as long as my investments continue to do what I expect them to do and one of those things is to pay a meaningful dividend. 

So, sharing my passive income numbers is something I am quite willing to do as this is what I feel would inspire readers to invest for income to help them on their journey towards financial freedom.


Do you feel the same way as the reader or do you feel the same way I do?

I think it is probably more useful to see why I invested in some of the businesses the reader highlighted and to understand my decision making process.

If you are interested, here are a few blogs to read:

Added Frasers L&I Trust and CapitaRetail China.

Added Centurion Corporation Limited.

Added Starhill Global REIT.

I assure you that this is more productive than reading about how the value of my investment portfolio has changed.

Related post:
My portfolio or my philosophy?

Do this to get higher interest income with UOB ONE?

Reader:

Understand that you have UOB One Card.

Recently, a UOB Personal Banker approaches me regarding the other usage of One Card to earn higher interest in the One Account.

Instead of spending $500, one can just save that $500 through a Prudential savings plan. This $500 will be deducted from the One Card every month for 5 years. After which, the total amount deducted will be locked for another 10 years. 

At the end of the 15 years, one can earn an effective interest p.a. of about 3.13%. The principal is guaranteed. 

In this way, one does not need to force spend every month to reach the $500 target in order to earn a higher interest on the One Account. Through this method, one can also earn higher interest as this $500 is "spent" on the savings plan, by utilizing the One Card.

What do you think of this? Appreciate if you can talk to yourself...

AK:
I will avoid an insurance cum savings (which is really insurance cum investment) product. I always say buy term and invest the rest. Instinctively, I would say 'no' to this offer.

I believe that 3.13% per annum is the potential interest rate and not guaranteed. I do not know if you would be disappointed 15 years later if you only get back your capital then (if Prudential does not go bust).

If you have trouble spending $500 on your UOB ONE Card each month, it might be better to simply forgo the UOB ONE Account. Forget it.

Doing this, you would be forgoing an additional interest income of about $800 a year (assuming you have $50,000 in the savings account which would have earned a bonus 1.6% in interest with a monthly spend of $500) but it gives you greater financial flexibility and a chance to build a bigger war chest for the next bear market.

Related posts:
1. UOB ONE Account?
2. How many $29,000 do we have?