Averaging down and don't invest in this stock!

Reader says...
... Singtel, average down from entry at $3.62 till $3.33, average cost is about 3.44.

I only started buying stock about 6 months ago, and having using this approach.






I decided an entry price, normally at 52 weeks low so I got a margin of safety, then average down if the stock keep dropping and stop when the stock moving up.

What is your opinion of this average down approach?






One down side I learnt so far is if the stock run up after my entry price, then I will not be able to accumulate much as only nibble small amount (3k-4k) at the start.

It happened with my ST Engineering, Sheng Siong and First Reit.

The stock took off after my entry and have no chance to buy since then as I tried to chase.






Also, what do you think about stock with low transaction volume?

Should we avoid those as it might not be easy to sell with low daily volume ?

AK says...

If the price on a good investment goes lower, it is better value. ;)

As for less liquid counters, I don't see a problem if we are investing for income. :)






See what a CFA and investment guru told me about Old Chang Kee when I blogged about investing in it in 2011?

"I love eating Old Chang Kee. However, the stock is quite illiquid and has very little volume. One look at the bid ask spread tells me a lot about the counter.

"So as much as I love Old Chang Kee, it is somewhat considered close to a penny stock to me. Therefore I can't invest in it."

See full comment and also my reply in the comments section of:
http://singaporeanstocksinvestor.blogspot.sg/2011/10/old-chang-kee-initiated-long-position.html






Have a plan.

Everything remaining equal, stick to the plan.

Ignore the noise. :)

$71,000 alternative or bogus investment?

Reader says...

I have been very sad and disappointed with these alternative investments that we had ventured with stupidity.

Like the Chinese sayings goes, for really good deals, "there is no such golden duck jumping around on the street". In other words, there is no such good deals.





If that is the case, why is our government still not educating people well about alternative investment, seeing a lot of them got their fingers burned due to such dodgy business.

We invested into alternative investment by XXXXXXX Holdings and got engaged with an agent from XXXXXX Solution Management Pte Ltd, a vendor of XXXXXXX Holdings contracted to do sales and marketing for their alternative investments products.





In total I have $71K invested.

We only received $10K and no payout since Nov 2016.

I wanted to report to the police many times, wanted to engage a lawyer to sue them for breach of contractual agreement and not paying up per contract.

But I was advised against this by the agent saying that law suit cases will delay the process to get back some money from these investments.





I had requested from the agent to share with us the list of investors that had been affected and maybe we can write some letters to MAS, the newspapers or to the police to warn the public regarding such scams and cheats, but the agent refuse to provide.

She said it was not a scam or fraud, just bad investments.





Sometimes I believe we need some authorities to know and take action on our behalf or at least for general public to be aware of such companies and be cautious about investing their monies with them.

Appreciate your advise and anyone who can enlighten my worries.

AK says...

I believe I blogged about XXXXXXX before.

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do apart from seeking legal advice and let the law take its course for whatever it is worth.





I believe there is little MAS can do to help you either because these "investments" are not regulated.

I feel your sadness and I hope you will be able to recover some capital.

Read related post at the end of this blog and know what questions to ask when offered such "investments". Read its comments section too.





Related post:
Invest $10,000 and get 24% yield!

FRS by 35 and $1 million in CPF account.

Reader says...
I have been an avid reader of your blog and inspired by your way of handling the cpf monies.

I have followed certain methods and have done my own research on the cpf system.





I am 33 yr old now and have drafted a goal of hitting the current frs on my special account by 35.

There is a shortfall of 50k to frs and it shld be done in the next 2 years.

I have max out my ma.





I live a simple life and dun demand for luxuries.

And if i can be gainfully employed till age 55. I hope to also hit above 1mio for my cpf acct.






My concerns are as i am somewhere further away from retirement age, my risk of cpf policy changes are higher compare to urs.

AK says...
Welcome to my blog. :)

If there should be changes to the CPF system and there have been changes over the years, if they are reasonable, I welcome them.

We have to believe that the government have the interests of Singaporeans at heart and that they are competent.

If we don't believe this, then, shun the CPF.





As for your plan to take full advantage of your CPF membership, it sounds like a good one.

Keep at it and you would have a cornerstone in retirement funding in your golden years. :)





However, remember that the Top Up to your SA (allowed till age 55 and as long as it is lower than the prevailing FRS) will enjoy income tax relief only for the first $7K per calendar year.

As it sounds like you are topping up more than $7K per year in the next 2 years to hit the prevailing FRS, you want to be aware of this especially if income tax relief is important to you (i.e. you are in a high tax bracket).

Gambatte!





Related posts:
1. $1 million in CPF by age 65?
2. A cornerstone in retirement funding.

Timing the market and getting best prices?

Reader says...
Is has been awhile since my last email.

I wasn't dare to take the big move to go ahead into investment.





I know very little about Mr.Market. which I decided to be so call "safe" to put majorly of all cash in bank.

Which I know I know, is very wrong.

I monitor Mr.Market for awhile and didn't act on it. facepalm.





I started to look into low risk investment such as REIT.

I am still get lost when i try to follow your blog from the start.





I know is a lot to ask but could you advice me information/link I can look into.

Maybe can share with me how to see a good entry price, any index I could by buy monthly?

AK says...
Unfortunately, I am not allowed to give specific advice and, so, I won't.

I am not very good at timing the market and getting in at the best prices myself.





Read more, learn about valuation and you should have an idea of what are fairly good prices to pay for investments but remember we cannot always get it right.

It is a lifelong learning process.





You can start by reading the books I have listed in my blog's right side bar under "Food for thought".

You might want to read this too:
http://singaporeanstocksinvestor.blogspot.sg/2013/10/3-points-in-stock-investing.html