China Minzhong: What are we to do?

Some might wonder if it is time to sell shares of China Minzhong and to lock in some sizeable gains. Well, it is back to the basic question of: "What are we after?"

If we believe that China Minzhong's shares are still undervalued, then, fundamentally, it is not the time to sell. However, if we do not care about fundamentals and are in it for a trade, then, that is a different motive which would dictate that we act differently.

To any casual observer, it is obvious that China Minzhong's share price is having difficulty breaking resistance to go higher. Look at the daily chart and we can see why.

Daily chart.

China Minzhong's price movement seems to be losing momentum as the MACD forms lower highs and the CMF shows money flowing out. Continuing price weakness in the near term is not surprising.

Indeed, price could weaken to support at 80c which is where we find the merged 50d and 20d MAs. A much stronger twice tested support is quite obviously provided by the fast rising 100d MA. In the event of a whipsaw in a correction, this MA could be tested once again for support.

Weekly chart.

For someone with a longer term perspective, no analysis is complete without looking at the weekly chart and bulls would like what they see there. Quite obviously, there is a break out from resistance and where is the next resistance level? The descending 100w MA currently at $1.05? Possibly. Immediate support is at 78c. Do a quick risk/reward analysis and it would seem that being long China Minzhong makes more sense in the longer term.

Ultimately, what we decide to do depends on our motivation for being vested as well as our risk appetite. Remember, TA is about probability and never certainty.

Related post:
A Christmas collection of charts.


Technical Analysis For Dummies dumps the confusing jargon and unreadable charts for basic explanations and practical guidance.


Go to:
Technical Analysis for Dummies

ASSI received US$15m offer!

UPDATED (29 Dec 16):

I was just offered $2.5 million on Facebook! What did I do? I rejected, of course. Please lah. $2.5 million only? It is nothing compared to the $15 million I was offered before.
------------------------
Today could be an auspicious day. Today could be a historic day. Today could be a fortunate day. However, I laughed so hard that I think today is an amusing day. 

Read on.

From the desk of the

Chief Account Officer
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
NNPC -Nigeria.

Attn: Sir,

Good day. I know this mail will come to you as a surprise but I need to contact you because of the urgency and confidentiality of this business transaction. I am Chief Account officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

I have a deal here in my office I need a foreign partner to execute with me. I and my colleague over invoiced a contract payment valued US$50million. We awarded contracts for the supply and maintenance of all the oil pipelines and oil drilling equipments for the nation oil wells to some foreign contractors valued US$103billion, which we over invoiced US$50 million addition to the total contract sum.

Now as a matter of fact, most of the contractors have been paid and the remaining contractor’s payments are under process to be paid to them. With that, I and my colleague have decided to include you among these remaining contractors to process the sum of the US$50Million in your company or in your name to claim it for our mutual benefit.

So I am now contacting you to present you as the sub-contractor who has this amount of US$50million to be paid for the supply of heavy oil drilling equipments used in recent overhauling of the refineries.

I will advice you furnish me with your personal information including your personal cell phone number and the name of your company with address to enable me register it with our cooperate affairs commission in charge of allied and companies registration as an indigenous company.

It is mandatory that any foreign company must be registered in this country. Also with your acceptance to execute this business with me, I need to be sure of your confidentiality towards the conclusion of this deal, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 5% map out for re-fund of expenses incur by any of the parties, while I and my colleague will take 65% once the money gets into your company account in your country.

Also with my position here, I can officially arrange with you to be lifting 2 or 4million barrels of Crude Oil per month by getting a year or two years crude Oil allocation contract in your name and company name whether you are here or not. With this we can make more money from the oil lifting here in Nigeria.

I will detail you more on this once I get your response.

Thank you and hope to hear from you as soon as possible. Send me your cell phone number to call you for more details.

Best Regards

Chief Account Officer (N.N.P.C)

Very nicely crafted. Now, what would you do if you were to receive an email like this?

Imagine ASSI rubbing shoulders with high ranking (corrupt) officials from Nigeria. Tsk, tsk. In this case, they are probably bogus high ranking (corrupt) officials. Double tsk, tsk!

OK, I have to go say the Lord's Prayer now.

Related posts:
1. Advice from a fraudster.
2. Taking candy from a baby.

P.S. To me, there is no short cut to wealth creation. We could try our luck at TOTO once in a while but what are the chances of winning? Of course, we might end up having to share the big prize money with 20 other winners too!

Wealth creation is best done with both feet on the ground and walking down well trodden paths.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: 2 books are better than 1.

Anyone who has been reading local personal finance blogs regularly in the last few years would have no doubt come across many accounts by bloggers about how they read a book titled "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and that changed the way they looked at money.

The book is about financial independence achieved through the ownership of income producing assets instead of working for a salary our entire life. Robert Kiyosaki is a natural story teller and the book is inspirational.

If you should be interested in getting a copy. There are great bargains at BetterWorldBooks:
 
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! (Pre-owned copies available in good condition @ US$5.98 each)

Robert Kiyosaki also wrote another book which divides people into four distinct types:

E is for Employee
S is for Self-Employed or Specialist
B is for Big Business
I is for Investor

I would suggest this as a companion read to "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" as Robert tries to encourage readers to invest in financial education and to start investing for cash flow.

Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom (Pre-owned copies available in very good condition @ US$6.98 each)

"It won’t happen overnight, and it will be hard work. But if you’re diligent, plan well, and execute your plan, you’ll be much better off in the future whether the markets are up or down." Robert Kiyosaki.

Buy pre-owned from BetterWorldBooks and you will be helping the environment and funding literacy for the poor. Free shipping globally.

Visit BetterWorldBooks here:


Related posts:
1. ASSI is an affiliate of BetterWorldBooks.
2. Seven steps to creating passive income from the stock market.

SoundGlobal: Another resistance level broken.

The last time I had a detailed blog post on SoundGlobal was almost a month ago on 7 December. At that time, I said that the declining 100wMA would provide resistance at about 60c.

Daily chart.

Resistance was taken out decisively today as volume expanded. However, a long upper wick was formed on the white candle with price closing the session at 61.5c, a strong resistance which was tested many times in July/August 2012. It could not be taken out then. Could it give in this time?

Ah, it is always hard to say for sure but the momentum oscillators are definitely looking more bullish this time. There was a lower high on the MACD back then which hinted at a weakening positive momentum.

For sure, we can use TA to see where the resistance levels are likely to be if 61.5c should be taken out in future sessions. How? By using Fibo lines and candlesticks.

Fibo lines.

138.2% is at 68c which coincides with the highs of February 2012. 150% is at 70c and this coincides with the highs of July 2011. 161.8% is at 71.5c and this coincides with the support turned resistance of May/June 2011.

It is good to bear in mind that prices don't go up or down in a straight line. They climb a wall of worries and go down a river of hope. So, although sentiments have taken a turn for the better, it would not be wrong to take profit through partial divestments at these resistance levels.

Weekly chart.

The weekly chart shows a clear break out from resistance provided by the declining 100w MA. Of course, the week is not yet over. If the session tomorrow should see share price closing clearly above the 100w MA, then, in the new week, there is a chance of price rising to test resistance at 68c, 70c and even 71.5c.

Related post:
SoundGlobal: Breaking out of resistance.

-------------------
I like to share good deals when I find them and did just that in my blog post on Wilmar last night. I said there were two copies of "Technical Analysis for Dummies" for sale at US$9.48 each and that they were really great bargains. A reader sent me an email to say that they are no longer available. I was surprised and checked just now. Indeed, they were both sold to readers of ASSI. Hey, you guys are fast!

I don't know when they might have more copies at US$9.48 each since BetterWorldBooks sell pre-owned books and they don't have regular shipments from the printers.

Well, when I checked just now, there are 5 copies of this book left which are in much better condition than the two which were sold at US$9.48 each.

These 5 copies are priced at US$17.36 each. With free shipping, they are still fairly good bargains. Of course, you would also be helping the environment and funding literacy for the poor by buying from BetterWorldBooks. :-)

A simple guide to the fundamentals of technical analysis. 


See:
Technical Analysis for Dummies

Tea with AK71: Home made onigiri.

It has been a while since I blogged about my home made lunches. Today, I feel compelled to blog about my lunch because my sister outdid hereself this time. Home made onigiri!

Wrapped up nicely too with instructions. Just tear down the red line and pull outwards on both sides.

Oishi des ne!

For any average income worker, saving some money by not eating out for lunch could amount to quite a bit of savings and it is actually meaningful.

Imagine someone with a gross income of $2.5k a month saving $3 daily for 20 days a month. That is $60 or 2.4% of his gross monthly income! Hey, don't laugh, some traders would run for the hills after making 2.4% on their punts in the stock market!

Some things, we should not try but this is one thing I think is worth trying. Bring your own lunch to work. If you don't try, you won't know. Trust me, it is a good money saving habit.

Related post:
7 money habits of AK71's.

As per Chu's request for recipes, I got these from the catalog at BetterWorldBooks:
1.
Healthy & Tasty Sushi Rolls and Onigiri
2.
Fun and Fancy Sushi: Nigiri-Zushi, Onigiri and Maki-Zushi for Every Day and Parties

Wilmar: Buy or sell?

Today, one person asked me if she should still buy Wilmar's shares while another person asked me where is the first resistance level in case share price continues to rise. One person is thinking of putting in a long position while another person is thinking of possibly divesting.

Daily chart

It is obvious to any chartist that Wilmar's share price broke resistance.

On the daily chart, the descending 200dMA at $3.62 or so is where we would find the next resistance level. The 200dMA could push share price down in the near term. It has that ability. If that should happen, then, it presents a chance for anyone who missed the boat earlier to buy in.

Weekly chart

If the 200dMA could be overcome, then, looking at the weekly chart, we see the next significant resistance provided by the declining 50w MA. In very bullish circumstances, we could see the 100w MA tested in due course. The longer term technicals are supportive of this but it could take weeks for it to happen. If this should happen, it would be a nice price for divestment, wouldn't it?

Related post:
Wilmar: Smart money outflow is reversing.

A simple, straightforward guide to the fundamentals of technical analysis. 

Explaining the basic principles of analysis and showing how to implement them, Technical Analysis For Dummies dumps the confusing jargon and unreadable charts for basic explanations and practical guidance.

Buy pre-owned for only US$ 9.48. 2 copies left!
Free shipping. Now, this is a bargain!

See:
Technical Analysis for Dummies

Not enough money to be married!

Over the weekend, I was told of a person in his early 30s who is married and has two children. He is regularly borrowing money from his family and friends. In fact, he would borrow from friends to pay the installments on the mortgage of his 5 room HDB flat as well. Amount? S$800 a month.

I am not married and I wouldn't know but with an annual gross income of some S$28K, is it tough to support a family of four in Singapore? It seems that this is the case for this man.

The wife stays home and takes care of the two children who are still attending primary school. It is reasonable to assume that the two children would probably be financially dependent on him for another ten years at least.

I fear that I might sound heartless for saying this but this person really should not have gotten married in the first instance. Making the mistake of getting married, he should have applied for a smaller 3 room HDB flat instead of a 5 room HDB flat which probably cost twice as much. Then, making the mistake of applying for a bigger flat, he should have deferred the decision to have children.

All the romantic notions of a perfect marriage, a spacious home and lovely kids have to be built on rock solid finances, especially in a city like Singapore which has very high cost of living. This is the hard truth.

We have heard of marriage counselling for couples who have serious differences. However, the Catholic Church, I know, provides pre-marriage counselling for would be couples as well. This is a very good idea, I feel. However, that is probably only on an emotional and religious level.

Building on this, I believe that there should be financial advisory services for people thinking of tying the knot so that people do not find themselves in a hole after getting married. Such services should be secular in nature and be made available to all people thinking of getting married. Do such services exist?

If we do a search online for "not enough money for wedding", we will find some websites telling us not to worry and how we could go ahead with it. Where is the common sense in this?

If there is not enough money for a wedding, the two people do not have enough money to be married.

Related posts:
1. Wage slaves should be fearful.
2. Why is Warren Buffet the world's greatest money maker?

It is official! Fiscal Cliff averted!

Mr. Market is in a good mood! The Fiscal Cliff has been averted!

As global stock markets made their 2013 debut, the House of Representatives passed a deal between the White House and Senate Republicans to raise taxes on the rich and put off automatic $109 billion budget cuts for two months.

The deal passed the Senate early on Tuesday, but its fate hung in the balance for hours as House conservatives sought to amend it to include big spending cuts, which would likely have killed it.

In the end, the House voted 257 votes to 167 to pass the original bill with minority Democrats joining a smaller number of majority Republicans to pass the legislation after a bitterly contested and unusual session on New Year's Day.

President Barack Obama planned to make brief remarks at the White House within minutes of passage of the deal, which relieved investors who feared that continued logjam could have sent global stock markets spinning.

Read full article: here.

What a fantastic start to the new year! Happy New Year!

Related post:
President Obama wins! What next?

Marco Polo Marine: A neglected gem.

I have revealed how I diverted some resources away from S-REITs to invest in certain stocks which I feel are undervalued and have the potential for some meaningful capital gains in subsequent months.

DBS Vickers thinks that mid cap offshore plays could catch up with the large caps as risk appetite improves and the industry fundamentals remain strong. I share those sentiments.

Their top picks are Ezion, ASL Marine Holdings and Ezra Holdings.

My pick? Marco Polo Marine.

Persistent insider buying in Marco Polo Marine caught my eyes six months ago. When insiders increase their shares in large quantities, we must suspect that something good is brewing.

UOB is of the opinion that a new upcycle has begun for the OSV sector. This is supported by OCBC which revealed that the OSV to rig ratio will start falling in 2013 and this will favour vessel owners.

Marco Polo Marine together with its 49% owned Indonesian subsidiary ventured into the OSV sector in 2010 and currently own seven OSVs. Net profit received a leg up from their Indonesian subsidiary and doubled QoQ recently.

The scheduled listing of its Indonesian subsidiary on Indonesia Stock Exchange this month is likely to add some 30% to the NAV of Marco Polo Marine, according to Maybank KimEng.

Now, what does all this mean for Marco Polo Marine's current share price? It is too cheap.

ASL Marine Holdings last traded at 67.5c a share and its PER is about 8.9x. For Marco Polo Marine to trade at a PER of about 8.0x, its share price has to be about 50.5c. This is, in fact, conservative because EPS in 2013 is likely to be higher which means a PER of 8.0x will translate into a higher share price. Marco Polo Marine last traded at 38.5c a share.

This is just the beginning. If we believe that a new upcycle has just begun, then, the sector will continue to be upgraded. Indeed, analysts at DBS Vickers have a 12 months price target of 90c for ASL Marine Holdings.

Where would we see Marco Polo Marine's share price then? I wonder.

Related posts:
1. Marco Polo Marine: Persistent insider buying.
2. Marco Polo Marine: Patience will be rewarded.

See: Marco Polo Marine's insider trades here.

Adam and Conrad actually provide the blueprints – and the details – on how to make investing work.

One of the key skills you learn in this book: How to evaluate a business and the potential of its stock – in great depth! Worksheets are provided.

Now: Find out how!

Eat Right 4 Your Type for a Healthy New Year!

I suggested to a friend who has been feeling lethargic of late to try eating right for his blood type. This is something I started doing a couple of years ago. Although it is hard to say if it is psychological, I always feel better when I eat what I am supposed to based on my blood type.

Better? Yes, I would feel less bloated. My nose would also stay clear instead of mucousy. The back of my throat would not itch. There is a general sense of well-being when I follow the blood type diet.

Here is a quick introduction:

There are connections among blood type, food, and disease.

Find an individualized plan that's right for your blood type.

In Eat Right 4 Your Type, see which foods, spices, teas, and condiments help someone of your blood type maintain optimal health and ideal weight; which vitamins and supplements to emphasize or avoid; which medications function best in your system; whether your stress goes to your muscles or your nervous system; whether your stress is relieved better through aerobics or meditation; whether you should walk, swim or play tennis or golf as your mode of exercise; how knowing your blood type can help you avoid many common viruses and infections; how knowing your blood type can help you fight back against life-threatening diseases; and how to slow down the aging process by avoiding factors specific to your blood type that cause rapid cell deterioration.

You could borrow the book from a public library near you if you are interested in finding out more or, if you would like to have a personal copy, consider buying a pre-owned copy from BetterWorldBooks. Price starts from US$9.98 a copy. They ship free globally.

See:
Eat Right 4 Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia: The A-Z Reference Guide for the Blood Type Connection to Symptoms, Disease

Visit BetterWorldBooks here:


You will be helping the good people at BetterWorldBooks to provide funding for literacy initiatives around the world: building schools, starting libraries, training teachers and providing scholarships for the poor. You will also be helping the environment.

All these as you enjoy significant savings over buying books new.

Find out more about BetterWorldBooks at:
ASSI is an affiliate of BetterWorldBooks.

Here is wishing all readers

a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Why is Warren Buffett the world's greatest money maker?

I want to thank Kelvin for providing the link to this video which I enjoyed very much.  

Anyone who is interested in a quick introduction to Warren Buffet's life and how he got to be the world's richest man would find this 47 minutes video worth watching.





Although it should be common knowledge to any experienced investor, I would like to draw attention to how 

Warren Buffet had no qualms about investing in something he was against as long as it offered good value and a chance to make decent money. 

This is somewhere 40 minutes 30 seconds into the video and it highlights the importance of being open minded and not being parochial.







Interested in the book Warren Buffet referred to in the documentary? 

You can get it pre-owned from BetterWorldBooks at a bargain with free shipping worldwide. 

See:
Intelligent Investor: The Classic Text on Value Investing

Related posts:
1. Recommended books for FA and TA.
2. Be cautious even as we accept higher risk.

Selling everything to buy more silver!

The latest issue of The EDGE provided me with much food for thought. However, the article on buying physical silver ended with a paragraph which if ingested might require us to take some digestive enzymes.

"There's going to be another big crash, we are really near it now," said Chin Kuan Yew, a businessman ... who sold all his properties, including his condominium, to buy more metal. "You have on the one hand the US printing money and the European Union is on the brink of collapse."

Although I advocate that all who can afford to do so should have 5% of their wealth in physical gold and silver as a form of insurance against the inherent flaws of fiat currencies, I feel that Mr. Chin is being somewhat extreme.

Selling his properties could be a good move because with the ongoing aggressive building, it is more likely than not that we would see a situation of oversupply in Singapore in the coming years which would mean lower rental rates and lower property prices.

Having most of his wealth in precious metals, however, smells of paranoia.

Related posts:
1. Gold and silver: Still important assets to own.
2. Never lose money in real estate and REITs?
3. Buy gold and silver as insurance.

Lightweight and good looking @ US$66.99 each:
Titanium 8mm Ring

Tea with AK71: Casio watch and The Price is Right!

In my last Tea with AK71 blog post which was about a vintage Rolex watch, I revealed in the comments section that I travel with a Casio watch. In case you think that it is a digital watch, think again.

I have not bought a digital watch since my Smash watch died years ago. I rather prefer analogue as they seem to harken back to the good old days.

My travelling companion.

I bought this watch because it just looks so clean and its bezel looks like a Rolex. How much, you ask? Let's play a game. Why not make a guess and leave your answer in the comments section?

We will see whose answer is the closest to the actual price I paid for the watch. Reminds me of the game show, The Price is Right!

Eligibility:
All ASSI readers are eligible to take part in this game. Employees of CASIO Worldwide, members of the immediate families and/or persons living in the same household as such persons and CASIO Worldwide associated agencies are not eligible to take part in this game. ;-p

Related post:
Tea with AK71: Vintage Rolex watches.

Tea with AK71: Vintage Rolex watches.

I recently have a new routine. I would wind a vintage Rolex watch every night. Yes, quaint, isn't it?

I have automatic watches, solar powered watches and, of course, the ubiquitous quartz movement watches. A manually wound watch? I haven't had one since my primary school days more than three decades ago.

Shortly after acquiring the watch, I spent some time online trying to find the exact year of its manufacture. I know, from what I found, that it has to be more than 20 years old but it could also be more than 60 years old. I was able to finally determine its age from its serial numbers.

My vintage Rolex Oysterdate 6694.

The watch was manufactured in the year 1956 which means that it is some 15 years older than me!

The watch is from a time when life was a bit less hectic than it is today, perhaps. It was a time when people would have the patience to wind their watches, perhaps. For sure, the internet did not exist then and information most probably flowed more slowly.

The daily winding of the watch is quite therapeutic, I have found. It helps to focus my mind on something simple for a few moments each day. It has a very calming effect.

When I showed the watch to my father, he said that only the rich could afford a watch like this during those days. It would have cost S$400 - S$600 when he was a young man and that was a lot of money back then. A clerk made only S$200 or so a month in those days.

A quick search on eBay for similar Rolex watches found asking prices of between US$1,600 to US$2,990. The only unit available from the same era as the one I have was asking for the highest price of US$2,990. Antiques have higher valuations, I guess.

A friend said that it is creepy that I should have such an old watch and not know who were the owners before me. I don't feel that way. This is a piece of history and I am privileged to be its new custodian.

Related posts:
1. Bought a new car.
2. Parting with an old friend.
3. Money well spent.

2012 full year passive income from S-REITs.

After a few requests by readers for me to blog about my 2012 full year passive income from S-REITs, I was pleasantly surprised to receive advice from a reader that I should not blog about it. Since I was of two minds whether to go ahead, I started a poll on 11 December to see what readers want. The poll ran for two weeks, ending on Christmas Day.

Readers have spoken and here is the blog post by popular demand.

This year, I sold some of my investments in S-REITs as their unit prices moved higher and their distribution yields compressed. Of course, the plan is to possibly increase my long exposure again should their unit prices experience any significant correction. If their unit prices were to continue moving higher, my portfolio would continue to benefit from capital gains.

However, higher unit prices would create a problem as my remaining long positions in S-REITs are part of my core investments for income which means that if I were to further divest even partially, I might not be able to achieve my target annual passive income level. Some might say that this is a happy problem to have but it remains a problem.

I also made an opportunistic purchase of units in Saizen REIT when its unit price plunged 15% as its warrants expired middle of the year. So, I was able to increase my long exposure to the REIT again at a relatively attractive average price, locking in a rather high distribution yield of 9+% on cost, almost quadrupling my position in the REIT within a few days. This highlights the importance of having a war chest ready to seize opportunities when they present themselves. Saizen REIT is once again an important part of my portfolio of investments for income.

An apartment building in Japan owned by Saizen REIT.

My five largest investments in S-REITs are now:

1. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT
2. Sabana REIT
3. Saizen REIT
4. First REIT
5. Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust

I also have five smaller long positions in:

6. Cache Logistics Trust (CLT)
7. Cambridge Industrial Trust (CIT)
8. Frasers Commercial Trust (FCOT)
9. Suntec REIT
10. Keppel REIT (formerly K-REIT)

An advance distribution from First REIT was paid out on 26 December because of a private placement and this bumps up (and distorts) total income received in 2012 from S-REITs a bit.

Overall, despite some divestments to lock in capital gains, my larger investments in Saizen REIT (due to aggressive buying as its unit price plunged middle of the year) and LMIR (due to aggressive buying of nil-paid rights a year ago) resulted in higher total income from S-REITs this year.

Total income received from S-REITs for the year 2012:
S$ 123,873.80

In the year 2013, with regards to S-REITs, I will fill my war chest while waiting for potential rights issues as well as opportunities to buy more at lower prices.

With First REIT having made an advance distribution, I could receive less income from the REIT in 2013. There is also possible dilution of DPU from First REIT's private placement. The DPU dilutive actions of LMIR this year and the weakening JPY which should impact income from Saizen REIT in S$ negatively would all put some downward pressure on my total passive income from S-REITs in 2013.

Definitely, it is almost impossible now to get a 10% or even a 9% distribution yield from S-REITs. We could in fact continue to see yield compression as central banks around the world are bent on increasing monetary supply.

Any correction in the unit prices of S-REITs would probably see opportunistic buying as they remain a compelling proposition in the current low interest rate environment. Sentiments having turned decidedly positive on S-REITs. Mean reversions could become less probable.

To all readers on the same journey to passive income generation, this has been a very good year for our portfolio of S-REITs.

Congratulations!

Related posts:
1. 2011 full year passive income from S-REITs.
2. $120K annual passive income from S-REITs next?
3. Saizen REIT: Why did I buy and would I buy more?
4. Staying positive on S-REITs.
5. Made and still making money from S-REITs.
6. REITs: When to buy?
7. Never lose money in real estate and REITs?

Counting our blessings.

I overheard a conversation two women were having while I was waiting for my bee hoon to be prepared. One of them is concerned that her son wants to get a license for riding motorcycles because his friends are all doing it. The other one, with a sharp intake of breath, immediately launched into an argument against it.

"Aiyoh, ride motorcycle very dangerous one. Flesh wrap steel leh. If car bang into you, sure die one. If not die also badly injured. Maybe, become handicap for life liao. One arm gone or one leg gone. Worse, maybe become a vegetable! Then how? Tell him don't lah. Learn to drive car better. At least steel wrap flesh. Got protection. You can afford mah. Offer to buy him a car lah."

Lucky boy.

I remember when I asked a student of mine why did he want a motorcycle rider license, he told me it was so that he could work and make some money. I was curious and asked him to tell me more. He told me that his family income was very low and, being the eldest, he should try to share the burden. Having a license meant he could help to distribute newspapers for his father when his father who was not well was unable to work. It also meant he could be a part time courier and fast food delivery boy.

The conversation the two women had triggered this memory in me and I decided to share it here in my blog to remind all of us to count our blessings during this festive season and, if we can afford to do so, consider making a donation to a charity of our choice.

I recently revealed in a reply to SnOOpy168 a list of charities which I make donations to annually in Singapore. The charity which I have the softest spot for is Singapore Children's Society because children are probably the most helpless. They are the most innocent and have no way of supporting themselves. Very often, they are also the most easily abused.

To find out more about Singapore Children's Society and to make a donation, please go to:
Singapore Children's Society.

For greater convenience, donations can also be made online using a credit card.

While I am at it, if you are thinking of buying books in future, do consider helping the environment and funding literacy for the less fortunate at the same time by visiting BetterWorldBooks:



Find out more about BetterWorldBooks at:
ASSI is an affiliate of BetterWorldBooks.

Have a blessed Christmas!