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Should I Liquidate Investments to Pay Off My Negative Cashflow Property?

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For heads up, I am no property expert, in fact, I am more of an amateur.  This is also the main reason why I am rather hesitant to write this post as it discloses my "failed venture", or should I say, an investment decision that did not turn out the way I thought it would.  However I think it is important for me myself to look into my failure and scrutinize it so that I can truly learn and grow from this episode, and thus be in a better financial position to progress into Barista FIRE phase.  Note that this is not financial advice, and it is mainly as a personal record.  As I grow older and gradually refine my financial journey, I often find myself questioning the balance between investing for future retirement and reducing debt for peace of mind.  Recently, this question has become more pressing because of my intention to progress into my next phase of life, Barista FIRE.  The main issue lies with my investment property in Malaysia.  For information,...
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Is the Middle Class Disappearing? Reflections as an Early 40s Adult in Singapore

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Recently, I have been struck by two things I watched that felt uncomfortably close to home.  One was a video by The Joyful Investors , where Chief Corporate Officer from HRNetGroup shared that hiring demand today is strong at two ends of the spectrum: ground staff earning below SGD 5K, and C-suite executives above SGD 15K.  However the mid-level employees, those in the SGD 5K to 15K range, are increasingly being squeezed out.  The other was a video by  CNA Insider , which highlighted that workers in their late 30s and early 40s are now more prone to retrenchment compared to other age groups. Hearing both points together made me pause.  I am in my early 40s now, which means I fall right into that shrinking middle.  Is the middle class disappearing and is the middle age groups facing some form of employability crisis?  Even though I am self-employed, does that also mean that inevitably with time, my job (as a tutor) will also be replaced by AI?  Is...
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Portfolio Update for August 2025

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This will be a relatively short post, just to update on the transactions for the month. For the month of August, it was a jittery month.  For a large part of the month, the markets were anticipating the FED to cut interest rates in September, and the probability of it materializing was near 100%.  However, markets were thrown with a set of much hotter than expected PPI numbers, which meant that the tariffs-linked inflation is creeping in.   However, even with such unfavourable news, the US market decided to largely ignore it, and continue with its slow and steady uptrend.  It seems cautiously optimistic, but at the same time, the jitters and uneasiness may mean that cracks are happening beneath the rise. I do not really know what to make out of the numbers, as all these reports and numbers were out of my control.  I can only do what I could, which is to remain invested and hope for the best.  My US Portfolio, although small in percentage terms, remain...
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Compounding: The 8th Wonder That Requires Time, Patience, and Faith

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One would have probably heard the saying before - “Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it.  He who does not, pays it.”  This quote has been repeated endlessly in the personal finance world, and for good reason. But here is the truth.  Compounding is not a get-rich-quick strategy.  In fact, in the early years, it can feel like watching paint dry- boring, slow and unmotivating.  You put in the effort, you save diligently, you reinvest your dividends, and for the longest time, it seems like nothing much is happening.  I have written a similar, but simpler post when I first started blogging back in 2022, where I noted 3 main factors affecting the compounding effects, namely time, yield and capital. The Key Factors That Influence Compounding’s Power 1)     Time This is the biggest multiplier.  The longer your money stays invested, the more time each dollar has to grow on top of previous growth.  ...
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"The Necklace" – Timeless Financial Lessons for My Barista FIRE Journey

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Recently I came across a YouTube video titled " How to Bankrupt the Middle Class in One Day ", and it definitely caught my attention.  After viewing this video (in Chinese), I see many learning points I can incorporate into my financial journey, and hence I decided to write this post as a record for myself.  To do this better, I went to look for the summary of the classic literature, "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.  Summary of "The Necklace" For those unfamiliar, the story follows Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman unhappy with her modest life.  She dreams of wealth, glamour, and admiration.  When she gets invited to a high-society ball, her joy turns into distress because she lacks a fancy dress and jewelry.  Her husband sacrifices his savings to buy her a dress, and she borrows a glittering necklace from a wealthy friend.  The ball is everything she dreamed of, until disaster strikes.  She loses the necklace.  Instead of confessing...
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