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The Price of Fear-Of-Missing-Out (FOMO) Is Expensive

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The market has a way of humbling me. In mid February, my portfolio was hitting all time high in value, and I got over-confident.  In fact, I was ignoring the greedy sentiments on the ground, and I chased Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), Aims Apac REIT (AAR) and CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust at above SGD 57.50, SGD 1.50 and SGD 2.45 respectively.  At that point, prices were running, sentiment was strong, and the urge to “just get in before ex-dividend date” felt rational.  After all, as a dividend investor, being able to get more dividend income in the next payout seemed to have more pros than cons?  However, the fact is ex-dividend date is 2 months away, and I could have waited for price to correct and valuations to be more reasonable before dipping my toes into buying the shares. Lo and behold, then the Middle East war headlines hit.  Risk sentiment turned immediately and the classic “dog and owner” analogy returned, where prices (the dog) runnin...
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Second Month of Phase 1 Barista FIRE

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This post is just for personal reference, to record my personal income and expenses in my journey towards Barista FIRE. For the month of February, I am pleased that I have survived another month with surplus.  As this month coincides with Chinese New Year, I get some "Ang Bao" money, and I also prepared small "Ang Bao" for the elders in my family, recorded under "Miscellaneous Spending".  This is the time of the year where I am able to gather with my extended family and enjoy meals with them, because tutoring means I am usually busy on weekends and I seldom see my relatives.  It is definitely a blessing that I can have an enjoyable reunion dinner with them.   Great Spread For Reunion Dinner This month I went for a movie treat to watch "镖人", which I thought was a fantastic action movie, but somehow lacking in storyline.  Nonetheless it was an enjoyable movie. Nice Movie! Besides miscellaneous spending, "Fixed Spending" remains my larg...
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Portfolio Update for February 2026

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This will be a relatively short post to update on my portfolio and transactions for the month of February.   For the month of February, it remains a volatile month for global stock markets, with uncertainty spilling over into Singapore equities as well.  The biggest driver was a sharp rotation of monies out of tech stocks, sparked by renewed doubts over AI valuations.  After months of optimism, investors began questioning whether earnings could justify lofty prices, triggering sell-offs and increased volatility across markets, including Singapore. At the same time, interest rate expectations remained stubbornly high.  The FED signaled no urgency to cut rates, keeping bond yields elevated.  This is especially so with the latest higher than expected PPI numbers.  This weigh on rate-sensitive sectors in Singapore such as REITs and high-dividend stocks, as investors compared equity yields against safer fixed-income alternatives.  Adding to the unease...
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Staying Calm In A Volatile Market By Choosing Dividends Over Drama

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The markets have been reminding us lately that volatility is not a theory, it is reality.  Over the past weeks, we have seen our three local banking giants, namely DBS, OCBC, and UOB, and even ST Engineering, are taking turns to drop 2–3% in a single day.  Even gold, the supposed safe haven, experiences sharp spikes, followed by furious plunge in prices recently.  The headlines made it sound dramatic, especially from finfluencers out there, and the red numbers looked uncomfortable for many investors and traders alike. At the same time, over in US markets, many AI and software companies have plunged 20–30% from their all-time highs.  The same names that were market darlings not long ago are now experiencing sharp corrections.  Sentiment has clearly shifted.  Thankfully, I had already liquidated my US portfolio some time back, so I am not directly affected by that wave of selling.  However that does not mean I am insulated from volatility.  My Sing...
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Penny Wise, Pound Foolish: A Small Investing Mistake That Taught Me a Bigger Lesson

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“Penny wise, pound foolish” is a phrase I have heard since I was young, usually used to describe people who focus too much on small savings while missing the bigger picture.  Over time, I have realised that this saying applies surprisingly well to investing, and more uncomfortably, to my own behaviour as an investor. There have been many occasions where I wanted to buy a particular share, but instead of relying on valuation, fundamentals, or any form of structured analysis, I fixated on a price that simply felt right.  That number was not derived from spreadsheets or charts.  It was just a number that I felt nice to own the stock at, such as whole numbers or seemingly auspicious numbers ending with '8', and I told myself I would only buy if the price came down to that level.  If I am lucky, sometimes it did.  When it did, I felt delusionally clever, disciplined, and patient.  It reinforced the belief that waiting was the right thing to do. However more of...
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