~~Towards Barista FIRE~~

This month marks the end of the 1st quarter of 2025.  Thus it's definitely a good time for me to record the performance of my portfolio to track how it has been. To recap, I started my SG Dividends Portfolio in late 2017, and I began tracking the dividends and all reinvestment done starting 2018.  To date, my SG Dividends Portfolio consist of banks, REITs and defense technology.  On the other hand, I only started the US Growth Portfolio in late December 2021.  Currently, my US Growth Portfolio consist of mainly big tech names, bank and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Being a relatively conservative investor, I prefer to dollar cost average (DCA) into the market to slowly build up my portfolio.  The advantages of using Interactive Brokers to buy the US shares via DCA are undoubtedly the low fees and ability to buy fractional shares of mega-cap technology shares like Alphabet and Tesla.  This month is a gloomy month for US markets.  The tariffs and count...

Investing in blue-chip companies, especially those that are state-owned like Keppel Corporation and CapitaLand, or those controlled by billionaires like Mr Kwek Leng Beng (Hong Leong Group) and Robert Kuok (Wilmar, Shangri-La), is often perceived as a safe bet.  At least to me personally, I think that generally they provide a basic safety net, as the management of these companies are supposedly much more capable than myself in the operations and management of these companies, therefore it should be quite safe to invest my monies in them, and let them help me generate more returns from my capital invested, especially when many of these companies are typically well-established, financially sound, and possess strong market dominance.  However, history tells us that investing in such entities may not always equate to safe investments.  In Singapore, we have "once-upon-a-time" stated-owned listed companies like Noble and Singapore Press Holdings that ended up delisted, and mor...

This is my third time writing on this topic, so it shows I have been 'scammed' by the fake rally twice prior, the first time back in December 2023 and the second time in September 2024 .  Around 10th March 2025, REITs started staging its third rebound, with the CFA ETF up 4.2% within one week.  So will this uptrend finally last, and does it mean that I have made the wrong decision to rebalance my portfolio previously by selling part of my REITs allocation to buy banks? Frankly speaking, I have no crystal ball to foresee whether the rally will last, but personally, I think it may turn out to be short-lived as well (although I hope I am wrong once again).  While the recent drop in the 10-year yield might seem like a positive catalyst for REITs, it is important to consider the underlying reason behind it.  The decline in yields is possibly largely driven by a "flock to safety" from investors who fear an impending recession due to escalating trade tensions and tariffs i...

After discussing about how I perceive mini-Retirements in my previous post , and looking at my current circumstances and regrets in my financial journey, I find that time is actually one of the most critical factor in personal finance.  The way one manages financial decisions early in life can significantly impact financial security in later years.  Whether it is leveraging the power of compounding interest, tackling debt before it spirals out of control, or making smart investments, time can either be an ally or an adversary.  Below are some key examples of personal experiences of how time plays a crucial role in financial well-being. 1)      Early Central Provident Fund (CPF) Contributions: The Power Of Compounding Interest One of the best financial moves a young working adult in Singapore can make is to aggressively contribute to their CPF accounts, particularly the Special Account (SA), as early as possible.  I came to realize this only recently ...

In recent years, the concept of mini-retirements has gained traction, particularly among younger Millennials and Generation Zs, as discussed in this recent report .  Rather than following the traditional path of working continuously until retirement, they take extended breaks (sometimes months or years) to travel, pursue hobbies, or simply enjoy life.  These young professionals see mini-retirements as a way to avoid burnout, gain new perspectives, and enjoy life while young.  While this idea sounds appealing, my perspective as a 40-year-old working towards Barista FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) in Singapore is a bit more nuanced, as challenges like financial planning remain key considerations.  For a start, I would like to conclude that I personally prefer a more aggressive attitude towards work in my twenties and early thirties, and transit towards a more work-life balanced approach in my late thirties and early forties (which is my current state), foll...