How much are you earning per annum?

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Glad I made your day.

I observed a lot of forumers here trying to find good invts to increase returns. I was doing the same until I realized that it is better for me to focus on my job and try to maintain or increase my income instead.

At the same time, have a thrifty lifestyle and use my savings to invest in a portfolio of unit trusts with representation from major mkts and product mix (US, Europe, Asia, Jpn, bonds etc) while at the same time minimize costs (using low cost funds e.g. Vanguard) and get market returns and not aim to be the next Warren Buffett.

Over the long term, this approach is better than searching frantically for the "best" investment and trying to avoid disasters like EcoHouse, Profitable Plots etc.

Thoughts?

If you already have access to restricted funds, I presume you have people helping you look at various investment opportunities. Anyway I have the impression that FMCG people have a longer shelf life than most. Beyond financial instruments, you could also look around to participate in a business related to your trade. Some people have started successful businesses by becoming either a vendor or a downstream channel to their employer. Just don't go throw away good money into yet another fanciful F&B joint.

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Husband & wife, 45 & 43, professionals, $200k pa income in total.
Home: Condo worth $1.8m, still servicing mortgage.
Expenses:
Big condo mortgage
Big continental car loan
High end tuition
Luxury holidays, twice a year
Luxury bags, clothings & accessories
Maid
Groceries
Car related expenses
Family insurance
Fine dining in restaurants
Parents allowance
Etc

Living the high life
Saves only $30k pa

Bro, I envy your life of luxury.

But, what is "high end tuition" ?

Me, 52, 180,000k p.a.
Wife, 48, 90,000k p.a.

No condo, one (small) property investment 600k+, holding some shares (20+ lots only), moderate disposable cash.
2 JC kids, 2009 Japanese car, 5 room HDB Boon Lay, fully paid. Extremely conservative wife.

Should i plunge into property etc to expand my now limited portfolio?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Me, 52, 180,000k p.a.
Wife, 48, 90,000k p.a.

No condo, one (small) property investment 600k+, holding some shares (20+ lots only), moderate disposable cash.
2 JC kids, 2009 Japanese car, 5 room HDB Boon Lay, fully paid. Extremely conservative wife.

Should i plunge into property etc to expand my now limited portfolio?

not at this age.... spend on your kids. you will derive more enjoyment out of it.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

47 & 46, $190k pa combined. Stays in a $1.5m condo, paid up.
Cash, CPF combined, $500k. Total net worth, $2m.

Retirement plan at 65 is to sell condo and buy a 4 room flat and fully renovate the flat.
Will use cash to invest in high dividend stocks. Will get payout from CPF Life every month.
We hope the CPF minimum sum will rise higher so that our payout will be higher. We hope the payout will be $2000 pm for each of us when we reach 65.

Our projected passive income:

CPF Life payout (wife and I) = $4000 pm
Dividends = $8000 pm ($2m portfolio)
Total = $12000 pm

Our projected expenses = $5000 pm
We don't intend to employ a maid and will not own a car

Savings = $7000 pm

Seems alot of ppl here plan to sell a condo and buy a HDB when they are 65, wonder if anyone considers if there will be enough fools to pay 1m to 2M SGD for the condo so you can buy a HDB and cash out... i think its always more prudent to have a Plan B, cos I think we are running low on greater fools.....

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seems alot of ppl here plan to sell a condo and buy a HDB when they are 65, wonder if anyone considers if there will be enough fools to pay 1m to 2M SGD for the condo so you can buy a HDB and cash out... i think its always more prudent to have a Plan B, cos I think we are running low on greater fools.....

Nowadays, youngsters are making big bucks. $1m condo is actually nothing. Someone claim earning $700k pa, so what is $1m condo. If there are thousands of young couples earn $700k pa, there will be no shortage of buyers of $1m condos. They can buy a condo every two years and over 20 years, they can own 10 condos. After that, they die and leave all these condos to their children who don't have to work for the rest of their lives and become lazy bums.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Nowadays, youngsters are making big bucks. $1m condo is actually nothing. Someone claim earning $700k pa, so what is $1m condo. If there are thousands of young couples earn $700k pa, there will be no shortage of buyers of $1m condos. They can buy a condo every two years and over 20 years, they can own 10 condos. After that, they die and leave all these condos to their children who don't have to work for the rest of their lives and become lazy bums.

700K!!! hahaha what kinda pipe are you smoking, .... I guess that's why property developers are having trouble selling units even today right.... cos the 700K couples probably still overseas on vacation...yah.....hahaha

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Nowadays, youngsters are making big bucks. $1m condo is actually nothing. Someone claim earning $700k pa, so what is $1m condo. If there are thousands of young couples earn $700k pa, there will be no shortage of buyers of $1m condos. They can buy a condo every two years and over 20 years, they can own 10 condos. After that, they die and leave all these condos to their children who don't have to work for the rest of their lives and become lazy bums.

$700,000 per annum - say it is the combined pay of a couple, so each earn $350,000. Dividing it by 15 months (3 months bonus) gives $23,333 per month. In today's world that is a common enough income level for a lot of professionals and senior managers in their 30s and 40s.

Originally Posted by Hermit

$700,000 per annum - say it is the combined pay of a couple, so each earn $350,000. Dividing it by 15 months (3 months bonus) gives $23,333 per month. In today's world that is a common enough income level for a lot of professionals and senior managers in their 30s and 40s.

Thanks Hermit.

lifting a slight veil on our $790k income:

me (39): $29k/mth, 8 mths bonus last year
wifey (38): $15k/mth, 1.5 mths bonus last year.

not outrageous, but comfortable enough...

Good observation.

The divide is always there, in every country like it or not. Good thing is somehow the people on both sides of the divide don't believe or appreciate how big the divide is. The gahmen knows and tries to spread the wealth more evenly otherwise social disharmony.

People on one side of the divide ask "$1k psf for a mass market condo? Who's going to be able to afford it? $120k for a Jap car? Who is going to be able to buy that?"

People on the other side of the divide think that $1k psf are the entry level pricing for condos, and they think nothing of buying conti cars.

Originally Posted by Hermit

$700,000 per annum - say it is the combined pay of a couple, so each earn $350,000. Dividing it by 15 months (3 months bonus) gives $23,333 per month. In today's world that is a common enough income level for a lot of professionals and senior managers in their 30s and 40s.