How much are you earning per annum?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Do not be too troubled by this kind of price movement. I have bought shares and held on to them since my very first paycheck 30 years ago.

I have seen my share holding values peaking then collapsing many times already. They do come back up as long as the company and business fundamentals are strong. All this while I quietly collect dividends and re-invest in more shares.

Nowadays whenever down cycle comes along I treat it as buying opportunities.

Just last year, when the share prices went south due to fear of US tapering off the QE, I "lost" almost $100k in value, but I went in to pick up more stocks with my $50k dividend. Now the shares have recovered somewhat. By the way, I have 30 lots of SPH.

Ok I am going to buy 10 lots of SPH for a humble start. Hopefully it will reward me well to finance my EC

Combined couple income (husband and wife, late forties) $163k pa. Stays in an old EC bought at $450k in 2006, now fully paid up. Conti car, paid up. No loan. Stock, cash, CPF, combined $500k. Holidays twice a year. Lower middle income lifestyle.

Professional couple with two children. $225k pa in total. Home is a 5 room executive flat, now worth $1m. Owns 2 cars, both conti. Savings in cash $300k.

Hubby,55. Me, 50. Total salary $177k pa. Bought our condo in 2005 at $500k, fully paid up. Now worth $900k. Own a car, loan left $30k. We hope to retire at 65. Our CPF Life payout and our $1m cash savings by then will be enough. We will sell our car when we retire because our condo is near an MRT station.

If your hubby is already 55, his Annuity Life Plan will be based on $148K. The payout starts at age 65, and is only $1100 to $1300 pm depending on whether Basic or Standard Package.

By that time (10 years away), the monthly payout may be just sufficient to pay for your condo maintenance and sinking fund.

For yourself, at 50, when you reached 55, by then likely the Minimum Sum for the Annuity Life Plan would be $200k at least. Then your payout could be higher but again it could only be enough to pay for the condo maintenance fees.

Bottomline is, dont not depend on the Annuity Life for living expenses if you want to continue to enjoy condo living

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hubby,55. Me, 50. Total salary $177k pa. Bought our condo in 2005 at $500k, fully paid up. Now worth $900k. Own a car, loan left $30k. We hope to retire at 65. Our CPF Life payout and our $1m cash savings by then will be enough. We will sell our car when we retire because our condo is near an MRT station.

Think we should be more sensitive to the less fortunate.

Your combined income of $163k pa is middle-middle income - certainly not lower middle income. And your lifestyle is close to upper middle income kind of lifestyle - holidays twice a year, condo and conti car.

Should be careful not to overspend though.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Combined couple income (husband and wife, late forties) $163k pa. Stays in an old EC bought at $450k in 2006, now fully paid up. Conti car, paid up. No loan. Stock, cash, CPF, combined $500k. Holidays twice a year. Lower middle income lifestyle.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Think we should be more sensitive to the less fortunate.

Your combined income of $163k pa is middle-middle income - certainly not lower middle income. And your lifestyle is close to upper middle income kind of lifestyle - holidays twice a year, condo and conti car.

Should be careful not to overspend though.

How rich or poor you feel is relative to the people you mixes with. If most of your friends and relatives are doing better, then you will feel poor. Otherwise, you will feel rich or at least more contented.

wife and me, early 30s, no kids, combined income $160k. bought a DBSS for $400+k in 2009 with 80% loan. we have a 2L jap car with $10k loan left. cash and stocks about $80k.

we take on average 3-4 holidays a year for the past 3 years together. in addition wife has an obscene amount of annual leave + off in lieu and has been taking on average 1 holiday per month for the past 18 months.

we live a very comfortable life. waiting eagerly for COE to come down and 2016 when our 5 year occupancy period for our DBSS is up.

Me and wife, early 40s, combined income $200k pa. Lives in a condo, valued at $2m, fully paid up. Drives a mid sized conto car. Currently debt free. We aim to save as much as possible so that we can retire at 60 years old.

Just curious. I have been reading so much about people aiming for housing prices to decline, buy one and then lease out. Those with hdb flats are waiting for mop to be up. It sounded almost like every man and his dog is thinking of doing so. From this, I actually don't see how and why would such an expectation lead to a price crash. Maybe price correction but certainly not a crash. Those who are hoping for a crash like type of decline to the tune of 20-50% is really hoping for an external driven crisis where a repeat of the gfc comes again. I'm not sure if and when the next one comes along, whether the same people who aims to go all into property will actually have the guts to do it.

No harm thinking, I guess.