How much are you earning per annum?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am living the Singapore Dream. I came from a low middle income family, studied very hard and got into top schools and uni. Got good jobs, high salary and bonuses and genius at investing. After many years of successful investing, was able to quit my full time job to focus on full time trading and investing at a young age of 43. Now, I am 45, cleared my luxury condo mortgage (condo worth $2m at least) and totally DEBT FREE. Now doing full time trading and investing, earning income of $100k pa. I ENJOY doing this a lot. No more early morning drive, stuck in traffic jams. Wife earns $100k pa.

Being your own boss is a wonderful thing, you don't have to report anyone. As a multi millionaire, I enjoy the freedom to do what I like, noone to order me around. This is true freedom. Many times better than those who earn a lot more but their lives controlled by their secretary and calendar events.

This is the SINGAPORE DREAM.

you are better off than many here, well done!

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks for your comments Hermit.

No problem. I dropped out out of corporate life at about your age. I think, for many people, 40 (or thereabouts) is a good age to start building a business.

Low income among graduate couples, in our 40s. $13k pm (annual/12).
Home is a cheap OCR condo, worth $750k, paid up.
Car is an old car, paid up.
Cash and cpf savings, $400k only.

Any graduate couples you know who earn as low as us?
Any advice how we can retire?

Congratulation, you are already very successful in your own right. You are among the top 15% who live in a condo which is already an achievement to be proud of. I'm sure your relatives and friends look up to you and many will try to emulate your success.

As a graduate couple, you are very respectable and very much above average in this group. Of course nowadays, it's not uncommon to see non graduate couples doing exceedingly well in the private sector through their own hard work.

You should not have any problems and it seems you are well prepared to enjoy your retirement early and comfortably. Don't forget to thank the government for their sound policies and prudent management that enabled you to attain remarkable success in your life and career.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Congratulation, you are already very successful in your own right. You are among the top 15% who live in a condo which is already an achievement to be proud of. I'm sure your relatives and friends look up to you and many will try to emulate your success.

As a graduate couple, you are very respectable and very much above average in this group. Of course nowadays, it's not uncommon to see non graduate couples doing exceedingly well in the private sector through their own hard work.

You should not have any problems and it seems you are well prepared to enjoy your retirement early and comfortably. Don't forget to thank the government for their sound policies and prudent management that enabled you to attain remarkable success in your life and career.

Nice try.. reverse Psychology...even fool know what u are hinting.

You should have no problem retiring since you own a condo. By the time you are 65 at retirement age, you can sell your condo and buy the HDB studio unit for the elderly. You should have at least $1m in hand for retirement spending.

You are lucky to be among the top 15% of Singaporeans who live in private property. 85% of Singaporeans live in a HDB flat.

Well done.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Low income among graduate couples, in our 40s. $13k pm (annual/12).
Home is a cheap OCR condo, worth $750k, paid up.
Car is an old car, paid up.
Cash and cpf savings, $400k only.

Any graduate couples you know who earn as low as us?
Any advice how we can retire?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You should have no problem retiring since you own a condo. By the time you are 65 at retirement age, you can sell your condo and buy the HDB studio unit for the elderly. You should have at least $1m in hand for retirement spending.

You are lucky to be among the top 15% of Singaporeans who live in private property. 85% of Singaporeans live in a HDB flat.

Well done.

Ya...this signified the retirement of a top 15% achievement of fellow Singaporean.... Let's say your pay increased by 50%, living cost increase by 50% as well and houses increased by even more, do you consider yourself getting richer? Even in Malaysia, it seldom heard to downgrade house for retirement... think about it...

Late 40s couple, happily married for more than 20 years. The only problem is that I'm not so smart and earn only $50k pa. My wife is a grad, she earns $120k pa. We were lucky to buy a cheap BTO flat and managed to upgrade to a condo in 2005, at the bottom of the property cycle. We managed to clear our condo mortgage last year after using our bonuses. Now we have no loan, we also have no more car loan. In order to make up for my low pay, I do more of the house work like washing the toilet, hanging the clothes, ironing the clothes, etc, hence we save money from not having a maid, which we estimate to be costly.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Late 40s couple, happily married for more than 20 years. The only problem is that I'm not so smart and earn only $50k pa. My wife is a grad, she earns $120k pa. We were lucky to buy a cheap BTO flat and managed to upgrade to a condo in 2005, at the bottom of the property cycle. We managed to clear our condo mortgage last year after using our bonuses. Now we have no loan, we also have no more car loan. In order to make up for my low pay, I do more of the house work like washing the toilet, hanging the clothes, ironing the clothes, etc, hence we save money from not having a maid, which we estimate to be costly.

Do you mean you do more housework because you earn a lower pay? So if your pay is higher, then you won't help out (assuming no maid)? Do I sense bitterness here... even though you said you are happily married...? I thought housework should be mutually shared regardless of your income.

mid-30s
~190k p.a. including bonuses
~400k cash savings, ex cpf

wife ~80k pa., same age
still owe hdb ~100+k for hdb. market price ~700+k (central location)