How much are you earning per annum?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Should I top up my CPF special accounts to the max? At least the risk is lower and still can generate 4% return?

Yes, pls do. I topped up my SA (from OA) to the max amount (the Min Sum) about 10 years ago. My CPF SA now has about 190k. I did the same for my wife. She has 180k in her SA too.

Don't be entrapped by people saying that SA is so much more restrictive compared to OA. The truth is that both are very bad accounts (lifetime entrapment) and hence you gotta make the best out of an unfavorable situation.

When you ultimately leave the country (not an option for everyone), you will still get back all your CPF regardless of whether they were in OA, SA or MA.

Originally Posted by Hermit

Giving $10 increments to employees is downright cruel.

I was once standing next to a colleague who had a $15 increment. She was opening her increment notice envelope.

She broke down in tears saying it is not enough to take a cab home with $15.

Sad.

Just started reading this tread, and could not resist sharing my wife's job. In her first job with a large MNC, she got increment $60, $80 and $0 in consecutive three years. She was also told by line manager she was given higher than peers. Just to highlight she is an engineering graduate with master degree from one of the most famous universities in Singapore. This is how some line manager treats employee.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

There is a right price for everything.

The problem with cpf is not thatch there is any risk. It provides decent risk free return. BUT when I pay the best paid cabinet in the world, I expect outsized returns, not decent returns only.

What I want, and I think is achievable is a guaranteed REAL (not nominal) return of at least 2% for OA and 3.5% for SA.

The problem is not with the gift, the problem is with teh size. When kids go CNY visiting, the Angpow is a given. They grumble over the SIZE of the angpow..

Give lah 500 or 1000. Are you still giving 50 - 100 ? Very embarrassing when children open before you and show their parent and say 'Look! Look!Uncle give only 50 dollar angpow!'. Feel very shy and no where to hide your face.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Give lah 500 or 1000. Are you still giving 50 - 100 ? Very embarrassing when children open before you and show their parent and say 'Look! Look!Uncle give only 50 dollar angpow!'. Feel very shy and no where to hide your face.

Aiyo, very generous man! Just wonder how much do you give for wedding dinner if you and your wife to attend in a 5 star hotel, or chinese restaurant ?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just started reading this tread, and could not resist sharing my wife's job. In her first job with a large MNC, she got increment $60, $80 and $0 in consecutive three years. She was also told by line manager she was given higher than peers. Just to highlight she is an engineering graduate with master degree from one of the most famous universities in Singapore. This is how some line manager treats employee.

Find out she under perform or given show cause letter before. She must have been recruited with compensation commensurate with her qualification, experience and the position offered. Otherwise company may be indirectly ask her to find a new job.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just started reading this tread, and could not resist sharing my wife's job. In her first job with a large MNC, she got increment $60, $80 and $0 in consecutive three years. She was also told by line manager she was given higher than peers. Just to highlight she is an engineering graduate with master degree from one of the most famous universities in Singapore. This is how some line manager treats employee.

Is she still with the same MNC ? It should not be difficult to find suitable job in Singapore.
Is she a Singaporean ? Quickly go and apply new job, we should not let the white people bully our countryman. Don't let people look down upon our degree.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Find out she under perform or given show cause letter before. She must have been recruited with compensation commensurate with her qualification, experience and the position offered. Otherwise company may be indirectly ask her to find a new job.

Thanks for asking. She should have been a great performer considering her attitude and previous achievement, I also thought she may not be performing well in corporate. She was also loosing confidence as it was her first job. I believe it was the company culture to exploit employees because later she switched to another great global company who hire typically testing potential candidate in different phase and got two huge promotions in 3 years. Now she get back her confidence and moving forward with career.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Is she still with the same MNC ? It should not be difficult to find suitable job in Singapore.
Is she a Singaporean ? Quickly go and apply new job, we should not let the white people bully our countryman. Don't let people look down upon our degree.

Thanks for asking. It was few years back, and she left the company. Yes, the boss and the company attitude towards employee was a problem. She learnt from another teammate got $ 40 increment once.

I doubt those days would ever come back, in the 80's my parents 2nd hand Toyota corolla cost almost 140K, in comparison to the salaries increases and now if we do the same factoring for cars it would be 200+ K for a Toyota corolla. in the 90's you hardly hear of students driving cars now it not uncommon for people in their 20's to be driving to uni.

Once you get used to driving most people would seldom want to give up the luxury of having a car (even if is a cheaper car), my relatives who retired just switch from bigger car to smaller car or red plate car.

Government also want people to spend anyway, otherwise no one will pay to use their expensive roads / tunnels / ERP etc.

They will find some way to fill up the roads.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Well, we have to wait for the people who bought their cars when the COE was very low to scrap their cars. With the present high COE, hopefully many will give up owning another car after they they scrap their cars.

The roads are just too jammed up, not to mention the full car parks. I can't wait to go back to the days when driving was smooth and enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Aiyo, very generous man! Just wonder how much do you give for wedding dinner if you and your wife to attend in a 5 star hotel, or chinese restaurant ?

No difference whether dinner held in 5 star hotel or chinese restaurant.

If close friend or relative, 3% of gross pay if go alone, 5% if go with wife.

If colleague or normal friend, 1.5% of gross pay if go alone, 3% if go with wife.

If invitation by business associate, can SIAM means SIAM. What for waste money unnecessary. If company's account will be different.