How much are you earning per annum?

26 female 150k pa in insurance 8 months bonus + 15% commissions

Me & Wife ages 50, with 2 teenagers
Worked in US MNC
Just checked last year IRAS assessment
Household income $650 K

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, 30+ yo Singaporean male seeking genuine advice from the 40s-60s age group here. Professional finance job making 100k pa. Currently deciding between chasing two very different girls. First girl is diploma holder, secretary role, 小女人 type and submissive, earning 40k pa. Second girl is degree holder, a colleague in a similar role and ~100k pa pay (different office), career-minded, a little opinionated. I'm not big on looks, its just the personalities I'm interested in to form a family with. Both seem receptive to my wooing.

For those who has decades of married life experience, which girl would give a better shot at a successful and happy life in SG? I had NS friends who are happily married to foreign kampung-types brides and also some unhappy with marrying high-achieving types despite living in condos and driving conti cars. Thanks for sharing your life advice.

I have been happily married for over 30 years. Our two kids have graduated and are now working.

My wife and I stayed in the same halls at NUS. When we first started work 35 years ago, our salary were about the same and for some a few years, our salaries grew almost in tandem. When I went overseas to get a Masters degree, she quit her job to follow me and look after our children who were just 4 and 1 yo.

Because of that sacrifice, when we returned and my wife re-joined the workforce, her salary growth trajectory was affected. While my salary growth trajectory was quite steep (accompanying a few promotions along the way) her salary increment each year was very modest. A few years later, she went for her Masters degree and earned a promotion as well.
Our combined earned income is currently $500k pa and another $200k pa of passive income.

So is it good to marry a capable wife? Answer is a resounding yes. A capable wife :
1 keeps you on your toes,
2 challenges you to constantly improve yourself,
3. can hold meaningful debates on current affairs and other important matters
4. helps you cover "blind spots" in decision making whether in investment, career moves etc..
5. can help home tutuor your children all the way to uni. Both our kids dont have external tuition.
6. accelerates your wealth build up (my wife played a big part in our $200k pa passive income)
7 have a good network of equally capable friends that together can enhance your knowledge as well as in important contacts
8. removes the stress of being the sole bread winner in the family
9. brings with her, her own rich experience of work and life to enhance yours
10 can help contibute significantly in big investments like property purchases, stocks and others.

I count my blessings daily for a full and happy life, and my capable wife plays a huge part in it.

An important caveat here. If you are not able to match up to your wife's intellect, work ethic, capability and ambition, you will be very miserable. For example if you are a laid back bum with little ambition, you should know what kind of women to avoid in marriage.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have been happily married for over 30 years. Our two kids have graduated and are now working.

My wife and I stayed in the same halls at NUS. When we first started work 35 years ago, our salary were about the same and for some a few years, our salaries grew almost in tandem. When I went overseas to get a Masters degree, she quit her job to follow me and look after our children who were just 4 and 1 yo.

Because of that sacrifice, when we returned and my wife re-joined the workforce, her salary growth trajectory was affected. While my salary growth trajectory was quite steep (accompanying a few promotions along the way) her salary increment each year was very modest. A few years later, she went for her Masters degree and earned a promotion as well.
Our combined earned income is currently $500k pa and another $200k pa of passive income.

So is it good to marry a capable wife? Answer is a resounding yes. A capable wife :
1 keeps you on your toes,
2 challenges you to constantly improve yourself,
3. can hold meaningful debates on current affairs and other important matters
4. helps you cover "blind spots" in decision making whether in investment, career moves etc..
5. can help home tutuor your children all the way to uni. Both our kids dont have external tuition.
6. accelerates your wealth build up (my wife played a big part in our $200k pa passive income)
7 have a good network of equally capable friends that together can enhance your knowledge as well as in important contacts
8. removes the stress of being the sole bread winner in the family
9. brings with her, her own rich experience of work and life to enhance yours
10 can help contibute significantly in big investments like property purchases, stocks and others.

I count my blessings daily for a full and happy life, and my capable wife plays a huge part in it.

An important caveat here. If you are not able to match up to your wife's intellect, work ethic, capability and ambition, you will be very miserable. For example if you are a laid back bum with little ambition, you should know what kind of women to avoid in marriage.

Show tax return or this is fake as ****. Poster probably not even married.

Yah, you're right.

What's the point to prove to unbelievable and egoistic person like you ah.

You may continue to believe in mediocre lifestyle.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Show tax return or this is fake as ****. Poster probably not even married.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yah, you're right.

What's the point to prove to unbelievable and egoistic person like you ah.

You may continue to believe in mediocre lifestyle.

yet you came into the forum to write a long essay devoting ur life to an imaginary wife. hehe

Originally Posted by Unregistered

yet you came into the forum to write a long essay devoting ur life to an imaginary wife. hehe

Guys, I am trying to understand which part of my sharing (post #11873) that you find hard to believe. Is it the part on our earned income, our over 30 years of wedded bliss or our passive income? Or all of it?

If it is about the earned income part, our income tax is around $36k a year or roughly $3k per month. Just to give you a sense where our income put us, individually we are no where near the top earners in S'pore.

Below is from IRAS filing for 2014 (see post #9773)

For year ending 2014 (The figures are 6 years ago. I am sure the numbers should be much higher now)

Assessable Income. / No.of People
(Gross income less deductibles)

$1m and above / 4557
$500k to $1m / 14,757
$400k to $500k / 11,479
$300k to $400k / 24,268
$200k to $300k / 59,346
$150k to $200k / 70,315
$100k to $150k / 158,244
$80k to $100k / 120,538
$70k to $80k / 86,370
$60k to $70k / 115,089
$50k to $60k / 162,440
$40k to $50k / 224,042
$30k to $40k / 288,519
$25k to $30k / 136,256
$20k to $25k / 71,842
Below $20k - no tax.

Total no. of people : 1.548 m

44, Banking professional

Basic $300K bonus $100K

Originally Posted by Unregistered

200K Stagnant a few years already.

Have 2 post grad degrees but born at wrong time, starting salary then was mere $1.6K pm.

Envy young upstarts. Havent really cut their teeth already drawing above $100K

Hi guys, above was my very first post to this forum made on 20 Sep 2010! A good 9 years and 7 months ago. I do come to "visit" and contribute to this forum once a while, though very infrequently. I mostly visited when I was at airport lounges while transiting between countries. Today, WFH, so a "special" visit and an update!

Then in 2010, as an old "fart" manager I saw my salary stagnated at $200k pa. I was 50 yo then. Now at 60, I am happy to report that the company had made a few adjustments to my salary over the years and my salary last year was $300k. Never say never!

9 years ago, our networth was around $5M and passive income was negligible, early this year our networth "kissed" $8M shortly but dropped back to $7.6M (no thanks to Covid 19). And our passive income hit an all time high of $200k last year. This year, we are anticipating it to be halved! Ouch! Though the passive income for the first quater (Jan to Mar 20) was still good riding on the momentum of last year, it came in at $45,000.

Must say the quality of the postings in this forum has deteriorated greatly over the years. It started off with great promise for readers to share and learn from others, the income earned in their various professions albeit anonymously. Many early posters were genuine and earnest but because posters can remain anonymous, the whole thing quickly degenerated into worthless and mindless delusional posts. I just wonder what these posters get out of this??

I did have some useful exchanges with a few forumers here in discussing investment and about the CPF. I believe we did learn from each other. However each time and very quickly we see our exchanges hijacked and derailed by trollers and other insincere posters.

Then there is this one or two posters who kept repeating the same post over and over again. Not sure if he has mental issue??

Ok, I think I have said enough. Stay home, stay safe!

We will get through this crisis and emerge stronger!

[meetaimak]

Wa so envious of all your salaries~ I worked for 6-7 years, F, with a post grad deg, only drawing 60-ish (depending on bonus) p.a. Maybe cause I started with audit where starting pay then was about mid 2k.