With your fingers.

Try to avoid stocks. The number of losers far outnumber the number of winners in the stock market. Capital losses likely far outweighs what u can gain from dividends.

It really depends on at which point you bought the stocks and for how long you hold them.

There are "traders" and income investors. Traders buy and sell stocks with the aim to make quick gains but income investors invest for income and they tended to hold stocks for the long term.

I am an income investor and I started my investment journey from the moment I earned from my first paycheck. That was a good 30 years ago.

Imagine if the stock gave out 5% dividend a year, in 20 years you would have recouped back your principal. In the past, good stocks regularly gave out bonus shares and split. Examples are SIA, Comfortdelgro, Sembmarine etc... So if you have bought into these stocks, your holdings would have grown multifold with the same principal outlay.

Today, 70% of my stocks are "free" stocks meaning I have already recouped back my principal on those stocks. The stocks are still in my holdings giving me good dividends. On top of this, these good stocks or blue chips have also increased their dividend payout over the years!

As I approach retirement, the dividend income become an important component to my total income as I will one day totally depend on it. As of today, I am receiving $100k pa in dividends! No small sum if you asked me.

Yes, when "Mr Market" feels unwell, you see your stock values drop, but as an income investor and as someone approaching retirement, my main concern is the yearly dividend I am getting from my investment, not the stock values.

I am still getting good dividend payout. In fact for 2015, a few of the companies have announced increased dividend payout!

The way I look at it, when "Mr Market" is down, it is good time to take a look and if you have money to spare, maybe pick up a few good stocks for the dividends they give.

Be careful of people giving advice in this forum.

me age early 40s,working and living overseas with my whole family, Singapore equivalent salary S$142,000 PA (after Tax) exclude bonus 2 - 4 months
Wife - Housewife taking care of 2 kids 6 yrs old & below

3Rm HDB with Rental income S$24,000 per annum (left S$100k loan, its our only DEBT)
Primary residence - own Fully paid Oversea property generating 3.5% Rental income (company housing allowance)
Passive income S$28,000 per annum

Total expense S$60,000 per annum

Estimated Net Savings per annum S$120,000 - S$ 140,000

Got to work till 60 yrs old as my 2 kids still young......another 15 yrs to go the least till they go Uni. But currently already place S$100,000 in Fund with guaranteed principal & return for <4%. that would give me around S$155,000 in 15 yrs time. Hope its enough...

How am I doing ?

I agree. I'm also an income investor though my dividends are nowhere as high as the above poster's. The best stocks that I have are those which I bought at a market low. This is an obvious point, but not necessarily easy to achieve, requiring discipline and patience. I have a number of stocks which were bought high, and which are now suffering paper losses. The important thing is to learn from mistakes. I've learnt my lesson. My strategy now is to focus on blue-chips and high-dividend stocks in times of market unease.

41 yo single male in IT line
earning less than 85K per annual including bonuses
cash 400K
CPF 356K
no car
no house

need to work very very long for retirement hopefully

Since you're single, you can retire NOW in Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam.

Invest your cash is dividend blue chips giving you 5% yield so you get $20k pa in dividends.

If you retire in Malaysia, convert to get RM60k pa. You can retire with RM30k pa.
You will need less if you retire in Thailand or Vietnam.

Hey thanks for your suggestion

do you think it is advisable to convert 300K to ringgit 900K and put into malaysia bank monthly fixed deposit and earn some interest as pocket money?

i might still prefer to work a bit longer though to earn some extra sg dollars.

thanks :)

Investing in blue chips is not a good idea. Dividend yield can't cover capital loss one.