Young and Savvy Column (Straits Times Series)

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#1
[Note: I think ST is starting a new column to replace the Me & My Money series which MW has faithfully updated here in the VB forum every sunday. I'll do my best to keep this one updated in the same spirit that MW has. As you guys can tell, MW has stepped down as moderator in view of his increased workload and personal commitments. Cityfarmer has taken over that role and is doing a tremendous job.]

The young can be forgiven if they switch off the minute someone tells them to start investing.

They are constantly being bombarded by advice from investment gurus and advisers that investing is best started at a young age, be it 18, 21 or 25.

When I began working, I did not save much nor invest and indeed the problem is getting to first base - to have enough to start investing.
Even hearing about friends putting aside sums for stocks - at that time British stocks as I was in London then - couldn't bestir me.
Between saving sterling pounds and spending it on books, clothes and meals, the money flowed out more easily than staying put.
However, things came to a head when my parents laid down the law and insisted that I set aside $1,000 a month. Surprisingly I became used to saving more.

The enforced saving habit enabled me, relatively quickly, to amass enough of a kitty to pick up some shares.
One of my first investments was OCBC Bank - an easy pick based on it being a long-established name - during the Asian financial crisis.
Then, it was trading at what is now an adjusted $2.50. Despite the recent rout, the shares are now trading at $10. They have delivered a handsome return, something I could not have achieved if I had left the savings in the bank itself.

In my case, starting young or young enough was the right thing to do.
Having enough time on your side means that returns can be compounded. Fatal moves are rare as there is enough time for the investment portfolio to recover from mistakes.
In the next couple of pages, we feature four young people who have embarked on their investing journey.

While each has a different story to tell, what has struck me is that all say putting in the hard yards is one of the important factors for success. In other words, investing the effort in reading and researching and understanding the product is vital to growing that portfolio successfully.
We are starting a weekly "Young and Savvy" column which aims to share some insights from our younger writers on their investing experience.
Over the next few weeks, we will also discuss how the young can start saving as well as get some tips from veteran investors.
Despite the ongoing market turmoil, investing is something I believe will pay off in the long run.

Starting young is important but if you haven't, don't feel you have missed the boat. Even if you are past the first blush of youth and well into your career, you still have time to build wealth. It just comes down to taking that first step.

Wong Jian-Hui, 27
Broker (institutional futures sales)

Q: When did you first start investing?
I have been investing for almost 10 years. I started out by sharing interesting trends I observed from the markets with my parents. It wasn't till I was 21 that I made my first investment, in CapitaLand, with the trust and money from my dad, a retired engineer.

I bought it some time in 2007 when the market was bullish. I sold it two weeks later as I was eager to lock in my first profitable trade. The notional value of my investment was about $50,000.

My father eventually felt comfortable enough to spin off a part of his equity portfolio for me to manage independently, and I've never looked back.

Q: Tell us more about your investment strategy.

I think there are two main schools of thought here - fundamental and technical analysis. Personally, I like to look out for technical chart patterns.

My style is short-term trading and I try to capture market swings.
To support my view, I will run my trade idea past some trusted friends who have a good grasp of the fundamentals. If the stars align, I will commit to the trade.

Full article available at Straitstimes.com

Lionel Yeo, 28
Revenue analyst
Blogs about personal finance at www.cheerfulegg.com

Q: How much do you invest and what do you invest in?

Over the past two years, I have invested about 30 per cent of my take-home pay each month. My first investment was only a couple of hundred dollars.
I invest only in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - financial instruments which track an index, such as a stock index or bond index. I buy index-based ETFs, such as the SPDR Straits Times Index ETF, Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund and ABF Singapore Bond Index Fund ETF.
I focus on plain-vanilla "physical" ETFs that physically own the assets of the index they aim to track. And I don't invest in "synthetic", or swap-based, ETFs that are exposed to various types of risks.
My portfolio has grown 9.5 per cent per year for the past two years.

Q: Tell us more about your investment strategy.

My father, a retired trader in a bank, taught me how financial markets work and interact.
Investing is not about stock-picking or timing the market, it's a lot broader than that.
I believe in passive investing, putting my money in indices that collect many stocks or bonds together into one product. The idea is that the "average" is always better than trying to beat the market.
I set aside money each month to invest and don't plan on taking it out of my investment account, at least until retirement.
Since I don't have to monitor individual stock movements, I spend at most an hour managing my portfolio each month. It leaves me a lot more time for other more important things in my life.

Yew Han Hui, 23
Studying accountancy at the Singapore Management University
Member of OCBC Bank's Young Investors Pack (YIP) programme

Q: What prompted you to start investing at 20?

I invest to create more wealth for the present and the future. I believe in the quote: "Never work for money, but let money work for you".
In 2010, I was introduced to investing by a friend and that's when I realised that I could do more with money than let it sit in the bank. I also joined the OCBC Young Investors Pack that year.
All members are given an investment book to learn more about investment strategies. We also get a monthly e-newsletter written by OCBC's investment research analysts which gives an overview of markets targeted at young investors.

Q: Why do you invest only in stocks?

The yield and risk level are suitable for my risk appetite, and stocks are also more liquid than bonds or fixed deposits.

Dinesh Shamdas Dayani, 26 Public relations executive Writes for finance website http://dollarsandsense.sg/

Q: How would you describe your investment preference?

For the last four years, I've put over $30,000 in stocks. I have invested mostly in blue-chips and real estate investment trusts, followed by small caps. I also set aside a certain amount of cash regularly.
Holding cash is important in this volatile market and uncertain economic climate.
As a rule of thumb, I never leverage to fund an investment.
Instead of investing a small amount every month, I would accumulate about $5,000 in cash before doing so.

Q: Where do you seek investment advice?

I get advice from my father who has taught me a few key principles: never leverage, be prepared for the worst-case scenario, and do not invest in something I do not understand fully.
I'm no Warren Buffett, but I look at business and economic fundamentals to guide my investing decisions. Stock prices may fluctuate, but if I think a stock is fundamentally sound, it's fine to keep it for the long run.
I review my investments every year.

For full articles, go to Straitstimes.com
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#2
My journey or interest actually started when I was 12yo I was in Malaysia at my uncles house and one morning I found him and my cousin in discussion over stocks and dividends during morning breakfast and I just sat there and listened. Of course it wasn't stocks that grab my attention it was money that you can make from it.

So the interest in money is important but you should curb it. On hindsight now how do you guide a young kid not to be "money minded" as there are more important things for a 12yo to focus upon like studies, early interest in money might lead down to a wrong path!

My cousin like my uncle later turned out to be very big and daring risk taker. Not good at all.
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#3
Money Minded?
Is money minded always referring to bad sense of money? That is money uses you rather then you use money? If you have no money sense your life won't be so pleasant to live. imo.
WB:-

1) Rule # 1, do not lose money.
2) Rule # 2, refer to # 1.
3) Not until you can manage your emotions, you can manage your money.

Truism of Investments.
A) Buying a security is buying RISK not Return
B) You can control RISK (to a certain level, hopefully only.) But definitely not the outcome of the Return.

NB:-
My signature is meant for psychoing myself. No offence to anyone. i am trying not to lose money unnecessary anymore.
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#4
(16-06-2013, 10:38 PM)sgd Wrote: My journey or interest actually started when I was 12yo I was in Malaysia at my uncles house and one morning I found him and my cousin in discussion over stocks and dividends during morning breakfast and I just sat there and listened. Of course it wasn't stocks that grab my attention it was money that you can make from it.

So the interest in money is important but you should curb it. On hindsight now how do you guide a young kid not to be "money minded" as there are more important things for a 12yo to focus upon like studies, early interest in money might lead down to a wrong path!

My cousin like my uncle later turned out to be very big and daring risk taker. Not good at all.

when said 'not good at all' - probably means that they didn;t keep what they made....????
"... but quitting while you're ahead is not the same as quitting." - Quote from the movie American Gangster
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#5
Yesterday's Young and Savvy interview. A day late because I was only back yesterday.

It's interesting to see the disconnect between the headlines and the profile of the interviewee. I didn't really get much about how he's building his passive income. Instead, I thought there was more of a focus on his trading activities.

Seems like a pretty focused, determined and entrepreneurial young man though- who would have thought of making $$ by teaching others how to run in Primary school? I thought selling erasers and gum was the more common thing.

Undergrad building on his passive income

Young investor sets long-term financial goals to earn financial freedom

For someone who is barely into his 20s, Mr Arthas Ho is already on his way to being a seasoned investor.

The 22-year business and accountancy student from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has dabbled in stocks, traded in commodities like gold, and is already thinking of ways to create a passive flow of income so he can retire by 35.

This drive to earn more money and create more value from his savings started with his first "business" when he was in primary school.

"When I was (in primary school) my allowance was 80 cents, which was very little... I decided I could double my income. I was good at running and I told my friends 'if you want to learn to run as fast as me, pay me 50 cents and I'll teach you.'

"Some of them were keen to do that so I would spend my whole recess coaching about two to three friends on the best running techniques."

Even though Mr Ho is working to ensure he can achieve a steady stream of passive income within the next few years, like any good investor, he already has a back-up plan in place.

"I have a few options and looking for a job would be my back-up plan. But I'm more keen to work for myself because you can definitely earn more money doing that and you can set your own income, that's the best part!"

Mr Ho has completed his first year at NTU and lives with his family.

His 55-year-old father is an HR manager and his 51-year-old mother is a regional financial controller. He has two siblings - an accountant brother, 25, and a sister, 18, who is in junior college.

Q: Are you a spender or a saver?

I would say I'm more of a saver. I save every dollar that I can, usually about 90 per cent of my monthly income.

That money is set aside to purchase assets that will appreciate in value or produce positive cash flow.

Q: How much do you usually charge to your credit cards?

About $100 to $200 per month. I use my dad's supplementary credit card, but always make sure I pay the bills on it.

I use it for things like shopping. The latest item I bought was a pair of Tiffany & Co rings which cost me $500.

Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?

My investment portfolio consists of stocks, options and Reits. I've also attended several investment seminars to learn more about financial planning and how to carry out technical and fundamental analyses of equities.

Q: Money-wise, what were your growing-up years like?

When I was younger, I used to be a heavy spender, spending every single cent that I could get hold of.

But when I was 18 years old, I realised I couldn't continue doing that and I really started thinking about how I can create some long-term financial goals for myself.

So I stopped taking an allowance from my parents and have been running businesses, working in jobs and managing other forms of income to ensure that I have financial freedom.

Q: How did you get interested in investing?

It was when I started reading books by Robert Kiyosaki including Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cash Flow Quadrant and Unfair Advantage. I think I was about 17 or 18 at that time and it got me interested in creating wealth through investments.

I remember the first investment I made was purchasing about $6,000 worth of IPO shares from Global Logistics Properties.

The share price jumped about 10 per cent to 20 per cent on its trading debut so I felt really good and I earned around $1,000 to $2,000 overnight.

When I first started investing, I was happy enough making $50 a month but now I usually lean towards investments that can give me yields of 10 to 20 per cent.

Q: What property do you own at the moment?

None yet but I'm hoping to buy some property. I had applied for a flat under HDB's Build-To-Order scheme but I didn't get it. My girlfriend and I are probably looking at an executive condominium instead.

Buying an investment property is something I'd like to achieve in the next three to five years.

Q: What is the most extravagant thing you have bought?

When I was 10, I used to collect World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) trading cards. Each pack of 10 cards cost $150 and I collected hundreds of the trading cards. I kept them for years, thinking that they would appreciate in value but they didn't. I sold some of the cards and most of the remaining ones were eventually damaged by termites and I threw the rest of them away.

Q: What's your retirement plan?

My goal is to work my way towards creating a passive monthly cash flow of about $10,000. With my monthly income to cover my expenses, I hope to be able to retire by the time I'm 35.

Q: Home is now...

A 1,700 sq ft condominium in the Hillview area that I share with my family.

Q: I drive...

The family cars. A silver Toyota Wish and champagne Toyota Altis.

stmoney@sph.com.sg
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#6
(24-06-2013, 07:52 PM)kazukirai Wrote: Yesterday's Young and Savvy interview. A day late because I was only back yesterday.

It's interesting to see the disconnect between the headlines and the profile of the interviewee. I didn't really get much about how he's building his passive income. Instead, I thought there was more of a focus on his trading activities.

Seems like a pretty focused, determined and entrepreneurial young man though- who would have thought of making $$ by teaching others how to run in Primary school? I thought selling erasers and gum was the more common thing.

Undergrad building on his passive income

Young investor sets long-term financial goals to earn financial freedom
......

He does not sound that "savvy" to me. I would prefer to use the word Egotistic or Narcissistic to describe him. His replies made it sound like he owns the condo that he is living in, and he is driving the cars he bought.

I also really wonder. What sort of businesses does he own. Nothing even mentioned in the article. If you do not get allowances from your parents, your income will need to come from something else.

Can anyone enlighten me. He bought $6000 worth of GLP shares, and made $1000-$2000 off the jump of share price from 10cents to 20cents. Am I missing something here? Either the numbers do not tally or his brokerage fees must be really really expensive.

Maybe I could be seeing him in a negative light because I might be jealous that he comes from a more well to do background than me.
www.joetojones.com - Helping the average Joe find the winning companies to invest in.
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#7
10% to 20% of $6000. That is $600 to $1200.
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#8
Not quite sure if this is from the same column because this guy might be savvy but I certainly don't think he qualifies as young anymore. Anyway, a good read nonetheless because he does share some good points like the value of having a good mentor (his father) and that you don't need a lot to get started. For me, $5000 seems a little low because of the transaction costs involved per trade and it won't be enough to get you diversified enough. At the beginning when competencies and experience is relatively shallow, the last thing you want is a major meltdown to scar and deter you from investing for the rest of your life.

Develop your competency first

Full-time investor Ang Hao Yao was formerly a trader but now devotes his energies to monitoring corporate developments of the companies in his portfolio.
He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst certification.

Mr Ang, 41 next month, is also a corporate governance committee member at the retail investors' watchdog body, the Singapore Investors Association of Singapore.

Here he shares tips on how young investors can take their first investing steps.

Q: How did you get started?

As a young boy watching my father go through his stock portfolio on weekends piqued my interest in stocks. He invested based on the fundamentals of a company and he mainly bought blue chips. I must have been quite young then since by Secondary 1, I remember discussing stocks with my school teacher. My actual first purchase of shares was right after I turned 21. At that time I was working at my first job as an investment analyst in a stockbroking company.

Q: How much money do I need to start?

You could probably start off with $5,000 which could be diversified into at least three different low priced stocks. If the starting capital were much lower than that, a large proportion of your capital and returns could be eroded by transaction costs and it would be difficult for you to make any headway.

I believe it is not the amount of capital that you start off with that counts, it is your ability that matters. If you are experienced and skilful, you can turn the five thousand dollars into a million dollars. If you're not competent, even if you were to start off with a million dollars, you could reduce it into five thousand dollars.

Q: What's the first thing any young investor should do or remember?

Investing can be a long, enjoyable and fruitful journey. Do not rush into investing. Take your time to read books on finance, on investing history and on famous investors, keep up to date on developments in the different industries locally and internationally, and talk to as many experienced investors as you can.
In other words, build up your competency and learn from the experience of others.

Q: What was one mistake you made when you first started investing?

I started investing in 1993 just as the bull market then was reaching its peak. So when the correction came, I had almost all my portfolio in stocks. Luckily though they were in pretty solid companies and having just started in investing, I didn't have much to lose.
The lesson I learnt: Not to load up heavily when stocks have already been on a long rally as the risk of a correction would be very high by then.
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#9
http://www.nextinsight.net/index.php/sto...urprise-me

http://nextinsight.net/index.php/story-a...ough-times

Owned almost 1% of Vicom..
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#10
(07-07-2013, 10:50 AM)yeokiwi Wrote: http://www.nextinsight.net/index.php/sto...urprise-me

http://nextinsight.net/index.php/story-a...ough-times

Owned almost 1% of Vicom..

What i was about to comment soon. remember his name somewhere
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