Yes, I know... Another rerun of an old topic...
Preaching to the choir boys on CPF top-ups
What?
If TV stations can do it, so can I! LOL!
We all live in our little bubbles.
Some larger, some smaller.
We live happily ever after...
That's until some evangelist or influencer tries to crossover his bubble into ours, and tell us his way is better!?
For us in our little financial freedom bubble, everything seems so "natural"! So logical!
Got good news must spread to everyone!
Hey! What's wrong with self-appointing oueselves as the next
Look! I can't be wrong! I have so many followers! And they all "yalor, yalor" to what I say!
Eh... How many of the 12 apostles get to die of old age?
Then there are some personality traits or behaviours that are not socially welcomed in the real world:
Greed, avarice, rapacity on one end; miserly, niggardly, and parsimonious on the other end (yes, I'm showing off my england).
Put on the euphemism mask of Financial Freedom, we are finally accepted inside here! We find our kindred spirits! Black attracts black! Even soot!
This "lie" only works if we stay INSIDE the bubble. Gilded cage anyone?
Ironic isn't it?
Considering we put finanical "freedom" on our lips all the time... So much for "conditional" freedom...
I'll give 3 examples of opposite spectrums to show how others may view us:
1) The entrepreneurs
Guess what they would be more interested in? Networking; public speaking skills; art of motivating others; how to attract funding; leadership; and or creating visions for others to follow?
When we talk about leaving a legacy behind... How do ours compared to theirs?
Theirs is about leaving their names on buildings!
They make their money by selling; we try to make money by buying. Pause and think about it for a moment.
2) The tree-huggers and save the animal people
Try telling these do-gooders who gave up promising careers for $2-3K per month to focus on Financial Independence Retire Early!
You'll feel so red-faced and awkward.
Especially when all you have to show is: Open mouth money... Close mouth money... Go to sleep dream of money...
3) The religious people
You pray they don't preach to us happy already! You want to "influence" them to focus on this current life?
Their focus is on the hereafter.
They'll probably look at us with pitiful eyes as avarice is one of the 7 sins and clinging on to material stuffs is what brings unhappiness... (Don't lie that save more is not clinging to cash/money)
I guess the only religious people that would embrace us would be the Prosperity Gospel converts!?
And that's not saying much...
Ouch!
We are not any better
Just take the recent Suzie Orman comment she dislike the FIRE movement.
See how some of us behaved towards those who have a different opinion from us?
Are we good listeners ourselves?
Yet we expect others outside our little bubble to listen to us?
We are a community of snakes and dragons.
There you go!
If you got any ambitions to crossover to other people's bubbles, be prepare to spill some of your own blood...
Unless you think you can do better than the 12 apostles.
Who knows?
You may be the next Kong Hee!
Watched Venom yesterday in the cinema (that's not the point) and came across this particular ad by CPF board.
ReplyDeletehttp://theindependent.sg/singaporeans-slam-new-cpf-board-ad-encouraging-members-to-gift-loved-ones-cpf-special-account-top-ups/
Yikes! Cringe-y?! :D
Kevin,
DeleteThis is what happens when people open mouth money, close mouth money, sleep dream about money...
Crass.
No culture; no soul :(
We are talking about gifts and anniversaries... Hello! Relationships remember?
A handwritten note or simple dinner together would be infinitely more meaningful.
Singaporean men are already quite unromantic... Don't encourage us!
The person who approved the commercial must be a male - and definitely not from the Arts stream!
This is the reason we need diversity. Any women would give feedback, "Sorry, I feel nothing. Tonight you play with yourself; I got headache."
Saw that ads too and also so many bloggers in Singapore promoting it too. Not sure whether sponsored blog posts? :-)
ReplyDeleteEasier to encourage more saving than investing as investing can backfire
DeleteCW,
DeleteDid you notice after Tharman's very honest remark that CPFIS is not fit for purpose, CPF did a pivot and now swings the pendulum to Save More?
Remember why CPFIS was introduced? And what's the spin at that time?
Make a guess why big daddy gifted Singaporeans with Singtel shares to help us get a taste on the potentials of Earn More? Unleash animal spirits for what?
To attract foreign fund managers to relocate to Singapore by dangling the CPFIS carrot to them?
Now that the majority of CPFIS investors have lost money depite investing for the LONG TERM...
Great!
Now its roti-prata time!
Easier to buy than to sell.
ReplyDeleteEasier to save than to earn. :) :)
Imagine CPF advert saying "Please earn more to have a better retirement!" and "We help those who help themselves!"
It would be another $500K mediocrity hoo-ha.
That's why it's easier to implement policies to prod lower incomes from below $1K to $1K, then $1.5K and now approaching $2K.
How come they don't implement policies to prod median incomes to go from $4K to $8K? LOL!
Spur,
DeleteYou know the answer, I know the answer ;)
Evidently, some financial bloggers (low entry barrier or what?) and readers in the community don't!
Shh...
If we can't tell some "influencers" are wearing a "L" plate sign on their foreheads, well, what's the point in continuing with the conversation?
Its one of those "scholar meets soldier" moments...
Your rerun England really too Chim. Cannot understand until I read your first episode.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a phase? Last time I also want to give advices, to a certain extent even now.
But now, people dun give me unsolicited advice I happy like bird le
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteWe were young mah!
The strenght of youth is we don't know what cannot be done!
After a bit of "crash got sound" wisdom, we learn!
If we don't like to receive unsolicited for your own good advice from others, what makes us think when we do that to others, others will thank us for it!?
Being rich and financially free do not imply our EQ or wisdom will go up in tandem ;)
LOL!
Smol, have you ever read or watched Saint Young Men? Messages getting lost can create a lot of comedy.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPPzk1YWNg0
Live action movie coming soon btw!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv7rTMSiFkY
Patty,
DeleteJust watched some clips on youtube ;)
Japanese have a weird sense of humour too!
Thanks! Will look out for the movie ;)
temperament,
ReplyDeleteIts perfectly fine if we know ourselves and do it on our own volition.
And not monkey see, monkey do ;)
1. For those who realise the more they "invest", the more they lose... The SAVE MORE route definitely makes better sense!
2. Or for those who have so much spare cash lying around that "throwing" some spare change into it doesn't matter.
Even if they can easily get higher returns outside. Its called not sweating the small stuffs ;)
Don't look at me. I wouldn't do it myself! I not that rich!
Why settle for 2.5-4% when I can get 6-8% outside (not based on hope but on track record)?
Remember capital protected funds that were popularly sold by banks to bei kambings during 2009 in fear of losing their money?
In return for CPF-like yields and guarantee no losses, you missed the DOUBLING of your money when mean reversion happens :(