Never Lie To Yourself

 

Why Big Daddy don't want Cryptos to be Peddled to Retail Investors

 

Temasek among investors in crypto exchange FTX

Binance buying FTX in bailout

Binance backs out of FTX rescue

Because its damn hard even for its own shepherds....

Let's Target Women!

 

I often tell this African shoes story (I changed it to fit our local context) to "brainwash" new salespersons as part of our cheerleading session in my past life:

Two Singapore shoes salesmen went to Borneo during the 1900s. 

One came back dejected... "How to sell like that? They don't even wear shoes!"

The other excitedly wired back to his Singapore head office, "Quick! Send 2 shipments of shoes over! The lobang here fantastic! No one is wearing shoes over here!!!"

When a company or business decides to "target" women exclusively, well, ladies, what do you think?"

Which is more likely?

Someone woke up and decided they just have to mother and take care of sheep? So cute! So fluffy!

Or they discovered excitedly they can actually milk and fleece sheep!? I mean with rams we can only fleece...

If you love to read and subscribe to Women's magazine, you may want to pause and reflect whether you are the customer of these magazines?

Perhaps you are part of the food menu these Women's magazines are offering to their REAL customers?

Why do you think they love to plant ideas into you that you're never too thin, or pretty enough?

And the clothes you bought last season are already so dated...

20 ways to please your man? 

Have you verified the author is actually a woman? What kind of woman would write such articles???

And if its a really a woman, do you really want to take advice from a Got Money, Got Honey "prostitute"?

Want to learn more about goldfish?

The professor placed a bowl with a goldfish on his lectern.  

"If you would just spend the time to look and study an actual goldfish, you'll probably learn more than just reading (or taking workshops and seminars) about goldfishes!"

If you want to be financially independent, just look around you.

They could be your mom or grandma, most never studied beyond secondary school. Some illiterate even. 

Or your female siblings, cousins, neighbours, classmates, or colleagues.

Single or married, young and old. 

Come to think of it, does sex matter? Well, you're the one always pushing for "equality"...

What do you think?

Wouldn't it be better to talk and learn from someone who is actually financially independent (not on the way themselves) that you can RELATE to?

Some of you may even discover you can achieve financial independence without riding any financial assets at all! Wink.

Shh...

Don't let the men know.

Its OK to Sleep Late - you are more Creative, Smarter, and Beautiful!

 

Not I say one!

Love to sleep in? Science says its because you're creative

Creative people sleep more, later, and less well

Good news from science: night owls are smarter and more creative

LOL!

Early risers, hope you've a sense of humour and can take a poke. You belong to the horde, school, flock, and pride. So don't go "triggered" on me!

Just like there are left-brained people, there are also right brained people.

Sometimes in our "enthusiasm", we often make the mistake of assuming there's only one way to Rome - what works for me must automatically work for others!

Long, long time ago, during my early days of story telling, I wrote this Grasshopper and Ant story that set the tone for this watering hole - its OK to be different.

If you're a penguin, stop listening to people telling for you to succeed, you need to soar up high in the skies...

Fish friend, yes you! Why do you set goals and plans to climb trees? I know that's what monkeys do, but have you looked into the mirror lately?

Little swan, don't feel awkward and self-conscious just because you look different from your duck friends. Embrace yourself. You're beautiful in your own way.

Oh! I've left out beautiful, haven't I?

This one no need "experts" to tell us. 

I can tell all the beautiful ladies out there are smiling...

And guys lucky enough to wake up to the company of pretty women, you know I know right?

They sleep like pigs in the mornings, but boy! They sure are scintillating in the night!

How Many Years To Become A Millionaire?

 

OK, a billion is too out of our reach...

Let's take a million Sing dollars then. 

How many years do you intend to achieve it?

Some don't mind 30 years slow and steady grind (tortoises?) - the CPF 1M65 voluntary savers?

Then there are the super aggressive achievers like those crypto youths (hares?) who became millionaires in less than 5 years (I'm sure there are some who took profits like those old fogeys who took profits before the 2000 Nasdaq crash or recent Tech rout).

That would leave the rest of us who are into equities or properties falling somewhere between 5 to 30 years to achieve our first million?

To some youths, a million can be too abstract... No worries! Don't feel left out.

I noticed a number of youths are playing this how I saved my first $100K (before 30?) flexing game...

Just remove the saved to include earned and saved. Wink.

Just the other morning, I was having breakfast at McDonald's when I overheard 4 civil defence NSF flexing their investments in Tesla!?

I'm impressed!

    

In case some of you are tempted to become too money minded, do remember money is just an enabler -  a tool.

We should be the master who wields this tool; not the other way round where money owns us and we the slave...

Take Risks

 

The Biggest Risk Is...

 

Not taking any calculated risks at all!

Man In The Arena

 

Most Effective Hedge Against Inflation

 

Earn More.

No. I'm not kidding!

Let's start at the country level. Throughout our human history, there were many bouts of high inflation. Yet humanity still survived. 

Of course there were countries that suffered and fell into oblivion, then there were countries that thrived.

If you not a fan of history, but you love travelling, next time you visit those countries that have lots of zeros on their dollar bills, try asking the tour guide or locals how they, or their parents/grand parents, survived through it.

Who "prospered" from high inflation, and who got "clobbered"...  I'll bet that will be more illuminating than reading "theories" and "opinions"!

Especially youths who have not experienced inflation of the 70s. 

Wait. I so stupid! Just ask your parents or grandparents also can! Travel not needed.

If a country can export and earn more revenues than the what they have to pay in imports, does inflation matters?

Just look at oil producing countries. If they can raise oil prices in an inflationary environment, would they be complaining?

At the corporations level, you know you may have to update your resume when the company you working for is practicing austerity in an inflationary environment...

That meant the company can't raise prices despite higher input costs. It has no pricing power.

But if you working for Apple or Microsoft, customers may complain about higher prices, but they still will buy as that's the power of having fan boys and girls as your customer base. For Microsoft's "captive customer" base , unless you are a techie who can switch to Linux, switching to Apple is "lagi" more expensive!

And that's the same for boring and defensive companies like utilities, telecoms, and public transport... Unless big daddy is willing to subsidise us by "stealing" from our grandchildren, what can we do as consumers facing higher prices?

Utilities and telecoms no way out. At best we use less; practice Save More. Only public transport we can do something about it. Walk or cycle to work anyone? We can "spin" it as being environment friendly!!!

"Look ma! No carbon footprint!"

Now comes to the individual level. Inflation sucks for those who are on a FIXED income. And those whose pay raises are lower than the inflation rate.

But if you are a high performer, you are not phased by it. Not when you are getting double digit pay increments annually like 10% or more... And 40-50% promotional pay increases every 2-3 years!

True or not?

That's where most of us in this community comes in. Why do we invest or trade? 

Because our day job sucks lah! Or we suck at our day job; don't hit the face!

No choice. The Save More route is out for us; that's for the high income earners. 

Hence Earn More it is!

Talking about Earn More, I would like to give a shout out to Kevin of Turtle Investor:

Alternative Income  (I like this post as few commercial bloggers are so transparent. Read the part about active efforts on his part)

There! If our alternative incomes are more than our regular day job, whose afraid of a little inflation?

Ah! How to Earn More if you want minimum effort with maximum reward? And you not really into craftmanship that sort of thing?

Buy Toto?  

I must write to Singapore Pools for affiliate marketing commissions! I am plugging Toto so often, at the very least, buy me a drink!

Disappointments and Frustrations

 

I can fully empathise with big daddy's recent disappointments and frustrations.

I still remember cheering with my mom, the declining local cases of Wuhan virus transmission last week.

Its vested interests.

There was this Bukit Merah View cluster. OK, close, but not that close.

Then it moved to Henderson. Getting closer to Tanglin Halt...

  

So it was a sign of relive when these 2 clusters were contained.

Then the KTV cluster broke....

Sigh...

How would you feel if you were big daddy? 

To say you were disappointed and frustrated is an understatement....

This is not new to those who have embarked on the path of Earn More.

Some days it can be blue skies and sunny, some days it can rain so hard that you feel like drowning... 

Then you realised the "flood" is only knee high. Its not life threatening.

Don't be such a cry baby!

You pick up the pieces; write off those that have been washed away; and start anew when the sun comes out again.

We are like weeds.

We keep coming back. 

(Its never about the destination; its the journey.)

 

Never Lie To Yourself

 

Where is the Capital of Japan?

 

My sales colleague was so eager to troll me yesterday by asking me that question.

What would you have answered?

Of course I answered, "Tokyo."

"Wrong!" my colleague trolled excitedly. "Japan has no capital city!"

 

He showed me this "official" source:

Tokyo is not the capital of Japan

How?

What would be your response?

If it said so in the internet, it must be so!

Especially if its written by a Japanese himself!

You in turn go round parroting this new found "knowledge"; trolling others in turn?

Look! You all are idiots! I so very de smart!

Let me ask you another question.

Who's your mom?

If your mom divorced your dad and she remarried someone else, does that mean she's no longer your mom?

How about if your were adopted?

Or if your dad got you another step-mom when he remarries? 

How? 

Stupid right?

I "schooled" my sales colleague that Tokyo is the de facto capital of Japan lah!

In Japan, where the Emperor lives, that's where the capital is. (All those hours reading manga and watching anime finally paid off!) 

Girls, try this on your boyfriends if you brave.

Ask him, "Where is the capital of Singapore?"

Majority will reply that make you go, "I'll have to spend the rest of my life with him?"

Then once in a while, you'll get the rare gems....

"The capital of Singapore is in my heart. That's where I find you too..."  

That's why most literary writers and poets may look like toad, but they sure can impress the panties of girls real quick!

LOL!

How I Got Rich On Tesla Stock (Satire)

 

He is funny!

If only I'm a billionaire...

Then maybe I'll cure my baldness?

Regular drinkers from this watering hole may recall this guy looks kind of familiar...

Yup, I featured him in 2016 at this post:

How to be a Financial Freedom snake oil

And you think I like to poke people...

This guy even better!!!

He's making a living out from poking others!

P.S.  Notice he likes to use the Zen "ding" sound? And his channel is called AwakenWithJP?

This is a a fellow practitioner. Wink.

 

People That Matters

 

Great! They are moving on to the asset I own!

 

LOL!

Monday saw a quick gap up on the asset I've owned for years now.

Friday evening there was already chatter that the "avengers" crowd - retailers looking out to punish the establishment elites - are targeting the asset I'm vested in.

Sure enough, on Monday morning, the futures price gapped up like a rocket!

To show how volatile it is, if I had entered a small speculative futures trade Monday morning on a pullback, I would have been quickly up a few hundreds by noon. And by the time it reached US opening time, I would have been up a few thousand dollars. 

(Of course I've left out the heart stopping up and down gyrations that would have stopped-out anyone who practice money management as in using stop orders - especially on leveraged instruments.)

When I woke up this Tuesday morning, guess what? 

I would have stopped-out at breakeven right out of the gate when the market opens as prices tanked - I've got this trading rule to never let a winning position turn into a loss.

But the current price is still higher than Friday's closing price.

No, I sitting this one out from the trading side.

I can't participate when the price volatility is too wild for my money management rules....

But I do own this asset (not tiny size either) - that's the non-leveraged side in my investment portfolio. 

My entry price is a lot lower than current prices. 

So can withstand the current volatility. In fact, I welcome it! 

Who doesn't love higher prices on assets that we own?

I'm now focusing on how to profit best from this interesting mania episode emanating out from US.

Hope I will be as good as those who owned Bitcoins at below $10K. 

You know, sell a portion near the intermediate top around $40K, and buyback at current prices around $32K?

Make a spread of $8K, but still retain the same long term core position after buying back to ride Bitcoins all the way to $100K?

Of course not easy!

In case you didn't know by now, the selling or taking profit part is how we tell apart the pros from the amateurs. Wink.

No, I don't want to reveal what's that asset class; I don't want to talk up my own book.

If you're following what's going on in the US markets (not a STI only koala), you'll know what's the asset I'm talking about anyway.

No one so stupid to tell others that this stock good, better, best for investing/trading without first getting vested at much lower prices.

Similarly, no one so dumb as to so well meaning warn others this stock is a possible fraud/scam without first selling or getting short before hand at higher prices.

So when you believe 100% what institutions tell you, you're not as bright as you think...

And if you believe totally what other anonymous bei kambings (some are wolves in sheep clothing) in the internet forums say, you're probably not as wise as you think too!

Readers may want to read: No, you're not their customer

I guess those "avengers" customers in the States found out who the real customers of Robinhood are the hard way.

I mean they never stopped to think how do brokers make money when there's no trading commissions???

How about social media forums, blogs, or well meaning friends and acquaintances? 

Well, if you have been practicing others buy I buy; others sell I sell - just look at your portfolio or trading account.

Nothing beats when tire meets the road reality!

Look, if I'm looking into selling a portion of my asset holdings to take advantage of this current "avengers" mania in US, would I be telling you I don't think this move up is sustainable?

For anyone not vested, it would be better to wait for a pullback to a longer term support at much lower prices if you want to get started on slowly accumulating for a long term position?

No, I would be telling you anytime is a good time to invest!!! (That's the dead giveaway that person is probably a snake oil)

Better buy now! Wait prices go higher! You'll miss the boat! (Double confirm)

Long term investing is about buying cheap and selling when its expensive (its not buy and hold). 

It can't be cheap when everyone and anyone is buying or talking about it.

Trading is about finding the greater fool to offload your positions onto.

Do be offended if others like to offer you "free" advice. Yup, they're probably treating you as their greater fool!

 

HK con men use romance and get-rich schemes to trick victims in Singapore

 

I don't normally do Public Service Announcements.

I'm not a bleeding heart.

Then again, if someone else has done the heavy lifting, I wouldn't mind help create more awareness for it.

Hong Kong online stocks con men use romance, get-rich-quick schemes to trick victims in Singapore, Macau

There are too many scams in Singapore nowadays. 

Let's help to keep a lid on it.

The last thing we need is for scammers of the world to think Singaporeans are an easy mark...

Just promise the moon and bei kambing Singaporeans will believe anything and everything!

How to know if you are overreaching?

To the "lucky" few, self-awareness comes easy.

Like my ex-colleague many years ago who lost $5K "investing" in stocks, and just like that, he forever swore off investing in the financial markets!

To him, the pain of losing money is more than the fear of missing out....



Unfortunately, to the majority of us, especially when we have started our "investing" journeys in a bull market, this self-awarenes may take a bit longer...



However, with the recent extreme volatility within a short space of a few weeks, we all had our "tyre meets the road" moment.



Let's use the jogging analogy.

If we are jogging at a comfortable pace, we can have conversations with our jogging partners without losing our breath... Some of us can even even joke around and have a few laughs along the way!

But if you are struggling, and your mind can't think straight except catching your next breath, you may want to slow down your pace a bit. You are pushing yourself too hard...

And if you prefer to jog as a group and not alone, you may want to find new jogging "kakis" that are more on the "same level" as you? Why do this to yourself? Trying to fit in when you are not ready?



For those who drive, ever wonder why do we need the tachometer?

I mean got speedometer to tell how fast we are moving.

Then got odometer to tell how far we have travelled.

Come to think of it... What's the tachometer for???



If we rev our engines until we get to the redline zone for an extended period, you'll know.

Chatty person suddenly becomes quiet...

Quiet person now super talkative...

You take out your anxieties and frustrations on people that matter (spouse, children, parents)

Its affecting your day job at the worst possible time ...

Messing up your sleep...



Tired rest; hungry eat.

Listen to your body.

You Are Next

When big daddy took one month pay cut last month on 28 Feb, I remember thinking, "This bad huh?"

My worst fear was confirmed last night when someone that mattered shared with me everyone at his top management level had to take a 10% pay cut effective this month.



I know some of you may take schadenfreude glee on knowing this.

But don't say it out loud least you expose your intellectual "lightweightness" to everyone...



Landowners and shepherds out there know what this means.

And what's coming next....

Trust But Verify

Short term, the stock market is a voting machine; long term, its a weighing machine.



We apply the same logic to people we date, work, and do business with.

Some people make a great impression first time we meet them. But alas, over time, we discover they KNS...

What we say or do is weighed by others.



This post has no meaning whatsover unless it appears on top of that post at:

Singapore Investment Bloggers




Edit: Not sure whether its the aggregator (you owe me a drink) or the blogger realised his folly, that blog post has been taken down. 

My post has served its purpose.

In this difficult time, let's not cause further alarm or panic to the public.

The Path Towards Domestication

Dogs came from wolves.

Yes, its one of those examples where a "new" specie of animal is created by man, not the big guy upstairs.

It probably started with some weak, docile, or outcast wolves living off the scraps of man outside the camp fire. Over time, these wolves became so dependant on man that they willingly became man's best friend.

That's the marketing spin.

The reality is one is master, one is servant.



Go to our hawker centres and HDB estates. See the number of pigeons and mynahs living off our scraps?

Notice one thing?

Instead of soaring freely with their gift of flight, what do they do? 

There are no visible chains or shackles tied to their necks, but we know they are fettered.



One of my new evening walking route is the former railway track that has now converted to The GreenWay.

I often see lots of different species of birds living off the land here. Quite fun. From people watching to bird watching! 

Even the mynahs over here don't look the same as the ones that loiter around our hawker centres. Their plumage are in better condition. They chirp merrily.



Success is what you have to sacrifice to achieve it.

I guess some are willing to sacrifice their freedom and independence for it.

How to spot you have a pet mentality?

Easy.

I hope daddy and mommy will take care of me...

I believe the company will take care of me...

I rely on big daddy to take care of me...

Its always others doing the work and thinking for you, while you passive passive just reap the benefits. Look ma! No brains needed!



When the time comes, I'll take as much out as legally possible. 

Just putting it in writing so I can poke myself silly if and when I finally "capitulates".

And grandiose words like independence or freedom will be forever banned from my dictionary...

Meow.