Is this the start of a bear market? What to do?

There is really no accounting for Mr. Market's behaviour. Just this morning, share prices were still holding up nicely and in the afternoon, they were all much weaker. It reminds me of Singapore's weather in recent weeks, sunny in the mornings and raining heavily in the afternoons.

If we were to comb the internet for possible reasons for the decline in share prices, we would see analysts putting the blame on China's poorer manufacturing data in May and Ben Bernanke's remarks which have been interpreted as a possible earlier tightening of money supply. As far as I am concerned, Mr. Market was itching to take profit and these are excuses.

Ben Bernanke's statement was made public last night and when I read the papers this morning, what really struck me was his statement that the Fed's current monetary policy is providing significant benefits and that "a premature tightening of monetary policy could lead interest rates to rise temporarily but would also carry a substantial risk of slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further." (The Business Times, 23 May 2013, page 18.)

How do you think we should interpret Ben Bernanke's statement?

There is not going to be any change in the Fed's monetary policy, not until unemployment falls meaningfully and inflation is where they want it to be. So, the environment of low interest rates will persist and this bodes well for the stock market.

Now, with the declines in the stock market today, is the bear back? Some people have been waiting for the bear to come back for a long time, staying on the sides with lots of cash. They hope that this is the start of a bear market. Well, is it? Naturally, no one knows.

What I know and would like to remind everyone about is that prices do not go up or down in a straight line. They climb a wall of worries and go down a river of hope. The uptrend is still pretty much intact and pull backs are only normal. Today is another pull back and the worries are China's weaker data and, apparently, Ben Bernanke's statement.

With lower prices, now, we see better value. Of course, this is assuming that there are no material changes which will adversely affect our investments. If the fundamentals are unchanged, a good investment at a lower price offers greater value for money. Then, look at the technicals. If these are benign, we should be buying on weakness.

In a nutshell, if the fundamentals remain good and if the technicals are benign, pull backs are buying opportunities.

For those who are still interested in investing in AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT and Sabana REIT, their charts spot long black candles today. Their units are definitely more attractively priced now.

AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT.

SABANA REIT.

So, what should we do? Prepare a list of the stocks we are interested in. Determine what are the prices we would like to buy at as well as the reasons backing those decisions. Remember, if we cannot convince ourselves why we are buying at a certain price, we really don't have a good reason to be buying.

Have a plan and follow the plan.

Related posts:
1. Have a plan, your own plan.
2. Help! I missed the boat.
3. Risks and rewards: TA and FA.

Intern was slapped for 3 years!

Something I heard on the radio and everyone I know is talking about is how an intern got slapped by his boss. I didn't bother to search out the video to watch it although I agree that it is a deplorable act and that the boss should be punished.

Today, I read an article on how the family of the intern is asking for $100,000 in compensation! Wow! $100,000 for being slapped?

Then, as I read the story, my sympathy turned into amazement!

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the intern joined the firm at Jurong East three years ago as an undergraduate. He was paid $500 a month and not given any benefits or leave days.

When he graduated from university, the intern continued to work for the company under the same pay, still without a contract or any benefits.

The 29-year-old intern who was physically abused by his supervisor was reportedly paid the same salary of $500 per month for the three years he was working at the company located at iHub.

News of the supervisor physically abusing the intern had surfaced online last Friday night (May 17) in a 17-second YouTube video that showed the supervisor hitting him. 

According to an article in Omy, he had interned there for 6 months after graduating, and then continued on without a contract.

He had also received no bonus and would even have his pay docked when he went on leave.

Three years?! OMG! What was this guy thinking? Was he even thinking?

This is really incredible.

Always find a job that pays us what we are worth or more than what we are worth. Being slapped at work not an option.

Related post:
7 steps to passive income from the stock market.

Here is the video:

Ways to reduce income tax.

On 8 March 2013, I blogged about how we could pay less in income tax even as we increase our income. 

So, what can we do to achieve this?





1. Invest to receive non-taxable income.

2. Start a Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) account and make annual contributions to reduce taxable earned income.

3. CPF-SA Top Ups will receive income tax relief for the first $7K contributed each year.

4. Voluntary contribution to our CPF-MA will receive income tax relief.

5. Donate to charitable organisations recognised by the government and enjoy 2.5x tax deduction, if we can afford to do so.





The rather generous personal income tax rebate from the government helped me to save 30% in tax payable. 

For seniors who are still working, the rebate is 50%.

So, how much is my income tax for the Year of Assessment 2013?

S$ 1,133.23.

This is probably the lowest I have ever paid in income tax in the last 10 years. 

This is even though my total income for 2012 exceeded S$200,000.

What I have done is humanly possible. 

Compared to many big success stories in Singapore, what I have achieved is not fantastic. 

Unless disadvantaged in some way, anyone who is determined enough can do it too. 

Remember if Yan can cook, so can you?

It is 100% possible to make more money and pay less income tax and there are readers who have been following my blog since its inception who can attest to this. 





If you have experienced this for yourself, please leave a comment and share with us your story.

Of course, there are many ways to pay less income tax and, mind you, I am referring only to the legal ones. 

Nothing illegal here in ASSI. 

Read the comments contributed by readers in my earlier blog post on the topic (hyperlink provided below) and we will get some ideas.

Believe or not to believe?

Related post:
Make more money, do good and pay less income tax.

Cooling measures for cars: Buying pre-owned.

There was a big commotion with regards to how cooling measures for cars would affect the pre-owned market not too long ago. In response, from 6 April 2013, the government lifted the more stringent rules for car loans for 60 days for the purchase of pre-owned cars. The concession will end on 5 June 2013.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore stated that:

"It said it would not be possible to relieve the industry from the impact of the financing restrictions on an on-going basis.

"It said the two-month relaxation of the rules for the pre-existing used car inventory will help the industry adjust to the new conditions."

Dealers said that a period of six months would have been better.

I suspect that the pre-owned market for cars will see harder times from 6 June 2013 once the concession ends.

Why am I blogging about this?

I have a friend who is thinking of buying a pre-owned car and since he does not need to take a loan to do so, I suggested that he should wait till sometime in mid June to start shopping. Prices could possibly soften as the pool of able buyers for pre-owned cars would probably shrink by then.

Related posts:
1. Cooling measures for cars.
2. Cooling measures for cars spurned.

Keeping HDB flats affordable.

There is an on-going debate on whether HDB flats are actually subsidised. Personally, I believe that the flats are subsidised because the government could otherwise sell state land to private developers for much higher prices.


A while back, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, in an interview, revealed that "every year, hundreds of millions of dollars of losses were incurred by the HDB and that's why MOF has to give the HDB an annual grant, otherwise the HDB will be in the red. Because every unit that we sell, we lose money, HDB loses money."

HDB Singapore pays market rate for its land and construction costs. So, selling flats at below market prices, HDB incurs a deficit.

I blogged about how Mr. Khaw Boon Wan plans to bring down prices of new flats in non-mature estates before to ensure affordability. I wondered if this could lead to HDB resale prices crashing too but, once again, Mr. Khaw assured that a crash will not happen because there will be "distinct differentiation" between cheaper new flats and those built earlier.

I wonder how these cheaper new flats will be different from those built earlier but there is no doubt that subsidies will have to continue playing a big role to keep HDB flats affordable.

Why do we need life insurance?

A picture speaks a thousand words and a video probably speaks a million.

Watch a video capturing The Flying Dutchman's (popular radio DJ) traumatic heart-attack here:
http://sg.sharings.cc/AK71SG/share/LIA

Hopefully, this video will get people thinking about possible unforeseen events and drive home the message that life insurance is a need.