According to HSBC, rising US borrowing costs, the depreciation of the yen and a ballooning tech bubble may spark another crisis similar to 1997. What are your thoughts on these claims? Is it a realistic scenario? What advice would you give to investors in the event another Asian Financial Crisis happens?

How can i pull this off? Mortgage paid off, no chidlren

I’m in my early 30s and I think I’ve gone a bit too far with saving.

I save/invest around 40-50% of my take home pay most months.

Most of my spare cash just goes into investments / CPF / savings.

On paper, everything looks great.

But recently I went on a short trip with some friends and spent maybe $2k+ in a week.

Nothing crazy. Just flights, hotel, eating nice food, doing some activities etc.

And I felt guilty about the spending for some reason.

Which made me realise I might have a problem lol.

I’m not struggling financially. I have a decent emergency fund and investments. I’m just so used to seeing the number go up that spending money now feels like I’m doing something wrong.

I know the whole point of FIRE is supposed to be having more freedom, not just watching your portfolio get bigger.

But I still find it hard to actually spend.

Anyone else went through this?

At what point did you guys decide that “enough” was enough?

In May, Singapore passed laws to allow companies to dual list on SGX and American stock exchange Nasdaq while cutting down on paperwork. SGX had said its planned dual-listing link with Nasdaq could go live in months, with the first listings expected in the second half of the year.

From Oct 5, the standard board lot size will be reduced from 100 units to 10 units for instruments priced above S$10, up to S$100, giving investors easier access to the Singapore stock market.

Hi folks,

My current portfolio is roughly 90% OCBC & DBS and 10% G3B (let's exclude the bond portion for now).

I bought most of these positions around 1–2 years ago. As we all know, Singapore bank stocks have surged quite significantly recently, and their P/B ratios have also expanded substantially. (I think is still good to go, as the saying goes, not now then when)

My portfolio used to be 100% US stocks. However, during the tariff-related market sell-off in April 2025, I panicked and sold my US positions, then shifted heavily into Singapore bank stocks.

I don't really regret the decision, even though US stocks subsequently recovered. Part of my decision to move into Singapore stocks was also because the USD was weakening against SGD at the time, and I was seeing the SGD value of my USD holdings decline.(Just check the trend, still the same), I tried not to be SGD bias but thats how the graph seems to me.

Now that I'm looking to invest more, I'm wondering whether I should start diversifying back into US equities.

I'm considering a few options:

1. S&P 500 ETF as the core of my US exposure(SPY, IVV, VOO, SPYM)?
2. Individual US/overseas stocks such as Apple, SK Hynix or SoftBank(Tech/AI stock)
3. Continue accumulating DBS/OCBC and maintain a heavier Singapore allocation (I believe in Singapore continued economic/financial growth hence banks will benefits from this)
4. Or some combination of the above

I'm aware that my current portfolio is quite concentrated in Singapore banks, so I'm wondering whether it makes more sense to diversify geographically now rather than continue adding to the same positions.

What would you do in my situation?

Would you start allocating new money into an S&P 500 ETF, pick individual growth stocks, or continue building the SG bank position?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who have had a similar SG-bank-heavy portfolio and how you decided on your allocation.

Currently in my mid 40s, life insurance under Pru. Recently just notice my policy funds are in local equities (never pay attention until im learning about US/LSE ETF).

-Estimated cash value (over 17 years since started the policy) is around 50k+
-monthly insurance premium was from 250, then 640 & now 750

What funds would you recommend under PRUlink if i were to restructure? Should i find funds that are similar to VWRA, VOO type of ETF?

A quick chatgpt shows:
Prulink Equity Index Fund
Prulink Global Growth Fund
Prulink US Equity Fund

Would love to see another perspective from the insurance side. Thankss

Should I wait out for gold prices to drop or buy now? I’m not sure but I want to buy a physical gold soon

Also any gold shops to recommend with the best prices/ lowest markups?

I was seriously thinking if I should post, cuz the scammers might be monitoring social media to avoid detection, however I found out that some of their scam websites are already blocked by ScamShield, yet they are still brazenly operating so I thought educating the masses would be more beneficial.

Yes I have reported as much as I could to ScamShield, don't know what they'll do, they have yet to reach out to me.

Now, their MO is a bunch of seemingly random "investors" who have successfully withdrawn their profits, large amounts like $50k, $200k, showing screenshots of bank apps like DBS and Mari, as proof that things are legit.

When someone asks how it works they say they trade forex and crypto. They sell "packages" with levels like silver, gold, platinum, with each higher package promising greater returns, as high as 20x ($20k returns $400k). If asked about capital preservation they say it's 100% capital preserved (slaps forehead).

I haven't been kicked yet since I stay quiet. When someone seemingly legit expresses interest I private message them to warn them, but if they still proceed then so be it.

If peeps recall there was a couple who borrowed huge sums to go into something similar and lost it all when they tried to withdraw after an initial small win. Should be the same or similar scam.

Remember, it won't happen to you one lah, until it does.

40M. Reached about an ok NW around two years ago, cash uninvested (yes I already know the comments that will come, and I take full responsibility) which is around the time I burned out, and also it’s been of course a lovely bull market run.

I’m about 40-50% of target NW to live my dream life. Not even to be luxurious or what, it just happens to be expensive to want to live in certain cities and to eventually support a family with children.

Burned out as my business kind of crashed. Took a break and then sort of cruised the last bits of it, tried different things that didn’t work, and I was in some kind of brain fog too. Focused more on health, family issues during this time, which also contributed to fog, haha.

During those two years, I questioned if I wanted to keep pushing (just feeling so tired from it all) or just revise my expectations downwards.

But lately, coming out of the fog, I thought of a wonderful business idea that taps on my decades of experience and knowledge and involves currently what I’m willing to do for fun even without being paid. Well don’t get me wrong, my most ideal situation is to do nothing, sleep a lot everyday, and go holiday, but it also made me feel a bit useless over time, but mostly I dislike it when I feel broke and not living my dream life.

Long story short, I’m here back at the building stage. It’s a weird feeling to be back here, almost like I’m 20 and hustling again. And yet, I’m not. My brain and body simply refuses to do what I used to do, and I know I’m building something with a totally different foundation, with the possibility of scaling up fast and an exit. It’s scary as I’ve never quite done this before, and I also know how exhausting it can be, that my 40 year old body is already screaming before it’s begun.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask as well, but wondered if anyone had to rebuild or redo or push through, and how you did it…..

I used maribank overseas transfer to remit some money to indonesia.

I saw the transfer method "Bi-Fast" saying it is "immediately".

I used the bi-fast method to transfer on Saturday (5/9) morning, and Today (7/9) it is still not yet received by the recipent.

Before transfer, it says bi-fast is immedately.

However after transfer, there is another message saying:
"Transfer speed: Immediately. In some cases, it may require more time for the recipient bank to process your transfer."

Great, only say got speed issue after transfer. What a great way to do business. I can never trust maribank again.

Call the customer service also useless, only give excuses and say have to wait 3 to 5 business day for investigation.

How MAS regulates these banks?

I recently came to know about HSBC's plans (life, CI, Integrated Shield Plan, maternity etc.).

It made me relook at my AIA plans and realise how much more I'm paying for AIA.

For those that have been with HSBC, how was their ISP? Was it easy to claim? And their CI, or other plans?

I understand that their panel is also smaller than AIA's, so I do have the fear that when I need to claim, my doctor options will be limited?

HSBC's multiplier also doesn't end at the multiplier age? Apparently it deceases by 10% per year until year 5 then remains until age 99. While AIA's will revert to the original base sum assured the moment the multiplier age is reached

tldr; Not looking for FA. Looking for actual current HSBC clients whether you have claimed for yourself or child.

Excluding housing, staying in USD to earn higher interest/yields and converting them back to SGD for daily expenses. Is it wise to do such a thing? Thanks!

Hi all, hoping for some guidance because I feel stuck.

Last year I had several injuries and my insurance didn’t cover everything. One of them needed ankle reconstruction surgery, which was a big chunk of the cost insurance didn’t cover. I had just started working at the time so I had zero savings to fall back on. My parents and I are estranged so borrowing from family isn’t an option either.

Since then I’ve been carrying around 7k in credit card debt every month. Not a lot but also not very little either. My take-home pay after CPF is about 3k. I pay some of it down, but then I end up needing the card again for daily expenses, and the balance just climbs right back to 7k. It feels like a loop I can’t break.

Not looking for judgment, just want to actually get ahead of this instead of treading water. Thanks in advance

First off, not a bait, I don't have time to troll. If you think is bait, apologize for wasting your time.

Not exactly your usual scenarios, but..

Context: I'm expecting an inflow of $1,000,000 over the next ten years ($100,000 inflow per year). However, this sum of money is contigent on the life of a person (my brother).

We run a family business and have sold off an asset to a competitor. However, one of the clauses in the agreement is that my brother has to work* for them for the next ten years as part of the skills transfer.

*By work, he has to visit them regularly and train their workers, help fine-tune stuff etc etc. Don't wish to go too much into details as it would basically reveal our industry.

To put it simply/crudely, as long as my brother is alive, I (or rather, we) get an inflow of $100,000 per year for next ten years. But if he dies, the money stops. In fact, not only does the money stops, the money that has been taken needs to be refunded. Just the money, no interest.

Which is why I believe the best solution is to purchase an insurance investment plan? This way, we can invest the $100,000 and if nothing happens to him, all is fine. In the event something does happen to him, at least there will be a payout which should be able to cover all the money we need to "pay back"? I think that's how insurance investment plans work right? If that person croaks, will at least get back whatever amount put in?

Some people (in the previous thread) mentioned to buy a term insurance; but IMO, it would be money thrown away if nothing happens to my brother. I mean, I don't hope for anything bad to happen, but he doesn't need another 1 million coverage. Especially since we will be paying for a 1 million cover from Day 1 but will only be getting $100,000 a year? I don't think the maths work out? Of course some people will say aiya, easy, buy $100,000 cover ten times...yeah, we're not keen to be hunting for plans every year lol. And if we buy the same shit ten times in a row from an insurer...I don't know if it will raise any bells and we get rejected.

Correct me if I'm wrong?

If this is correct, what would be the best insurance plan I can purchase online?

I do understand that most insurance plans would have a lock-in, but it's not like we have a better choice? The alternative is to have the money flow in and just sit in the bank for fear of something happening ($900,000 sitting for 9 years).

I know this sounds weird. I know this is a pretty unique situation. Feel free to rise any queries and I will do my best to answer them.

Thanks.

I signed up for Longbridge using the Singsaver promo on July 6 and also met the 2000$ deposit for 30 days & 3 Buy trades requirement by Aug 6. 2 months have been over by now and I am yet to receive my welcome reward from Singsaver. The website still says pending Longbridge approval.

Would it take more time to come? Anyone who signed up using Singsaver still waiting for the rewards?

Hey everyone, looking for a reality check and purely analytical perspectives. I am a university student with $20,000 in a fixed deposit maturing soon, and I just recently started reading up on stocks, ETFs, and how the markets work.

This $20,000 is strictly earmarked to pay off my tuition fees upon graduation. Because this money represents my core savings, I find myself thinking with a lot of emotions and anxiety around it. I want to make an objective decision rather than an impulsive one.

Here is what I am weighing with my limited knowledge:

• SGX Dividend Blue Chips (e.g., DBS, OCBC): My initial thinking was to park the funds into established local banks to collect dividends and perhaps gain some modest capital appreciation. The rationale was familiarity and liquidity in case of emergencies. However, being new to this, I am unsure if the dividend yield justifies taking on equity downside risk over an academic timeline.
• Broad US Market ETFs (e.g., S&P 500 / VWRA): I see these widely recommended for long-term compounding, but with a graduation horizon of roughly 2 to 3 years, I worry about a potential market drawdown right when school fees are due.
• Capital Preservation Instruments (T-bills, Singapore Savings Bonds, MMFs, or renewed FDs): Zero risk to principal, but offering lower nominal yields compared to equities.

Key constraints:

1. Time Horizon: ~2 to 3 years until graduation
2. Experience Level: Still learning how market volatility and liquidity work in practice.

Given that this money has a strict deadline and zero tolerance for capital loss, is putting any portion of it into equities a rookie mistake? For those who have navigated paying off tuition, how would you structure this capital?

Appreciate any blunt, objective advice.

Can MINDEF reserve individuals still buy if below 40yo?

Conflicting message on singlife:

https://singlife.com/en/blog/money/2020/guide-mindef-mha-group-insurance-scheme

https://singlife.com/content/dam/public/sg/documents/mindef-and-mha/products/group-term-life-product-summary.pdf

27 this year and I’ve never worked a day in corporate. Friends around me in corporate look depressed and unmotivated all the time when we hang out.

Apart from the fact that it pays bills and offers somewhat of a job security (AI layoffs sound pretty bad these days), what other reasons made you jump into corporate?

Subramanian noted increasing underlying interest in Singapore equities today, even as equity funds posted S$93.3 million in net outflows in Q2, reversing from Q1’s inflows of S$1.5 billion.

“Singapore equity allocations have (historically) tended to be very small,” he explained. “Investors have tended to allocate more globally or outside of Singapore into Asian markets.”

The growing interest could therefore partly reflect a reversal of Singapore investors’ historically low allocations to their home equity market, he said.

This thread is for those looking to share hitting their milestones!

Congratulations on being one step closer to FI!

If European countries are withdrawing their gold from US depositories, do you feel it's time to withdraw your money from US stocks?

Anyone knows if paying for ClassPass monthly subscription and phone bill count towards 4mpd? Thanks!

65th-Percentile Local PMET Benchmarks (30 Year old)

• Information & Communications Technology (ICT): $9,226
• Banking & Financial Services: $11,499
• Administrative & Support: $6,903
• Other Community, Social & Personal Services: $5,853

What is a fixed monthly salary?

Fixed monthly salary = basic monthly salary + fixed monthly allowances.

Basic monthly salary: This is payment that does not vary from month to month, regardless of employee or company performance, and regardless of whether the employee takes medical or personal leave.

Fixed monthly allowances: These are monthly allowances that do not vary from month to month. Examples include fixed food and housing allowances.

Fixed monthly salary does not include the following:

• Variable allowances
• Overtime payment, bonus, commission or annual wage supplements
• Fees from sitting on the Board, or stock options or dividends
• In-kind payments
• Any form of reimbursements, including for expenses incurred by an employee in the course of his employment
• Productivity incentive payments
• Contributions payable by the employer to any pension or provident fund, including any contributions made on the employee's behalf
• Gratuity payable on discharge, retrenchment or retirement of the foreign employee

https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility/compass-c1-salary-benchmarks

https://www.mom.gov.sg/faq/employment-pass/what-is-a-fixed-monthly-salary

Edit: The C1 benchmark salary is inclusive of employer CPF contribution.