Cache - Not Data Storage but a Logistics Trust

Yup, not talking about the computing term for data storage but is about the new stock in my portfolio; Cache Logistics Trust. Welcome to the family!

Before I went for my holidays, I had tried to queue for it for a number of times at S$1.15 pricing but was not successful. Last week, while doing my usual 'morning business', I happened to login to my trading account and saw that the pricing was below that, so I just queue for 3 lots then and got filled in the afternoon I think, so I got a better deal than I initially wanted. And yes, it is not the first time I did my trading entries while in the restroom, hahaha...

Well, don't ask me why I choose to invest in them, I'm not in any position to give advice on such matter. I buy stocks based on my limited trading knowledge, on my personal feel or experience with them which can varies from logical to non-logical thinking. Anyway it's my own money, I'm responsible for it myself. Everyone should be responsible for theirs too. Read before that some even blame some bloggers just because they follow blindly on what those bloggers bought and shared in their blogs. Come on, if you earn some money, do you share part of it with them? If not then don't blame them if you lose money just because you are not doing your own homework before parting with your money. So please don't follow what I'm buying, there are many more professional guides out there that can help you better than reading my blog content. Reason why I have to say this is I received an email asking me for reasons why I bought one of my share that I posted previously. Seriously, I didn't expect that anyone will really ask me that! As if I'm some expert! No please, I'm just a nobody and who knows, all these info about my portfolio might be fake? You never know and should never just believe anything you read on the internet blindly.

You can believe that's the man and that's what the man really said?

Picture Credit: http://www.woosk.com/

Having said that, let's go back to the main topic. Below is my latest stock portfolio with the latest additional to the list:

Stock	Lots	% of Portfolio
OCBC Bank	1	21.39%
Keppel Infrastructure Trust	4	9.37%
Starhub	1	9.12%
Mapletree GCC Trust	4	8.34%
ST Engineering	1	8.09%
Cambridge Industrial Trust	5	7.95%
Singtel	1	7.94%
Cache Logistics Trust	3	7.71%
Sheng Siong	5	7.28%
SATS	1	6.93%
Hong Leong Finance	1	5.88%

Total invested capital is S$44,705.65.

Think that should be the final list for this year closing. Holiday mood now, as usual very quiet atmosphere in the office with people clearing leaves. Best time to be in the office as not much activities going on and not many people to disturb me.

So if you are still reading till now, I wish you a very happy holiday ahead. Merry Christmas! May your Christmas present be this:

Money Money Money!

Picture Credit: http://trisystem.info/

But the money could be fake! :P

Picture Credit: http://www.bootic.com

End November 2014 Updates

Was travelling around for a bit for the past few weeks and have not been actively checking on my stock portfolio performance. While travelling, I do not have data roaming or even bother to buy oversea data sim card. As long as I can be contactable via normal phone call, I'm fine with it. I'm not one who like to 'report' where I am in Facebook unlike my other friends. Finding a free wi-fi spot is like striking lottery to them! Some may said it is useful to have internet connection to get around but I still prefer the way of using map and asking around for direction. Anyway we can pre-load the maps in our cell phones now, so no excuse.

I have cut down a lot on time spend looking at my phone or tablet in recent months. We can easily see people sitting together but each of them fully engaged with their hand held devices, even with couples on dates. Most of them were viewing their Facebook instead of facing their friends who are physically there in front of them. When out with my close friends, we often reminded each other to stop this 'bad' habit of taking phones out and play with it during our gathering. To me, it is also a show of respect to those with us. Hence I cannot understand why some parents would allow their children to play with their phones or worst, to plug in ear pieces during their mealtime, a common thing to spot when I am out for dinner. It is a strict no for my family during mealtime.

Anyway, enough of that, back to my stock portfolio; no change since the last update. On a look out for more stocks to add on and works towards a 50k portfolio. Also from January next year, we can buy at smaller lot size, great news! Even greater news is end of year, holidays season, AWS payment! More cash coming in! Haha...

Below is my latest stock portfolio, no change:

Stock	Lots	% of Portfolio
OCBC Bank	1	23.18%
Keppel Infrastructure Trust	4	10.15%
Starhub	1	9.89%
Mapletree GCC Trust	4	9.04%
ST Engineering	1	8.77%
Cambridge Industrial Trust	5	8.61%
Singtel	1	8.60%
Sheng Siong	5	7.88%
SATS	1	7.51%
Hong Leong Finance	1	6.37%

Total invested capital is S$41,257.43.

Total current value is S$42,370.00 based on the closing price on the last day of November, 2.7% gain.

Dividend collect in November is S$50 from Starhub.

So happy holidays to everyone! May the next year be a better year!

Keppel Infrastructure Trust Updates

Bought this stock only recently and now it is combing with CitySpring Infrastructure Trust and acquiring 51% stake in Keppel Merlimau Cogen; "Each KIT unitholder will receive 2.106 new CIT units for every KIT unit held.".

Something new to me! Let's wait and see.

Another Stock To My Stock Portfolio

Just moments before the power supply issues halted the trading markets on last Wednesday, my queue for Keppel Infrastructure Trust was finally filled, an investment in "energy and environmental infrastructure assets".

Below is my latest stock portfolio:

Stock	Lots	% of Portfolio
OCBC Bank	1	23.18%
Keppel Infrastructure Trust	4	10.15%
Starhub	1	9.89%
Mapletree GCC Trust	4	9.04%
ST Engineering	1	8.77%
Cambridge Industrial Trust	5	8.61%
Singtel	1	8.60%
Sheng Siong	5	7.88%
SATS	1	7.51%
Hong Leong Finance	1	6.37%

Total invested capital is S$41,257.43.

I have included the commission paid for all stock purchases in my invested capital amount to have a more accurate yield calculation since the commission is also a cost to me.

With this new stock joining, my estimated dividend yield percentage of these stocks works out to be about 5.11%.

End October 2014 Updates

The first month of my blog that tracks the growth of my stock portfolio has passed and this is the first monthly update. Two newcomers to my portfolio in last few days of October; Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust & Hong Leong Finance Limited.

I have also traded OCBC and with the profit gained, part of it is used to bring down the cost of this stock in my portfolio. I track the amount of money used in my short term trading and long term stock holding separately.

So, here is my latest stock portfolio as of 31st October 2014:

Stock	Lots	% of Portfolio
OCBC Bank	1	25.80%
Starhub	1	11.00%
Mapletree GCC Trust	4	10.06%
ST Engineering	1	9.76%
Cambridge Industrial Trust	5	9.59%
Singtel	1	9.57%
Sheng Siong	5	8.78%
SATS	1	8.36%
Hong Leong Finance	1	7.09%

Total invested capital is S$36,810.

Based on the closing price on the last day of October, the unrealized P/L of my portfolio is $1,045, which is about 2.8% gain, without taking into account the commission.

I did an estimation of the dividend yield percentage of these stocks based on past record and it works out to be about 4.82%, partly because OCBC dividend yield is not high, the lowest in the list, and itself alone is already one quarter of my portfolio. Hopefully I can further push up the overall dividend yield to near 6% in coming months with more different stocks joining in.

Is 4.82% acceptable to you?

Money Management

We are not really taught on how to manage our money in school when young, at least for me. We only listen to stories that teach us not to waste money or to spend our money wisely but exactly how to manage our money well is not shared with us.

I feel that it is important for everyone to have such knowledge before we start to work. For me when I graduated, such term as money management does not even cross my mind. I only know that I need to save money, how much is sufficient I also don't know or can't be bothered. How I spend my income then was a portion for my parents, then some for paying bills and then only towards the end of the month, whatever balance left will be my saving. And yes, most of the time, nothing was left. It got worst after getting my first few credit cards, I lost track of my spending and in some months, outgoing was higher than incoming.

Still happening to me sometime as I cap my monthly spending

Picture Credit: http://www.factum.lt/

Of coz with some reading up of such knowledge on internet, one should know not to live in such way. We should set aside the saving first even before we spend; spend what is left after saving and not save what is left after spending, a common advice that you will come across. But I don't remember anyone sharing this simple logic with me before. Maybe the schools should start educating student on this matter, or it is already in place now? I  think this matter does not really cross many student minds during their school days. I am luckily that I don't really worried about money then. Thinking back, I should have even manage my allowance better during my school days!

Teach them young!

Picture Credit: http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/

I am happy to read some blogs that are written by younger one that share how they start their investing early in their life. Below are two examples that I have been following for quite sometime:

http://teenageinvesting.blogspot.sg/

http://sgyounginvestment.blogspot.sg/

Everyone should spend some time reading up on money management, there are many useful materials on the net for us to refer to. Learn to manage it well. Money is not the most important but it is essential. Be content with what we have too although it doesn't mean we should stop aiming for higher living standard, just that we shouldn't go and enjoy the lifestyle that we want before we can even afford it. Looking at how some younger working adults that I got to know, spend their money on the stuff, I am worried for them when I get to know more about their background; clearly some are spending beyond their mean or thinking that their monthly income will never be cut off, a dangerous thought. One should never assume their job is secured even if it appears so. Even now, sometime I can be broke and waiting for my next pay check but that's because I have force myself not to touch my saving at all. Money put aside as saving or investment to me is like money gone, can't spend on other stuff.

Well, that's me. Everyone is different, so one should find a way of managing their money well that he or she is comfortable with. Don't take things for granted.

Picture Credit: http://www.triua.com/108/10-important-tips-for-money-management.html

Min S$50 Withdrawal POSB ATM Disappearing?

Did you notice that those POSB ATM that used to only disperse S$50 notes are disappearing? Recently I notice at least 2 known such ATM having the sign removed, allowing us to withdraw S$10 notes too. It's a good move, POSB!

Picture credit: https://twitter.com/kennyhwx/status/484311713588584448

Previously there are quite a number of complaints on this restriction; to me it is not really a problem but I do like to withdraw S$40 instead of S$50 as I like to have S$10 notes which is more user friendly. You will not get black face from stall owners when you try to pay for a S$1.20 popiah with a S$50 note for an example.

Google results show that this was already in place for some ATM since 2 years back:

http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120413-339606.html

Sometimes I find it weird that such S$50 notes only ATM is located at heartland areas, just like the one I went to moment ago; it is beside a NTUC in a small HDB neighbourhood shop houses area. I do not think there are many people who would withdraw large amount of money from this ATM at this location. Can't remember when it was converted but the queue was long before that and after having this restriction in place, the queue was gone; something good for those who hate queuing but inconvenient for me sometime when I need to withdraw money to buy stuff at that area but face the problem of having only a S$50 note and using it to pay for items less than S$5, paiseh for passing the inconvenience to others.

Glad that POSB is taking note of the feedback from the public and remove this restriction for those few ATM I saw. Not sure if they did any update to customers about this change as I feel that they should do it which will be a good publicity for them, showing that they value customers' feedback. I find that in Singapore, we tend not to admit that sometimes we are wrong and we revert back after that. We will find some other excuses to explain for the reverting action instead of just simply admit that what we did is not as good as what we thought, maybe face is more important?

Did You Enter the Market?

The SG stock market was down quite a bit last week. Stocks that I purchased few days were cheaper then, quite sad looking at it, haha but it only bother me for that few seconds when I login to my account. One should always remember, you won't know when is the lowest point in the price trend, you can never really guess it.

To me, as long as the price is right, I will just enter the market. Since I am holding to the stock for longer term, I should not be worried too much about the short term trend. Usually I look at longer trend, minimum 6 months to maybe maximum of 3 years. Who don't like to buy lowest and sell highest, right? 

If the price keep going down, I will just hold on, it will just be paper loss for that moment. As long as you don't sell it, no loss, until you really need the money, then it is another story. Hence, one must always use the money that is spare, i.e. you foresee that you won't need to use the money for at least 3 years or more.

Of course nothing is guarantee safe, we still have to cut loss if necessary. Sometime really no point holding on to false hope, just have to cut it off and put your money into other better options. You may be right or wrong, but there are always many other opportunities out there for you, why so stubborn and keep insisting that you can't be wrong?

Well, it is easier to say then to execute it. Emotion is the most difficult thing to handle in trading. One has to learn to handle it well, really well, it takes experiences I think, at least for my case. I have to learn not to be affected by the price movement, it is hard but we just have to overcome it, it's part of the game. One day the price goes up, you feel rich looking at the positive percentage, feeling smart and just want to kiss yourself for a job well done. But the next day, the figure turns opposite way and red number appears. You feel like the whole world is against you, you hate them so you just cut the loss and close the position. And you know what? Immediately when you close it, the market turn right up and bull charge like nobody business! And you can only watch the price goes up and up leaving you behind, haha, you start to ask yourself, why me!

I know that feeling...

Why me!

Picture credit: http://www.rediff.com/

That's what happened to me last time, mainly because I was playing with money that I can't really afford to lose. Hence the pressure is there when I see red figures, pressure to cut loss, pressure to take profit early, too early in many cases, fearing that the profit will be gone again like in many previous cases. Therefore, loss is big while profit is small, net net huge negative figures.

I still look to trade some stocks on short term basis but has a plan in place before I even enter a buy price for it, plan as in what price to enter, when to exit for either a profit or loss, whichever the direction the price goes to. With a plan already in place, it helps to keep my emotional in check. I just have to stick to my plan no matter what, to a stage whereby sometimes I even don't bother to check the price on regularly basis. Currently I tried to login to my account daily to keep myself updated but sometimes I was really busy with my other stuff. There was once that I was busy for few days and I only remembered that I still have a trade pending till I received an email notification that it was closed, and closed with a profit, make my day!

Anyway I am not going to depend on trading to make my millions, something that I thought I could many years back, it looks like easy money then. I think by putting a bit more effort in my job, the return is so much better, haha. Without the proper knowledge plus that fact that I am lazy to go read up myself to gain additional knowledge or skills, I think I will just keep it simple; buy and hold stocks for dividends or sell them if the price has reach a target that I think is time to let go. It will be like a saving but with a higher interest rate than normal saving account, unless we get to see fixed deposit interest of 5% again like in many donkey years back.

So I shall continue to ensure my monthly pay goes up, save large portion of it because you never know when the monthly pay will stop, put the saving into normal saving account, fixed deposit and build up my stock portfolio etc. Also if the property price is right in the future, may consider getting another one to get rental income, another way to get passive income. Always be prepared for the worst and always be prepared to downgrade if necessary, don't hold on to it if it starts to get beyond our means. Remember we can't bring everything with us when we reach our expiry date. Enjoy while we can!

Picture credit: http://www.theglobalbutterfly.com/passive-income/

Newcomers To My Stocks Portfolio

Added 3 more stocks to my portfolio as their prices reached my target buy price; Cambridge, ST Engineering & Sheng Siong from my watch list.

Stock	Lots	% of Portfolio
OCBC Bank	1	31.53%
Starhub	1	13.22%
ST Engineering	1	11.72%
Cambridge Industrial Trust	5	11.50%
Singtel	1	11.49%
Sheng Siong	5	10.53%
SATS	1	10.02%

Total invested capital is S$30,640.

The additional fund directed to my stocks portfolio will be from my fixed deposit that will be matured in 2-3 weeks time; a 6-month SGD Fixed Deposit of S$10,000 (maximum) with POSB at 1.38% p.a. (Fixed Deposit 2014 Labour Day Promotion), better than leaving the money in my saving account. So fast the 6 months period is ending, what have you done during this period?