Would you buy a 50 years bond with only 2.7% interest? Probably not. But when Temasek issues such bonds, they are oversubscribed. I explained before that contrary to many false beliefs, Temasek doesn’t invest CPF’s money, given the good reputation, they have their own way of sourcing for cheap funds. And this is a good […]
Is Singapore Spending Too Much National Reserves?
Are we drawing down the national reserves too fast? With President Halimah’s assent, Singapore is withdrawing another eye-popping $31 billion from its reserves to fund Covid-19 support packages, you may justifiably wonder: “Is there a limit to this?” By now, Singapore has used close to $100 billion from its reserves to fight the “deepest economic crisis […]
The Last Relay – Ivan’s Reflection in January 2020
Every month, I publish an investment note called “Ivan’s Reflection”. The purpose is to document my thoughts process so I can review if they are right and wrong in the future. This creates transparency for my clients and people who are interested in my investment management services. It also forces me to be accountable for my […]
Astrea V Private Equity Bond: Why I am not thrilled about it
The latest buzz in Singapore’s financial market is the launch of Astrea V PE Bond, a retail private equity bond by a Temasek unit. If you have not heard about it, you do not have much to lose. But if you are contemplating to subscribe to it, you should continue to read. Just google “Astrea […]
Investing for Retirement: Why you should not over-rely on REITs investment
Real Estate Investment Trust, a.k.a. REIT, is a popular income-generating investment nowadays. It is also one of the 5 core Income Generating Assets that I recommend for retirement planning. But the risks of investing in REITs are not well understood. In the course of my work, I realize many people have these common misconceptions: I don’t […]
Invest for Retirement: How to Build Resiliency in Volatile Markets
If you are planning for your retirement or financial freedom, you probably start 2019 with a disturbing question after the stock market crash in December 2018. Should you continue to invest or quit? There is no shortage of information on the internet, you probably subscribe to many financial blogs or newspapers. But the information itself […]