Debt Free!

So I sat down and worked out the numbers.  Added up all my cash and liquid assets (i.e. stocks & unit trusts).  Looking at the number,  I suddenly realised its meaning.  The number I was looking at was larger than the outstanding loans and debts that I have.  In other words, if I were to liquidate all my shareholdings today and add that to the cash that is sitting around in the family's bank accounts, I will have sufficient money to pay off all my debts (e.g. housing loan, etc) right here, right now, with some cash left to spare.  That means I can become debt free!!!!  

This was perhaps never really a surprise to me.  I sort of knew that God had blessed me with many good things.  For one, I have enjoyed good health in my adult working life and was able to work almost continuously despite some job switches here and there.  I am also a saver as I do not spend on unnecessary things.  I eat at restaurants and stuff.  But that is about all that I spend on.  In my early years, I also managed to save quite a fair bit of money.  God also has blessed me with some positive returns on my investments. So I sort of knew that I would become debt free much earlier than most people.

And yet, the realisation that I can be debt free does not necessarily mean that I want to be debt free right now.  Having the money to pay off all my debts does not mean that I should go ahead and do so.  After all, interest rates are very low here in Singapore.  But then again, there is this difference between bad debt and good debt.

So the decision has come. Should I pay off all my loans and become debt free?  Or should I continue to hold on to my debt and carry on investing?  Decisions, decisions...


Anyway, to celebrate the occasion, I open a bottle of Hoegaarden (which reads original belgian wheat beer) to celebrate.  And the next thing I do is to log into blogger to type this post and schedule it for publishing.

Straits Times Index (STI) hits 5 Year High

So the Straits Times Index (STI) has hit its 5 year high of 3,301 points. Of course, it still has not reached its peak in Oct 2007 of 3,805 points. Will we even see such dizzying heights for the Singapore stock market again.

Well, nobody really knows the answer for sure.  But with the US debt ceiling, Euro crisis and all other things that can happen along the way, one should continue to remain nimble.

A good question to ask yourself is this:  How much more gains can you make in this bull run?

Sold Thakral and Saizen

After giving some thought, I decided to sell off my holdings in Thakral and Saizen.  I bought these together with Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust back in November 2012.  You can see that posting I did here.

These are my entry prices and exit prices for the 3 stocks:

1.  Saizen (Entry=S$0.173; Exit = S$0.191)
2. Thakral Corp (Entry=S$0.03; Exist = S$0.035)
3. LMIR (Entry = $0.475; Exit = S$0.525)

There is really nothing to boast about my entry and exit prices.  I am not a good market timer but generally, when the stock market goes up, almost every single stock goes up.  So there is really nothing spectacular about my returns.  

I know some of my previous posts about Thakral and Saizen might have been misleading as I was actually still thinking of loading up some more stocks yesterday and had written the posts earlier but scheduled it to be posted much later.  However, after re-assessing my overall portfolio, I decided to liquidate more of my shareholdings so as to buffer up my cash position.

If you read my posting about "Bull Market or Prepare for Bear" as well as watched the video on Jeffrey Gundlach's market outlook, you will probably understand my rationale for selling.  As they say, "Cash is King".

Saizen REIT - Dividends Declared But What Lies Ahead

So Saizen REIT has declared a half yearly distribution of 0.66 cents.  Based on its share price of 19 cents, it gives a pretty good yield of close to 7%.  Yes, this is a pretty high yield compared to other REITs listed on the Singapore stock exchange.  You probably can't find yields like those in the US stock market too unless they are mortgage REITs.

Anyway, if you read one of my previous posts, you should know that Saizen is on my watchlist.  (Okay, it is actually already in my stock portfolio but I am watching it to see if I should buy more).

Found this good video on Saizen.  Any investor who wants to invest in Saizen should watch this video first as it gives a good overview of Saizen and its business and also explains why it probably trades at a discount to its net asset value.  Here Mark Laudi interviews Raymond Wong (Executive Director at Saizen REIT).  He asks him some tough questions that any investor should be asking.

Let me know what you all think about Saizen REIT..

Amy Winehouse - I'm No Good

I love this live version of I'm No Good that was sung by the late Amy Winehouse.  Really has soul and there is something about her that makes her different from other singers.  She is perhaps a true blue entertainer.

Unfortunately, her life ended while she was probably at the peak (or what could have possibly been the peak) of her career.  If not for her dabbling in drugs.  The video below is a sad reminder:  If only she had gone to rehab.

Thakral Corporation Chart

I have bought and sold Thakral at various times since I started investing.  Few months back, I entered into Thakral at S$0.03.  Now that the price has risen to S$0.035, perhaps it is time for me to take profit?  Including the dividends that were paid out, it is a tidy sum of money.

Outlook for 2013: Recap and Stock Take

This is a look at the various stocks that were previous listed in one of my previous postings on investment outlook and stock picks for 2013.

Most of the stocks have risen except for CMT, City Developments and UOB.

	Closing Price on 31 Dec 2012	Closing Price on 8 Feb 2013
Biosensors	$1.205	$1.330
CMT	$2.130	$2.130
CMA	$1.940	$2.100
City Developments	$12.870	$11.460
DBS	$14.840	$14.980
Ezion Holdings	$1.690	$1.805
Keppel Corp	$11.000	$11.530
M1	$2.710	$2.740
SembCorp Marine	$4.600	$4.670
Starhill Global REIT	$0.785	$0.850
UOB	$19.810	$19.040
Venture Corp	$8.060	$8.480
Capitaland	$3.700	$3.860
SIA Engineering Company	$4.390	$4.740
Pan United	$0.775	$0.975