Lessons from Atomic Habits

"Atomic Habits" is a well-written and well-researched book that provides practical and actionable advice for building and maintaining good habits. The author, James Clear, presents the concepts in an easy-to-understand and relatable way. The book is filled with real-life examples and case studies that illustrate the principles outlined in the book.

One of the book's strengths is its emphasis on the power of small, incremental changes in achieving big results. Clear argues that small, atomic habits are more manageable and less daunting than big, sweeping changes. By focusing on small habits, readers can gradually improve their lives without feeling overwhelmed.

The book also provides a comprehensive system for building and maintaining good habits. Clear lays out a four-step process for creating new habits and breaking old ones: cue, craving, response, and reward. This system is easy to understand and provides a clear roadmap for readers to follow.

Clear also offers practical tips and strategies for making habits more attractive, such as using rewards and making habits easy to start. This is a key point, as it's easier to stick to habits when they are enjoyable or rewarding, and that makes the book more actionable

One of the book's limitations is that it doesn't delve deeply into the psychological and neuroscience behind habits. While the book provides a lot of practical advice, it doesn't delve into the underlying science of why habits form and how they can be changed.

In conclusion, "Atomic Habits" is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build and maintain good habits. The book is well-written, easy to understand, and provides a comprehensive system for creating and breaking habits. While it doesn't delve deeply into the science behind habits, it offers a lot of practical advice and strategies for making changes in your life.

Lessons from Richest Man in Babylon

"The Richest Man in Babylon" is a collection of short stories written by George S. Clason. The stories are set in ancient Babylon and are told in a parable-like format. They are designed to teach readers about the principles of personal finance and wealth-building. The titular character, Arkad, is considered to be the richest man in Babylon and is held up as a model of financial success.

One of the key messages in "The Richest Man in Babylon" is the importance of saving and investing. Arkad learned early in his life that "a part of all he earned was his to keep." He saved one-tenth of his earnings and invested it wisely, allowing his wealth to grow over time. This message is still relevant today, as many people struggle with saving and investing for the future. By setting aside a portion of their income and investing it wisely, people can build wealth over time and achieve financial freedom.

Another important principle in "The Richest Man in Babylon" is the importance of living below one's means. Arkad was able to accumulate wealth because he lived a simple and frugal lifestyle. He avoided unnecessary expenses and focused on building his wealth, rather than spending it on frivolous things. This is an important lesson for people today, as the culture of consumerism often leads to people spending beyond their means and getting into debt. By living below one's means, people can save more money and invest it for the future.

The book also emphasizes the importance of education when it comes to money and finance. Arkad was not born into wealth, but he was able to acquire it through hard work and learning about money and investing. He sought out the advice of wise men who had already achieved financial success and applied their wisdom to his own life. This is a valuable message for readers, as many people are not taught about personal finance in school. By seeking out knowledge and taking the time to learn about money and investing, people can empower themselves to achieve financial success.

Finally, the book encourages readers to take action towards achieving their financial goals. Arkad did not just sit around and wish for wealth, he took action and worked hard to achieve it. The book encourages readers to set financial goals and take the necessary steps to reach them. This includes creating a budget, saving and investing money, and seeking out education and advice from those who have already achieved financial success.

In conclusion, "The Richest Man in Babylon" is a timeless classic that teaches valuable lessons about personal finance and wealth-building. The book's messages of saving, investing, living below one's means, and education are just as relevant today as they were when the book was first written. By following the principles outlined in the book, readers can empower themselves to achieve financial success and build the life they desire.

Singapore Savings Bond - November 2022

Applied for another 10k of Singapore Savings Bond.  The 3.47% yield was just too tempting to ignore.  What other instrument can give this yield over 10 years?  

Most other products like fixed deposit probably cannot compare with the yield and liquidity of the SSB.

Assuming one has 200k in SSB, you can expect around 6-7k in interest income every year based on a yield of 3-3.5%.

That is a reasonable sum for passive income paid out twice yearly.  And it is CAPITAL GUARANTEED. 

Twitter Begins Laying Off Employees

After Elon Musk completed his purchase of Twitter for US$44 billion,  a round of layoffs have begun.

This was after most of the C-suite executives have been let go in earlier weeks. 

A New Delhi-based Twitter employee has said her entire team has been fired. 

Multiple sources have indicated that 180 of its 230 odd employees have been terminated.  The few remaining survivors worked mainly on government engagement and critical maintenance operations. 

Employees who were let go found that their access to work emails had been revoked.  Most employees were expecting some notice period even though they were aware of rumours in the past few weeks. 

In Singapore, Twitter employees have also been let go though it is not known how many employees were laid off. 

A search on LinkedIn shows that Twiiter is still hiring though

It was reported that Elon Musk had earlier indicated that he intends to cut 3,700 jobs (half of Twitter's global workforce) in a bid to drive down costs. 

In the US, a class- action lawsuit has been filed by workers in San Francisco's federal Court who said they were not given enough notice. 

Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter is not without controversy. After he took over the company,  the CEO, finance chief and senior legal executives were all let go.

Musk has taken on the role of interim CEO and has also brought in Tesla employees to help run the company. 

As Twitter has been taken private,  its stock has already stopped trading on New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Shareholders will be paid US$54.20 for their shares. Existing shareholders will not need to do anything as their brokers will handle all the necessary. 

Twitter has been listed since 2013. 

The Wire-Meta Fiasco

What is truth?

Tough to answer that. Where does journalistic creativity end and falsehoods begin?

India was shook when an online news portal reported that Amit Malviya (BJP IT cell head) was granted amazing powers by Meta to take down any social media post without any questions asked. 

"The company has given Malviya two levels of privileges – he can post as he likes, without the rules governing the platform applying to him, and he can impose his will as he pleases to have posts critical of the BJP, the Union government, or right-wing Hindu politics, deleted.”, The Wire’s story had alleged.

Meta executives called out the bluff in response. 

After questions were raised followed by public outcry,  the online leftist news portal purportedly even produced inside letters proving or alluding that there was some truth in their earlier reports.  

Of course, all this was proven false and the news articles were taken down. 

It was reported that: "In its apology on October 27, the Wire acknowledged that the “internal editorial processes which preceded publication of these stories did not meet the standards that the Wire sets for itself and its readers expect from it.” However, it did not issue an apology to Malviya or Meta. Two days later, Malviya filed a case against the Wire for cheating, forgery, criminal defamation and criminal conspiracy. "

And then,  there were news that police has raided the offices of Wire.

Bad day for journalism in India.

 “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”

Mark Cuban - "Live like a Student"

Mark Cuban and his Broadcast.com founders sold their company to Yahoo for $5.7 billion in 1999.

But he did not upgrade his lifestyle.

He said the wisest advice he got was to "live like a student".

So he kept his house,  car and furniture. 

The only thing he splurged on was a private jet (a Gulfstream V business jet) for $40 million.  And the reason for doing so was because he valued time as the most important asset and this bought him time. 

Mark Cuban is an American entrepreneur who has a networth of $4.5 billion according to Forbes.

He has also been expanding his investments in the blockchain space. In 2021, it was reported that he invested in Indian crypto firm Polygon(MATIC). Sandeep Nailwal is the co-founder of Polygon.

Was reading one of my old post: 

I know that my financial freedom goal is to achieve a passive income of $2800 per month by the year 2022 (FUTURE). NOW, I am achieving slightly above $200 per month in passive income.
Since now is the year 2009, I have set the goal of achieving $400 per month in passive income by the end of this year. How I set out to achieve this goal is to reduce my expenditure and increase my sources of passive income.

 

2022 is here already!! Can't believe it has been 13 years since I wrote that post. 

Have I achieved what I set out to do? Stay tuned to find out more. 

Bank Savings Account Interest Rates and Singapore Savings Bond

The interest rates for the flagship savings account of the 3 local banks have gone up.  As of 1 November 2022, the interest rates are as follows:

UOB One Account- 3.6%

DBS Multiplier Account- 4.1% 

OCBC 360 - 4.65%

Meanwhile, Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) 10 year average interest rate of the December tranche  = 3.47%

Which one is more attractive?

I think the SSBs are a good long term holding.  While the interest rate seems less,  you don't really have to jump through any hoops or fulfill any spend/save/salary kind of criteria to earn the higher interest rates. 

Given how the SSBs were oversubscribed in the last tranche,  I think I will opt for a 10k sum for this tranche.