Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

We renew our tenancy contract with our tenants for another year. The rental was revised to $2,200 starting in April. Just a little bit more to cover the rising inflation. Actually, base on the statistics ours rental is much below the benchmark, but we are not so dependent on rental income anyway. 

Dividend income gets a good boast amounted $6,936.90. This brings a nice end to the 1st quarter of the year 2024 with total amount of $15,696.66, that is an average of about $5050 each month. Not bad, hopefully this can keep up. 

Nothing much happening in the market. Cash holdings gets a good boast. People talking about a possible recession coming in this year. Well, let's see how it goes.  

 

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

Nothing much happening for the Chinese New Year period, except some adjustment to my plans to maintain a healthier lifestyle. The dividend income amounted to $1,536.74, a slow start for the year. The total passive income for the month of February amounted to $3,613.37, which is still more than our monthly expenses. So far so good....

Again no changes to existing portfolio, cash holdings continue to grow as I wait for the opportunity. Slow...........

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

A rather busy month and an important month. I finally cleared my housing loan. Now, I am debt-less. Ah.......the feeling......

January is a cold month, dividend income amounted to only $141.99. Well, passive income mostly boast by rental and other investment income. This brings the passive income received in January to a total amount of $3074.62. Just enough to cover the household expenses.

Sold off some stuffs. So the war chest gets some boast. If recession comes, this may present an opportunity for some purchase. So, we wait.

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

I got stuck down with Covid. Suffered nearly 2 weeks. Luckily it was not serious and I managed recover before Christmas.  :(

The year 2023 ended with good returns. The dividend for the month of December amounted to $5,466.65. This added with the rest total up to $7,590.26. Expenses however shot up to 3k plus, bought some new furniture and........added up medical bills. :(.

This brings the total passive income for 4th quarter amounted to $15,138.28. That's about average 5k per month. Hmm not too bad.

Portfolio remains unchanged. Nothing much happening in the market. Boring................

Year-end resolution – Preparation to start my next journey

 

The worldly affairs are not good. Wars and natural disaster. Earth seems to be facing a crisis. And it is frightening just to think about it. All we need is just one idiot to press the button to unleash nuclear war and the world we know now shall disappear. We all now stand on the brink of human extinction. 

Another year ending. A rather unhealthy year for me, many medical issues, guess that is part of aging journey. The health concern once more reminds me of the limits of mortality. How much time left for me to pursue the path I wanted to take before my life ends?

So, where do I stand now?

After reviewing my portfolio for the year 2023, it turns out to be better than I have predicated. I have carried out some adjustment to my portfolio many months back to consolidate my holdings, the aims are to establish a more sustainable portfolio which will provide a consistent return for long term. Not an easy choice, I took some losses and let go under-performed counters and diverted some to better performance counters. So, why do I suddenly decide to make such changes?

This year form my next resolution as I started to carry out preparations to exit the rat race. Yes, after almost 30 years in the employment sector I am considering leaving the workforce and start pursue my own life. There are many things I wish to do and accomplish. The limits of mortality remind me that I may not have enough time to finish the things I wanted to accomplish. This is exactly the motivation that pushed me to achieve financial independence. Now that I am coming to 50, soon I will be half a century old in this world.

So, how do I make my preparations?

 Apart from consolidating my portfolio, there are several things I need to prepare as well.

Firstly, the housing loan which had eating away my CPF are finally coming to an end. By January 2024, I will be able to clear my housing loan. That means I shall be debtless. Aye! No more debts!

Second – build up a strong reserve army. While the portfolio generates my income, my reserve army will fight any unforeseen events.

Third - Make sure I have enough insurance coverage. While I do have coverage, my family must rely on the basic MediShield for their health coverage. So, that means I would need to build up a strong reserve army. 

Fourth - Capped my CPF Saving account which will form part of my retirement funds in future.

Fifth – Plan my next 10 years journey. This is important. I have witnessed retirees after retiring from their employment suddenly find themselves nothing to do in their life, and they started to get sick from inaction. The truth is they have dedicated their life in a non-stop cycle of working life, but never have much goals for themselves. I shall not be in that situation. Naturally, I would not be staying home and play games, that is not healthy. LOL.

Still, after 30 years in the employment world. It is kind of scary to think about it, leaving a system that has been consistently paying me by trading my time for it. The decision is not easy to make, likely I can expect to face some criticism from conservative people for making such drastic move. And I know very well it will not be easy to start over in a new employment at my current age should things turns ugly, especially in Singapore.

There is an old saying ‘Fortune favors the brave ones who face the unknown,’ I wonder will I have the courage for it when the time comes. Well, let us see how it goes.

Happy NEW YEAR!!!

 

Christmas Orchard 2023

Massive crowd for this year. This year feature a new change. They closed part of Orchard Road and host a carnival and a performance stage.  

 

 

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

Ah,,,,,still not feeling well. A long recovery journey. :(. Well, nothing much I can say about it.

Dividend income amount to $991.45. Not much for the month of November. Rental income still helps maintain consistent monthly income.

Some changes in portfolio, market slide down for a bit and I took this opportunity to acquire some position in some stocks. This is a part of my plan to consolidate my portfolio to lessen my exposure to the Reits market.

 
 

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

OMG!! I have been sick for the entire month. Medical bills eating into my pockets and drain like water. Not good!!!! I hope it does not escalate into something major. :(.

The month of October was a cold month for dividend income amounted to $418.85. But I had positioned other sources as before to boast my monthly passive income. This in addition of the rental income brings the total passive income to $4,482.17. 

My approach is always focus on building sustainable income for long term. One way is I avoid putting everything into one basket, diversified into multiple platforms to generate different sources of income. With the world now in uncertainty, recession seem looming ahead. I intent to remain caution and continue to build my war chest. 

Portfolio remain unchanged. Although the STI Index has fallen by 300 points, much of my targeted counters remain strong. So, I guess it is still not time yet. Not yet! So.....i wait.... lol.

 

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

Tough month. Suddenly fall sick toward the end of month, mess up some of my plannings. Ouch!

Another big dividend month, total payout for the month of September was $5,786.76. This brings the total passive income for the 3rd quarter of the month to a total amount of $21,199.57. This is much more than my projected amount. Rising costs is still a major concerns, our household continue to learn to manage our expenses. 

 

The portfolio remains unchanged. But something unexpected happened. For the first time since I started building my portfolio, the dividend portfolio slide into negative value. As expected, majority of the value losses came from the REIT sector. This is what happens if the portfolio is overly exposed to certain sector. Some 50% of my portfolio were in REIT, so it took a huge punch from the market downturn. 

So, should I be panic? Nope. This is expected in the high interests environment. I have been looking for opportunities to divert more into blue chips counter and others for more stability. So, the works goes on.

Monthly Financial Updates

This monthly report does not include any salaried income. The basis for this monthly financial review is to gauge the sustainability status of my financial independence based on the total amount of passive income received.

A very busy month, takes a long time to crawl through. Why am I suddenly so busy? LOL.

Well, this month the dividend income was a big ones, total amount is $6,031.23. The banks gives out a bigger pies this year, added with Singtel Singapore biggest telecom giving out special bonus this year. A fat month, wish every month is like this. 

Rental income remains stable. This bring the month of August total passive to $8,426.63. That's 3 times more than our monthly expenses. Pretty................ well  hope this can maintain for long term. 

Inflation, consumers' goods and supplies continue to climb in Singapore. Many people complaining about the rising expenses, especially those with families and other forms of commitments. Those sandwiches class got the worse to handle since they are the group of people in the middle of nowhere. 

To be honest, it is something to be expected. The human history has been a long journey of repeating cycles, no generation has ever been spared of facing problems of their time. We are now in sort of transition stage, the old systems and order started to become overloaded and difficulties to handle new challenges. The question now is how will the existing established order handle the changing time. 

In my views, rather than expect the others to do for me, I rather do it myself to find a way through. There are no such things as goodies gives to us on a silver tray, not to ordinary people anyway. It is our life, if we cannot find a way out, no one will.

Portfolio remains unchanged with cash holdings continue to build up. Boring isn't it? The waiting game is always boring when nothing interesting is happening.