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This month is my OCBC 360 top up month. I will be topping up my 360 account from 3k(min balance) last month to 60k. This will enable me to enjoy 2.05% p.a interest for this month for the 57k increment. Here is the break down:
1% from the new top up this month
0.5% from paying three $1 bills
0.5% for spending $500 using Frank credit card
0.05% default base interest
Not bad that's $97.37 of risk free cash that can be used to offset my monthly expenses.
How should one allocate their money one might ask. That's a good question with many different answers. For me personally, I am comfortable with 78% capital guaranteed instruments(including bonds, fix D) the rest into stocks at the current moment. As I age, my allocation proportion might change.
I know that's contrarian to the usual "110 - age = percentage into stocks and rest into bonds" formula. The cookie cutter way is to start with more percentage of stocks and slowly move in favor of bonds as you age. Take more risk when you are young then slowly reduce it as you grow older to prepare for retirement?
My goal is slightly different now because I am self employed and my pay is scalable with effort(not fixed), hence I prefer to grind much harder at work, than to be overly exposed to the whims of the market. I am working towards a 5% growth yoy with my capital guaranteed portion. Even with my stocks, I am geared more towards value investing(very stringently). Yeah I know, I am a turtle investor, but I believe in building a strong cash base foundation first before dabbling into the variables.
Note to self: Dividend from stocks theoretically gives you a zero net return. What it does is to reduce your "exposure" to that stock and to enable a potential to recoup your principal if its dividend policy stays intact.
Hi since you have reached 60K for the OCBC 360 account, what's your plan moving forward? Do you maintain it at 60K or continue injecting funds into the account month on month?
ReplyDeleteNeal
For capital guaranteed investment wise, its good to open additional accts like UOB one and Cimb starsaver. Since reach bank is guaranteed by the governement for 50k. I would transfer 50k to UOB One to get the 2.45% and work my way up for ocbc 360 again. If both your 360 and UOB One acct is maxed out, you can consider putting money in fcl 3.65% 7 year retail bond or cimb starsaver
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