StashAway Report Mar 2021

I think time finds its way to pass really quickly. It’s already April and that means the first quarter of 2021 is officially over. The Mrs and I took a timely break to recharge in March and we are charging ahead in April. Have been using some of my free time to plan out what to write and what might be helpful or interesting to readers. If you have any ideas on what you would like to see, drop me a comment! 

We have diligently continued our DCA strategy with StashAway as it continues to provide us with better returns than just parking this money in our savings account. We have also been DIY on some US ETFs and counters but I will update that in another post some other time. StashAway continues to have decent returns for us albeit unrealised as we have not cashed out anything. 

I have been using StashAway since 2017 but the contribution has been on and off then. More recently, we have made it a critical component of our portfolio as it provides us exposure to the overseas market. We have 5 portfolios across 2 accounts as we like to set different goals with different timelines.

Statement as of 31 Mar 2021:

Our portfolio thus far is valued at $16,301.23. I suspect that there might be some downward movement in the US market. 

If you are interested in getting started with StashAway, you can check out my link here to sign up. We both get up to $10,000 SGD managed for free for 6 months. Win-win! 

Share with me your thoughts and comments on if you have robo-advisors as part of your portfolio! Stay safe everyone!

On a separate note, I have started a YouTube Channel showcasing my hobbies. If you are interested, you can watch my latest video here! Any feedback, subscriptions or comments is deeply appreciated!

My YouTube Channel: LINK HERE!

My Instagram: LINK HERE!

SG FI Dad, out.

Our One Year Journey as Parents

For most, 2020 was a year when the world turned upside down. LITERALLY. This was mainly contributed by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, volatility in the market, economy and job security. For the Mrs and I, 2020 was the year we welcomed our LO into the world. One of my close friends even joked that she was a Circuit Breaker (CB) baby. I think Singaporeans will get that pun. Time has flown so quickly that our resume now also reads ‘One year experience in parenting’. 

Babies really grow very quickly. Our LO constantly looked different as the weeks went by and she was always hitting new developmental milestones. Our optimistic takeaway from Covid-19 was the time we got to spend with family and seeing our LO’s development. 

As a year old parent, I must say it is not easy. Expenses will rise (I will cover this in-depth in another post) and you probably won’t have any free time for yourself. This is all worth it when you see your LO’s smile and they crawl/stumble up towards you demanding a hug. 

As a husband and a first time father, I tried my best to help out in whatever I could. Doing the chores around the house, preparing meals etc. Most importantly, looking after the Mrs. ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, and I think we are fortunate enough to be living with my parents and there are extra pairs of eyes and hands to help take care of our LO. With that in mind, I always told the Mrs that my priority was to take care of her and nurse her back to health after (a supposed worry-free) pregnancy. Always be ready to listen and try and understand your partner’s rationale/worries. 

I think the Mrs has also influenced me during this period in a positive way. I had the thought that bringing the LO to places of attractions etc were a waste of money because she probably will not remember anything. But over some time, I understood that we are experiencing new things with our LO and this little exposure aids in her development in so many different ways. So have an open mind as parents. 

This one year journey has had its ups and downs. There were times when our LO was wailing at 2-3am and refused to be placed in bed. There were also times when we saw her stand up unassisted or pull her favourite storybook and plop herself on our lap demanding to be read to. I think the Mrs and I are looking forward to the year ahead with our LO and seeing what tricks she is going to pull. Nonetheless, if you are a young parent and read until here, I just want to give you a word of encouragement and do not give up. All your efforts are worth it. 

Share with me any thoughts or comments that you may have on parenting! Stay safe everyone!

On a separate note, I have started a YouTube Channel showcasing my hobbies. If you are interested, you can watch my latest video here! Any feedback, subscriptions or comments is deeply appreciated!

My YouTube Channel: LINK HERE!

My Instagram: LINK HERE!

SG FI Dad, out

SGFIDAD’s 1Q2021 Review

The first quarter of 2021 has passed and it is time to take a step back and review our progress thus far. With the COVID-19 situation being more or less controlled here in Singapore and workplace arrangements gradually returning to normal, I foresee myself being more busy and possibly having less time to constantly review and upkeep our portfolio. I think maintaining a quarterly review hits the sweet spot and it will be good to periodically remind ourselves where we are now and what is needed to reach our goals.

For those who are new here (hi there and thanks for stopping by!), our investment approach is relatively hands-off. This means we generally just DCA into selected counters at a fixed period every month. 

The US market has been relatively volatile the last few weeks and I think I was disappointed that I did not take that opportunity to enter some of the ETF counters that I have been monitoring. Nonetheless, we will be more ‘active’ on that front as we have decided that we will be slightly more aggressive this year.

On the cryptocurrency front, I have decided to carve out a small amount every month or two to enter the crypto space. I will highlight more details on this in a future post. Personally, this hasn’t been my first foray into cryptocurrency but I will tell this story another time. Currently, crypto takes up less than 1% of our portfolio.

In total, we received $477.38 from our dividends and interests for the first 3 months of 2021. That works out to just under $160 per month. As mentioned in our earlier post, this is definitely under our goal of $200 per month from alternate income. Based on our monitoring and projections, we understand where our shortfall is and will look to supplement them in the coming months.

Career wise, I’m glad to see that the Mrs continues to do well in her appraisal and performance. On my end, I’m trying to improve my skill sets and maybe take a couple of upgrading courses to better understand data and visual analytics. I’m pretty certain that these are going to be the basic requirements in the future and it’s going to be beneficial to learn these asap.

Hobby wise, I am thankful that the wife continues to be supportive and allows me the time and space to pursue these. I have continued to put out a couple of videos per week taking a break whenever I need to. Flipping of cards has been quite the experience and I will detail my account in a future post as this has been too recent. If any of you are interested, check out the links below and I welcome any feedback!

Share with me any thoughts or comments that you may have! Stay safe everyone!

I have started a YouTube Channel showcasing my hobbies. If you are interested, you can watch my latest video here! Any feedback, subscriptions or comments is deeply appreciated!

My YouTube Channel: LINK HERE!

My Instagram: LINK HERE!

Alternate Income Report: Mar 2021

The first quarter of 2021 has passed so quickly. We went for a staycation last week and used up our SingapoRediscover Vouchers to offset most of the cost. Quite surprised to see that a substantial amount of vouchers have not been utilised. We were impressed with Carlton Hotel's service and location (*not sponsored in anyway). Anytime we were peckish or needed to head out for a walk, there were plenty of options for us and the LO. I must say it was a much needed break and 'getaway'. And as we enter into April, the wife and I have started preparing for our LO's 1st birthday! 

For Mar 2021, we received $91.30 from interests and dividend returns. Not quite there yet at $200 per month that we are aiming for. This month’s alternate income is almost 50% less than each of the preceding months. Upon examining our projected dividends for the year, Mar and Nov appear to be our 'dry spells'. This means given we maintain our current stock holdings, we can expect that our alternate income inflow will take a dip during this period every year. Understanding the highs and lows in such projections is important for us as we plan to use our alternate income to supplement our daily lives. 

As we enter the second quarter of 2021, we are constantly striving towards this target that we set for ourselves. One positive step we took in March was applying for and being allocated some of the Astrea VI PE Bonds. We are confident that we will reach our goal of $200 per month in alternate income for 2021 with our continuous DCA entry into the market.

On a separate note, I have started a YouTube Channel showcasing my hobbies. If you are interested, you can watch my latest video here! Any feedback, subscriptions or comments is deeply appreciated!

My YouTube Channel: LINK HERE!

My Instagram: LINK HERE!