Friday 26 February 2021

Recounting My Investment Journey Part 3/4

To continue from my previous post...

Growing Up - I had responsibilities
Back to the person who told me to buy a property, that timing arrived when I got married and as with most Singaporeans, it was natural to have intentions to move out. While looking, my wife got pregnant. We were barely done with the wedding and honeymoon. As we needed help after the baby's birth, it was decided to stay with my parents since more hands would be available. Fast forward a little, we relocated overseas for the sake of my further studies. Later, we returned and the HDB idea reappeared. We applied for BTO at Ang Mo Kio and Yishun. Both times, the queue number was kind enough to buy that week's 4D but didn't strike any. Fortunately, by now, we were already staying in my parents' investment condominium and not in a hurry to move. Finally, after a few more years, we bought the current residence (not a HDB since salary cap exceeded). Looking back at this part of my lifeline, there is a sense of what-if and slight regret but also happiness. The short time spent overseas were the best time of our lives yet I could have applied for the Duxton flats or any other ones to have enjoyed the lottery effect that older Singaporeans would understand. Of course, I'm aware of my lucky situation but who doesn't want to have more money right? A few close friends did manage to buy their 4 room HDB flats (good location) for less than $250,000 which in today's context is impossible.

Playing With Money - I tried
Another investment I got involved was the world of foreign exchange or forex. It's more like trading since the time frame I played with was usually less than a few days. In that time, price movements can swing wildly. Forex introduced the concept of leverage and worked both ways. Generally, I could predict the overall trend but what I couldn't was the entry and stop loss price. Before a trade goes in my favor, I would already be stopped out. It was too exciting for my weak heart. I endured losses in the low hundreds and decided not to carry on. Ironically, it was around this period of time that I worked in a forex firm, not as a trader of course!

Tip: Royal Brackla 16 years, well balanced between sherry and slight oak

No comments:

Post a Comment