Hi there, The original basis for University or Higher learning, was to spread and expand the knowledge for the individuals in their respective fields. Fast forward to today, a university degree or diploma is required for most employment opportunities in white collar jobs. I have come across many individuals through my years, often with varying degrees of education. Having the knowledge, gives you a headstart in terms of the knowledge required for your position, but more often than not, experience is still widely valued in today's economy. If you are intending to work in Public service, do note that for certain positions they only accept honor graduates, which is tied to your undergraduate degree. Having a masters degree does not guarantee you a better chance of employment. I have also seen cases where having more qualifications can be a detriment to an early entry position. Hope i was able to shed some insight!

Hi Mr.Tan, Investing in the open market has associated risks, and one of the risks that is often highlighted is that your loss may exceed your capital in some cases. You can reference this, to get a better understanding of what assets you might have that are protected. If you are investing in Singapore, your deposits are considered foreign in nature, and not subjected to coverage under FDIC. IBKR is currently listed in MAS as a financial institution, and therefore should have SDIC up to SGD$75k. So if you have excess of funds above 75k, you will only be entitled to 75k in an insolvency scenario. Hope i was able to answer your queries!

Hi Shu ting, Based on my understanding, if your dad is 53 years old this year, he was offered a universal life policy. The policy is actually a legacy policy, where you and your family is guaranteed a payout of 500k on death, disability or terminal illness. Its hard to say whether its necessary, because I do not know the context of the conversation your dad and his friend had. If it is a matter that concerns you, do speak with your father to at least align his and your thoughts together first. There will be a point where your father's term policies will expire, and he will not have any form of coverage for himself. It would be good if you just took a step back, and spoke to your father before drawing any conclusion. I do hope i was able to answer you queries!

Hi there, I think if you are going to switch over just for the 0% commissions fee, could be problematic. You could set up an alternate account so that you wont need to liquidate your current positions. If all goes well, and brokers want to stay competitive, they will eventually remove their commissions on their trades. Hope i was able to address your queries!

Hi there, From what you have described, what you have mostly are term plans, which is quite affordable for the premiums you are paying currently. You might be missing Early Stage critical illness as part of your protection portfolio, which you can explore if there is such a gap. Its hard to determine whether your coverage is sufficient or excessive, because details such as dependents, income drawn, and amount of coverage needed for yourself are absent. Hope i was able to address your queries!

Hi there, Yes you are able to reduce the premiums of your said policy, however you will not be able to adjust the tenure of your policy. However, do note that reducing your premiums will also change the projected amounts, which can be obtained via your PRUAccess portal. You will need to contact your advisor to effect this change. If you are currently not in contact with him, you may contact customer services for the form to effect the changes. Do hope i was able to answer your queries!

Hi Joseph, In my opinion, one of the possibilites you can do is leave 20k in your CPF-OA, and not wipe out the entire amount. That way you still can continue to accrue an acceptable interest rate in your OA account. That being said, if you have substantial liquidity and OA funds, and would like to take the maximum possible loan and the lowest capital outlay possible, short term you can consider looking at SPDR Gold. It is a good hedge against the current outlook. YTD its generating around 24.7% ROI. Explore your options, but even if its short term, make sure you do your funds justice! Hope i was able to address your queries! This does not constitute as investment advice, please do your own due diligence before making any investment decisions.

Hi Andrew, Explore with our local banks on whether you are able to refinance your student loan. If you are able to refinance your 80k, to present day interest rates of 1.5% p.a. You should be able to pay back your principle + interest within 5 years. If you use an amortization calculator, based on your 2k budget per month, you could be paying of around 1.4k of your principle + interest, with a budget of 600 to invest monthly still. You should try and spread out the loan as much as you can, as student loans are considered a good kind of debt. As you progress in your career, you would be able to pay off your loan as a small fraction of your take home income. With some planning you can do both, Based on your 2k budgeting, - 16.8K for Loan repayment yearly - 7.2K annually for investment - At a conservative 6% ROI yearly, over the next 5 years, if you invest your 7.2k yearly, your investment portfolio could be around 40.5k, from the invested 36k. As much as possible, if your situation allows for it, stay invested at an early age. You will thank yourself for it in the future. Hope i was able to answer your queries!

Hi there, Firstly, congratulations on saving for yourself. You are not wrong to feel that way, why should you lend out your money, since you worked so hard for it. If it were anyone else, you would not have given a 2nd thought about it. I think it is a direct family member, its good to sit him down with the relevant parties to get an action plan on how to repay his/her debt. There is no point lending out your money if you know its going to make the person worse off. Try not to put too much weight onto it, unless it is a matter that affects you directly.

Hi there, Your total debt is always attached to a financial institution or borrower, and the details can be obtained through obtaining your credit score. The maximum amount you are able to borrow is dependent on your income, as well as the value of the property you are looking at currently. Should you have any outstanding loans, those will be reflected in your credit score as well. Insurance premiums are not considered debt obligations, as they are paid via your liquidity. Should you not be able to service your policies, you will not owe the insurer per se, as the policy would either tap into its value or terminate. Hope i was able to answer your queries!