What is one investment you will recommend for army recruits?

Before you start investing, I’d suggest building up your emergency fund, having adequate insurance and minimising any high-interest loans like credit card debts.

For safe and steady returns, you can consider investing in Singapore Savings Bonds (SSB). Backed by the Singapore government, you’re virtually guaranteed to get your principal back in full at the maturity of your bond. The interest on the bond is paid out every 6 months and generally, the longer you hold your bond (you can invest for up to 10 years), the higher your return. Do note that you’ve to be at least 18 years old to purchase the SSB and the minimum investment amount is $500.

But as Hariz mentioned, your biggest advantage is time. It’s good that you’re thinking of investing at an early age. Thanks to the power of compounding, the earlier you invest, the more money you will have. As a young investor, your portfolio will benefit from stock investments as well. Stocks have historically outperformed bonds over the long term, and a young investor like yourself should typically be comfortable with a higher stock allocation.

What’s the right blend of stocks and bonds for you will be determined by your risk tolerance, your investment horizon and financial goals. You can use a tool like Syfe’s Risk Questionnaire to find out your risk profile and receive a personalised portfolio recommendation.

Lastly, don’t let the size of your savings deter you from investing. If you’d like to make smaller-sized investments, there are investment platforms where there are no investment minimums.

Themselves.

I mean come on, how much can you probably invest while in the army? 100 maybe 200 a month? I'd much rather you focus on building your emergency fund for now and learn to pick up skills and knowledge in your free time.

By the time you have your first full-time job, you'd hopefully have built up your emergency expense and can now invest a bigger chunk of your salary.

And one last thing, if you can, try not to only look for 'safe' returns. Your biggest resource is time, and with time, you have the ability to take risks and potentially earn a higher return.