[Post 144] Why I Left My $116K Law Job To Work A $15/Hour Firefighting Job | On The Side

Summary

Nico Smith, 36, says she lived most of her life by the book. She passed the bar exam on the first try, got married, got a job and started a family. But even after checking all the boxes, she didn’t feel fulfilled. Then, a small fire on her parents’ property led her to a new calling. Here’s how Smith went from making six figures as a lawyer to pursuing a full-time firefighting job.

[Post 137] Young Investors | Channel NewsAsia Connect

1. Arthur Cheong

Arthur started investing at age 19 and shortly after, blew his entire account in just 2 weeks. Fortunately he was able to overcome his failure and subsequently made profit from investment. We take a look at the wisdom this young investor has gained from his investing experiences

2.Ang Kar Yong

Kar Yong began trading Forex with US$500 in 2012. One year on, his account grew exponentially, up to US$13,000. This episode takes a peek into the trading strategy and motivations of this 22-year-old young investor. It also features a wealth management expert, with tips on Forex trading.

3.Shane Low

23-year-old Shane is a student who dreams of being financially free by age 30, but is it possible? How is the young investor working towards attaining his financial goal? A wealth management expert explains how you can achieve your financial goals.

4.Karen Foo

After a stint at a 9-5 job at age 21, Karen decided to turn to investing as a way out of the rat race. We follow her journey into the world of investment and find out skills she has learned so far. We also feature a wealth management expert, with tips on how you can be a better trader.

5.Chang Choon Fah 

At age 17, Choon Fah was given $8000 by his father, and told to put that money into stocks. 4 years on, we see how this young man has evolved into a seasoned young investor with investment strategies of his own. A wealth management expert gives tips on how parents can give their kids a head start into the world of investing.

[Post 136] A Singapore family's tips for fighting inflation | CNA

Summary

Noticing that his family's expenditure was exceeding their monthly budget, Paul Lee decided they had to cut back. From finding free weekend activities and swapping car rides for hour-long bus journeys, to refinancing his home loan, here's what he and his family are doing to ride out rising prices

Personal Takeaway

1.Taking Public Transport 

2.Visit place which are free for local like musuems ,beach etc

3.Cook Yourself

4.Link credit card for digital payment to get cashback

5.Buy in bulk

6.Refinance home loan,change it to fixed rate

[Post 135] The economic of IKEA:How they keep you in it's store? | WSJ

Summary

Counterintuitive though it may seem, part of furniture giant IKEA’s success stems from its policy requiring its customers to build its products. In this video, WSJ explains the behavioral psychology behind the “IKEA effect.”

Personal Takeaway

1.Flat furniture packing to reduce shipping and transportation costs

2.Design of the store layout to allow customers to spend the day testing out the product.

3.Affordable and low-cost furniture

4.When a customer builds something themselves, they become more attached to it.

[Post 134] How does raising interest rates control inflation? | The Economist

Summary

When central banks raise interest rates, the impact is felt far and wide. Mortgages become more expensive, house prices might fall and unemployment can rise. So why do central banks do it? This film tells you why.

Personal Takeaway

1.A higher interest rate encourages people to save money and spend less. Lower interest rate = more spending; do not want to leave money in the bank

2.A central bank is a bank for banks; a commercial bank can deposit its reserves at an central bank

3.High inflation rate= higher interest rate

4.Difficult to predict when inflation will fall when interest rates are raised.

[Post 131] How To Save On Your Parents Medical Bills | CNA Insider

Summary:Is home nursing more expensive than hospital care? How much should you budget for medical expenses? A study by Marsh predicts that each senior’s healthcare in Singapore may cost as much as S$53,000 a year by 2030. Quadruple that amount to S$212,000 if you are taking care of your parents and in-laws. 

Chronic illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, heart disease and hypertension are expensive in the long run as our parents live longer. There will be regular check-ups, medication and doctor or specialist visits to pay for. This is where the Community Health Assist Scheme can come in handy to reduce costs.

According to the Ministry of Health in Singapore, 1 in 2 healthy Singaporeans aged 65 could become severely disabled in their lifetime and may need long-term care. That means planning ahead for help like a caregiver, nursing home or elderly daycare. 

Personal Takeaway

1.Check the clinic near to you that allow CHAS

2.Setting up a bedroom with hospital equipment and hire caregiver

3.Purchase the necessary insurance

[Post 130] 5 Financial Movies To Watch

What better way to learn about finance than to watch a movie? I came across the big short on YouTube a while ago and have been on a financial movie binge since then. Here are some of the financial movies that I have seen and enjoyed so far.

1.The Big Short(2015)

The movie is based on the book written by Micheal Lewis ,The Big Short:Inside the Doomsday Machine.Basically ,the movie is about how several finance experts and opportunist predict the collapse of the US housing market in 2008 during the mid-2000s and how they discover the flaws and corruption in the system through their research.My first impression was that it would be a documentary-style story (those kind really bores me to death). However, after 5 minutes of watching, it was not. And did I mention the stellar cast, which includes Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling, among others? Furthermore, it simplifies financial concepts such as CDOs and why bonds rated AAA+ are dog s**t. According to one YouTube commenter, "I thought the big short was a comedy seeing it's tag, but it turned out to be a horror movie."

2. Margin Call(2011)

Essentially, this film is about an investment firm in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis, where an analyst uncovers evidence that threatens to destroy the firm and the subsequent action taken by the company.It's another fantastic film with an all-star cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Ions, Zachary Quinto and Paul Battany .It offers the viewpoint of an investment banking firm prior to the 2008 financial crisis.Although there is a lot of talking, it depicts many similarities to real-life multinational corporations, such as the hierarchy and the fact that the top doesn't really understand what the underlings do, as well as the ridiculous salary earned from working in an investment bank.

3.Too Big To Fail(2011) 

This film is based on the book "Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves" by Andrew Ross Sorkin. Essentially, the film depicts the government's perspective on how they handled the 2008 financial crisis, particularly from the perspective of Henry Paulson, who was appointed Secretary of Treasury after leaving his top job at Goldman Sachs, and how he tries to address the issues that arose during the global economic meltdown, ranging from Lehman Brothers to AIG, among others. It's a pretty good watch that depicts the government's point of view, as well as how various strategies were implemented and how the situation eventually deteriorated.

4.Boiler Room

A college dropout lands a job as a broker for a financial firm, putting him on the fast track to success. Success, on the other hand, clouds his judgment, drawing him into a world of corruption and greed. Essentially, the company runs a pump and dump/ponzi scheme using telemarketer techniques. Although it does not depict the financial crisis, it is unquestionably a must-see film for anyone looking to improve their sales/telemarketing techniques (or learn their tricks!), plus it include stellar cast like Ben Affleck,Vin Diesel etc

5.Inside Job

The final film on the list is Inside Job, a documentary film that depicts the 2008 financial crisis, how it unfolded, the key players who caused the event, and how the key players are still a part of the financial system today. Throughout the film, various key players from Asia to North America were interviewed.

Warning:Of the five films I introduce in this post, this is most likely the one that will give you high blood pressure and make you wonder how they got away with it.

Last but not least, I strongly recommend everyone to watch the films, especially the trio: Margin call (Company perspective), The Big Short (Retail and Hedge fund perspective), and Too big to fail (Government perspective).