You know how inflation works: a plate of mixed rice and a cup of kopi-peng now cost more than they did a few years ago. In other words, a dollar loses some of its purchasing value over time. Are you losing the battle against inflation? Singapore’s core inflation rate and headline consumer price index (CPI) in June 2022 reached levels unseen since the Global Financial Crisis. Additionally, the survey revealed that income is not keeping up with inflation for 40% of our 1.2 million retail clients.
The fact that people should be and are seeking alternate ways to increase their money while they save in personal finance in Singapore should not come as a surprise. You can accomplish this through various methods, including opening higher-rate savings accounts multiplier, making fixed deposits, purchasing Singapore stock market, Savings Bonds, and buying equities.
Even in higher-rate savings accounts and fixed deposits, investing in bonds and stocks typically outperforms keeping money in the bank over the long term. To increase your savings and stop inflation from eroding the purchasing power of your assets, it is crucial to consider various investment possibilities and Singapore investment opportunities.
Before investing, pay down any high-interest loans and save enough money for emergencies. If you work a salaried job, you should set aside 3 to 6 months of emergency savings, but if you have dependents or work in the gig economy, it is advised that you save up to 12 months. Investing money you need in an emergency can result in irrational investment decisions. Investments have their own set of hazards. Therefore, before starting your investment adventure, think about these things!
1. Determine the best investment venues.
Opening an account with a platform that enables you to trade financial products is an excellent place to start. A few examples are an account with a financial institution that enables you to create a regular savings plan, make one-time investments in unit trusts, and use robo-advisory platforms. You must register an online brokerage account with a broker if you want to buy individual stocks by investing in the Singapore stock market, get bonds, or exchange-traded funds from global financial markets. Your brokerage account enables you to carry out your buy- or sell-order executions and often provides you with several connected services, such as:
- Enabling simple trade execution and settlement.
- Supplying information about investment research to assist you in making investment decisions.
- Margin financing options to increase your investment capacity.
- You can have custody of your Singapore-listed shares if you don’t use the Central Depository (CDP).
Choosing a brokerage account that meets your demands is crucial because they may have slightly different services, language, fee schedules, and user interfaces.
2. Recognize your investment goals
Most investors would claim their ultimate objective is “to make money”. Putting this clear end objective aside, it is more crucial to ask oneself some of these vital questions:
- Do you invest to make money rapidly or gradually?
- What level of risk are you willing to accept?
- Do you value capital growth more than dividend payouts at this point in your life?
Your responses to these queries will not only serve as the foundation for the investing plan you choose but are also likely to classify you as either a trader or a long-term investor, one of the two main categories of individual market participants.
3. Trading
To maximise their profits, traders routinely purchase and sell as the market fluctuates with the intention of buying at a low and selling at a high. Traders must know the Singapore investment opportunities, necessary abilities, resources, and constraints. This is dangerous since, even for experts, capturing market movements at the best time is a nearly tricky task. Successful traders frequently have a keen sense of what is happening in the financial markets and exhibit discipline.
4. Investments
Investors typically have a long-term outlook and like to expand their portfolios gradually, keeping in mind that history favours the patient. These people are aware that markets generally have ups and downs in cycles. Investors try to ride these cycles by purchasing solid stocks at fair prices.
Investors also recognise the value of risk profiling, establishing investment objectives, and determining time horizons by conducting extensive research on the products they are contemplating.
Whether you consider yourself more of a trader or investor, it’s vital to be aware of specific typical errors others have made so you may be better prepared to avoid them yourself.
5. Create a watchlist.
A watchlist is a helpful place to start researching the stocks you are considering buying. It gives you an overview of a company’s balance sheet and makes it easy to analyse. You can remember some standard financial measures and investing criteria that investors use to assess stocks as you decide which stocks to choose. You are said to conduct a “fundamental analysis” of the stock when using these measurements and ratios.
6. Time for action!
You’ve read the articles, given the questions some thought, and done your research. Next, what? According to Lao Tzu saying, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Now is the moment to make that move and begin the thrilling investment journey ahead!
If you’re still unsure what to invest in specifically, the possibilities listed below could help you out while offering a wide range of potential returns.
- ETFs try to replicate a specific market index, sector, or even commodity (like the S&P 500).
- Unit trusts are an asset management firm that frequently controls These diversified investment products.
Several alternatives are available to beginners regarding Singapore investment opportunities and personal finance options in Singapore. But before you get started, you must have a firm grasp on your personal goals and objectives and the kinds of investments that are accessible and suitable for your requirements and risk tolerance. Don’t forget to practice thorough Singapore stock market research before investing. If you are unsure, take the time to learn more about smarter investing from reliable sources. Most importantly, just start!
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