Isaac Chin, 64, (in Vienna, above) made his money from property and stock investing - and he and his wife travel frequently to enjoy diverse cultures in Europe and Asia. Photo courtesy of Isaac.
For the past decade, Isaac Chin has been a full-time investor after a career as a chartered accountant. “I didn't have an inspiring career as an accountant. Nothing great came out of it. If I have to work hard for a salary and put up with a lot of stress, I might as well work for myself - and earn more,” he said. Now aged 64, he has reaped handsome profits from investing in property, equities and bonds.
THERE WAS great turbulence in the world financial markets in the past 11 months.
The Straits Times Index ended at 3176 on 29/11/13, about 1% below its level of 3202 on 2 Jan 13. This is the first time I have a draw in my investment score, having secured 12 wins and 1 loss in the last 14 years.
My 2013 performance tracked the STI. However, they (in particular SingPost) had out-performed the STI by an overwhelming margin up to May.
SingPost was up 21.4% against STI's gain of 7.9% on 20 May.
I made about $0.5 M in less than 5 months, but all this was taken back by the market when the STI slid to a low of 3015 on 4 Sept.
Also worth mentioning is that Suntec, A-Reit, and SingPost were the 3 outstanding shares that have helped me made a fortune in the past.
On 9 March 2009, the STI was at 1457, Suntec $0.53, and CapitaLand $1.71.
But on 29 Nov this year, the STI was at 3176 (+118%), Suntec was $1.56 (+194%), and CapitaLand $3.03 (+77%).
The US Federal Reserve's quantitative easing in the last few years has created a property bubble in emerging markets.
In Singapore, for instance, suburban leasehold properties were launched @ $1,500 p.s.f.
Rising labor and rental costs could cause Asia to lose its competitive advantage.
The deferment of QE tapering has not helped the STI to recover, but HK and Nikkei markets have improved significantly, in line with a record-breaking Dow.
Gold price was hovering at about $1,250 recently and the U.S. 10-year Treasury is yielding 2.75%.
The collapse of penny stocks like Blumont and LionGold is keeping the STI depressed. I want to share the following statistics and comments to help you in your investment planning for 2014:
I have always compared my career as a private investor to mountaineering.
In the past 14 years, I have climbed 10,000 ft. I have fought tough battles, surmounted numerous obstacles, and survived upheavals.
Along the way, I have learned much and become wiser. The reward today is definitely worth all the suffering and hardship endured.
Isaac with granddaughter, Elsa, aged 2. Photo courtesy of Isaac.I am still healthy, my fighting spirit still high. I am prepared to climb the next 10,000 ft, fully conscious that the weather condition is getting increasingly unpredictable, with less oxygen.and the path more treacherous.
The greatest source of satisfaction, however, is my 2-year-old grand-daughter. This is the perfect gift from God
Merry X'mas and a Happy New Year.
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