Investing with Shaun

05/10/2022

After a brutal September, there seems to be a glimmer of hope and light kicking off October with the best 2-day rally since 2020.

There are still many questions on everyone's mind:
1) Is this a real rally? Or is it just another bear-market rally?
2) Will the FED continue to be aggressive in hiking interest rates?
3) Is inflation still on the rise or has it been managed/controlled/tamed?

Will the rally has given a bit of a respite, I urge everyone to continue to be cautious. It might be good news for this week, but the big picture still remains:
- Inflation needs to come down (and fast!)
- FED needs to manage interest rates hike accordingly
- Russia-Ukraine war is still on-going

Periodic rebounds are going to happen. Markets will continue to stay volatile. Remain vigilant.

24/05/2022

It is now the start of the 8th consecutive week of S&P 500 being in the red. The "bears" are in control and are not letting up. In fact, it briefly entered bear market territory during intra-day trading.

Question 1: "Is recession on the horizon"?
Answer: With the FED trying hard to tame inflation with hiking interest rates, my opinion is of the matter that there are too many external factors in play and we might see recession sooner than everyone expects.

Question 2: "Does that mean it's not the right time to invest?"
Answer: There are always opportunities in the market and it is always a good time to create positions in companies and funds with strong underlying fundamentals. It is also advisable to be strategic with your buys using Dollar Cost Averaging method.

I believe that recession has been priced into the markets and should FED smartly fights back inflation with a soft landing without recession, equity markets will rally in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, the rally could be quite pronounced.

As markets continue to be volatile, remember that investing is for the long-term and current market roller-coaster rides can be overcome through smarter investing. Hit me up to know more.

14/03/2022

"Sea of red. Blood in the streets."

The recent (5 weeks now) market contraction has casted doubts on 2022 being the year of recovery. Everyone is on edge and wondering what the future entails.

But if you are a long-term investor, this current period should be taken advantage of.

The age-old adage "Buy low, sell high", "The time to buy is when there's blood in the streets" (Baron Rothschild), best describes your investment growth potential.

This is contrarian investing, which is the concept of going against the crowd or market sentiment. The quote suggests that the worse the market appears to be, the higher the potential returns, and hence would be the best time to invest.

Let's see how we can strategise together and make your money work for you, call me now.

11/03/2022

Day by day, more uncertainty sets in for all of us, myself included.

But, I do sleep better at night knowing that I have done the best I can to diversify my investment portfolio according to my risk appetite and profile.

So, even with the on-going war, Covid raging on, and so many other geo-political / geo-economical tensions happening, I look towards the future with positivity and hope that things will get better.

Just wanted to share that with all of you today.

09/03/2022

Financial and investment advice seems to be everywhere these days. Financial Gurus' are posting on Tik Tok, YouTube, and IG on how to trade, read charts, "put stop losses", other investment advice, and get you to sign up for their MasterClasses.

The biggest problem for many people looking to kickstart their investment journey is differentiating between advice that will set them down the right path and the wrong one.

Just because you hear financial advice from a person standing in front of a supercar, it doesn't mean that the advice they give you is the right advice for you.

Not every investor has spare cash on the sidelines to throw into some sexy, exciting investment idea. Many of us, myself included, are trying to balance our finances, saving a portion of our earnings and investing it for the long-term.

So “where to invest right now”?; the answer to that question for most investors will be to ensure that their emergency fund is set aside, and to create a portfolio mix of diversified stocks and bonds that match their long-term risk and returns expectations. The most exciting part of this journey is the planning process, and perhaps the portfolio rebalancing.

Happy to discuss more with you over a cuppa - anytime, anywhere, any day!

08/03/2022

Almost Everyone: "Help! I'm worried about my investments! Everything has gone to sh*ts!"

Here's a quote that will help: "The true investor welcomes volatility… a wildly fluctuating market means that irrationally low prices will periodically be attached to solid businesses." — Warren Buffett

Throughout the 2-years of Covid, markets were fantastic. But now, volatility and fear has set in. Russia-Ukraine WAR, US-China trade war, US FED to increase interest rates, tech bubble coupled with supply crunch, and lastly, never-ending Covid, puts fear in the best of us.

While it may be difficult to remain calm given the above circumstances, it is important to remember that volatility is a part of investing and that you are investing for the long-term, not near-term.

Here is research from GYC Singapore showing the annual returns of global stocks. "This data series stretches for 41 years; of the 41, markets were positive for 31 years, with negative returns for 10. This means you are likely to end up with positive returns as markets are green at least 76% of the time. However, you will definitely see a sell-off or correction for every single year. Out of these 31 positive years, there were 20 where the sell-off during the year was more than -10%." (Credit: GYC Singapore)

We cannot predict what will happen in the future, but we might be able to find some consolation from the past.

And it always helps to have someone to talk to during these difficult times. You know how to reach me :)

25/02/2022

With the Russia-Ukraine "war" that started yesterday (Thursday 24 Feb), emotions of panic and despair are setting in today.

I would like to share my views on the matter to all my dear investors and friends.

1) Any military conflicts that happens anywhere around the world would be detrimental to markets in the near term, however, the impact to the markets will dissipate very quickly.

2) Never forget, investing is a long-term journey and like the famous saying goes "This too shall pass."

3) Historically, when there's a war, markets react negatively leading up to the war (like we're seeing now), but this will reverse as fears subside. More importantly, investors should focus on long term economic factors.

4) Gentle reminder again - You are investing for the future, not for the next day, week, or month.

5) Every crisis that comes always provide opportunities for you to invest now. Think: Buy low, sell high.

6) Say this with me: "Stay Strong. Stay Firm. Stay Calm"

I'm here if you want to talk :)

28/01/2022

28/01/2022

Read a great article by The Star this morning:

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/01/27/look-beyond-epf-for-retirement #.YfNHkZ32sAQ.whatsapp

If you only have EPF as your retirement plans, it's time to rethink.

I'm here to help strategise for a better future for you! Contact me now :)

03/01/2022

It's the FIRST working day of 2022 and I would like to wish everyone a blessed START to 2022!

I'm sure everyone has new resolutions, new goals, new strategies, and here's to all our continued perseverance to achieve it all throughout this year!