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The answer is the percentage of your investments that should be in stocks or stock mutual funds.

This rule became popular in the 1970s and ’80s with the emergence of retirement plans, as individuals tried to come up with a handle on asset allocation without necessarily trying to conquer the subject matter.

In practice, this rule is severely flawed, failing to look at the whole picture. Everything from life expectancy to age at retirement, from amount invested to expected returns and much more, affects a portfolio’s ability to last a lifetime. Most advisers seem to think this rule is ultraconservative online pharmacy viagra and would be more comfortable if the number were readjusted to 130 or 140.

“This rule has completely outlived its usefulness because people are retiring younger and living longer,” says Peg Eddy of Creative Capital Management in San Diego. “People are retiring with 20 years or more to live, and a portfolio that is too conservative just isn’t going to work for them. They need more growth, or they will be too vulnerable to inflation over that longer stretch of time.”

This month is a little bit interesting because I lost the chance in investing in the stocks and shares. A look over the mid week of March sees a bearish market, or the bottom low. Ahh… but anyway its over. Poems trading account was setup with US Stocks exchange trading.

As you guys know I bought a Google online prescription viagra Android HTC Dream phone, so that will cost me around $488 SGD. Plus some increase in my phone bills, about doubling my existing hand phone plans. Nevermind, for the access of mobile internet…

This month I saw two annual fee paid to my Citibank’s Credit card. Ouch, because I had it on Giro auto deduction, it was a bad choice. I plan to cancel one of the Citibank Master Platinum, because its useless. So its I’ve spend $300 on some stupid annual fees, and waived it off. Now it is credit I have to spend it off. Great.

Here’s this month’s breakdown:
Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I guess this is the highest paying account currently)
POSB Mysavings Cancelled !

Expenses

Google Android HTC Dream - $488
2 x Citibank Credit Card Annual Fees (Waived!)- $300 &!@%*#
UOB One card Annual fees (Waived!) - $60

In March, I am just trying to save whatever I can. Having seen the un-stability in all financial markets, nothing is safe and sound. The banks might crumble anytime, but let’s hope the recession doesn’t affect us that bad.

And since the POSB MySavings interest rates has fallen to 0.4%, its time I pull the savings out, bit by bit first. (I was told by the bank teller my interest rates will fall if I withdraw, but hey its already so low, who cares?) On another note, I was thinking to increase my savings to Citibank, since it has a not-so-bad interest rate.

Around the corner on the last day of March, I got a performance bonus from the company I worked in, roughly $2000. Not much, but its very good its times of crisis, and since it is a “reward” for my performance in WY 2008.

I’ve canada viagra just gotten an account from POEMS, an online internet trading platform for buying shares, funds, unit trusts, and options etc… In 2 weeks time I should be able to buy shares online. That would make a better and meaningful experience to write down here.

Nothing much on my expenses list, there isn’t really a need to spend this month. Just a Life insurance premium to Manulife.

Here’s this month’s breakdown:
Savings and Earnings

$2000 Employee Bonus
$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I guess this is the highest paying account currently)
$300/month POSB MySavings (this is just temporary hmm…)

Expenses
Insurance - $600
Some clothes - $100
A new Pillow and pillow case - $100

These are just some random cost saving tips, similar to those from the first post.

1. Buy used or second hand stuff

Look around your house, and you will realize some stuff lying around are simply… old but still useful. We don’t always need new stuff, so viagra natural let’s make good use of old stuff. If you don’t mind, I hope there’s a second hand shop somewhere around your neighbor, with tons of stuff ready for a second life. Buy them and it could save you quite a bit. (eg. My 2nd hand Kawai upright grand piano cost $4,200, but the original price is tagged around $16,000).

2. Keep a list of items and their prices

Keeping in mind what’s the price of an item helps, if you are not sure of the “usual” price of an item. If you know them well, or keep a list, you can easily compare and contrast as to why an item is sold higher than other places, or lower. There maybe 10 products that serves the same function. It is therefore wiser to choose the cheapest, unless it differs with some extra functions you need.

3. Calculating the lifespan of a product

It is frustrating to buy a shoe that costs $50 and it lasts less than 2 years wearing out at the sole or breaking away. While a pair of shoes that cost $150, it could last for at least 6 years. I remember there’s a brand called “Caterpillar” which produces very high quality yet lightweight shoes. If you can “estimate” the lifespan of a product you are buying, I would rather you spend slightly more money to get one that lasts. (eg. IT gadgets, quality apparels)

Remember, these little tips can add up to lots of amount after a long time.

Due to my mistake, or my busy schedule, I missed the due date for my credit card charges payment. I didn’t really paid late, but I paid the bill via one of the bill payment machines after about 6+ pm. To the bank, this is consider “late” because its after their office hour.

So I called UOB Bank, and incredibly, they had an automated call system such that if you are doing a waiver on credit charges, just enter your Identification card no. and your credit card number. After two weeks, an sms was sent to inform me that my charges were waived. Phew…

Here’s this month’s breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I really wondered should I continue with this?)
$300/month POSB MySavings
$8.XX (interest) Passive earnings
+200 from viagra order our government

Expenses

$1550 UOB bill (Last December)
$800 Red Sofa (Last December)

This month was a little special, because it includes Chinese New Year 2009, the year of the Ox towards the end of the month. After starting my part time school and getting my new Sofa for Chinese New Year, I still had to pay an amount for my school fees last month. It amounts to $1,550, as the bill.

A little tip for buying CNY stuff; I actually accompanied my parents to minimize the buying of New Year goodies etc, saving costs on food and junk food which are both expensive and useless. For decorations, I actually pasted a word viagra buy viagra online ’吉‘ on the wall of my home，which means ‘Lucky’, using very old red packets.

Speaking of red packets, with the economy downturn and older generation relatives who have long drop out of the workforce, I still do receive red packets, or Ang Baos from them. I felt bad to take from them since I am working, but because of traditions, I have to accept, by exchanging Mandarin Oranges.

There’s an additional to the POSB MySavings account, with a deposit of $1k into the account. Hopefully this will speed up my savings, though I didn’t know why I didn’t put it into the Citibank account.

Here’s a breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account
$300/month + $1000 POSB MySavings
$7.XX (interest) Passive earnings
$300+ Red packets

Expenses

$0
$40 2X Tshirts
Nothing much, expenses amounting to less than $400 this month.

It’s a good thing that Wordpress has this scheduled post thing. By the time you are reading I am on my way to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia attending “Hack in the Box”.

So… the other time I was explaining in my post on a savings account, which covers compounded interests. Then there was this guy asking the exact calculation on compounding interests. It is quite tricky though, because calculating how much interest in savings or loan you incurred is not an easy task.

Heres the post that I made on compounded interest savings account:
http://www.dennisquek.com/2008/09/introduction-to-citibanks-step-up-saving-accounts/

So I decided to develop a simple “Compound Interest Excelsheet calculator”. This calculator is based on a monthly compount, so please used it appropriately .This is an excel spreadsheet, so you can download it and open this using Microsoft Excel, or a Microsoft Excel Reader. (Don’t worry, it is virus free, trust me.)

On this calculator, you need 3 variables.

1. Your initial amount.
For viagra to buy online savings, this is the initial opening amount. For loan, it is the amount you have already paid.

2. Your monthly figures
For savings this is how much you save a month / For loan this would be the amount you will repay each month.

3. Interests in compounding percent.
This is the yearly interests you always see in marketing ads. If your saving plans offers a 1.2% compound interests yearly, it means it is offering a 1.2% divided by 12, which is 0.1% a month. This is different from 1.2% a year.

With these in mind, key the data in, and all the figures shows up instantenously. My aim is to show you the effective interest rate, by calculating interests earned less the amount without the interests, to calculate the effective % of interests earned.

You can download it right Here!

Its the last month for 2008, and perhaps this is a bad year, or would 2009 be worst ?

In 2008, we all work hard for the first few months, and its only towards the last quarter that we get the financial tsunami waving from United states, to Europe, and to Asia.

I predict 2009 will be worst for personal job security. It is ok if our investment fails, but it will be very bad if our job is not secured.

For those who know I am studying for a part time IT Degree, this will be my last semester. But because I had to retake a course, so I have to pay 2X what my peers are paying, in order to finish my program and graduate.

Luckily I paid the fees separately, using the UOB One Card, and because of the difference of the payment dates apart, I can repay the bank in 2 separate statements, in December 08 and January 09. Why I used UOB one card ? Theres a sms saying whoever spents above $2000 between 15 Nov and 15 Dec gets to receive a free IPod shuffle, and so I am eligible for it.

Heres a breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/mth Citibank Step up
$300/mth POSB MySavings
$6.xx (interest) Passive earnings

Expenses

$148 A Epson TX200 All-in-one printer (Photocopier / Scanner / Printer)
$98 A shelf from IKEA (DIY)
$30 buy viagra online A 7 seater Cab to transport my DIY shelf home.
$700 for a new L-shaped Sofa

I’ll put up pictures of these items in the next few posts.

After paying my final semster school fees which amounts to $3000 (damn !) I am more or less clear of debts. I hope the bank and insurance agents doesn’t approach me for saying that.

I’ve decide to put in additional $300 monthly into this cheap cheap viagra target=_blank”>savings account provided by POSB-DBS that offers a 1% interest P.A based on the $300-$799 range. Though they say saving your money in bank is the most stupid choice, but for a start hmm…

Hopefully my monthly passive income in my monthly summary announcement will increase by that few dollars!

A month has pass and this time it is a very bad month for most of us.

As written in the article here, http://www.dennisquek.com/2008/11/the-aftermath-of-us-recession-on-asia/, we will have many bad years ahead.

My savings have passed the $10,000 mark. Still wondering if CitiBank’s cialis pharmacy saving account http://www.dennisquek.com/2008/09/introduction-to-citibanks-step-up-saving-accounts/ is still a good choice hmm…

On other business, my current company announced a 0.5 bonus with a AWS of 1 month. So which means, I will be receiving 2.5 months of pay check for December (Yeahh!!!)

That’s not quite bad as I expected lesser bonuses or some other cuts in benefits.

Back to managing money, I have just got a Investment linked Insurance plan from ManuLife Financial. Due to the recent AIG breakdown, my confident went to other insurance companies such as Prudential, Great eastern and ManuLife. So I got one, at $100 a month, or $1,200 a year. Conside this as an investment hmm… Read it here: http://www.dennisquek.com/2008/12/my-manulife-investment-linked-insurance

Savings and Earnings

Savings: $500/mth
Bonus: 2.5 months * $X (x is a mystery…)
Passive earnings: $6 (step up interest)

Expenses

Insurance: - $600 (6 months)
School fees: - $3000 (:<)

Good years ahead !