How to Invest in Gold in Singapore

My father has garnered a sudden interest in Gold Investment due to the upcoming QE3 (maybe) by the U.S. since the election is coming...

And so i went to research online for all the information about "How to invest in Gold in Singapore"... Hope can share with all of you.. I welcome any feedback or comments so i can constantly update the post for the benefit of all :)

First of all, i wish to say something: Investing in Gold is GOD D*mn Expensive for Private Individual Investors! All the gold exchanges out there has always been for accredited investors or big hedge/ mutual funds or governments who buy/sell in bulk as they have the purchasing power.

I found a very conclusive report of seemingly all the possible ways to invest in Gold and here is how it looks like:

Although it may seem that there are many ways to capitalise on the possible gold uptrend [e.g. when U.S. starts printing money due to the elections]; high barriers to "investment" such as huge capital required and lack of information. 

Nevertheless, in my post, i seek to find out avenues to solve the 2 main problems people like you and me face:

• Expensive - Gold Bars/Certs cost $60K+ onwards and are out of reach to normal people.
• Limited Ease of Buying/Selling - Even if you can buy Gold Coins or Certs, you pay High Premiums (selling to UOB, pawnshops or collector's shops) or will likely face difficulty in selling the Gold on established portals.

Based on my own opinion, i narrowed down to a few methods on how Retail Investors can possibly HUAT in Gold!

1. UOB
   You can easily buy and sell Gold Bullion Coins, Gold Bars and Gold Certificates at UOB Main Branch, which is located at UOB Plaza, 80 Raffles Place. Or just create a Gold Savings Account with them. Link ->  http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/investments/treasury/precious_metals.html
   However, based on the various feedback i have seen online, UOB is not really good. When you purchase Gold Bar from them, UOB charges a flat fee of $200+ and $4k+ is given to the govt as GST!
   
2. Gold Trading
   I reckon that it will be similar to forex trading with leverage ratio much higher but i have never tried it before. Link ->  http://www.avafx.com/goldlp-en/?tag=goog-Singapore2&ds2=how%20to%20invest%20in%20gold%20in%20singapore@e@15018349033@goldlp-en&gclid=CLfIwKedo7ACFcsa6wodIXqHWA
   Any kind soul who have experience in this can leave a comment and share with everyone...
   
3. BullionVault.com [My favourite research!]
   
   
   BullionVault functions just like the normal stock exchange but its for gold! I believe buying/selling is much simpler here and the spread is much tighter = more profits for you! And if you take a closer look at the Red Box, you can even buy soooooo low quantity at $10,000 or lesser!
   Few avenues will allow such a thing... and i have checked that BullionVault is a Safe and endorsed website by the World Gold Council which has $2.2 Billion GOLD HOARD! lol...
   Check it out now ->  http://www.bullionvault.com/gold_market.do
   
4. Gold Stocks
   Many people may have contemplated on buying Gold ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares or iShares Comex Gold Trust But... i think they are just too expensive for people to own one lot with that huge capital injection.
   Thus, i still prefer gold stocks like LionGold, Interra Resources or even Newmont listed on U.S. stock exchange. Easy to buy and sell and transparent as always!
   
5. Gold / Mineral Focused Mutual Funds
   There have been more mutual funds focusing on Gold ever since the major currencies are going hay-wire and Gold seems the best hedging tool available. However, the management fees are usually high at 5% so please do take note as well.

Disclamier: All this content is for information purposes only. Please do exercise caution and due diligence on your own investments.

Hope you like my Hard Work in delivering this Post and can support / "LIKE" my Facebook page @ www.facebook.com/kissinvesting! Thanks!

Buy China Minzhong @ 0.62 22/05/12

If you are looking for a value stock to invest in this period, there is one staring right at your face and that is China Minzhong (cmz for short)!

While the stock market falls only 10% recently, cmz has without valid reason; plunged to a low of 0.58 from an average price of 1.2!

Thinking that it is a secret sell off by the management or other funds, i held my horses.

Right now, with templeton fund and lin guo rong (CEO of cmz) buying back with huge amounts, it has prompted a reversal ytd and closed at 0.615.

I have bought them at 0.62 and decides to hold it for some time here.. If it would return to 1.20, it equates to almost 100% return! :D

Hope you like this post & can support me by Liking my facebook page - www.facebook.com/kissinvesting.

Singapore Stock Broker Comparison

*last updated as of 21/5/2012

A few points to Share:

1) CDP - Central Depository (like a central storage for all your stocks - under the Singapore Government)

2) For the "No Info." part, hope that users of that trading platforms can share with us your views & i will upload again the updated one :)

3) Over the recent years, there has been a change of heart for the retail investors... they are moving towards the new comers: Limntan & esp. hot favourite Standard Chartered Bank for the various reasons shown below.

Limtan

Limtan is a new comer in the world of stock brokerage firms but is strongly supported by the backing of NTUC, where you can obtain linkpoints in exchange for redemptions when you trade.

I opened a new account at the Invest Fair recently with Limtan and will be rewarded with a NTUC $30 voucher if i just make a single trade. Not Bad at attracting new customers to join.

However, i tried its platform and i think it is not really viable to compete against the established players yet.

Standard Chartered Bank

SCB stands out with the No Minimum Fees, hands down! It is super cost savings for people who have only less than $5k to trade (the usual $25 commission to and fro * 2 will eat up already 10% if you just invest $500!).

There are however, some drawbacks. i) the stock trading platform is ill-equipped and show only one stock price at one time.

ii) the stocks are held through custodian account by SCB instead of CDP (However, i do not fear as much since Standard Chartered is quite an established bank but i advise that you do not put all your eggs into one basket as well!)

Conlusion

I seriously think that SCB is worth a try for new stock investors & dividend income investors who are there to accumulate stocks for the long haul and practise dollar cost averaging. When you minus your costs, it means that your profits will rise too! Cheers!

Facebook a Good Bet? See for yourself...

In a downtrend market, nothing is a good bet... not even the Hyped up Facebook which has Billions over in Market Value.


Just take a look at the chart:

It's 11.51PM in Singapore time and 11.51AM at the U.S. side. Despite closing higher at US$ 42, it declines straight down all the way to US$38...

If you ask me what is my opinion on Buying Facebook Stock; I would say they are over-pricing the shares. And IPO usually determine on its first trading day to see whether it will likely outperform in the next few days or weeks... and it's obvious that Facebook is out of favour now...

Not everyone believes in investing in the NEXT BIG social network company now ah... Especially when all the negative news of Facebook start to surface recently...

Singapore Reits Classified in Different Categories

Here is a Breakdown of the Singapore Reits into its various Categories.


You can zoom in on the more important indicators like "Annualized Yield", "Leverage Ratio" & "Price/Book Value" to select your desired Reit. :)


Just for Sharing...

Hope you like this post and May you make lots of Moolah!! Kindly Support me & Like my page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KissInvesting.. Thanks!

Reits + High Yield Stocks

Got this from my StockBroker and found that this information can be beneficial for lots of income investors out there (especially mature people looking for stability!).

Reits

REIT	Period	DPU cts	Mkt	Yield	NAV	Gearing	Assets Type
Sabana REIT	Q1 – Mar12	2.26	$0.955	9.518%	$1.040	33.90%	Industrial
AIMSAMPI Reit	Q4 – Mar12	2.7	$1.185	9.114%	$1.406	30.00%	Industrial
Cambridge	Q1 – Mar12	1.171	$0.550	8.564%	$0.619	35.90%	Industrial
First REIT	Q1 – Mar12	1.93	$0.900	8.622%	$0.800	16.00%	Hospitals + Hotel (Indonesia)
SaizenREIT	1H – Dec11	0.61	$0.144	8.472%	$0.310	32.00%	Residential (Japan)
CACHE	Q1 – Mar12	2.086	$1.035	8.106%	$0.910	27.70%	Industrial
MapletreeInd	Q4 – Mar12	2.22	$1.140	7.789%	$1.020	37.80%	Industrial
AscottREIT	Q1 – Mar12	2.14	$1.085	7.889%	$1.310	41.60%	Serviced Apts (Regional)
K-REIT	Q1 – Mar12	1.9	$1.000	7.640%	$1.250	41.80%	Office
SuntecReit	Q1 – Mar12	2.453	$1.345	7.335%	$1.962	37.40%	Retail + Office
CapitaRChina	Q1 – Mar12	2.41	$1.330	7.286%	$1.240	30.00%	Retail (China)
Frasers Comm	1H – Mar12	3.2423	$0.940	6.894%	$1.330	36.10%	Retail + Office
MapletreeLog	Q5 – Mar12	1.7	$0.970	7.010%	$0.880	35.20%	Industrial
MapletreeCom	Q4 – Mar12	1.554	$0.935	6.684%	$0.954	37.60%	Retail + Office
LippoMalls	Q1 – Mar12	0.69	$0.410	6.732%	$0.566	9.20%	Retail (Indonesia)
Ascendasreit	Q4 – Mar12	3.5	$2.040	6.863%	$1.843	36.60%	Industrial
Starhill Gbl	Q1 – Mar12	1.07	$0.645	6.667%	$0.940	30.40%	Retail + Office
Fortune Reit HK$	2H – Dec11	13.5	$4.170	6.475%	$7.810	25.90%	Retail (HK)
FrasersCT	Q2 – Mar12	2.5	$1.625	6.154%	$1.420	30.90%	Retail
CapitaComm	Q1 – Mar12	1.9	$1.305	5.854%	$1.560	30.50%	Office (61%) + Retail (22%) + Hotel (17%)
CDL Htrust	Q1 – Mar12	2.78	$1.950	5.733%	$1.580	25.60%	Hotels
PLife REIT	Q1 – Mar12	2.56	$1.855	5.520%	$1.460	35.30%	Hospitals
CapitaMall	Q1 – Mar12	2.3	$1.785	5.182%	$1.570	38.30%	Retail + Office

High Yield Stocks

Aviation Services

Stock	Period	EPS cts	DPS cts	Mkt	Yield	PE	Div Breakdown
SATS	FY11 (Mar)	17.40	17.0	$2.570	6.615%	14.77	Interim 5ct ; Final 6ct + Special 6ct
SIA Engg	FY12 (Mar)	24.56	21.0	$4.080	5.147%	16.61	Interim 6ct ; Final 15ct
ST Engg	FY11 (Dec)	17.28	15.5	$3.070	5.049%	17.77	Interim 3ct ; Final 4ct + Special 8.5ct

Note : SATS Special Div are Observed to be Non-Recurring 

Transport

Stock	Period	EPS cts	DPS cts	Mkt	Yield	PE	Div Breakdown
SBSTransit	FY11 (Dec)	11.89	5.90	$1.640	3.598%	13.79	Interim 3.1ct ; Final 2.8ct
ComfortDelGro	FY11 (Dec)	11.27	6.00	$1.490	4.027%	13.22	Interim 2.7ct ; Final 3.3ct
SMRT	FY12 (Mar)	7.9	7.45	$1.660	4.488%	21.01	Interim 1.75ct ; Final 5.7ct

TELCO

Stock	Period	EPS cts	DPS cts	Mkt	Yield	PE	Div Breakdown
SingTel	FY12 (Mar)	25.04	15.8	$3.210	4.922%	12.82	Interim 6.8ct ; Final 9ct
M1	FY11 (Dec)	18.1	14.5	$2.500	5.800%	13.81	Interim 6.6ct ; Final 7.9ct
StarHub	FY11 (Dec)	18.40	20	$3.220	6.211%	17.50	Q1 5ct ; Q2 5ct ; Q3 5ct ; Q4 5ct

Note : SingTel Special Div is Observed to be Non-Recurring

Funds / Infrastructure

Stock	Period	DPS cts	Mkt	Yield	NAV	Div Breakdown
SPAus	1H – Sep11	A4.0 (Gross)	$1.385	7.288%	A$0.89	2H11 A4.0ct ; 1H11 A4.0ct
MIIF	2H – Dec11	2.75	$0.580	9.483%	$0.820	1H11 2.75ct ; 2H11 2.75ct

* SPAus DPU in A$. Yield is Calculated Using Latest Exchange Rate (1.2618) fm Yahoo

NOTES :

• Mkt Price is as on 10-May-12
• SingTel : 2H12 (Mar12) – Final 9ct ; 1H12 (Sep11) – Interim 6.8ct ; Includes Exceptional Net Tax Credit S$270M
• SIAEC : Q412 (Mar12) – Final 15ct ; Q212 (Sep11) – Interim 6ct
• StarHub : Q112 (Mar) – 5ct
• SMRT : Q412 (Mar12) – Final 5.7ct ; Q212 (Sep11) – Interim 1.75ct
• SingPost : Q412 (Mar12) – 2.5ct ; Q312 (Dec11) – 1.25ct ; Q212 (Sep11) – 1.25ct ; Q112 (Jun11) – 1.25ct
• SPH : 1H12 (Feb) – 7ct
• ST Engg : 1H11 (Jun) – 3ct ; 2H11 (Dec) – 4ct (Final) + 8.5ct (Special)
• MIIF : 1H11 (Jun) – 2.75ct ; 2H11 (Dec) – 2.75ct
• ComfortDelgro : Q411 (Dec) – 3.3ct ; Q211 (Jun) – 2.7ct
• SBSTransit : Q411 (Dec) – 2.8ct ; Q211 (Jun) – 3.1ct
• StarHub : FY12 Div Guidance – 5ct/Q
• M1 : 2H11 (Dec) – Final 7.9ct ; 1H11 (Jun) – Interim 6.6ct
• SATSvcs : Q212 (Sep11) – Interim 5ct
• SPAus : 2H11 (Mar11) – A4ct (before tax) / A3.7721ct (after tax) ; 1H11 (Sep10) – A4ct (before tax) / A3.7772ct (after tax)

10 Questions to Ask when choosing a Financial Planner

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Planner

You may be considering help from a financial planner for a number of reasons, whether it's deciding to buy a new home, planning for retirement or your children's education, or simply not having the time or expertise to get your finances in order. Whatever your needs, working with a financial planner can be a helpful step in securing your financial future.

The questions in this section will help you interview and evaluate several financial planners to find the one that's right for you. You will want to select a competent, qualified professional with whom you feel comfortable, one whose business style suits your financial planning needs. An interview checklist has been included for your convenience.

1. What experience do you have?

Find out how long the planner has been in practice and the number and types of companies with which she has been associated. Ask the planner to briefly describe her work experience and how it relates to her current practice. Choose a financial planner who has a minimum of three years experience counseling individuals on their financial needs.

2. What are your qualifications?

The term "financial planner" is used by many financial professionals. Ask the planner what qualifies him to offer financial planning advice and whether he holds a financial planning designation such as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM mark. Look for a planner who has proven experience in financial planning topics such as insurance, tax planning, investments, estate planning or retirement planning. Determine what steps the planner takes to stay current with changes and developments in the financial planning field. If the planner holds a financial planning designation, check on his background with the FPAS.

3. What services do you offer? 
The services a financial planner offers depend on a number of factors including credentials, licenses and areas of expertise. Financial planners cannot sell insurance or securities products without the proper licenses. Some planners offer financial planning advice on a range of topics but do not sell financial products. Others may provide advice only in specific areas such as estate planning or on tax matters.

4. What is your approach to financial planning?
Ask the financial planner about the type of clients and financial situations she typically likes to work with. Some planners prefer to develop one plan by bringing together all of your financial goals. Others provide advice on specific areas, as needed. Make sure the planner's viewpoint on investing is not too cautious or overly aggressive for you. Some planners require you to have a certain net worth before offering services. Find out if the planner will carry out the financial recommendations developed for you or refer you to others who will do so.

5. Will you be the only person working with me?

The financial planner may work with you himself or have others in the office assist him. You may want to meet everyone who will be working with you. If the planner works with professionals outside his own practice (such as attorneys, insurance agents or tax specialists) to develop or carry out financial planning recommendations, get a list of their names to check on their backgrounds.

6. How will I pay for your services?
As part of your financial planning agreement, the financial planner should clearly tell you in writing how she will be paid for the services to be provided. Planners can be paid in several ways:
 

• a salary paid by the company for which the planner works. The planner's employer receives payment from you or others, either in fees or commissions, in order to pay the planner's salary. 

• fees based on an hourly rate, a flat rate, or on a percentage of your assets and/or income. 

• commissions paid by a third party from the products sold to you to carry out the financial planning recommendations. Commissions are usually a percentage of the amount you invest in a product. 
• a combination of fees and commissions whereby fees are charged for the amount of work done to develop financial planning recommendations and commissions are received from any products sold. In addition, some planners may offset some portion of the fees you pay if they receive commissions for carrying out their recommendations. 

7. How much do you typically charge?
While the amount you pay the planner will depend on your particular needs, the financial planner should be able to provide you with an estimate of possible costs based on the work to be performed. Such costs would include the planner's hourly rates or flat fees or the percentage he would receive as commission on products you may purchase as part of the financial planning recommendations.

8. Could anyone besides me benefit from your recommendations? 

Some business relationships or partnerships that a planner has could affect her professional judgment while working with you, inhibiting the planner from acting in your best interest. Ask the planner to provide you with a description of her conflicts of interest in writing. For example, financial planners who sell insurance policies, securities or mutual funds have a business relationship with the companies that provide these financial products. The planner may also have relationships or partnerships that should be disclosed to you, such as business she receives for referring you to an insurance agent, accountant or attorney for implementation of planning suggestions.

9. Have you ever been publicly disciplined for any unlawful or unethical actions in your professional career?
Several government and professional regulatory keep records on the disciplinary history of financial planners. Ask what organizations the planner is regulated by, and contact these groups to conduct a background check.

10. Can I have it in writing?
Ask the planner to provide you with a written agreement that details the services that will be provided. Keep this document in your files for future reference.

Conclusion

All in all, its best to find a financial planner that will stick to you throughout your different stages of life and not just one that sells you insurance plans and neglect you totally. Real financial planners can be very beneficial with their knowledge of tax legislations and planning for something important you may have missed out in your lives.

FREE Complete Starter Kit for Stock Investing Beginners

I just uploaded a FREE Complete Starter Kit for Stock Investing Beginners & you can find it here...


Here is how it looks like:

It is an ebook (not made by me, by sgstockmarket.com) that compiles all the necessary information like:
1) who can open stock trading account
2) brokerage firms you can open accounts with
3) Technical vs Fundamental Analysis


No Harm taking a look even if you have been investing/trading in stocks for long :)