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    How to Read a Fund Fact-Sheet

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    Has your adviser given you a factsheet on a recommended fund, and you need to understand what the terms mean? If so, read on …The fund factsheet is an essential document for the private investor. Unfortunately, the information contained in a factsheet - and the way it is presented - is not controlled in the same way as it is in a fund prospectus (a prospectus is a legal document). In essence a factsheet is marketing literature. Only a tiny fraction of investors ever read the formal prospectus for a fund, that’s why it’s especially important to be able to read a fund factsheet correctly, and if necessary to read between the lines.Key Contents Of A Factsheet Most fund factsheets will contain some or all of the following:Fund Name Many funds are commonly referred to by a short or abbreviated version of the full fund name. Hence it’s important to make use of the identifying codes (see below).Fund Management Company & Domicile The fund management company is structured and regulated acc…
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    Tax Free Savings Plans for Australians?

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    Question: How can returning Australians (and expats moving to Australia) make MASSIVE tax savings by using offshore investment bonds and investment-linked life policy wrappers?Answer: Set it up while you’re an expat working abroad, and keep it running at least ten years (even if you go back home) for maximum tax benefits.(Note: this article is relevant to expatriate Australians working in Singapore and other overseas locations, as well as other nationalities who may be moving to Australia in the future.)Click to download a copy of this information in PDF format. Background - Repeal of Foreign Investment Fund legislationFor several years the Australian Tax Office (ATO) had very defined, and perhaps harsh, rules for how foreign insurance bonds were treated in respect of capital gains for tax residents in Australia. In effect, these tax wrappers were treated in a ‘look through’ manner and holders were liable for tax on actual gains made or at a deemed rate set by the authorities. This reg…
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    Dollar Cost Averaging

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    How Regular Savings Create Gains From A Falling MarketDollar Cost Averaging is a strategy in which an investor places a fixed dollar amount (or indeed any other currency) into a given investment such as a unit trust, on a regular basis. The investment generally takes place each and every month regardless of what is occurring in the financial markets. As a result, when the price of a given investment rises, the investor will be able to purchase fewer units. When the price declines, the investor will be able to purchase more units.Millions of investors around the world employ a dollar cost averaging strategy because it offers the following benefits:It’s an attractive option for investors who want to contribute to their investment portfolios on a regular basis. It eliminates the issue of ‘market timing.’ As a result, an investor’s returns will be determined more by the overall trend in a given fund as opposed to the investor’s specific entry price. In addition, it helps investors reduce …
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    Investment Outlook For 2018

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    After a nervous start to 2017 for investors, growth continued and the year ended on a higher note than most expected.  As we enter 2018, it’s a good time to survey the global economy and decide if our asset allocation is still appropriate.In this article I aim to address these straightforward questions:
    Will there be a recession in 2018?How cautious should I be in my investment approach?Where are the investment opportunities for the year ahead?What asset classes should I overweight or underweight in my portfolio?
    I will also reveal why an ox weight-guessing competition, held in 1906 at the West of England Fat Stock and Poultry Exhibition, helps us derive more useful information than individual leading economists do about the risk of imminent recession.
    This is good stuff, you really should read on!
    Please share this article! >> Review of Key Economic Reports Remembering the First Law of Economists, it’s a good idea to conduct a broad survey of what the ‘experts’ have to say about t…
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    British Expat? Here are the Huge UK Tax Benefits of an Offshore Investment Plan...

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    Would you like to maximise the tax planning benefits of being a British expat abroad? Read on for a summary of some key reliefs and allowances available from the HMRC tax man…(Note: this article is relevant to British expatriates working in Singapore and other overseas locations, as well as other nationalities who may be moving to UK in the future.)Click to download this information in PDF format.
    Summary of Tax Benefits of an Offshore Investment PlanUnder HMRC tax rules for ‘foreign’ investment bonds and investment-linked life policies have additional tax planning benefits compared with their domestic equivalents. The purpose of this article is to briefly highlight the most important. The content is not intended to be specific tax advice of any kind, and rules can change at any time. Everyone’s tax situation is unique and you should consult a qualified tax accountant regarding your own circumstances.5% withdrawal allowance Time apportionment reduction Top slicing relief Clustering …
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    Future Value Calculation and the Rule of 72

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    Getting down and dirty with the CAGR formulaThe BasicsLet’s say you have an asset worth $100 now, and you want to find out what it’s value will be in 5 years if it grows at a rate of 10% per annum and interest is compounded.The equation is simple. The asset’s future value (FV) and present value (PV) are related as follows:$$FV = PV\times(1+i)^n$$where i is the rate of interest and n is the number of periods. In our example:
    $$FV = $100\times(1+0.10)^5 = $161.051$$
    Here the total growth over the 5 years FV/PV is 161.051/100 = 1.61051 . This gives us the total cumulative return r.
    $${FV \over PV} = (1+i)^n = 1+r$$
    Or expressed in percentage terms:
    $$r = [(1+i)^n - 1] \times 100$$ (equation A). In our example, (1.61051-1) x 100 = 61.051%.If we rewrite the future value calculation to solve for i:$$i = \left[FV \over PV\right] ^{1/n} - 1$$ (equation B), then substituting in for r and in percentage terms:$$i = [ (1+r)^{1/n} - 1 ] \times 100$$(equation C). Note that equations marked A and C are quite …
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    Roy Walker named winner Best Financial Planner (Financial Advisory Open Category) at the 2018 FPAS (Financial Planning Association of Singapore) awards.

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    It was my great privilege to be a finalist of the Financial Planning Awards run by the Financial Planning Association of Singapore (FPAS) this year.And a surprise and an honour to be awarded Winner of the Financial Advisory Open Category.The FPAS was established 20 years ago, with the aim of developing and promoting the financial planning industry in providing independent unbiased financial advice.  The FPAS award aims to recognise financial planners in Singapore who excel in their professional knowledge, demonstrate financial planning skills at the highest level and uphold best practices.  The competition assesses the financial planning acumen of practitioners from three major industry sectors in Singapore namely the Banking sector, the Insurance sector and the Financial Advisory (FA) sector. The award also aims to develop and maintain high ethical standards and increase high quality financial advice within the industry sectors.The highly esteemed panel of judges represents the pinna…
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    UK Inheritance Tax Rules for British Expats - What You Need to Know

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    British citizen living abroad? It’s essential to understand the UK inheritance tax rules because they probably do apply to you!NB.  These rules apply even if you arenot British, but have assets or investments based in UK!!UK inheritance tax is an extremely complex subject and you should always get expert advice to suit your circumstances. The following article is designed to give only a brief overview of the topic.
    Much like making a will, planning for inheritance tax is one of those things we usually prefer not to think about. However, it’s an area where a little bit of forward planning can make a huge difference to how much of our wealth the tax man gets his hands on - to the tune of thousands of pounds, or even hundreds of thousands.How much exactly?Currently inheritance tax (IHT) in the UK is 40% on assets over the £325,000 threshold.But wait a minute, I don’t live in the UK, don’t own any assets there, and haven’t even been back for years. I won’t be due for IHT, right? Right?UK …
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    Inflation, Compound Growth, and the Time Value of Money

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    I have $100 to give you. Do you want it now, or in four year’s time?If you’re like most people, you’d rather have $100 now than wait to receive it in the future. You want the utility of that $100 now, for whatever purpose you choose - whether it’s to spend in the department store, save at the bank, or pay off your credit card. (Of course, if there was no such thing as inflation and no such thing as interest, and you didn’t actually need $100 right now, then maybe $100 in a four years time is equally fine. But let’s get back to the real world…)Financial modelling techniques such as Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) reflect the truth that $100 has more value now than in a year’s time, because we can put it to work for us.Inflation Erodes Real Value Let’s suppose that retail inflation (Consumer Price Index, CPI) is 5%. So a box of groceries that costs $100 today, will cost $105 in one year. Inflation will have eroded the purchasing power of your cash. And if i…
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    Warren Buffet on Hamburgers

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    Source: Warren Buffett, the most successful investor in the world in the Berkshire Hathaway Chairman’s Letter 1997I’m saving for the long term - should I be worried if share prices fall?“A short quiz: If you plan to eat hamburgers throughout your life and are not a cattle producer, should you wish for higher or lower prices for beef? Likewise, if you are going to buy a car from time to time but are not an auto manufacturer, should you prefer higher or lower car prices? These questions, of course, answer themselves.“But now for the final exam: If you expect to be a net saver during the next five years, should you hope for a higher or lower stock market during that period?“Many investors get this one wrong. Even though they are going to be net buyers of stocks for many years to come, they are elated when stock prices rise and depressed when they fall. In effect, they rejoice because prices have risen for the ‘hamburgers’ they will soon be buying.“This reaction makes no sense. Only those…
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