Clara Lim

Some people’s daydreams involve condo penthouses, flashy cars, and an enviable collection of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. Mine, on the other hand, consist of spotting and investing in market trends right before they take off. Hey, don’t laugh. Don’t we all wish we had snapped up vaccine stocks before Pfizer and Moderna “made a killing” from vaccine sales last year? Or invested heavily in e-commerce companies before the toilet paper and office chair gold rush of 2020?

If you’re a regular investor, you might have come across things like “thematic investing”, “thematic funds” or “thematic ETFs” on your favourite online brokerage or robo advisor. This, um, theme seems to be everywhere on investment platforms these days. So what does it mean? Don’t worry, it’s not a technical term. Thematic investing is just an investing style where your decisions are guided by broad, long-term, global trends that may impact multiple industries or companies. Some examples are sustainability, robotics, and the post-pandemic world.

As Singapore’s economy finally moves on and recovers from Covid-19 (fingers crossed!) it seems fitting to direct our attention to the SPDR STI ETF, or SPDR Straits Times Index ETF, which broadly tracks our country’s economy. Incidentally, the SPDR STI ETF also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It was originally introduced by global investment company State Street Global Advisors and first went live on 11 April 2002.

This post was written in collaboration with DBS. While we are financially compensated by them, we nonetheless strive to maintain our editorial integrity and review products with the same objective lens. We are committed to providing the best information in order for you to make personal financial decisions with confidence. You can view our Editorial Guidelines here. Now that 2022 is here, there’s a feeling of fresh hope in the air. Maybe this is the year things will finally start feeling normal

As a reader of MoneySmart, you probably know the importance of saving and investing. That said, when it comes to investing, the choices can be overwhelming. Today, there are hundreds of investment vehicles and methods in Singapore, catering to all sorts of risk appetites and accessible on so many platforms. And with so many investment fads and promotions online, it can be hard to see the trees in the forest. So for 2022, let’s go back to basics and turn the spotlight on the SPDR STI ETF, or the SPDR Straits Times Index ETF (exchange traded fund).

Most Singaporeans start investing by buying shares such as CapitaLand or DBS on the Singapore stock exchange. These SGX-listed blue chip stocks seem safe, tend to be stable, and can offer passive income in the form of dividends. However, as we become increasingly financially savvy, a lot “graduate” into investing in the US stock market. The US stock market is where mega-companies like Apple, Tesla and Google are listed, and can fast-track the growth of your investment portfolio compared to investing only locally.

This post was written in collaboration with Syfe. While we are financially compensated by them, we nonetheless strive to maintain our editorial integrity and review products with the same objective lens. We are committed to providing the best information in order for you to make personal financial decisions with confidence. You can view our Editorial Guidelines here. Most Singaporeans wouldn’t even dream of uttering the words “financial independence” in the same breath as “being a parent”.

Not unlike a Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, Astrea bonds are a near-annual affair and almost guaranteed to be a hit among investors in Singapore. In 2018, Singaporeans snapped up Astrea IV bonds like there was no tomorrow. In 2019, we gobbled up its sequel, Astrea V. And after a one-year break to deal with COVID-19, the latest iteration, Astrea VI bond, is now open and looks set to be another box office smash.

You might have heard of a little robo advisor called Stashaway. OK, it’s not so little — this startup has been around since 2016 and has dominated the robo advisor scene ever since. With no minimum investment to start, affordable fees, and a beautiful, baby-bottom-smooth app, it’s no wonder Stashaway has taken newbie investors by storm. You can finally grow your money in an aesthetically-pleasing way.

You’ve read up enough about how to start investing. You’ve triple-checked your emergency fund. You’re finally ready to rake it in on the stock market! Now what? The next step is to pick an investment brokerage which allows you to buy your first shares. Easier said than done, though. From bank brokerages like DBS Vickers and UOB KayHian, to independent brokerages like Saxo Markets and POEMS, the sheer number of brokerages can be overwhelming.

Investing in real estate is part of the Singapore Dream. Own property, become a landlord, enjoy a consistent stream of rental income until the end of your days. … I did say it’s a dream, right? In truth, being a landlord always sounds much nicer than it actually is. For a start, you need buttloads of money to even think about becoming one. Most of us can barely scrape together enough for an HDB flat to live in, let alone become a property magnate.

Most of us have a vague idea that we should be investing at least some of our money to make it grow, but no one ever sits us down and outright tells us how exactly to do it. If you’ve been dutifully putting money away in your savings account, yet wondering if there’s something more you should be doing with that cash, then here’s an easy answer: invest in ETFs, or exchange traded funds. But what on earth are ETFs? And how do you invest in them in Singapore?

If you came here looking for a comparison of CFD brokerages in Singapore, you’re probably not a total beginner to investing. But just in case you’re not familiar with the notion of CFD (contract for difference) trading, a little introduction is in order. Either way, this is a simple guide to the complex world of CFD trading in Singapore. Unlike most other forms of investing where you have a clear idea of what asset or whose company you’re investing in, it’s not so intuitive with CFD trading.

Traditionally, investment bonds are hardly the stuff of casual conversation. You won’t find your insufferable colleague bragging endlessly about how much money he made with his Singapore Savings Bonds. But that looks set to change now that Temasek Holdings is offering its first retail bond, called T2023-S$. Previously, Temasek bonds were open only to institutional investors (entire companies, for example) who can cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars.