Ever since I revealed publicly about hitting the much-coveted millionaire milestone I had set for myself again in 2014, a lot of you will have reached out to ask in regards to the breakdown of my funding portfolio.
For those who’re new to my weblog, right here’s a fast breakdown of the place I began and the way I bought right here.
In 2014, I used to be nonetheless an worker who solely knew how one can finances and save.
I wrote my first article right here to share with my mates about how I managed to save lots of $20,000 as a contemporary grad who had began working full-time, which then unexpectedly went viral. That was in an period when most contemporary grads have been incomes $2k – $4k on common, and I used to be being paid the decrease finish of $2,500.
Again then, many individuals left feedback on that article, together with people who suggested me to start out investing now that I had an honest capital to work with. Nevertheless, I knew nothing about investing then, so I began studying – by way of a mixture of studying books, attending programs…and studying from Mr Market himself.
I’ll at all times keep in mind my first inventory buy. It was SingPost, which was closely shilled to me by my dealer again then (whom I’ve since “fired”) as he insisted that he was a “licensed skilled” and “knew higher” than me. I purchased SingPost at about $2 and misplaced near 80% of my funding on it. The monetary losses I incurred on that “protected, blue-chip” inventory taught me a painful lesson: the professionals do NOT essentially know higher than us.
For those who're Gen Z, that was in an period earlier than the invention of digital brokerages i.e. every retail investor had a human dealer assigned to their account, who earned some charges for every transaction that we made.
I used to be decided to be taught, and invested primarily within the Singapore inventory market throughout that point as I continued including periodically at strategic timings through the years e.g. throughout the 2016 oil disaster, the COVID pandemic crash and the 2021 – 2022 crash. The businesses I personal have continued to extend their dividends through the years, so I’ve loved each capital positive aspects and a progress in passive earnings (my dividend earnings collected every year has crossed 5-digits, which additionally means my yield-on-cost is now at double-digits). I wish to reinvest these dividends for much more progress.
In 2016, I diversified into US and Hong Kong shares.
As I realized extra about investing, I realised that the listed shares we’ve right here in Singapore are however a drop within the huge ocean. If I needed worldwide progress and publicity, there have been far greater companies within the US and Hong Kong that have been making an influence throughout international markets.
My enterprise into the US markets have paid off effectively. A lot of the corporations I invested in have been scooped up at a big low cost through the years, together with Meta, Shopify and Masimo, simply to call a number of. I can’t be sharing the undervalued gems I discovered this yr as that’s a secret reserved just for my nearer mates and readers 😛
Whereas the Chinese language markets stay down and battered, the US markets have delivered astounding returns through the years and soared to new all-time highs this yr.
In consequence, my portfolio has benefited from a number of multi-baggers. All these have propelled my portfolio to new all-time highs as effectively, as you possibly can see within the chart under.
In 2017, I added crypto into my portfolio.
I keep in mind being excited after I learnt about how crypto and blockchain expertise works, and I might see how within the close to foreseeable future, it might undoubtedly play a much bigger function in our funds. Nevertheless, investing in crypto throughout that interval the place everybody was calling crypto a rip-off wasn’t simple (and I, too, needed to take care of a variety of hate feedback and criticisms from skeptics and even a number of monetary bloggers who disagreed with me venturing into crypto property). Nonetheless, I tuned out the noise and purchased the majority of my cryptocurrencies then as a result of I actually believed in the way forward for this new asset class.
Nevertheless, because it was fairly excessive danger and unstable, I capped my publicity to only 20% of my whole portfolio. I don’t play MEME cash or NFTs, and I don’t commerce crypto futures or derivatives both.
In fact, this yr turned out to be a watershed yr for crypto, with the SEC approving crypto ETFs and governments lastly giving Bitcoin their stamp of approval (principally due to Donald Trump). As Bitcoin surged previous the $100,000 mark, my portfolio has additionally gone up. In fact, alongside the best way, I made a number of losses (anybody remembers USDT?) from crypto tasks that unexpectedly failed, however total, crypto has nonetheless given me a 4-5X achieve on my capital which is simply mind-boggling.
I've a number of mates who began out in crypto throughout the identical time as me, however made a much bigger transfer in liquidating all their different property (equities, bonds) to place all of it into crypto. They turned multi-millionaires ("whales") a lot sooner than me - over the last crypto bull cycle in 2020 - and have since cashed out on a few of the cash to purchase property. Do I remorse it? In fact I'm wondering what my life might have been like if I had taken the danger again then, however I additionally know that even when given the possibility to show again time (and with out hindsight bias), I'd have nonetheless made the identical resolution as a result of I had to consider my household and children. Typically, it pays to start out investing early when you haven't any commitments to care for but.
In 2024, my funding portfolio crossed 1 million {dollars}.
Final yr, due to the bullish efficiency of the inventory and crypto markets, in addition to the consequences of long-term compounded progress, my funding portfolio has surged previous the $1 million greenback mark this yr.
Truthfully, I didn’t see this coming, and this realisation solely hit me this month after I was doing my yearly assessment of my funds to replicate on how (effectively or badly) I’ve finished this yr. The objective I had set for myself in my 20s was to hit $1M by the point I turned 45, however again in 2022, this didn’t look potential (my portfolio was down by -35% in that yr alone) so I believed I’d must push the timeline additional again. Who would have identified that the markets would come roaring again the best way it did in these current 2 years?
A number of the shares I personal? Meta, Shopify, Disney, Tencent, Alibaba (sure I’m within the inexperienced for this since I averaged down at a time when most traders have been fleeing), Zoom, DBS, Jardine C&C, and so on. I maintain some ETFs, however they’re a small portion of my portfolio in comparison with particular person shares. As you possibly can see from my choice, my funding method has at all times been to seek out fantastic corporations and purchase them once they’re undervalued – that is very a lot influenced by Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett, whose writings and annual AGM sharings drastically impressed me in my youthful years. Even in crypto, I apply the identical investing philosophy – though the dangers are undoubtedly greater there since extra crypto tasks fail than corporations going bankrupt or delisting.
Personally, I don’t commerce, I don’t use margin, and I don’t make use of leverage. I’ve taken programs to learn to do them, however have concluded that such high-risk trades don’t go well with me as a result of I merely can’t sleep effectively at night time for so long as the place is open. I’ve additionally dabbled in choices and futures prior to now, however have come to grasp through the years that these approaches are actually ill-suited to me given my persona and schedule. As a substitute, I very a lot want to review the basics of corporations and doing market analysis vs. charts for patterns, and I keep away from shares like Tesla not as a result of I don’t imagine of their future, however as a result of my coronary heart can’t face up to the volatility (aka Elon Musk).
The $1M doesn't embody my 2 properties (1 in Singapore, 1 abroad) or CPF property as these are much less liquid investments.
For those who’ve caught round for the final 10 years and watched my funding progress story occur, I hope this evokes you that it’s potential to develop into a millionaire once you persistently save and make investments your method to monetary freedom. I additionally need to thanks for supporting the work that I do on this weblog, as a result of whereas I don’t take up a variety of sponsored gigs in contrast to different full-time KOLs (to the purpose the place I’m infamous among the many businesses for being “choosy” and turning down a variety of gigs, together with alternatives by XM, and so on – effectively, that’s a label I’m blissful to just accept), this facet hustle known as writing (or content material creation?) has nonetheless given me an honest earnings that has helped me to save lots of and make investments much more.
I’ve loved writing on this weblog for the final 10 years, and I stay up for with the ability to do it for a superb 10, 20, and even 30 extra years. Maybe then it’ll develop into a retirement journey weblog reasonably than educating individuals on managing their funds higher, haha.
For those who’re new right here and haven’t any urge for food to undergo the 700+ articles that I’ve written and charted within the final 10 years right here, it is possible for you to to learn extra about my story and method subsequent yr when my e book is out in bookstores later this yr. Please do help that; I’m excited to lastly realise my childhood dream of changing into a broadcast creator 🙂
2024, you’ve been completely wonderful – right here’s to higher issues to come back in 2025.
With love,
Finances Babe
