tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64012759225851168832009-12-10T03:01:20.451+08:00An Asia-focused blog from Singapore on investment tips &amp; news. Start putting your cash to better use!Michaelnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42110tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-16711462005477525202009-11-27T21:12:00.001+08:002009-11-27T22:12:12.184+08:002009-11-27T22:12:12.184+08:00Yesterday, the huge Dubai World conglomerate shocked the world by announcing it needs a 6-month “standstill” on its debt repayments to June 2010. For most of us, what does this mean? CashBench filters through the hype and focuses on what we can learn from Dubai’s problems. Extravagant Dubai Dubai is part of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East. Despite its small size, it is arguably the most famous destination in the Middle East with many signature real estate developments. Some of these include the largest mall (Dubai Mall), tallest tower (Burj Dubai), and the most luxurious hotel (Burj Al Arab, pictured above). Dubai World Dubai...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/onIwxskEmGSTk1DrDNMz0OZzJOU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/onIwxskEmGSTk1DrDNMz0OZzJOU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/onIwxskEmGSTk1DrDNMz0OZzJOU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/onIwxskEmGSTk1DrDNMz0OZzJOU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/3sZqtbHXDuw" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/11/learning-from-dubais-debt-problems.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-8893832359369699992009-11-10T11:01:00.001+08:002009-11-10T11:11:55.015+08:002009-11-10T11:11:55.015+08:00CashBench looks at some recent developments in Asia and around the world, and highlight trends that are important to investors. For November, this includes the new “Nasdaq” board in China, the Brazilian currency, and gold prices. 1. Irrational investors on China’s new “Nasdaq” board China opened a new “Nasdaq” style stock exchange in Shenzhen on Oct 30 that allows smaller companies to be listed. This ChiNext exchange has been planned for a while, but the speculative investors rushing into this new stock exchange are already creating a stock bubble. Since it opened a week ago, the initial list of 28 stocks has gained as much as 210% and “circuit-breakers” meant to reduce speculation has...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIoUh4zbCeF6qM8yDy7eslsAIdY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIoUh4zbCeF6qM8yDy7eslsAIdY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIoUh4zbCeF6qM8yDy7eslsAIdY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/EIoUh4zbCeF6qM8yDy7eslsAIdY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/0uoQIYC3g3E" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-2009-market-update.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-71053501329512028672009-10-21T01:05:00.001+08:002009-10-22T01:33:24.753+08:002009-10-22T01:33:24.753+08:00CPF LIFE (Lifelong Income Scheme For The Elderly) kicks in since September to ensure that seniors in Singapore have an assured source of income for life. Unlike the mass media, CashBench will not focus on the 4 CPF LIFE plans but reviews the scheme itself, including 3 key aspects that every Singapore resident must know. &#160; CPF LIFE Overview: The CPF LIFE scheme is essentially meant to be an improvement to the Minimum Sum Scheme (MSS). In the older Minimum Sum Scheme, a minimum amount of savings in our CPF accounts is set aside with the CPF Board to provide a regular source of income for retirement needs. This minimum amount is referred to as the minimum sum. However, this minimum...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/W4pHzk7rZHWD5U4ev2GiLkhf5AA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/W4pHzk7rZHWD5U4ev2GiLkhf5AA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/W4pHzk7rZHWD5U4ev2GiLkhf5AA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/W4pHzk7rZHWD5U4ev2GiLkhf5AA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/2Ga3XsSHsL0" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com1http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-of-cpf-life.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-4657395477079479752009-09-23T02:34:00.001+08:002009-09-23T08:05:42.073+08:002009-09-23T08:05:42.073+08:00Have you always wondered how much fees and taxes you need to pay for those shares you bought or sold? Instead of waiting for the contract statement to be posted to you, find out immediately using CashBench’s Excel Tool! Buying 1000 shares with a share price of $5.00 should cost $5,000. But, this does not include all the different fees and taxes we need to pay. How much do we really need for these fees, commissions, charges &amp; taxes? Try calculating it yourself and you’ll soon find that even a calculator doesn’t help you very much. Why? Because there are 4 types of fees and taxes, with 3 different tier rates to take care of! Now, CashBench can get rid of that problem for you....<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4e-EEzd-UuWN_tG8IRRMCG6o6Fk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4e-EEzd-UuWN_tG8IRRMCG6o6Fk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4e-EEzd-UuWN_tG8IRRMCG6o6Fk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4e-EEzd-UuWN_tG8IRRMCG6o6Fk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/UYNfYpUd0Zs" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-much-fees-to-pay-for-shares-find.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-42739181419311841502009-09-18T17:32:00.001+08:002009-09-18T18:32:19.279+08:002009-09-18T18:32:19.279+08:00Recently, we keep hearing of the Chinese stock markets leading the movements in worldwide stocks. How true is this for the Straits Times index (STI) in Singapore? CashBench investigates… &#160; [Photo: Koalazymonkey] Before the current worldwide downturn, investors in Singapore typically look at the performance of the overnight markets in the United States for clues on how Singapore stocks will perform the following day. Does this work anymore? Based on a 3-month and 12-month analysis carried out by CashBench, investors should start looking elsewhere for ideas. Over the past 3 months, there is a low correlation between the returns of the STI and the Dow Jones, Nasdaq or...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnK0XVjqSYkGnU4cguU9Do06yI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnK0XVjqSYkGnU4cguU9Do06yI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnK0XVjqSYkGnU4cguU9Do06yI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnK0XVjqSYkGnU4cguU9Do06yI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/9Bi7E7sakBU" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/09/mirror-image-of-straits-times-index.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-40283023506853759192009-09-01T14:53:00.001+08:002009-09-01T15:14:50.442+08:002009-09-01T15:14:50.442+08:00THE SECOND LARGEST MONTHLY DROP IN 15 YEARS &#160; Translated from Lianhe Zaobao (Chinese), published 1 Sep 2009 Recent heavyweight stocks in the Chinese markets collectively fell, resulting in panicky sentiments among investors. According to a report by the China Economic Weekly, an unnamed source close to the Chinese regulators said policies to stabilize the markets may be launched. This source also emphasized that market stabilizing measures does not specifically target the Chinese national day on 1 Oct. Such measures may include the reduction of short-term notes issued by the Chinese central bank, and the speeding up of IPO and fund launches. However, with the continued...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3qDJvhWd7eU77eiA1qANisFVe0U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3qDJvhWd7eU77eiA1qANisFVe0U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3qDJvhWd7eU77eiA1qANisFVe0U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3qDJvhWd7eU77eiA1qANisFVe0U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/llHi4J_reXk" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/09/shanghai-composite-fell-21-in-august.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-60649218870018582342009-08-25T20:04:00.001+08:002009-08-25T20:29:45.522+08:002009-08-25T20:29:45.522+08:00This is the final part of a three-part series on structured warrants on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). The first two articles can be found here and here. This week, we focus on key warrants terms that investors must know, the specific methods of warrant investing and key investment risks for warrants. [Photo: Ed100] Only for CashBench Group Members Those who join CashBench on Yahoo! Groups will immediately receive this entire three-part series on warrants in a single PDF report for easy reference, wherever you are. What's more, membership is free and you’ll also receive updates once a week or less often on new analysis, forecasts and news from...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/brmms4auTkoVrVPvYFpc4JStX8c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/brmms4auTkoVrVPvYFpc4JStX8c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/brmms4auTkoVrVPvYFpc4JStX8c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/brmms4auTkoVrVPvYFpc4JStX8c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/xJx6eog-LQA" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com2http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/08/sgx-structured-warrants-part-3.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-8317094960610642452009-08-19T22:26:00.001+08:002009-08-19T22:26:47.712+08:002009-08-19T22:26:47.712+08:00This is one of those very rare occasions where CashBench focus more on my personal experience rather than analyse news or give out investment tips. Today, Channel NewsAsia has an article under Singapore News&#160; on the 45% pass rate for all CFA candidates. This is across all three CFA levels around the globe, based on results of the recent Jun 2009 examinations. In the Asia Pacific region, the passing rate was even lower at 42%. Right here in Singapore, 7,800 signed up for one of the strength-draining 6-hour exams this year. In fact, the results for levels 2 and 3 were only released yesterday, and represents an important milestone for CashBench. First, the release of the results meant...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HMUZgemFpgK5h-uGVjz9tkTBNnQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HMUZgemFpgK5h-uGVjz9tkTBNnQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HMUZgemFpgK5h-uGVjz9tkTBNnQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HMUZgemFpgK5h-uGVjz9tkTBNnQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/AKRZ_hV2mq0" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/08/lowest-cfa-level-3-exam-pass-rate.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-44731308886792851052009-08-18T17:37:00.001+08:002009-08-20T01:35:45.597+08:002009-08-20T01:35:45.597+08:00CashBench once asked a friend, “how much are you willing to lose for an initial investment of $5000?” This friend replied “I'm not a risk taker. $50?”. If you are like this friend, but wants to enjoy the thrill of forecasting the future, what can you do? CashBench suggests a safe option.&#160; [Photo: Sreejith K] There are many of us who very much prefer to take little or no risk with our own money. Keeping spare cash in the bank is the preferred option, as the thought of an investment falling in value is simply unacceptable. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way. Yesterday, the Shanghai Composite index fell more than 5%. My friend, who can only lose S$50,&#160; will...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ecbepcEVOG4LLHP9CXLk87tV-L8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ecbepcEVOG4LLHP9CXLk87tV-L8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ecbepcEVOG4LLHP9CXLk87tV-L8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ecbepcEVOG4LLHP9CXLk87tV-L8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/Wd9MsNwYnuk" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/08/practise-investing-without-risk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401275922585116883.post-71317703763124898322009-08-13T17:18:00.004+08:002009-09-23T10:48:09.231+08:002009-09-23T10:48:09.231+08:00[Photo: Pandemia] For those who wants to be updated via email on new analysis, forecasts and news from CashBench, simply join the CashBench group on Yahoo today. It’s free and group members will receive email updates once a week or less often. This will ensure every update from CashBench will be useful, and you are not overloaded with emails too. &#160; In addition, CashBench respects your privacy and will not share your particulars with group members or anybody else. You can also easily subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. Upon joining, new members will receive a sample update immediately to get a good idea how CashBench email updates look like. &#160; Besides receiving...<br/> <br/> Read the entire article on CashBench at http://cashbench.blogspot.com <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QDPIw6zyL6uGagOzFxtrd_4yz0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QDPIw6zyL6uGagOzFxtrd_4yz0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QDPIw6zyL6uGagOzFxtrd_4yz0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QDPIw6zyL6uGagOzFxtrd_4yz0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cashbench/~4/AIOY66gvpgw" height="1" width="1"/>Michaelnoreply@blogger.com0http://cashbench.blogspot.com/2009/08/cashbench-group-on-yahoo.html