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Frustrated with the lack of growth

My portfolio has been stuck at the same level for a good 4-5 months now. Which is frustrating to say the least.

Notwithstanding weakness in the market, the cash payment on my home purchase really set me back . That is one of the reasons why I had put off a home purchase for the longest time. I didn't want my FI goals to be adversely affected.

Damn you stamp duty! Big props again to the G for profiteering off the efforts of private developers and the hard-earned capital of home owners. 

Investment-wise, I have hit a rut. No new ideas. No inspiration. So much so I am toying with the idea of robo-investors, except I am really put off by the idea of management fees.

I spent a good amount of time scouring the financial blogosphere for inspiration but to no avail. Lately, the market seems to be rather muted as though Madam Market herself has switched off and gone on holiday.  There is consolation to be had in that dreariness. The Singapore market may be predictably dull (if you invest prudently), but in exchange, you do get to keep your sanity (mostly) when there is a downturn (and there will always be one).

My year 2019 has been characterized by strokes of good fortune, which are in turn counteracted by whims of careless spending.

Buying a car (Feb) and an apartment (Nov) in the same year has reduced my investible ammo by a staggering $75k.  Yet somehow, through a combination of dumb luck and patience, I managed to end the year with a 1.4M portfolio or up 27% (around 300k) from Dec 2018. 

This is in no small part due to the trend of REIT consolidation this year, which provided me with nice gains in Ascendas HTrust and Frasers Commercial Trust. 

Dividend income wise, my 2019 performance has been lacklustre. Not exactly an unmitigated disaster the scale of the movie Cats (lol). But certainly quite far off the goal I had set for myself 12 months before.  I started the year with a portfolio size of 1.1M, and I had set, what I then considered to be an achievable goal of 77k passive income (7% yield on starting capital). Alas, even with capital injections along the way, my total 2019 dividend income was a disappointing 69k.

Time to look forward and do better in 2020.

With a starting portfolio value of 1.4M, the goal is to surpass a 100k per annum passive income mark.  A six-digit annual passive income would be a welcome milestone. A basic safety level in the barometer for retirement readiness.

I hope I would be able to end 2020 achieving, in substance, FI.  Any additional number of years worked thereafter would simply be a bonus + buffer.

2020 Objectives:
1.65M in portfolio value
100k in passive income

Onward to FI my friends.

Comments

  1. Disciple of Master LeongDecember 26, 2019 at 11:08 PM

    Lifestyle inflation creeping in?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Edwin DaiDecember 27, 2019 at 10:23 AM

      Hello Master Leong's Disciple,

      Yes indeed, the journey to FI is basically an unending battle between "YOLO it la" vs "live within your means"... I am afraid the YOLO side won this year.

      Delete
  2. foolish chameleonDecember 27, 2019 at 10:10 AM

    whats your job?
    1.4m portfolio for a 80's person is quite a feat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 27, 2019 at 5:35 PM

    all cash, or include CPF?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousDecember 28, 2019 at 1:04 AM

    Actually if you live prudently, I think 1million good enough to retire. Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 19, 2020 at 7:18 AM

    $69k per annum is a feat, especially consider it as a passive income.I only managed to hit 20k per annum. Inspiring to read ur blog,jiayou!

    ReplyDelete

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