GYC Insights
Articles on real-life financial issues written to educate and enlighten.
A 2024 Retirement Income Solution — Part 1
There are various ways to structure sustainable, and long-term income generation from your investment assets which reside out of the CPF scheme.
The Value of a Real Financial Adviser
The value of a real adviser can often times be hard to quantify because following good advice tends to keep you out of trouble — and like looking through a good pair of glasses, you often forget they’re there, until they aren’t.
Out of Control?
The cost you pay for high levels of certainty in investment is reflected in the difference in return you receive compared to riskier assets.
What You Need to Know about Averages, Part Two
Despite global stocks giving positive returns 74% of the time since the 1970s, the individual investor experience can starkly differ based on the regime of market that you were in.
How Do Higher Interest Rates Affect You?
Higher interest rates means a higher cost of borrowing for both you and companies, but it also means better opportunities to grow your savings through instruments like T-bills and our Capital Holding account
The Economy is Not the Stock Market
Research and data show that for both developed and emerging economies, there is no clear pattern to linking market returns with the economy. GDP reports and recession calls are just one of many data points to consider in investments.
What You Need to Know about Averages For Your Investments
Research shows that global markets give a historical average return of 7% p.a., however almost none of the individual years gave that exact return. The actual investment experience has to account for the variability in annual returns, e.g. 2022(-18%) and 2023 (+22%).
Record High, Record Worries, Part II
Did you know that since the S&P 500 index was created in 1957, it has made 1,186 new all-time highs? A new high every 14 trading days. Studies show that that all-time highs lead to a continuation of the bull market 99.2% of the time.
Record High, Record Worries
A lot has been said in the financial media after the S&P 500 and Dow made new record highs but stock markets hit all time highs frequently; they’re supposed to.
Was The Magnificent Seven All That Magnificent?
It is interesting if we examine the Magnificent 7 from 2022, 3 out of 7 would still be sitting on losses. The largest loser being would be Tesla, with two-year total return of -32.58% — despite posting a whooping +102% return in 2023.
Waiting to Invest? Don't.
Most people don’t have enough money saved to be able to live adequately in retirement without earning some kind of investment return. In the simplest terms, by not investing, you risk outliving your money.
How Long Before Markets Decline Again?
Global stocks seemed to be on track to beat its longest record of advance without a significant decline from 2009-2021 — 13 years before markets declined by -20.8% in 2022. After a positive 2023, how long will this next run of positive returns last?
To Bite or Not to Bite?
Several Bitcoin ETFs have been approved the listing and trading for US investors (No MAS approval yet), but a look at its price chart shows an eerie resemblance to a typical asset bubble pattern.
Can You Ever Have Too Much of a Good Thing?
Nicknamed The Magnificent Seven, these U.S stocks have pushed the pace in the Global Market in 2023 and are now worth more than than all the stocks combined in the UK, China, France, and Japan. But when you are driving at high speeds, small mistakes can have large consequences.
A Look at 2023's Hot Topics
Among others, hot topics in 2023 include but are not limited to a looming recession, the Banking Crisis, and a new war in the Middle East. 2024 will come with its own worries and headlines, but It’s important not to let your emotions get the better of you for your financial decisions.
What Surprises Will 2024 Bring?
2023 is a timely reminder that relying on “truisms” and thinking that they’re written in stone can cost you greatly.
What Happens After a Good Year for Stocks?
Data and research shows reaching a new high doesn’t mean the market will then retreat — more often than not, returns 1, 3, and 5 years after new highs are pretty similar to all other months.
Are You Still Chasing Dividends?
If you are still focused on dividends, you might be missing the forest for the trees as companies steadily turn to other forms of returning cash back to their investors.