We wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Wow, today is Christmas eve and the new year is approaching in a week’s time. Some of us will be looking forward to all these celebrations while others will be depressed for many reasons.

Time flies but we are the pilots in control of our lives. For better or for worse.

I have written 37 posts in my blog since January 2011 and looking back I feel happy and satisfied that many people who applied what they read has benefitted from reading my blog posts. Statistics have shown me that readership on my blog has risen steadily since I started writing in 2007.

I would like to thank all my readers for your support  and encouragement all these years. I know that many of you have read my blog post but did not write to me. I always look on the bright side of things in life, as long as my posts benefit anyone, even one person, I will be very happy to continue writing.

I hope that you will continue to review your financial plans with your independent financial advisor representative every year or every two years so that you will keep on track to achieve your financial security and success.

Many natural disasters have happened around the world and we should be thankful that Singapore has been spared of such severe disasters which had claimed thousands of lives. We have to thank God that we were born in Singapore and not somewhere else with earthquakes, severe flooding, drought, severe snow storms, land slides, tsunamis, volcano eruptions….

Next, if you have never sat down with an independent financial adviser representative may I urge you to start planning now. Each year you delay will cost you more to implement and you may run short of time to implement your plans. Do not be complacent and think that you are still young. That’s what I thought when I was 21, just fresh out of the army. Now I am 48 years old… 27 years has passed. Yes, wow… that’s quite a long time. If I had saved just $200 a month ($2400 a year ) for the passed 27 years and invested it at 5% returns, I would have $137,766.20 by now. How many of us can save $200 a month? I believe many of us can do it. But how many of us have $137,766.20 in liquid cash assets? Not many… Why?

Simply because we did not do anything to start a consistent and disciplined method of savings and investment. However there is one account that almost every Singaporean has and that is our CPF accounts. Compulsory savings works and most of us have CPF savings for buying our houses and paying for our children’s tertiary education. After paying for these two big ticket items, most of us will have very little left to fund our retirement years.

It is very important for us to wake up and see that if we do not set aside additional savings for our retirement years, we will have to live in very uncomfortable twilight years. No one can guarantee anyone lifetime employment. Can you still work at age 65 to 75? Just look at your work place, how many old people do you see?

Make a date with me in January 2012 and start to create a savings plan that will achieve your retirement goals. What kind of lifestyle do you want to live in your golden years?

Time flies but you are in control. Don’t lose control by not deciding to do anything now.

To end my last blog post for 2011, I would like to wish all my clients, friends, associates, colleagues and relatives a very Blessed Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2012! God bless one and all with good health to enjoy all the wealth. Share your wealth with others and you wil be given more!