MoneyDigest - Personal Finance, Lifestyle, Money Saving Tips

Should you let a robo-adviser dictate how you invest your money?

Several consumer-facing Financial Technology (FinTech) companies, from digital payments to insurance and transfer payments, have arisen to support Singaporeans’ personal finances. You may have heard of robo-adviser companies such as StashAway, Syfe, and AutoWealth that help with investments.

What are robo-advisers?

To optimise investment portfolios according to the risk profile of the customer, Robo-advisers rely on algorithms. In reaction to market changes, portfolio readjustment is performed automatically.

As such, there is little need for active monitoring by the investor with all these automatic features. As seen from various posts and comment threads on local financial platforms, the low fees paid in relation to human investment advisors have further raised interest in robo-advisers.

A Statista study forecasts that assets under watch by local robo-advisers and user numbers are estimated to rise by over 50 per cent in 2021 to hit US$1.06 billion and 105,000 users accordingly.

Robo-advisers help break barriers to entry

Image Credits: Freepik

The perceived difficulty of gaining financial expertise and the scarcity of time for investment and fund management are two widely quoted reasons for not investing.

With technology assistance, robo-advisers eliminate these hurdles, making them a fantastic way to kickstart investing, particularly for beginners. This is not to mention that the procedure of signing-up is reasonably straightforward.

In 15 minutes, a profile can be registered. To propose an appropriate portfolio concerning the investor’s financial targets and risk aversion, one only needs to answer some preliminary questions.

Standard considerations include age, gender, marital status, salary, investment horizon, and priorities, such as funding for a house versus retirement planning. At the same time, risk evaluation focuses on experience with multiple financial instruments and gain and loss perception.

Once that is in place, algorithms based on current financial models will handle the portfolio. Easy peasy, isn’t it?

Advantages of using robo-advisers

The isolation of feelings from investing using robo-advisers is a gain. Investors are far less likely to respond irrationally to disruptive market developments and exit from the market out of panic, with investments using advanced automated trading.

Robo-advisers often foster healthy financial habits by encouraging clients to add to their investments on a routine basis. This induces investors to take advantage of the dollar-cost averaging (DCA), which has been proven to be a successful method for allowing the long-term accumulation of capital by novice investors.

A look at the downsides

Image Credits: fa.com.sg

No one thing in the world is perfect, and this applies to robo-advisers too. Given their emphasis on ease and effectiveness, robo-advisers cannot make investment decisions precisely personalised to each user’s financial condition.

Instead, they enable clients to pick from pre-selected portfolios from a restricted menu. They deal only with personal finance’s investment facets and miss the human touch of actual financial advisors.

Human financial planners devote much more time to identifying the needs of their customers. Thus, they can provide numerous solutions that cover various holistic financial management elements, including savings and coverage.

Is investor passivity harmful?

The low percentage of investor participation needed is one of the principal selling points of robo-advisers. But is the lack of investor involvement a cause for concern?

Investor indifference may foster a laid-back approach towards other areas of financial planning. Since computers and algorithms can assign this seemingly cumbersome task, this may lead to a refusal to gain financial expertise going forward.

Although robo-advisers cater to tech-savvy, passive, and limited-capital investors, automated investment does not appeal to active investors. This is especially so for those who want to have portfolio ownership and may be dissatisfied with having a bot controlling their assets entirely.

According to an HSBC survey done last June, only one-quarter of Singaporeans had used mobile banking to invest. This hesitation in handling digital capital shows the real lack of investment expertise or trust. It also highlights the need to empower Singaporeans with financial knowledge.

Lack of financial knowledge can be devastating

Image Credits: City Nomads

Dr Gordon Tan Kuo Siong, Faculty Early Career Award Fellow at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, shared how a lack of financial knowledge can be devastating.

Using the story of Alex Kearns, he brings out the importance of financial literacy. Last June, the news reported the death of the 20-year-old trader by suicide. After Kearns mistakenly thought he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on Robinhood, a free-trading app, he took his own life.

For sound investment and financial planning, the acquisition of knowledge is necessary. As the term “caveat emptor” indicates, consumers’ ultimate responsibility is to perform proper research when making a transaction. Buyers should request information on the details of the items they purchase.

In short, consumers should arm themselves with the information they need on the investment products that robo-advisors suggest. As for the businesses who promote these services, it is vital to ensure adequate resources on how their products operate.

Some deets on local robo-advisers

Several local robo-advisers have also launched educational initiatives to develop more educated investors. A set of courses covering personal finance and trading on its app, as well as frequent newsletters and market insights, have been made freely available by StashAway.

Syfe posts short articles and conducts online seminars to provide the public with financial information. These programs are praiseworthy and should not be treated as unnecessary supplements.

In conclusion, if robo-advisers boost their customers’ financial literacy and consumers make an effort to consider what they are investing into, buyers will have much more interest in creating machine-enhanced financial decisions and endow their money to a robot.

5 Inexpensive Pleasures Found In Singapore

Pleasure is a purely instinctive reaction lasting for 30 seconds to 2 hours. While happiness can be elusive, sources of pleasure are fairly easy to come by. We all need to indulge in pleasurable moments that will not break the bank! Add icing to your cake by checking out these suggestions that will help you savor the day.

INDULGE IN RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY

Explore the rich history dating as far as 1887 as you step into the halls of the National Museum of Singapore. Beneath its 19th-century colonial exterior is its cutting-edge technology, which it uses as a means to present the nation’s legacy and development. Its galleries take you on an immersive voyage with modern lenses. The new exhibition entitled “Home, Truly: Growing Up with Singapore” is up until August 2021.

The museum opened when the country moved into Phase Two. Please follow the COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. It is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm.

INDULGE IN NATURAL WONDERS

Help your body benefit from having a healthy dose of sunlight and fresh air as you go outdoors. Treat yourself with nature’s beauty as you stroll the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Gardens has been renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 2015. It is the first and only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition speaks volumes on the wonders that this 82-hectare Gardens holds.

With more than 150 years of history, the Gardens will continue to play an important role as a leading tropical botanical institute and an endearing place to all Singaporeans. Visitors are asked to have a maximum group size of 8 individuals. A distance of 1 meter from other groups is also required. You must also keep a distance of 3 meters from others during exercises.

INDULGE IN FASTER CONNECTIONS

Being stuck at home for the majority of 2020 taught us the importance of having fast and reliable internet connectivity. We need this to stay connected to our friends and family members, to collaborate with our co-workers, and to order necessary household items online. Do not settle for slow and choppy internet services! Upgrade your current phone or internet plan by checking with your internet service provider.

Ask if it is possible to upgrade to a fiber optic or a high-speed cable. For instance, StarHub offers 2Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$62.90 per month and 1Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$39.90 per month.

INDULDGE ON YOUR INTERESTS

Take this time as an opportunity to indulge on your interests. What are some things that you want to do, but have no time for? It can be great for your mental health to work towards your new goals. Improve your skills by searching through fitness centers that provide free or inexpensive remote classes. You may also look for online music and dance lessons. Lastly, you can download free apps that will help you learn a new language or two.

While you’re at home, there are many great opportunities to use online learning to improve your skills. Yoga studios and fitness gyms are offering remote classes, many for free. Music and dance teachers are teaching lessons online. Why not use this time to learn a new language, learn to code, learn new cooking skills or find a new hobby?

INDULDGE ON MUCH-DESERVED SELF-CARE

With everything that happened during the past year, you deserve to take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish! Self-care allows you to be more productive and motivated to tackle other upcoming tasks. Moreover, you will be able to support local restaurants and artisans.

Naiise has a plethora of self-care items such as bath bombs, teas, and candles. Bath bombs sell for as low as S$10. Interestingly, one bath bomb includes a 24kt gold leaf. I would love to try that!

Image credits: unsplash.com

At a time when you have to be careful with your money, there are still affordable indulgences to enjoy. Consider an item or two on this list!

MOH may consider subsidising genetic disorder screening costs for IVF couples

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam revealed on Monday (Jan 4) that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is exploring the feasibility of helping to fund a treatment that enables in vitro fertilisation (IVF) couples to screen embryos for genetic defects.

At present, the procedure is accessible to patients at risk of transmitting severe genetic abnormalities caused by single gene defects or structural chromosomal differences. However, she stated that the operation’s price is high, at approximately S$10,000 to S$19,000 per cycle.

Ongoing discussions on Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam and her son

Image Credits: Rahayu Mahzam

Ms Rahayu said that MOH is striving to make Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) a standard clinical service for spouses who need it, and is researching whether making it available for subsidies is cost-effective.

Authorities are also in talks to charge PGD using Medisave. When ready, further information will be announced about the assessment. Ms Rahayu responded to Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng’s adjournment motion on the need to offer better help for those pursuing IVF.

In her address to Mr Ng, Ms Rahayu observed that research had discovered proof that PGD could minimise the risk of severe genetic diseases. It could also improve the chances of bearing a baby to birth.

Request for IVF subsidy structure to be extended to PGD

Mr Ng had asked for the existing IVF subsidy scheme to be applied to PGD. This would give couples a rebate of 75 per cent on PGD for discounted IVF periods. “PGD is needed only by a small percentage of couples, so overall subsidy costs for the government are likely to be limited,” Mr Ng commented.

He also proposed that PGD should be permitted to be billed using Medisave but with a cap to not exhaust the budget. This has been the practice for IVF treatments. “Couples deserve their chance to have healthy children and we should support them,” he said.

Fertility as an “existential problem” for Singapore

Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng

Image Credits: todayonline.com

Using data from the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Mr Ng raised fertility as an “existential problem” for Singapore. Within a year of trying for a child, about 15 per cent of couples here find it tough to conceive.

Sharing some numbers, he claimed that over 7,700 assisted reproduction procedures were completed in 2017. This is a significant rise from about 5,500 in 2013. Citing his own experience, Mr Ng also told Parliament that his three daughters had been born by IVF. He and his wife could only have their first child after their seventh attempt at it.

Proposal to subsidise up to eight cycles of IVF

He recommended that the government help fund up to eight current IVF cycles (from six now). He also requested authorities to scrap the quotas for selected embryo transfer methods, enabling couples to use the subsidies for any transfer process.

The concept of “fertility leave” was also introduced by Mr Ng. This would encourage individuals to take time off work to go through IVF treatments.

“These proposals will help more couples undergoing IVF and most importantly reduce their stress levels as they embark on this stressful but potentially rewarding IVF journey,” he remarked.

Singapore’s health minister assures sufficient free vaccines for all citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong assures the public in Parliament on Monday (Jan 4) that for all citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents, Singapore has acquired ample vaccines, with shipments expected to arrive by the third quarter of 2021.

The abovementioned groups will receive the vaccines at no extra costs and include employment pass, S-Pass, and work permit holders. Alongside foreign domestic workers, dependent pass, long-term visit pass, and student pass holders, a total of about 5.7 million people can obtain the injections.

Vaccines would arrive in batches

On Dec 21, the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived in Singapore and was given to employees of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases from Dec 30.

Mr Gan, the co-chair of the multi-ministerial task force assembled to address the pandemic, said the vaccines would come in batches, with further supplies anticipated in the coming months. This includes those from Moderna and Sinovac.

Residents urged to get vaccinated

Image Credits: news.abs-cbn.com

Mr Gan also advised as many people to get vaccinated as it would be a significant move for Singapore to return to everyday life.

“This will not only protect yourself, but also indirectly protect others who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. This collective protection will be more effective the more people are vaccinated,” he shared.

Singapore should avoid being complacent

Although there may be those who believe that considering Singapore’s limited number of COVID-19 cases recently, there is little need to get vaccinated, Mr Gan cautioned that people here should not be complacent and only hurry to receive the vaccine when an epidemic arises.

“We have seen a few community cases in the last few days, which shows clearly that there are hidden cases among us. We are also seeing new variants that are more contagious. Any of these cases has a risk of sparking a major outbreak as we have seen in other countries.

The best time to vaccinate is now. If people wait till an outbreak has happened to get themselves vaccinated, it will be too late, both to protect themselves and to prevent the outbreak in the first place,” he noted.

Vaccinations for the elderly will start from February

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Previously, the authorities indicated that they would give priority to those most at risk. This explains why the first to be vaccinated were healthcare practitioners. Latest updates suggest that injections for the elderly will begin from February, starting with people from 70 years of age.

Singapore would also target those in roles with a significant risk of a super-spreading occurrence emerging. This refers to employees in the construction, maritime, and process industries.

Vaccines will be allocated based on availability

Mr Gan said people would not be offered a preference for which vaccine they would like to receive. Instead, vaccinations would be assigned depending on their availability, the different vaccines’ medical indications, and various subgroups’ appropriateness.

“Allowing individuals to have a choice of vaccines will unnecessarily complicate the already complex vaccination programme,” he added.

Prior bookings for vaccinations will be necessary

Image Credits: The Straits Times

The minister also said that considering the vaccines’ cold-chain criteria and multi-dose capsules, prior bookings would be needed. He mentioned that Singapore would be presented with more information about how to make bookings in due time.

A physical card will be provided to those injected. This will inform them of their commitment to come for their second dose, show the issued injection, and offer guidance following vaccination. The National Immunisation Database will also have their records revised, and one may review their status online.

60 per cent of the population here would get vaccinated, according to polls commissioned by government agencies. A third said they were wary.

Mr Gan stated that to clarify the value of vaccination and to ensure its protection and effectiveness, the government will do more educational outreach in the community. He also advised the public to pay attention to reliable data sources as misleading statements about the vaccine have surfaced.

What are your thoughts? Will you take the injection when it’s offered to you?

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Apply for an American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Card

To participate in the Perfect Vacation at Home Draw, start by applying and receiving approval for an American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Card between 1 Dec 2020 and 31 Jan 2021. All American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Cards award 2 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent (with no cap) on Singapore Airlines and KrisShop. Moreover, receive 5,000 KrisFlyer miles upon first spend for first-time applicants of the Amex – SIA Credit Card. This is a precious head start in your miles collection journey and one that is not to be underestimated. You can redeem a return to flight to Bali starting from 15,000 KrisFlyer miles!

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