YTD 2025 Networth tracking thread

[yslvlys]

i can't remember how many times I have revised my target upwards

But my hard cut off is 55 years old. I will try to ask for voluntary retirement then

Haha what makes u think you will not raise your hard cut off target?

 

[highsulphur]

Haha what makes u think you will not raise your hard cut off target?

because time will be running out for a good quality retirement past 55 i believe.

Plus I believe I have sufficient financial resources to retire comfortably according to my humble standard of living

 

[hwmook]

i can't remember how many times I have revised my target upwards

But my hard cut off is 55 years old. I will try to ask for voluntary retirement then

That's why you shouldn't set too low a target then won't have to keep revising. If your portfolio size is 10x your annual salary then you might be tempted to work 1-2 more years to give yourself more buffer. If your portfolio is 30x your annual salary then working for that 1-2 years won't make much of a difference. Instead of comparing to my expenses, I like to compare it to my income instead, make it easier to decide when to quit.

 

[highsulphur]

That's why you shouldn't set too low a target then won't have to keep revising. If your portfolio size is 10x your annual salary then you might be tempted to work 1-2 more years to give yourself more buffer. If your portfolio is 30x your annual salary then working for that 1-2 years won't make much of a difference. Instead of comparing to my expenses, I like to compare it to my income instead, make it easier to decide when to quit.

i will disagree. I find age to be a real factor to decide when to quit. Perhaps I am one without many hobbies so work does keep me occupied physically and mentally. Of course if work has become a pain to the point it drains you, then it is a no brainer to call it a day.

before 50 is too early for me and after 60 will be too late. 55 seems to be a sweet spot for me

 

[sohguanh]

i will disagree. I find age to be a real factor to decide when to quit. Perhaps I am one without many hobbies so work does keep me occupied physically and mentally. Of course if work has become a pain to the point it drains you, then it is a no brainer to call it a day.

before 50 is too early for me and after 60 will be too late. 55 seems to be a sweet spot for me

Unfortunately some MIW may feel 55 is too early hence they keep raising the retirement age. Of cuz they did not force you to keep working beyond 55 but based on their policy it seems they are encouraging you to work beyond that.

Like you I feel 55 is nice. Yesterday my boss say they do employ current company retired employees on freelance based on project basis so I think I may stay longer in current employment. Freelance means no cpf I also dunno as they are not local companies but since I like software development I can keep doing after 55.

 

[highsulphur]

Unfortunately some MIW may feel 55 is too early hence they keep raising the retirement age. Of cuz they did not force you to keep working beyond 55 but based on their policy it seems they are encouraging you to work beyond that.

Like you I feel 55 is nice. Yesterday my boss say they do employ current company retired employees on freelance based on project basis so I think I may stay longer in current employment. Freelance means no cpf I also dunno as they are not local companies but since I like software development I can keep doing after 55.

i don't give a hoot ass about what the MIW think

 

[sohguanh]

i don't give a hoot ass about what the MIW think

Hahaha... another oppie I see. I switch sides when I get "retrenched" and discover depressed salaries for so many years in my IT line. Only in recent years my payslip jump up more which means in my earlier working years my salary is depressed due to many come in do same kind of job. If I born late then better start off earn much more liao.

 

[Mephist0pheLes]

i think you will continue to try to hit 3 after you hit 2

I dunno man, i really dont wan to manage ppl

 

[hwmook]

i will disagree. I find age to be a real factor to decide when to quit. Perhaps I am one without many hobbies so work does keep me occupied physically and mentally. Of course if work has become a pain to the point it drains you, then it is a no brainer to call it a day.

before 50 is too early for me and after 60 will be too late. 55 seems to be a sweet spot for me

I thought we were discussing portfolio size instead of age. Age is of course a major factor but for me I have a upper limit but no lower limit, max 55 years old which I have decided since the first year I started working. I am only trying to decide when to call it a day before 55.

 

[wutawa]

2 mil i semi-close shop alr. find a brainless job to cover day-to-day expenses can alr

do u feel that going up from 1m is harder than before? as in need to rebalance portfolio and revise strategy?

 

[laokorkor]

do u feel that going up from 1m is harder than before? as in need to rebalance portfolio and revise strategy?

I think earning the 1st million is the hardest part, achieving subsequent millions will be easier.

1st million depends mainly on cash flow from savings, subsequent millions have the added boost from compounding profits.

Albert Einstein says compounding is the 7th wonder of the world.

 

[Mephist0pheLes]

do u feel that going up from 1m is harder than before? as in need to rebalance portfolio and revise strategy?

dont think it will be harder. like laokorkor said, i now have $1 mil working for me on top of my work income. while my expenses has gone up due to mortgages and a small deg of lifestyle inflation, my income has gone up as well.

portfolio wise, my strategy now is very different from the way it was when i first started. its now much more passive than before. i have no plan to change my strat for now.

 

[highsulphur]

i can't remember how many times I have revised my target upwards

But my hard cut off is 55 years old. I will try to ask for voluntary retirement then

I thought we were discussing portfolio size instead of age. Age is of course a major factor but for me I have a upper limit but no lower limit, max 55 years old which I have decided since the first year I started working. I am only trying to decide when to call it a day before 55.

I did mention a hard cut of age for myself above. The reason I slot that as a OR condition is to prevent myself to keep moving the target higher. So the criteria is now $x or 55 years old whichever comes first (although X can still be revise higher until 55!)

 

[elloz123]

dont think it will be harder. like laokorkor said, i now have $1 mil working for me on top of my work income. while my expenses has gone up due to mortgages and a small deg of lifestyle inflation, my income has gone up as well.

portfolio wise, my strategy now is very different from the way it was when i first started. its now much more passive than before. i have no plan to change my strat for now.

I remember you are getting married. Are you having kids and how will it affect your plans?

 

[Mephist0pheLes]

I remember you are getting married. Are you having kids and how will it affect your plans?

Yea, married already, and we do plan to have kids. My wife and i are both not the type that will spend a ton on kids enrichment, mind champ and what not, i think, given how we ourselves were both raised. But our thinking may change after we become parents.

Honestly, I might be underestimating the cost of raising a kid, but I'm also very conservative in projecting my asset growth, so there sld be some buffer there. And if the math dosnt work out at the end of the day, I can jus delay my retirement/semi retirement by a few years.

 

[DevilPlate]

Yea, married already, and we do plan to have kids. My wife and i are both not the type that will spend a ton on kids enrichment, mind champ and what not, i think, given how we ourselves were both raised. But our thinking may change after we become parents.

Honestly, I might be underestimating the cost of raising a kid, but I'm also very conservative in projecting my asset growth, so there sld be some buffer there. And if the math dosnt work out at the end of the day, I can jus delay my retirement/semi retirement by a few years.

Yes, don’t worry too much on cost of raising kids.
The joy and happiness far outweigh the cost.

 

[laokorkor]

Yea, married already, and we do plan to have kids. My wife and i are both not the type that will spend a ton on kids enrichment, mind champ and what not, i think, given how we ourselves were both raised. But our thinking may change after we become parents.

Regarding the subject of tuition for kids.

My wife and my combined income is very middle class (NOA ~SGD 120k). Initially, we decide to give tuition to our P3 son ourselves, but in the end spends SGD 800 monthly on his tuition due to our work commitments and lack of competence in the subjects. The fees are high despite our middle class income cos I've to feed my 2 parents and MIL and lifestyle creep. People told me that students who have a head start in tuition during primary perform differently during secondary and pre-U years and I agree.

The global advent of AI and its possible implication - the stratification of income, and the have and have-not, means that to be a middle or upper-middle class in my son's future, you now need not just a degree but a degree from a good University in perhaps STEM subjects. All these consideration made us think that our sacrifices right now to fortify his fundamentals are worth it, we most definitely do not want our son to have regrets in future of not trying harder during his formative years. You can not succeed in your life, but not succeeding without trying is really unacceptable.

 

[stanlawj]

Regarding the subject of tuition for kids.

My wife and my combined income is very middle class (NOA ~SGD 120k). Initially, we decide to give tuition to our P3 son ourselves, but in the end spends SGD 800 monthly on his tuition due to our work commitments and lack of competence in the subjects. The fees are high despite our middle class income cos I've to feed my 2 parents and MIL and lifestyle creep. People told me that students who have a head start in tuition during primary perform differently during secondary and pre-U years and I agree.

The global advent of AI and its possible implication - the stratification of income, and the have and have-not, means that to be a middle or upper-middle class in my son's future, you now need not just a degree but a degree from a good University in perhaps STEM subjects.

Yea, married already, and we do plan to have kids. My wife and i are both not the type that will spend a ton on kids enrichment, mind champ and what not, i think, given how we ourselves were both raised. But our thinking may change after we become parents.

Honestly, I might be underestimating the cost of raising a kid, but I'm also very conservative in projecting my asset growth, so there sld be some buffer there. And if the math dosnt work out at the end of the day, I can jus delay my retirement/semi retirement by a few years.

If you just dump your kids to tuition, you'll end up with mediocre children who will one day, be a hardworking employee getting retrenched in his mid-30s. So think farther ahead, and be more holistic.

Well, here's the hard truth: Tuition only prepares the child for examination. The only thing that the child will do well is examination and academic competitions.

Spoiler: more ranting

There are millions of Chinese who are studying much harder, more complicated things than your children, and taking examinations that are much more difficult!
What makes you think you can outcompete them on the same playing field? They are going to work in top Chinese companies that compete globally, for much lower pay than in Singapore.

At the end of the day, it's not just tuition. It's the whole child development approach: parenting + tuition + afterschool activities. So it will be important that parents need to upgrade themselves, because the child models after the parents. External tuition need not be just academic, it can be sports coaching etc. whatever that fits the needs, within budget.

My personal opinion is this: I will focus on my own afterschool curriculum to teach my child to be an entrepreneur to solve real world problems that will bring revenue. I will be the safety net to let him fail. Any tuition, etc will just be only what it takes to pass through any gatekeepers (exams, university admission, professional licence) in order to achieve this goal. I won't give a damned about those gatekeepers once through.

The high marks are not as important as what the child chooses to do with his free time on his own initiative (self-motivation/purpose). If there is something difficult that parents think the child must do, then he must also want to do it.

I say this because right now, I sit here with creating five to six-figures annual $ profit NOT USING MY DEGREE. I only use my concepts I learnt throughout my education to help me achieve it. (Well, my degree did help me get the savings/capital, so it did have an intermediate contribution).

Another example: Joseph Schooling. His parents and himself, only focused on Olympic medal. After he got it, he crashed and burned. They could have been more wholistic about the approach, because there are so many other sports people they can learn from, and giving the excuse that this is the first time, is not acceptable IMO.

I read up on Maria Sharapova's biography that also tells her journey to become the women's tennis no. 1. She wanted it, and she fought for it, since young, never stopped in spite of failures even while as an adult.

AI is a massive jobs-killing innovation, just like internet destroyed physical retail shopping, ICE engine destroyed animals for transport, petroleum & gas destroyed whaling industry. Next 10 years, lots of knowledge jobs present today, will be gone forever, replaced by AI (and cheaper 996 high-tech worker in China). If your child cannot dream big, can only follow instructions, then your child is replaceable by AI.

 

[yslvlys]

Another example: Joseph Schooling. His parents and himself, only focused on Olympic medal. After he got it, he crashed and burned. They could have been more wholistic about the approach, because there are so many other sports people they can learn from, and giving the excuse that this is the first time, is not acceptable IMO.

I don't think it's as bad as crash and burn. He's has product endorsement and is working in a Temasek linked VC firm now.

 

[stanlawj]

I don't think it's as bad as crash and burn. He's has product endorsement and is working in a Temasek linked VC firm now.

Well, I think Joseph would have preferred to continue his swimming career and winning a 2nd Olympic medal.

But he was not prepared for it. The parents helped alot, but I think the family as a whole was too focused on the 1st Olympic medal which came as a surprise too soon as a gold medal.