Well for SG part, if you are planning to pay say SGD18/transaction, the min you should go for is SGD4k. That will be about 0.4%+ (0.4% is I am using DBS V, the "+" is other clearing fees). Of course, best is if you can put in SGD10k which is equal to 0.18% but heck SGD10k is too steep for me. So I decide to go with the next best one which I can afford; SGD4k.

Also since I don't the money for access to Ireland based ETF, I will go with the SG UT: Fidelity America A USD. Pay 0.75% (one time payment - each time you buy only) which manage to beat the S&P500. One does not need a global ETF as from what I learnt in the FSM MY thread, global index have about 50-70% in the US market. SC of 0.75% is damn cheap compare to 2% by FSM MY and SG UT outperform funds sold by Malaysians fund house.

You might want to look into that aspect too. If you want to talk about all the fees, that's already counted in the NAVs already. That will be my substitute until I have enough cash.

if u are really a novice in investing, then u hv a good mind and attitude, imo.

a lot has to do with yr age and whose money u r talking about!

a young man can lose everything but has the time to find more in the next 30 years.

old folks... lose it, u r finished.

nasi and kangkung u get for every meal... which is good, they tell u.

Regarding AVFANs earlier comment RE risk - if you're like me and just planning to buy boring buy and hold ETFs you can't really blow it too badly.

I'm more of this

If you're starting off with $10k USD and jumping into leveraged or inverse ETFs or leveraged forex and options then yes.. that's definitely risky.

And definitely not this. Too coward with the risks.

As default you only get permissions with foreign brokers for stocks / ETFs anyway.

u can borrow personal loan to trade and earn much more compare to personal loan interest rate.

That the mistake u make. u want to make perfect timing.
If u invest during USD1 = RM4.
Now u already gain. USD 1 = RM4.5

Which broker u go with?

One does not need a global ETF as from what I learnt in the FSM MY thread, global index have about 50-70% in the US market.

Usually global index have 50-70% allocation in the US. So that way, it's better to just pick a US ETF (like VUSD https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/VUSD:LN instead of picking VWRD. Don't believe me? Check out the geographic allocation of VWRD.
https://americas.vanguard.com/institutional...QUITY##overview

When US sneezes, the world catches a cold.

So you can pick
1 US tracking ETF
1 Emerging market ETF
1 bond ETF

optional - portfolio of REITs.

What happen if MYR weakens to 5? 

For me, I prefer the 3 or 4 fund method. But my SG portfolio (including my S-REITS and UT) will have more than that.    90% in S&P500 is bad idea cause if something happen to the US, your amount drops by 90%. Wipe out just like that.

For me, I prefer the 3 or 4 fund method. But my SG portfolio (including my S-REITS and UT) will have more than that.    90% in S&P500 is bad idea cause if something happen to the US, your amount drops by 90%. Wipe out just like that.

there is no fund or currency or broker or method that will give u consistently the highest returns after buying it.

there are risks in ALL of them over time if they are equities - geopolitical, financial, currency, sector, stock specific.

some of the "world" or "international" etf's are so rojak in weightage, geopolitics, currency, taxation that it is difficult to have a handle on them, can't even understand why it is up or down!

in the final analysis, one has to come to a conclusion, take a position on what u think is best and go with it.

.. global equities environment - if u think USA equities will continue to drive world markets higher, go for the largest and most liquid US ETF's. SPY is S&P500; XLF is all US banks/finance; QQQ is all US tech; XLV is all US pharma/healthcare. go one step further... if u think tech will fly even higher, then buy the specifics - Facebook-Apple-Netflix-Google (FANG stocks) or AMZN, MSFT, etc. but if u think US markets will dive soon, it gets difficult becos all other world markets will invariably be affected, incl china, japan, european stocks. at the limit, if u think a world recession/depression is coming, better put all in FD, lock it up!

... currencies - one must have a basis to hold a view what direction the $ or RM or yen or Euro will go relative to each other in the next 1, 2, 5 years before u buy any equity. if u think RM will strengthen, best to buy 100% bursa stuff. if u think RM will go weakest against SGD, buy SG stocks or reits.

.. local or foreign broker - already mentioned.. if small amounts and non frequent trading, use local brokers to save the hassle. if larger amounts with frequent trading, a must to use foreign brokers to have cost efficiency.

i use a combination - CIMB itrade for US/SG mid-longterm holdings/dividends and IB for US trading. it is also impt to consider the fact that if u spread yr funds too thin, there are disadvantages with costs. Whereas if u concentrate yr funds with 1 or 2 brokers, u may get advantages like lower brokerage and/or buying/trading limits. i do not do bursa or other foreign markets, like to stay focused on the few i can monitor all the time.

Have u invested?
u have asked for so long.
u have been losing opportunity cost.