I have invested in ASX Funds and in FSM Singapore Funds since 2006, side-by-side.... Some things I see are :-

1) In ASX, we don't have to study much, and we must trust that the Govt will return 6%+ every year to us. Today, I feel comfortable doing this.

2) In FSM, we have to study more on our own,...ie more work to be done. Frankly, if one is working, it is really hard to make good investment decisions. I kept telling this to my family recently,... surely one will make mistakes if he tries to invest on his own into instruments. In this context,... better stick with the ASX.

3) In earlier days, before the RM plunged badly, investing in ASX funds was good enough because the 6%+ return per year still allows me to spend overseas, and to buy lots of things in Msia. But after our currency got beaten down, I noticed that earning 6%+ is not that great anymore.

4) Investing in FSM Singapore throughout the years has allowed me to ride on the strength of the Singapore Dollar as it strengthens against the RM.

5) We need to study more, and the fruits of this study will allow us to earn a CONSISTENT monthly income from certain funds in FSM. Yield is aa average of 7.5% today.

6) If, at times, I don't have confidence investing into FSM Singapore, I will leave my funds in ASX. ASX will be my first choice in Msia prior to transferring my funds overseas.

7) In my opinion, if the RM is relatively strong against many currencies of the world, then we can just leave our funds with the ASX !

I still have funds with the ASX and with FSM Singapore today. I have been,.. and am still sitting on both sides of the fence, hence, my observations in the above.

Welcome any comments,....

If you have other means of earning better returns, your 'hunting days' are over. But again, you have to be quick too, for I can see the other means are also closing their doors,... Everybody is starting to close doors,... Opportunities are getting smaller in the world, good opportunities, I mean,...

A good example that I can give here abt closing of doors is it's not easy to open banks accounts in Singapore anymore. I heard even Stanchart Singapore may not accept non-PRs, non-citizens and non-permit holders soon,...

Doors are closing everywhere, bros,....

YES, this is the purpose. Not just to park the money there. In a recent study, SG REITs has the highest yield, like-for-like,... and the governance is there.

Yeah,.. things are getting harder by the days,.. soon, I think can't even open a CDP Account anymore. Can only stay behind a nominee company, then can't even go for AGMs etc,... limited rights.

BETTER MOVE FAST, forummers,...

Ramjade and heavensea are TOTALLY right,... you guys got the idea,....

Err,... guys, move over to the thread called : SGX Counters. This thread is supposed to be for ASX,... but, yeah, you guys got the idea,...

Except for one small problem now,... which, in the earlier days, do not have,.. post in AGX Counters, tag me,... we can continue there,....

Hi bro,.. how do you know that out SC is not keen to approve new fixed price funds ?

Is it because of people holding tightly and not wanting to sell, or because of more demand out there ?? Ie poeple are snapping up quickly ?

This is exactly my thinking for the moving out,....Either move out now or to do so after the depreciation, need to wait for the MYR to turnaround and appreciate again first,...

If you have a way to make more than 4% safely, with some reading-up, wouldn't you want to do so ??

I would say that the risk-return ration is quite acceptable by putting into ASX, and earning 6.xx%. This one does not need to do any reading or do any homework.

Secondly, the risk-return ratio is also acceptable by investing into SG REITs, and earning from the currency appreciation of the SGD and quality dividend payouts of the SG REITs. But this one needs reading and homework.

Both above would earn more than HLB's 12-month FD 4% return.

Investors,... one thing that I observed abt investing is to be able to identify an advantageous risk-return ratio, and to be able to deploy ALL of our capital to the best instruments in order to earn the maximum returns within the shortest time possible.

By being able to do the above, we will NOT NEED to diversify too much anymore and then no need to track too many instruments.

If we bought into the SGD 10 years ago (in order to invest into instruments in Singapore), back on Jan 04, 2007, and comparing against the exchange rate today, we would have made 32% solely from the exchange rate alone.

http://finance.yahoo.com/chart/SGDMYR%3DX#...uZyI6dHJ1ZX0%3D

On Jan 04, 2007, SGDMYR was = 2.2743
Today, SGDMYR = 3.0175.

Difference gained = 3.0175 - 2.2743 = 0.7432. And 0.7432/2.2743 = 32.68%.

And the above is still without taking into account the dividend collected over the years, + the capital appeciation gained because of the low-prices of the REITs during that time, subprime crisis.

Sadly, today, nobody seems to be selling their REITs holdings even when the STI-ST drops,...

JUst for academic deiberation :-

Say, you bought into USD 10 years ago and invested into the USA, into US-based stocks. What would you make from the exchange rate alone ?

http://finance.yahoo.com/chart/MYR%3DX#eyJ...uZyI6dHJ1ZX0%3D

If you bought the USD on Jan 04, 2007, the USDMYR = 3.4926
The exchnage rate today is = 4.1963.

The diff is = 0.7037, only 20.15% profit from currency appreciation alone,...

Yes, if you have held the Spore REITs, you would have made more, based on the numbers above.

Spore mkt is not my only investment, I have holdings in many different assets across the world, many of which bought directly INSIDE the country, and others bought through international brokers.

I wouldn't call myself pro Spore mkt, but just that this argument came into my mind, and I presented it here for counter-views,... I did another exercise on the USD and US assets too,... we can see the difference.

Yes, each of us has his/her preference,... but I would prefer something that is safe and makes greater than 100% after 10 years, and still counting !

After all, investment is about making money,... safely and with stability,...

Bro,.. of course, if you lost money from the holdings, the net effects will generally be worse,.. however, look at it this way, if the currency did not stand on your side, you would LOSE MORE in Ringgit terms,...

At least, mathematically, if you should liquidate yr holdings now, and change the funds back into the RM, you would have the weak RM on yr side,..

I have both ASX FP and FSM SG funds. I say the same thing again :-

1) If you don't wish to do any work, go for ASX FP.
2) If you wish to do homework, go for FSM, be it FSM MY or FSM SG.

If you put into ASX FP and not take out since 2004, the fund can grow 200% too, rough count,... compounding effect.

The beauty of the ASX FP is one can definitely get 6-7% per yr without fail, unlike FSM UTs whereby, in some yrs... you get negative returns and in other years, positive returns.

1) If you are a 'lazy' Fixed Income investor, go for ASX FPs for stablity.

2) If you are a Growth Investor, go for FSM UTs, but please study up first.

Well,... it was just one yr when they gave put cheque, since I started investing,... hence, I also forgot,... by default, I've always assumed it's reinvested.