Yeah this is a good portfolio management technique, except I hold 20% in cash instead (MMF, housing loan accounts, SSPN, etc), rather than buy bond funds. I just feel like there are enough instruments that provide more steady, less-volatile, risk-free returns than buying bonds.

Happy to hear a different perspective on this of course.

Exactly how StashAway does it too

In fact I bought REITs and Staples during the pandemic crash and it was major red all along until recently I sold them off recently early this year when it was hitting 52 week high

Just need to find the right time to buy again now with geo news running amok now

just found out Malaysia's own popular MMF (money market fund) is Versa.. interest payment being bi-weekly and able to withdraw next day (if submit before 2.30pm business day) is great! It is also SC approved launched just last year in Malaysia.
downside is they invest using MYR it seems.

Stashaway simple would be using USD. However withdrawal part then really slow usually 3 days at least. And interest payment only done once a month. Both Versa and Stashaway Simple has a projected return of 2.4% per annum.



Just tested Versa with some small funds. Interface really clean. Find some referral code via google so that will get RM10 on first 100.

This post has been edited by Davidtcf: Feb 15 2022, 09:09 AM

Buying during pandemic? That shouldn't be too bad. (Why did u sell btw?)

The test for a real defensive asset is what happen if u bought before the pandemic/recession?

For eg. The Singapore REITs index dropped 30% in from Feb-March 2030, in line with the broader market. Basically kaput as well.


This post has been edited by Cubalagi: Feb 15 2022, 09:08 AM

Great thread! Thanks for starting one.

I have a question.

I know IBKR is probably the preferred broker for most for its low fees, can buy Irish Domiciled ETF like VWRA and if you are buying US ones you get to DCA by buying fractional shares.

Personally, I don't feel comfortable putting all my money in a single broker (not to mention outside of Malaysia).

So I'm curious, do you guys diversify / split to different broker accounts? If yes, what do you use and what are you favourite funds? VWRA, VTI+VXUS, VT?

Likely he sold it coz he already made from the REITs from prev growth.

So right now use the money from the sale to buy more good stocks or ETF. They are on a discount now. Since these has a higher chance to grow and shoot to the moon once this downturn is over.

Once Fed stop increasing interest rates, that’s when you’ll see market return to normal. Maybe not as good as 2 years ago but definitely some growth that time.

This post has been edited by Davidtcf: Feb 15 2022, 09:51 AM

You are always encouraged to diversify, brokers included. But the hassle of managing multiple accounts, the different fee structures, different countries in which the brokers are based (hence possible legal issues) can be intimidating. So it does require scale for diversification to outweigh the risk of using a single broker. After all you are assured of the bottom line: all brokers are insured up to a certain limit. The bottom line is the same regardless of brokers.

That said, if you value diversification on top of all regardless of your asset size and above all the hassle, feel free to open as many brokerage accounts as you like.

This post has been edited by TOS: Feb 15 2022, 10:58 AM

Not sure about the others, but I've not invested long enough or a big enough sum for me to not sleep well worrying that my money will disappear overnight.

I use IBKR and hold VWRA, AVUV, AVDV. I'm expecting that by the time it grow to an amount I need to worry about broker diversification, there will be plenty of competitors popping up with similar offerings. For now, I don't see a reason to use anything other than IBKR.

At the moment due to needing access to London Stock Exchange, many brokerage are unsuitable candidates for me... Syfe Trade/Futu Moomoo/eToro have no access to VWRA, so the closest thing I can get is VWRA via Syfe DIY portfolio, which charges a hefty fee on top of the base ER. So, not much choice here unless you want to bite the estate tax + 30 withholding tax bullet.

By the way folks, Bogleheads thread. If it's discussion about timing your purchases, there's always the stocks thread instead. or the stashaway thread

This post has been edited by Hoshiyuu: Feb 15 2022, 11:19 AM

Thanks for sharing, I didn't realize Syfe and Futu Moomoo have access to VWRA... I'll check that out. Yea, want to avoid estate tax + reduce the 30% withholding tax if possible, IBKR is the best so far.

What about TDAmeritrade? Doesn't seem very popular around here for some reason.

This post has been edited by cucumber: Feb 15 2022, 11:18 AM

Sorry, sorry! Made a typo, I meant to say they have no access to VWRA to my knowledge.

Not familiar with TDA myself, generally when it comes to foreign brokers, non IBKR loses a lot of money on deposit and forex alone...

Ah ok no worries. Thanks

One thing I would say about EPF, it's technically supposed a pension fund and thus strictly governed by many laws, so unless there's a spectacular failure in the checks and balances of the law and our parliament, the crooks of government cannot steal it willy-nilly, thankfully.

(if that does happen i think we all have bigger problems than just the loss of retirement money)

EPF's main problem on delivering dividends comes down to its massive funds. The more money there is the more money is needed to deliver the same % of dividends. 5% of 1 million is way smaller in numbers than 5% of 10 billion. Just tracking stuff on Bursa any disposal by EPF can easily push prices of the disposed stocks down because of the sheer volume. EPF's greatest enemy on delivering dividends ironically is itself 🤣

You brought up a good point here. SA Simple / Versa or other MMF locally, their returns are kinda on par with international bond markets, right? I'm pulling this out of my ass probably, but last I checked US long-term treasury yield was 1.9x or 2.x%? If they're on par then perhaps Versa would work well

Showing my support. Although not a pure boglehead but I do follow the approach. Stay the course.

I support the formation of this Bogleheads Local Chapter. I've mostly relied on "investing from singapore" guide on the bogleheads wiki, since there aren't any malaysian guides written so far. Thanks to the good forumers on LYN forum, I have been enlightened to the ways of Bogle investing.

BTW, are there advantages of choosing VWRA (USD) over VWRP (GBP)? They are just different currencies, but the underlying assets are still the same. I have read an article on the bogleheads wiki regarding Non-US investors and ETF currencies.



Based on the above statement, are there any significant advantages of VWRA over VWRP? I am currently using IBKR. Does IBKR offer better conversion rates from USD/SGD vs GBP/SGD?

There are a few way to approach this, but I'll explain my personal logic and see any of then seems convincing to you.

1. I prefer my holdings to be denominated/convert favourably in the currency I am most likely to use when retired.

2. SGD is very pegged to USD.

3. Brexit dollars.

4. My small cap value tilt and future bond holdings are either denominated in USD or USD hedged.

This post has been edited by Hoshiyuu: Feb 15 2022, 02:40 PM

IBKR always offers the spot rate and charges a flat fee ($2?) for currency conversions so there's likely no difference between converting SGD to USD or GBP there. I chose VWRA because USD is easier for me to do mental gymnastics on and it's also "the world's currency". If MYR goes to shit I'll at least feel an ounce of comfort that my investments are in USD. I wouldn't feel as safe holding a big chunk of my net worth in GBP since I also anecdotally have a bit more faith in the USD than GBP after Brexit.

Bro you moving to USA?

Oops, I edited my message so it makes a little more sense.

And nah, I'm asian, I don't want to go to a backwards country to get shot and covid, and have to tip 20 pack of nasi lemak for soggy pizza delivered cold. Not even as a traveling location.

Just that USD will convert very well to SGD/JPY/TWD or most fun countries if things stay the way they are .

If that changes I may reconsider the currency my investment is in later on.

This post has been edited by Hoshiyuu: Feb 15 2022, 02:44 PM