Avoid dual currency products

Dear Tan
I am from Malaysia. I wish to invest in dual currency investment . Can you advise in this market situation , which foreign currency can invest ? Aussie dollar? any risks ? I am new in this investment. Will I lose all my money or i will make profit from it.

REPLY

My advice is to avoid all dual currency products. Read my views .

www.tankinlian.com/faq

You can also search my blog for postings under the title "dual currency".

Forum for DBS High Notes 5 investors

DBS High Notes Investor Group (HNIG) will be holding a Forum to discuss legal options.

Date: Wednesday, 18 Feb 2009
Time: 6.30pm Registration begins, 7.00pm sharp forum commences
Place: PSB Academy Delta Road Campus, 355 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee

For new comers, you must register with us at dbs.hn5@gmail.com
For more information and to register, please email dbs.hns@gmail.com

CPF Life Annuity - reduced to 4 plans

It is good news that the Government has reduced the CPF Life Annuity to 4 plans, from the original 12 plans.

I wonder why they decided on 12 plans in the first place. I have always felt that it was unnecessarily complicated and have given my views on this matter. Anyway, the earlier structure was recommended by a committee of distinguished people that met and received the feedback of a large number of people over several months. It seems that there must be something wrong with the way that decisions are taken in Singapore.

When I gave my feedback to the REACH forum, I suggested that the CPF Life Annuity should be made attractive, rather than compulsory. If it is attractive, many people will opt to join the scheme. It can be made attractive by co-funding  by the Government or earn an attractive (higher) rate of interest. The cost to the Government is small and could be easily afforded. (This was before the loss of hundred of billions on the investment of our reserves!)

I do not have the details of the 4 plans. I am not sure if they are placed on the right structure or are still flawed. I shall study it and give my views later.

Surveys

Click on the label "Survey" on the right panel to take part in the various surveys (of interest to you) and to view the results. 

Survey: Central database of medical records

Should we have a central database of medical records? Will it lead to more efficient treatment and low medical cost? Give your views in this survey.

Here are the survey results.

Survey: Jobs Credit Scheme

Give your views on the Job Credit Scheme in this survey.

49 people responded to the survey within 12 hours. Here are the results. Most of the respondents do not like the scheme. They find the name of "job credit" to be misleading, as it is actually a wage subsidy and not a credit (that needs to be repaid). They prefer other ways to use the $4.5 billion.

Survey: Compensation for Credit Linked Notes

This survey is for you to share some information about the compensation offer given to you on the credit linked notes. 

As you are under a "no disclosure agreement", you do not have to provide your particulars. You can avoid giving personal details that can identify your case specifically.

Please provide general information that can be helpful to other customers who were misled into buying these notes in this survey.

Here are the survey results.