Sunday, April 10, 2011

Do it now, don't wait for another time

There are a thousand reasons to put off something that has to be done now.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=463

Quotes for Life Insurance in Australia

Dear Mr. Tan,
Many Singaporeans are migrating to Australia. Here is the link to a website where they can buy their life insurance at competitive rates. 
http://www.ratedetective.com.au/insurance/life-insurance/quotes


MY COMMENTS
This is a useful website. At shows the comparable quotes from different life insurance companies. I looked at the quotes for the following:
Sum insured $500,000 (yearly renewable term insurance)
Lowest monthly premium for non-smokers

Age
Male
Female
30
$30
$25
40
$36
$29
50
$86
$62

The website shows the quotes from more than 10 life insurance companies. The lowest quotes are shown above. They are indicated as “estimated” and “subject to confirmation.  The premium rates are comparable to Singapore. 
Note: some insurers have lower premiums at the younger ages and higher premium at the older ages. So, you will not be able to enjoy the lowest premiums shown above. You should allow for the cost to be 10% to 20% higher than the above rates.

MAS revised code on collective investment scheme

Here is a summary of the key changes in the revised code and the views of a FISCA volunteer on the impact on consumers. Read FISCA website or click here.

Cost of financial ignorance

Read this article in FISCA's website. It is costly for consumers to be financially ignorant -as their future may be jeopardized! Click here for direct link to article.

There is a financial planning workshop on Saturday 30 April (whole day for only $20, sponsored by SGX). Details can be found here. Register early to assure of a place!

Financial Savvy Test #21

Take a test of your financial knowledge by answering the questions below. You can find the answer from www.tankinlian.com/information.aspx - type in the keyword to search for the relevant FAQ

1., What is the priority in buying insurance? Keyword: right priority
2. How can I cope with the rising cost of health care? Keyword: rising cost of healthcare

Income tax savings

I am writing an article on income tax savings. Please help to identify some tax saving tips. What are the deduction that you should not forget and good habits, such as keeping receipts and other records on donation, expenses, etc.

Donations - the recipient organization (e.g. charities) submit your donation with NRIC and it is automatically reflected by IRAS
Property - keep a record of all your expenses, such as agent commission, repair bills, property tax and maintenance (for condos)
CPF top-up - top up the special account of family members and get tax relief
Education expenses - subscriptions to professional bodies - you can claim for deductions
SRS - supplementary retirement schemes. Amount allowed is quite small and the conditions are quite troublesome - so many people ignore this incentive.

Please correct the facts above and suggest other allowable deductions that I may have overlooked.


Order of books

Dear Mr. Tan
I find your website easy to order books and the discount is quite attractive. Can you waive the handling charge of $3 for large orders?

REPLY
You enjoy a discount of about30% by ordering directly from the website. You enjoy a larger discount when you order more items, as the handling fee is payable for each order, regardless of the number of books or items that you have bought. The handling fee is to cover the postage and mailing - so I am not able to waive it. There is no handling fee if you come to order my book at my office on weekdays (9 am to 6 pm) and on Saturday (9 am to 1 pm).

DBS Bank - customer care manager

The customer care manager gives a standard reply, and no follow up .... Read this article.

Indie Spotlight on “Wisdom on How to Live Life”


Tommy Wong’s book “Wisdom on How to Live Life” has been featured by the Indie Spotlight on their website.

Tommy Wong’s book can be ordered here.

New FISCA website

Read this letter sent to members and registered users.