Thursday, August 12, 2010
Senior Citizens Bumper Stickers
For senior citizens, something to laugh about. Go to www.tankinlian.com/information.aspx, and search for "Senior Citizens".
Why peace is better than happiness?
Tom: I thought one main goal in life is to be happy.
Guru: Happiness is really a commercial goal, that’s why we have “Happy New Year”, “Happy Birthday” and so on.
Tom: Can you elaborate?
Guru: In the commercial world, their business is to sell you things, right?
Tom: Right.
Guru: It’ll be much easier for them to sell if they can convince you that happiness is your main goal in life and their product can bring you happiness.
Tom: You mean they don’t.
Guru: Some products do but whatever happiness they bring, it’s only temporal. In fact, it can be very short.
Tom: Is there a better goal in life?
Guru: Peace.
Tom: I thought peace is to do with dying, like “rest in peace”.
Guru: How about “live in peace”?
Tom: Yes, how will peace affect the living?
Guru: Suppose shopping makes you happy, but you don’t have money. What’ll you do?
Tom: I can work, earn some money and then do my shopping.
Guru: Let’s say you don’t like to work and in any case, you want your money fast. How can you get it?
Tom: Steal?
Guru: Yes. If happiness is your goal, you can justify stealing because by stealing, you’ll get your money and after you got your money, you can do your shopping and you’ll be happy.
Tom: But what happens if I’m caught.
Guru: This is the man-made laws part. So you can take your chance because you may or may not get caught.
Tom: How will it be different if peace is the goal?
Guru: If peace is your goal, then you can’t justify stealing because getting your money through stealing won’t make you feel peaceful.
Tom: Can I steal and pretend to be peaceful?
Guru: Peace belongs to divine laws. So you can’t escape the consequence.
Tom: So I can’t rest in peace?
Guru: You can, by not stealing!
Tom: But I want to be happy?
Guru: Yes, there’s another problem with happiness as the goal.
Tom: What’s that?
Guru: It leads to immorality.
Tom: I was told that it’s better to be rich and immoral than poor and moral.
Guru: Who told you that?
Tom: The rich and powerful.
Guru: Exactly, if happiness is your goal, you’ll conclude that it’s better to be rich and immoral.
Tom: What happens if peace is my goal?
Guru: Then you’ll conclude that it’s better to be poor and moral.
Tommy Wong
The book "Wisdom on how to live life" can be purchased here: www.easysearch.sg/ishop
Successful leadership
Quote
One of them is the principle of respect. You are not a leader when no one is willing to follow you. And why would they follow, when they have no respect for you?
Earning the respect of your team members/staff is the starting point for much of what we want to achieve as leaders. Without respect, forget about building trust, forget about expecting loyalty and ownership, forget about staff engagement and motivation.
Unquote
Earning the respect of your team members/staff is the starting point for much of what we want to achieve as leaders. Without respect, forget about building trust, forget about expecting loyalty and ownership, forget about staff engagement and motivation.
Unquote
The writer focuses on three important factors in getting respect:
- competence
- integrity
- fairness
The second and third factors tend to be overlooked, and the first factor (a.k.a talent) gets too much attention.
My views
A reader made a comment that the views in my blog and website reflect my bias on investing and insurance.
Of course, it does! It is my opinion. I like to express my views and my reader can make their own judgement, whether they accept or reject my view. This is the purpose of expressing an opinion.
I want to encourage Singaporeans to have a view and to express the view. They should not follow their bosses or leaders blindly. It is easy to have a view when you are clear about the values that govern your character.
Please read this document to understand my five values and how these values shape my social and political choices, and how they agree or disagree with the policies of specific political parties. I live by my values and do not take a view to be "anti-" or "pro-" any political party or person.
Even if I disagree with another view, I do not attack that person or that view. Each person is entitled to his or her own view and deserve to be respected.
Tan Kin Lian
Of course, it does! It is my opinion. I like to express my views and my reader can make their own judgement, whether they accept or reject my view. This is the purpose of expressing an opinion.
I want to encourage Singaporeans to have a view and to express the view. They should not follow their bosses or leaders blindly. It is easy to have a view when you are clear about the values that govern your character.
Please read this document to understand my five values and how these values shape my social and political choices, and how they agree or disagree with the policies of specific political parties. I live by my values and do not take a view to be "anti-" or "pro-" any political party or person.
Even if I disagree with another view, I do not attack that person or that view. Each person is entitled to his or her own view and deserve to be respected.
Tan Kin Lian
Bust of property bubble
This article explains the consequence of a busting of the property bubble.
My view
Property prices are too high in Singapore and can suffer the same consequences in the future. Do not assume that land is scarce and property prices will continue to escalate. The sharp increase in recent years is due to temporary factors, such as immigration and low interest rate. The danger is that property prices (and rental rates) are out of line with income levels, and cannot be sustained.
A warning sign - there is a report that no bids were received for an executive condominium project in Jurong. It suggest that the media report about increasing property prices may be exaggerated.
Read my views about "Invest in Property" in www.tankinlian.com/ask.aspx.
My view
Property prices are too high in Singapore and can suffer the same consequences in the future. Do not assume that land is scarce and property prices will continue to escalate. The sharp increase in recent years is due to temporary factors, such as immigration and low interest rate. The danger is that property prices (and rental rates) are out of line with income levels, and cannot be sustained.
A warning sign - there is a report that no bids were received for an executive condominium project in Jurong. It suggest that the media report about increasing property prices may be exaggerated.
Read my views about "Invest in Property" in www.tankinlian.com/ask.aspx.
Invest in the stock market
Hi, Mr Tan
Thank you very much for educating the public on financial issue. I have read your blog and bought your book -practical guide on financial planning regarding investing in share market
Can you advise me should I invest in share market or keep my spare cash (100K) in the retirement account to earn 4% interest for the next 1o years?
REPLY
Thank you very much for educating the public on financial issue. I have read your blog and bought your book -practical guide on financial planning regarding investing in share market
Can you advise me should I invest in share market or keep my spare cash (100K) in the retirement account to earn 4% interest for the next 1o years?
REPLY
if you are still not sure about the stock market, it is better to keep your money in the CPF at earn 4%.
If the alternative is to leave in a bank to earn 0.5% p.a. it is better to take the risk and invest in shares, but for the long term. Some people are waiting for the market to correct down by 10% to 20% before they make the invstment.
PDF Centric Website
My website now receives 400 visitors each day. It is a dynamic website, with information that is added every day. It is easy for the public to search for inforamtion.
I wish to offer the template for this website to any organisation that wish to develop a dynamic website to communcate actively with the public.
More details are available here:
http://tankinlian.com/Information.aspx?CatID=1
I wish to offer the template for this website to any organisation that wish to develop a dynamic website to communcate actively with the public.
More details are available here:
http://tankinlian.com/Information.aspx?CatID=1
Invest for the long term [2]
Many people who are not familiar with investments do not enter the stock market. They do not know which shares to buy and when is a good timing. They stay away from shares and other investments that are traded on the exchange. They preferred to get a fixed interest rate from a bank.
However, the low level of interest rate from the bank (i.e. lower than the rate of inflation) is forcing these prudent investors to consider other types of investments. To these risk averse investors, I have some good news!
Tip: If you invest for the long term, you do not need to worry about picking the right stocks or choosing the right timing. You only need to follow some prudent principles that are explained in my FAQ entitled "Invest for the long term". The FAQ can be found in www.tankinlian.com/ask.aspx
Tan Kin Lian
However, the low level of interest rate from the bank (i.e. lower than the rate of inflation) is forcing these prudent investors to consider other types of investments. To these risk averse investors, I have some good news!
Tip: If you invest for the long term, you do not need to worry about picking the right stocks or choosing the right timing. You only need to follow some prudent principles that are explained in my FAQ entitled "Invest for the long term". The FAQ can be found in www.tankinlian.com/ask.aspx
Tan Kin Lian
Your endowment could be sold for more
Message from REP Holdings
Did you know that your endowment policies could be sold for a higher value instead of surrendering back to the insurance firm?
Just like you don’t have to sell your cars or flats back to the original manufacturer, your endowment policies can be assigned to a third party instead of surrendering back to the issuing life office.
We recognize that endowment policies are valuable saving tools that the policy owners have been keeping in force for a number of years. Instead of having these contracts terminated upon premature surrendering, the Resale Endowment Policies (REPs) can be transferred and continue to serve as useful financial tools.
We help surrendering policy owners to obtain higher values for their policies and provide the new policy owners taking over the REPs with shorter terms to maturity and better risk-adjusted returns.
Please visit our website www.repsholdings.com.sg or check with your financial consultants for more information. At REPs Holdings, we conserve policies and enhance values.
Micky Neo,
Director, REPs Holdings
Did you know that your endowment policies could be sold for a higher value instead of surrendering back to the insurance firm?
Just like you don’t have to sell your cars or flats back to the original manufacturer, your endowment policies can be assigned to a third party instead of surrendering back to the issuing life office.
We recognize that endowment policies are valuable saving tools that the policy owners have been keeping in force for a number of years. Instead of having these contracts terminated upon premature surrendering, the Resale Endowment Policies (REPs) can be transferred and continue to serve as useful financial tools.
We help surrendering policy owners to obtain higher values for their policies and provide the new policy owners taking over the REPs with shorter terms to maturity and better risk-adjusted returns.
Please visit our website www.repsholdings.com.sg or check with your financial consultants for more information. At REPs Holdings, we conserve policies and enhance values.
Micky Neo,
Director, REPs Holdings
Philantrophy
We have seen the ugly side of America in the greed and shameful practices of people who accumulate wealth at the expense of the ordinary people.
Now, read the wonderful side of America, in their practice and leadership in philantrophy. Something for Singapore to emulate!
Now, read the wonderful side of America, in their practice and leadership in philantrophy. Something for Singapore to emulate!
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