FISCA Talk - Consumer Guide to Insurance

I have received several requests from readers to conduct a talk on insurance. In response to this request, I have prepared the outline of the talk here. The fee for the talk will be $20 (for FISCA members) and $30 (for public).

I wish to carry out a survey to find out how many people are interested in this talk. Please reply to this survey. If there is sufficient interest, I will ask FISCA to organise this talk.

Excessive charges

Are you angry at the excessive charges levied by corporations for incidental services? Do you feel; that they holding the consumers to ransom? Read this article.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=241

Take part in this survey.

Here are some consumer views on the excessive charges made by corporations.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=244

Survey: Restructure the global economy

Read this article
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=233

Give your views in this survey

Medishield and Private Shield

Take part in this survey

This article explains why it is better to be insured under Medishield, compared to Private Shield, especially for the elderly and retired people. The consumer pays a lower premium and a lower co-payment under Medishield (by going to subsidized wards) and get a similar quality of medical care.

www.tankinlian.com/latest.aspx

Additional comment
I like to ask consumers to read my book, Practical Guide on Financial Planning, to be educated about insurance and investment. Please send questions to me after you have bought and read my book.

Ranking of Nanyang Technological University

Survey: If you have any views about the reason for the drop in ranking, please reply in this survey.


Dear Mr. Tan
Would you like to conduct a survey on NTU’s dramatic drop in university ranking? The following questions may be asked.
1) Who caused the dramatic drop in ranking
a) The management
b) The academic staff
c) The non-academic staff
d) The students


2) What can be done about it?

REPLY
According to the newspaper report, the drop in ranking is due to the change in criteria. Perhaps, there are some internal factors in the university that may account for the ranking. Let me invite views from readers of my blog.

Survey: contingency fees

Read this paper on Contingency Fee for Professionals.

Should Singapore adopt a system of contingency fees for laywers and doctors? Give your views in this short survey.

National Day Speech - 2010

Telling it as it is.

Take this survey and give your views!

Read the preliminary results of the survey, based on the 49 responses received during the first 12 hours.

Survey: Mio TV

I invite subscribers of Mio TV to take part in this survey.

Survey: Gambling on credit

Here is the letter printed in the Straits Times.

The results of the survey can be found here.

www.tankinlian.com/information.aspx (search for "Gambling on credit")

Competition and medical fees

There was a decision by the Competition Commission that the guidelines issued by the Singapore Medical Association on medical fees is anti-competition. I do not agree with their decision.

A sick patient is in no position to negotiate the fees with the doctor. If a doctor over-charges a patient for the consultation or medication, the patient may not be aware about it, or may not have any recourse. The guidelines provided by the Association is actually helpful to the patient to know what is the reasonable level of fees

I do not know what the Competition Commission wish to achieve by removing the guidelines. I think that the unintended consequence is that consumers will have to pay more in medical fees.

What are your views? Participate in this survey.

Tan Kin Lian

Survey - TKL website

Visit my website, www.tankinlian.com and take part in this survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MZJNFDN

Wait for market correction

If you have cash that is earning 0.5% per annum, and you are worried about the current level of the stock market and the uncertainty in the global economy, which option would you prefer?

• Invest the money for 5 years to get a guaranteed return of 10% (i.e. 2% per year)
• Keep the money in cash and wait for the market to drop by 10%, i.e. ST index of 2,600
• Wait for the market to drop by 20%, i.e. ST index of 2,350
• Invest in preference shares or REITS to earn a yield of 4% p.a. or more

In my view, the chance of the stock market reaching 2,600 within the next 5 years is quite high and reaching 2,350 is moderate. However, when the market does reach 2,600 or 2,350, are you prepared to plunge in, or would you be too scared at that time?

Take part in this survey. It is fun.

Research

If you are familiar with the stock market, please send me the preference shares and REITS that can give a dividend of at least 4% per annum. Send to kinlian@gmail.com

Here are some information about REITS
http://reitdata.com/

Here are inforamtion about preference shares
http://www.google.com/search?q=sgx+preference+shares&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:{referrer:source?}&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBR

Jobs for older PMETs

The Government had been trying for a long time to create the environment for older PMETs (i.e. professionals, managers, executives and technical people) to get jobs. But the results have been small. What are the measures that went wrong? What can be done to improve the situation? Share your views in this survey.

Survey: Educating the young

Here are the results of the survey based on 47 replies.

About 90% refer an education system that has the following features:

> educate the young to be literate, numerate, have social skills, and moral values, instead of achieving academic excellence.

> a less competitive system, so that parents do not have to put pressure on students to study hard through homework and private tuition

> gives higher priority to non-academic subjects, such as moral values, character, social skills and interaction?

> encourage some people to pursue other forms of personal development, instead of university degrees

However, about 20% (i.e. more than 10%) are satisfied with the current system which emphasis academic excellence, and picks future leaders from the scholars.

The survey is still open for participation. Click here.

Unfair business practices

Have you come across any unfair business practice, e.g. excessive charge, hidden fees, non-transparency, onerous penalty. Give details in this survey.

RED Portal (Real Estate Data)

I invite you to visit this property website,

www.easysearch.sg (Real Estate Data)

It contains useful information for buyers,seller and tenants of condominium properties.

Read the Guide for information on how to use the website.

Please give your feedback on this website in this survey.

Survey: New HDB flats

Should new HDB flat be sold at the market price (less a subsidy) or at cost of land, building plus a small margin? Give your views.

Survey: HDB Resale Flat

Were you recently involved in the sale or purchase of a HDB resale flat. How was your experience? Do you have any suggestion to have a better system? Reduce the cost of transaction? Give your views here.

Financial planning - Practical Steps (draft 4)

Some people observed that draft 4 contained a few blank pages. I will be writing them later. I am also adding a few new chapters, to cover tips for middle age and seniors. The book may be increased to 100 pages in later drafts. To get draft 4, click here:

Please give your feedback on this book.

Survey

Click on the Survey label on the right and take part in the surveys (relevant to you) in this blog