CJH Financial Planning

  As a homeowner, our nest is our pride and joy. It is also where we have sunk in a lot of money as well. Therefore we must ensure that our most valuable asset is protected. Here are three types of insurance covers that all home owners must consider. (1) Fire Insurance Fire insurance provides coverage for damage to the building, structures, fixtures, and fittings caused by fire. This is mandatory if you have an outstanding home loan, either with HDB or with a bank. Do note that fire insurance does not cover renovation or improvements, furniture, electrical appliances, and other home contents.  (2) Home Contents Insurance Home contents insurance provides more comprehensive protection and can cover damage to renovations or improvements, home contents, and personal effects such as your watches, computers, or valuables - they can often cost more than the renovation itself. Besides damage to property caused by perils, home insurance can reimburse you for loss should there be a burg...

If one day you find yourself terminally ill and needing life support to survive, would you want your doctors to turn off the machine? Some people may prefer to go naturally and in peace, while others may not want to burden their family with a mountain of medical bills to settle. If your answer is "yes", you may consider doing an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) . An AMD is a legal document that you sign when you're still mentally sound, informing your doctor that you do not want the use of any " extraordinary life-sustaining treatment " to prolong your life in the event that you become terminally ill and unconscious. An AMD is not the same as "euthanasia", because an AMD involves stopping artificial life-sustaining support in a situation where there is no real possibility of recovery and death is imminent. It can only come into force when three doctors unanimously certify a patient's terminal illness. An AMD is a voluntary and confidential decision...

"Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.” - Paul Samuelson And indeed, the stock market has turned into a casino with all the hype around "meme stocks" like GameStop, AMC, and most recently, Robinhood. However, never confuse speculation with investing. They are two totally different approaches. Speculation involves trading (buying and selling) financial instruments, usually high risk in nature, for short term gains. Speculators love price volatility and are not concerned with long term growth.  Investment involves buying and holding assets for the long run, to achieve capital gain and/or income. Investors are more concerned with the fundamentals of the company or asset that they are buying, and are more willing to ride out short-term market fluctuations. As professional financial practitioners, we advocate investing instead of speculation, simply because it works.  "The financial...