The Straits Times Index remained almost unchanged from a year ago but my portfolio lost about SGD 16,000 in value during the 12 month period, or 8.4%. This would be narrowed to a loss 5.1% in portfolio value of If I were to add back the distributions from Elite KSB but exclude ordinary dividends. All in, my loss for the year was 2.1% and it makes the second time I under performed against the benchmark index.
Best Performer: Etika International was the best performer, carrying some momentum from the previous year.
2013 was a year that I had been less active in monitoring my portfolio aside from the lead up to the purchase of more Petra stock. My inactivity was due to a very poor stock market as well as too many demands on my time. In a bull market, people tend to be more active in seeing the paper gains. For the coming year, I will have to make a decision whether to pump more capital in the stock market. I already have some US share ownership through the company plan and it has been working well, since it can be considered "free". This assessment will be in a coming post. For 2014, I will include the value of Petra Foods stock that was acquired in July. This had been omitted for convenience sake.
2013 Action Item versus Deliverables
Here were the items I had intended for 2013
Blog: I intend to blog lesser but have interesting posts of at least 400 words.
Reality: I blogged very little this year. I would not say that the posts have become more interesting but the two on my short travels out have received more page views than the older ones.
Investments: I intend to pump in SGD 6,000 more in fresh capital which will bring my capital invested to SGD 40,000.
Reality: I have reached the SGD 50,000 capital invested level in July.
Career: I recently shifted internally in my company to a new position and I have to learn a new market segment. I thus intend to dedicate more time on learning about the segment at work. I also aim to reach work early using only public transport. I have been taking quite a bit of cab and I think this has made me less fit.
Reality: I have spent some time learning about the new market segment that I have been handed but it does not look adequate. More will be required in 2014. Due to the location of my new office, there has been no economically feasible way for me to cab in to office although I have done so when going to school during the week days.
Finances: There are multiple objectives within this item
1. Save 1 month's salary worth of emergency fund
2. Setup a joint-account
3. Save up for house (to offset principal) and wedding with use in 3-4 years.
4. Buy term insurance and other necessary insurance, most likely H&S.
Reality: I have done 1 and part of 2 (bought hospitalisation insurance but not term). However, I still have not managed to do 2 because of many delays, while 3 is definitely a work in progress.
Self development
1. Learn a language or at least attempt to use Bahasa Indonesia a bit more.
2. Go for two more overseas holidays.
3. Exercise at least 2 times a week of at least 30 minutes each time.
4. Eat healthy meals (soupy) and snacks (fruits and vegetables).
Reality: I managed two overseas holidays this year to Taiwan and Vietnam. But I have not been able to pickup a new language because there is no defined Bahasa Indonesia course in Singapore. I think I will try the reading from books route instead. I have also not been able to exercise as much as I had intended, especially in the last quarter of the year, mainly because I am doing two night classes a week. This is something I intend to correct by laying out my timetable carefully, if not, running/walking during lunch time. With regard to meals, there was some level of discipline but I completely let myself go during the last few days of 2014, eating too often fast food. This will change.
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