Everyone I know is leaving or already left

[Max Headroom]

I'm not sure because I don't follow those indeces, but I reckon quite a few regional stock exchanges got clobbered and then managed to regain a decent amount of the ground lost, whereas the STI didn't really drop all that much but then it also didn't recover much.

Looking forward: I'd be surprised if by year-end it's still on the good side of 2500.

[Aragorn2000]

I don't really understand stock market, but I think it the link between the real economy and stock market are tenuous, esp since SGX is so small. Maybe bond/swap markets are more relevant. I'll let the experts comment.
Singapore's competitiveness is not going anywhere. The neighbors are just not up to the task.

[Max Headroom]

Well, the link often appears somewhat tenuous because most indeces tend to operate on their respective enonomy's potential, or lack thereof.

That is, if you were to superimpose the two in a single graph, the two lines would be pretty similar but perhaps with a year's lag, or more, between them.

And that's the weird part. Because the STI is still looking like there's some unfulfilled upside potential, in spite of what we're seeing and hearing all around us...

[Barnsley]

I don't really understand stock market, but I think it the link between the real economy and stock market are tenuous, esp since SGX is so small. Maybe bond/swap markets are more relevant. I'll let the experts comment.
Singapore's competitiveness is not going anywhere. The neighbors are just not up to the task.

Is Singapore competing with its neighbours?

[Aragorn2000]

I don't really understand stock market, but I think it the link between the real economy and stock market are tenuous, esp since SGX is so small. Maybe bond/swap markets are more relevant. I'll let the experts comment.
Singapore's competitiveness is not going anywhere. The neighbors are just not up to the task.

Is Singapore competing with its neighbours?

who else is it competing with?

[Barnsley]

I don't really understand stock market, but I think it the link between the real economy and stock market are tenuous, esp since SGX is so small. Maybe bond/swap markets are more relevant. I'll let the experts comment.
Singapore's competitiveness is not going anywhere. The neighbors are just not up to the task.

Is Singapore competing with its neighbours?

who else is it competing with?

Isn't it competing globally?

I am not really clued in , but which High Value ad services , which is what the Govt is saying Singapore is targeting is it competing with other South East Asian Countries for?

Bio-Medical , Banking Services , International Legal stuff

I am fairly sure that South East Asia is not a prime location for these things other than in Singapore.

[Wd40]

At the low end, countries like India and Philippines are competing to take away the back office jobs from Singapore. Manufacturing, I think Vietnam is competing. But overall due to populism in developed countries, jobs will go back to where they should belong. So lot of in sourcing could happen. Barclay's jobs going back to London for example with the falling GBP doesn't make sense to outsource jobs to Singapore. Jetstar I know has a IT support centre in Singapore, but I understand with the fall in AUD jobs are going back to Australia. I know friends in Jetstar who moved out to other companies at inferior roles.

So far wealth management has been a cash cow for Singapore with lot of private wealth management firms adding staff to manage Asia's burgeoning wealth. So far Singapore has the edge to keep the money safe. It needs to be seen how long it will last.

Sent from my Redmi Note 2 using Tapatalk

[rajagainstthemachine]

Just bumping the thread to see if anyone else has anything to contribute to this thread. I for one have been here five years already and it flew by so quickly i never wanted to stay here for more than 2 years...I'm taking it one EP renewal at a time...

[Max Headroom]

Yes, I'd like to contribute by saying that obviously I know freak all. The STI has not only been on the good side of 2500 ever since my last post, it's been on the good side of 3000 even.

But I think I must be a bear at heart, because my gut still tells me that we're sitting on the cusp of a serious downturn. Come on, Lehman was as good as a decade ago. It's been up ever since.

I mean, let's face it, we would have been due for a new downturn even if Hillary had won. But we got Trump. Hello??

Bottom line, I'm keeping my powder dry.

As for Singers, yeah, I'm staying put. Loving it as much as my first day here.

[Wd40]

Yes, I'd like to contribute by saying that obviously I know freak all. The STI has not only been on the good side of 2500 ever since my last post, it's been on the good side of 3000 even.

But I think I must be a bear at heart, because my gut still tells me that we're sitting on the cusp of a serious downturn. Come on, Lehman was as good as a decade ago. It's been up ever since.

I mean, let's face it, we would have been due for a new downturn even if Hillary had won. But we got Trump. Hello??

Bottom line, I'm keeping my powder dry.

As for Singers, yeah, I'm staying put. Loving it as much as my first day here.

I read an article somewhere that Singapore is like the barometer for globalization. With Trump losing the repeal of Obamacare, now it appears he wont be able to get most things done, that he promised. This also means, he wont be able to undo globalization as easily as we thought he could. Also, leaving aside STI, I think everything else in Singapore has plummeted including rents, the Singapore dollar, sentiment etc. So, if anything I would be bearish on the US and the USD. Sing Dollar I think has scope to hit 1.34 again.

I would also welcome a nice market crash, have been bearish, ever since Brexit vote and I sold off a big chunk of my portfolio. But markets have been going up and up ever since

Regarding living in Singapore, rents have been falling like a rock. I think I am saving atleast $500 compared to 2013 rents. My salary has also gone up $500 a month since 2013. So net net my disposable income has gone up by $1K since 2013, my current bank job is much more stable than my bank job of 2013. I have nothing to complain, except that I haven't got PR

[PNGMK]

There's talk we might get a pay rise this year (first since 2014). The bonuses are tough due to the market though. I am the only white skin left in my department. Most of my "expat" friends have left or converted to local terms. It's a mixed market.

However last year while in Australia I had a bit of a health scare. I went to the nearest medical centre to work. Got an appointmen in a few hours so I went back. I had an ECG, full blood work up, full 30 minute consult. I walked out expecting a horrific bill - it was literally $0.00. I had to go back the next day (patho worked up in 24 hours). Another 30 min consult and a script - walked out with a bill of $0.00 again. Walked next door to the pharm and paid $10.00 for some beta blockers (100 of them).

I told my American wife we are moving back when I lose my job here so she and the adopted SC brat can at least get Aussie PR and maybe a passport. We will pick somewhere cheap (Tasmania?).

[rajagainstthemachine]

I told my American wife we are moving back when I lose my job here so she and the adopted SC brat can at least get Aussie PR and maybe a passport. We will pick somewhere cheap (Tasmania?).

My ex-colleague moved from Melbourne to Tasmania, he says its great, he's enjoying it there ever since he moved there, he says he its really cheap compared to the rest of straya..especially housing and food.

[PNGMK]

I told my American wife we are moving back when I lose my job here so she and the adopted SC brat can at least get Aussie PR and maybe a passport. We will pick somewhere cheap (Tasmania?).

My ex-colleague moved from Melbourne to Tasmania, he says its great, he's enjoying it there ever since he moved there, he says he its really cheap compared to the rest of straya..especially housing and food.

I've just put Tasmania into my linked in job search prefs.

[Wd40]

To me Malaysia looks increasingly interesting as Singapore doesnt want to give me PR. I was looking at MM2H, but it doesnt allow you to work. How easy is it to get a work visa in Malaysia and then convert it to PR -> Citizenship? Ideally I would like to keep my money offshore in Singapore and gain citizenship in Malaysia. This is perfect because both Malaysia and Singapore dont tax passive income and Malaysia has low cost of living. India is increasingly becoming draconian these days.

[PNGMK]

To me Malaysia looks increasingly interesting as Singapore doesnt want to give me PR. I was looking at MM2H, but it doesnt allow you to work. How easy is it to get a work visa in Malaysia and then convert it to PR -> Citizenship? Ideally I would like to keep my money offshore in Singapore and gain citizenship in Malaysia. This is perfect because both Malaysia and Singapore dont tax passive income and Malaysia has low cost of living. India is increasingly becoming draconian these days.

MY income tax is high and they hate Indians (openly).