Caveat Emptor

The Tale of 2 Props I went to the Suntec Invest talk on 25 Aug 18. I preplanned my itinerary to prioritise on the choice speakers that I am interested to hear about, as well as to observe the innovations in the retail investment landscape if any .  Anton Kriel was one of the top speakers on my list . Although I have no insight in the trading strategies he is espousing (long short portfolio) and his trading performance , his interpretation of the reality behind the financial illusion the industry is propagating is sombre and refreshing. I chanced upon the lectures by this maverick ex-Goldman trader a few years ago while I was practising dummy trading for my university project during the Cyprus crisis. Cutting through the smoke and furore generated by the online forums and news casters, I discovered fake news and conflict of interest is a very real thing indeed, and an entire industry is monetary incentivised to generate excitement and churn for the retail broker...

The ultimate call option Cash is a call option with no expiration date, an option on every asset class, with no strike price.” “Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options. When entering into a new investing idea, think of not just investment costs, but also opportunity costs.  The importance of a cash buffer Disciplined savings and accumulation of money is the motto I have been staunchly following for the past 2 years. As a novice investor in a recovering economy, opportunities are abound. The only grouse is that I lack the experience and the war-chest to accumulate positions and stakes in companies that I am confident in. Now, the position is reversed. While many investors are crowing over their financial freedom dreams and new era stocks and IPO, I have been increasingly finding it difficult to find companies that are reasonably valued and have a good economic moat. I have accumulated sizeable positions of undervalued companie...