Ben | Finance & Investing
Finance consultant; plain-English corporate and personal finance concepts, investing, and planning.
Hidden Costs Bleeding Portfolio Returns Over Three Years
3 years in. The portfolio still hadn't broken even. A consultant I've been coaching came to me wondering why. The funds were reasonable. The market had been fine. So the question was, where was the money going?
All Banks Claim Uniqueness, but Offer Identical Pitches
"Your property sale just cleared. 3 banks are calling this week." "Great. Any difference?" "Bank A says they're boutique. Bank B says they're personalised. Bank C says they're different." "And...?"
Even $400K Earners Need Work‑Life Balance
She's earning $400K a year. Top performer. 12-hour days. 8 years running. She came to me and said: "I want to stop this madness before the kids stop needing me." "Can I afford it?"
Millionaires' Private Conversations Defy Common Stereotypes
Nearly a decade of sitting across from millionaires. Hearing what they actually say when the door closes. Most of it doesn't match what people assume.
Even $1.2M Earners Question Leaving for Family
$1.2M combined income. Both professional executives. Both smart with money in most ways. She told me she wanted to leave her job. Spend more time with the kids before they got too old. "We can afford it. Right?"
Will Excludes Malaysian Assets, Threatening $6M Investment
$6 million combined. Singapore home. Investment property in Malaysia. His Singapore will was thorough. It didn't cover a single Malaysian asset. Here's why this is a problem...
Half Your Estate May Not Reach Your Spouse
$4 million across two account types. A family in their 40s. They assumed all of it would pass directly to the surviving spouse. Half of that assumption was right.
US RSUs Taxed on Death, $60k Exemption Only
$800K in RSUs. Vested into a Morgan Stanley account over 6 years. You die. The IRS doesn't care that you're Singaporean. Those are US-listed shares. They're included in your estate. And the exemption for non-US persons? $60,000. Not $60,000 per stock. $60,000 total.
Trust Is the Only Question Clients Really Ask
19 written questions. That's what a client brought to our meeting. But they were all asking the same thing: Can I trust you? Here's what that revealed about financial advisory.
Sleep Soundly: Grow Portfolio without Stock Picking
If I wanted to grow my portfolio without picking a single stock and still sleeping well at night, here's exactly what I'd do. (No gatekeeping)
Discipline Beats Hot Tips: Protect Your Portfolio
$425K portfolio built over five years. Lost $30K in 3 months following a "investment tip" about commodities. That's the exact scenario where discipline fails. Here's why...
5M at 1.5% Yields $6.2K Monthly—Risk Isn’t Needed
$5M in fixed deposit at 1.5% annual return. That's $75K per year. $6,250 a month. Most people chasing market risk don't actually need the extra return. They just haven't done this calculation. Here's why it's difficult...
Choosing a Cheaper Home Bought Future Job Freedom
My friend turned down a $7M house and bought $4.5M instead. Same neighbourhood. Same class. The $2.5M he didn't borrow? Became the freedom to leave his job five years later.
Stay Calm: Market Peaks, Not Crash Yet
$815K portfolio. 18 months of gains. Market's at all-time highs. News cycle getting darker. Client calls me: "Should I sell everything before the crash?"
Fragmented Accounts Hide True Equity Exposure, Causing Misallocation
$3.8M spread across six accounts. He thought he was 40% equities. He was actually 85%. He called me because something felt off. Turns out, he'd never seen all his money in one place before.
