The mobile market in Singapore used to be characterised by contract plans with handset subsidies. Effectively, these plans package both the mobile plan and the handset as part of the monthly fee pays for the subsidies on the handset (making the plan function partially as an instalment plan for the phone). However, this means that if you do not recontract immediately at the 2-year mark, you will essentially be paying additional instalments for a phone that is already paid for as the plan would continue at a higher monthly rate. However, the introduction of sim-only plans has changed the mobile market. Read Also: [2020 Edition] Best Unlimited Data Mobile Plans In Singapore (Plus: Which Plan Gives The Most 4G Data Per Dollar?) What Is A SIM-Only Plan? SIM-only plans do not include subsidie

Due to the working from home arrangements during COVID-19, and possibly changing work trends in the future, having a good broadband plan at home has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have for many households. When it comes to deciding the best broadband plan for our home, there are six main players in the market to consider. No Internet Service Provider (ISP) 1 M1 2 MyRepublic 3 SingTel 4 StarHub 5 ViewQwest 6 WhizComms   When applying for a home broadband service, there are two types of fees that we may be charged, outside of our monthly subscription. NLT Service Activation Fee: We have to pay $56.71 for the NetLink Trust (NLT) Service Activation fee for every new fibre port activation. This is typically for new customers or customers that moved homes, as it a

Since the launch of the Open Electricity Market (OEM) in 2018, about half of Singaporean households have switched to electricity retailers. For the half who have not, these households have been paying the tariff rate over the past 2 years – and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable, since neither incentives, educational outreach, nor the lack of major issues for OEM customers has seemed to convince them to make the switch. However, with electricity prices expected to increase due to the doubling of fuel prices, there may be an additional incentive to switch now. For those of us considering to switch or renewing our plans, here is an overview of the choices available so you can make the best choice for your needs – whether that’s for your new home, or your

Read? Owning Singapore stocks has been a poor bet even for investors with long horizonsAlamak!Another one from BT laughing at Panda and Koala retail investors in local market! Chun bo?Hmm .. then we can look at Temasek's investment performance supported by an army of professionals and invest globally and privately.Read? Temasek’s net portfolio value rebounds to record highCW8888 One-man gang vs Temasek's Army of Professionals22 yrs at 5.9% as of today market closing  vs 8% 20 rolling yrs at FY 21Did Panda perform so badly meh?----------------------------------------------------WEALTH management experts often advise investors not to put any funds they might immediately need in the stock market.To maximise the benefit of traditionally high returns from owning stocks, an

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP When will Singtel share price ever see daylight? In my previous article, I shared that Singtel share price would blow up in pieces following the release of full-year financial result for FY2020. Indeed, Singtel share price turned bearish for the past three months, falling from $2.60 in April to a low of $2.25 in early July. To halt the slump in Singtel share price, the management announced a new strategic direction to capture growth on 27 May. To be fair to the management, the current state of Singtel share price should not be attributed to the new Chairman nor the new CEO. They have inherited a company that had seen growth under severe pressure due to intense competition in its regional associates’ businesses. The pandemic has brought even more headwinds and disrupti

StarHub is the second-largest telecommunications (telco) operator in Singapore after Singtel. StarHub offers a ‘quad-play’ package that includes mobile, pay-TV, fixed broadband, and business solutions. An ongoing price war is being fought among telco players as a result of increased competition, with each telco offering more data at ever lower prices in an attempt to gain — or at least maintain — market share. As a result, StarHub’s profit has decreased in recent years, together with a gradual decline in its stock price. Thus, I attended StarHub’s 2021 AGM to understand how the company would tide through the pandemic and continue to compete with peers in its industry. Here are seven things I learned from StarHub’s 2021 AGM: 1. StarHub’s revenue fell 13

 The threats from cyberattack looms large. Cost of cyberattacks is going into the trillions.Here's an older chart stating the no.s of attacks per year. We should be much higher today.Cybersecurity will be one big theme in our lives. Buy HACK ETF listed in the US!PS: just to complete the picture, Singtel, our beloved telco made a push into cybersecurity some years ago. Here's an old article from ST (5 Dec 2018). SINGAPORE - The Singtel Group has consolidated its cyber security assets and resources under the Trustwave brand, it said on Wednesday (Dec 5), in a move that brings together resources from other arms such as Australia's Optus, and information and communications technology unit NCS. With the consolidation, Chicago-based Trustwave now numbers among its headcount the group's

I have been known to wear many hats, from writing about personal finance, index investing, wealth management, financial independence and commentating on all the affairs surrounding me with regards to money. The way that I been doing my wealth accumulation is through active individual stock investing. What that means is that I spend my time prospecting the stocks in Singapore, Hong Kong to find stocks that I can invest for the long term, to speculate on the short term in order to accumulate my wealth. As part of demonstrating the great benefit of my Stock Portfolio Tracker, you can have a glimpse of my current portfolio through the demo as well. You may have read some of my past write up on whether M1 and Starhub is a value trap, or the Transportation business of ComfortDelgro. People give

This article was first published on 31 January 2019 and updated with the latest information. All three major telcos – Singtel, StarHub and M1 –  offer prepaid SIM cards, giving you plenty of options depending on your intended usage. Different bundles vary in terms of validity period, amount of local/roaming data, talk time and SMS. Some also provide features such as unlimited usage on certain social messaging apps. For your convenience, you can use this handy guide we compiled to help you find the right prepaid SIM card that suits your needs. All prices in this article are inclusive of GST. Long Validity Prepaid SIM Cards A longer validity prepaid SIM card is suitable for those who live in Singapore and prefer prepaid SIM card over a post-paid plan. All these SIM cards have bundled

While this may seem like an unfamiliar term to you, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have become a part of your daily life. Circles.Life, MyRepublic and Grid Mobile are all examples of MVNOs. With the entrance of MVNOs, Singaporeans have access to a larger variety of value-for-money and flexible mobile plans. So what does it mean to be an MVNO, and what difference does it make to your mobile plan? What Is A Mobile Virtual Network Operator? MVNOs are communication service providers that do not operate on their own wireless network infrastructure.  Instinctively, you may see MVNO as a competitor to the traditional Telco service provider (otherwise known as mobile network operator). Yes, in the sense that they belong to the same industry. But to a larger extent, they work on a partne

1. SPH Reit  --  29th Mar 2021 2. SPH  --  30th Mar 20213. Kep Infra Trust  --  19th Apr 2021  (Business Update)4. Kep Pac Oak US Reit  --  19th Apr 2021  (Business Update)5. Kep DC Reit  --  20th Apr 2021  (Business Update)6. Kep Reit  --  21st Apr 2021  (Business Update)7. Mapletreelog Trust  --  21st Apr 20218. Kep Corp  --  22nd Apr 2021  (Business Update)9. MNACT  --  22nd Apr 2021  10. Frasers Cpt Trust  --  23rd Apr 202111. Parkway Life  --  23rd Apr 202112. Ascendas Reit  --  23rd Apr 2021  (Business Update)13. CICT  --  26th Apr 2021  (Business Update)14. Starhill Global  --  26th Apr 2021 

1. SPH Reit  --  13th Jan 2021  (Business Update)2. First Reit  --  14th Jan 20213. CICT  --  21st Jan 20214. Frasers Cpt Trust  --  21st Jan 2021  (Business Update)5. SGX  --  22nd Jan 20216. Kep Reit  --  25th Jan 20217. Mapletreelog Trust  --  25th Jan 20218. Parkway Life Reit  --  25th Jan 20219. Kep DC Reit  --  26th Jan 202110. Suntec Reit  --  26th Jan 202111. Kep Pac Oak US Reit  --  27th Jan 202112. Kep Infra Trust  --  27th Jan 202113. Ascott Reit  --  27th Jan 202114. MapletreeCom Trust  --  27th Jan 2021  (Business Update)15. Kep Corp  --  28th Jan 202116. Starhill Global Reit  --  28th Jan 202117. MNACT&n

This is a continuation of the previous post.The replacement of OCBC is Singtel.The joke is on me. Many months ago, for those that asked me about Singtel, I will tell them I do not like it. The main issue is cash burn in the future and the “traditional” management. But recently a friend changes my thinking and it kept me thinking on all the future possibilities. Basically, in my opinion, the opportunities exceed its own weaknesses. Thus, let me get into the reasons.1. Digital BankingGrab-Singtel JV (GSJV) has been awarded for the full digital banking license. Singtel has a 40% stake in the S$1.5bn entity (around at least S$600million outlay from Singtel).Recently, I have a deep discussion on the Fundamental Scorecard Telegram Group on Digital Banking. Basically, I commented th

STI closed at 2843.81DBS  ($25.04)UOB ($22.59)SPH   ($1.13)NetLink Trust ($0.965)SingTel ($2.31)StarHub ($1.31)CityDev ($7.97)Keppel Infra Trust ($0.545)Olam ($1.53)SIA ($4.28)SIA MCBZ300608 ($0.972)Keppelcorp ($5.38)SembCorp ($1.71)Sembmarine ($0.143)SIA Engineering ($1.97)CDL Trust ($1.27)AsiaPay TV Trust ($0.119)Capital China Trust ($1.39)Ascendas India Trust ($1.38)Lippo Malls Trust ($0.062)SuntecReit ($1.49)OUE Comm Trust ($0.385)StarHillGlobal Reit ($0.505)MapleLogistics Trust ($2.01)SATs ($3.98)First Reit ($0.235)KReit ($1.12)SoilBuild Trust ($0.535)HPH Trust ($0.26)AscotReit($1.08)SingPost ($0.705)Comfortdelgro ($1.67)Dutech ($0.24)Ezion ($0.046)*SunningdaleTech($1.53)Kimly($0.315)UOL ($7.71)ST Engineering($3.82)SBDEC17 GX17120W (25,000)SBOCT18 GX18100V (13,000)ATREA

Elon Musk is planning to launch its SpaceX's Starlink services soon. Starlink is actually a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX providing satellite Internet access. The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit, working in combination with ground transceivers. An estimated investment of more than US$10 billion has been pumped into this decade old project from Elon Musk. This space internet broadband project actually went on track as per forecasted with various beta testing being done already. It is scheduled to launch soon in USA and Canada this year and to rapidly expand to attain global coverage of the entire world by 2021. I was rather surprised that Elon Musk managed to pull this off and they are in the midst o

Netlink Trust seems to have weathered the current coronavirus storm well and its price shot up to S$1.010 per unit from S$0.945 per unit just 2 weeks back (13 Jan 2020). For its Q3 FY2020 results, Netlink Trust reported a 9.6% year on year increase in profit after taxation from S$19.6Mil to S$21.5Mil. For the 9mths YTD FY2020 performance, it was even more impressive with a 14.5% profit after tax increasing from S$57.3Mil to S$65.6Mil mainly due to the higher revenue generated from residential connections from the shift of Starhub cable subscribers to fibre optic which was completed by period ending September 2019.With the upcoming collaboration with telecom companies for the deployment of 5G infrastructure, Netlink Trust should be able to continue to deliver even higher revenue and profita