Durians!!

Recently, I heard from my colleagues that there are cheaper durians from Malaysia to Singapore.  There was a rumour claiming that Musang King durians were selling for cheap as they were rejected by China due to high levels of insecticide.

I am glad AVA mentioned that the durians in Singapore are safe to eat. The New Straits Times also called the messages "fake news" in an article.

Time to indulge in durians this weekend without fear of being poisoned!

GST could go up 2 percentage points in Budget 2018

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is likely to be raised by two percentage points in Budget 2018 as Singapore's spending needs continue to grow, according to DBS senior economist Irvin Seah.

http://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/gst-could-go-up-2-percentage-points-in-budget-2018-dbs-economist

Guess I will reduce my trips to restaurant and shopping malls.
Or rather I will look for those GST-free places to spend my money on.

Should I contribute to SRS account?

Contributions to SRS are eligible for tax relief, subject to a cap on personal income tax relief of $80,000 per Year of Assessment from Year of Assessment 2018.

Investment returns are accumulated tax-free and only 50% of the withdrawals from SRS are taxable at retirement (referred to as a “50% tax concession”).

Please refer to MOF website for more information.

So, will I contribute to SRS account?

No. I am planning to contribute $7K yearly into CPF SA until it hits the minimum sum. This will allow me to enjoy the compunding effect of the 4% p.a. interest in CPF SA and also the tax saving of 7K every year.

I will only consider contributing to SRS account after my CPF SA minimum sum is reached.

One of the right way to grow your money is to make sure you don't lose it.

Who will help you win S$50,000?

DBS Christmas 2017 Spend & Redeem

Minimum spend of $100  must be in a single receipt with DBS/POSB credit or debit card to redeem a sure-win gift. One qualified receipt = one gift.

Promotion is valid till 31 Dec 2017; or whilst stock last.

Available for the first 1,400 registrations daily; 6 plays per cardmember per day.

Launch DBS Lifestyle app and tap on 'Christmas 2017 Spend and Redeem'.

Enter your Full Name, NRIC/Passport Number, 15/16-digit Card Number (used for your purchase), and amount spent.

Select a gift box!

Click here for full terms and conditions.



P.S. I just won $10!  😊


03 Dec 2017: This promotion is getting popular. For the past few days, the promotion is fully redeemed by 9am!

Lady Knox Geyser

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Knox_Geyser

So if you ever get to visit this, be sure to keep a distance to avoid getting wet.

Alternative to Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) - DBS Multiplier Account

Singapore SAvings Bond (SSB) gives a guaranteed yield of 2.16% p.a. (based on NOV 2017 issue) if held for full 10 years. If you decide to redeem your savings bond early, you will still receive a lower return.

What if you do not plan to hold it for the full 10 years?

You should consider opening a DBS Multiplier Account.

Simply credit your salary and spend any amount using DBS credit card will get you 2.08% p.a. on the first $50,000 balance in your Multiplier account. There's no minimum salary credit or credit card spend required!

Note: You can get higher interest! Read here.

Best Endowment Plan in Singapore?

Recently a friend asked me if I know of any good endowment plan in Singapore.

My advice is simple:

Consider the endoment plan only if the guaranteed yield is > 2.16%.

Why?

Typically, the principal amount contributed to endowment policies is not guaranteed.

Singapore SAvings Bond (SSB) gives a guaranteed yield of 2.16% p.a. (based on NOV 2017 issue) if held for full 10 years. If you decide to redeem your savings bond early, you will still receive a lower return. Isn't that great?

In a nutshell, SSB simply offers better and safer returns to some endowment plans.

Christmas @ City Square Mall

Come for an Out-of-this-World Christmas at City Square Mall

Stellar Light Show

Date: 17 November - 31 December 2017

Time: Every 30 minutes, 7pm - 10pm
Venue: Level 1 City Green Park

Snowy Playtime
Date: 17 November – 31 December 2017
Time: 8.10pm
Venue: Level 1 City Green Park City Square Mall

 

DBS 2017 Christmas 2017 spend & redeem promotion from 17-Nov to 31-Dec

Redeem instant gifts and a chance to win $50,000 with every minimum spend of $100 in a single receipt. Available for the first 1,4000 registrations daily

What you can redeem:

Cash Credit
S$50,000 cash credit 
S$10 cash credit 

Shopping
Honestbee grocery and food coupon (worth S$200) 
Lazada coupons (worth S$5, S$10, S$15 and S$50) 
Qoo10 coupons (worth S$5, S$10, S$15 and S$50) 
Zalora coupons (worth S$5, S$10, S$15 and S$50) 

Dining
One Faber Group bundle package coupon (worth S$500) 
Chope dining coupon (worth S$100) 
Deliveroo delivery coupon (worth S$100) 
Foodpanda delivery coupon (worth S$100) 

Travel
Agoda flight and hotel stay coupon (worth S$500) 
Zuji flight coupon (worth S$500) 
Royal Albatross yacht and activity coupon (worth S$250) 


For full T&C, visit http://lifestyle.dbs.com.sg/xmas17.html

Best Cashback / Cash rebates Credit Cards

Which credit cards give you the most cash rebate? Judge for yourself!

Debit/Credit Card	Conditions	Cash Rebate
OCBC FRANK Card	Minimum monthly spend of $400 offline in a month	6% online rebate Up to 5% entertainment rebate
Citi Cash Back Card	Minimum spend of $888 in a month	Earn 8% cashback on petrol, groceries (worldwide), dining, grab rides, capped at S$25 cash back per category per statement month. 0.25% on all other spend (no cap)
Maybank Family & Friends Card	Minimum spend of $1000 or $500 in a month	Earn 8% cash rebates on groceries, transport and selected merchants with min. S$1,000 spend per calendar month. Otherwise, earn 5% cash rebates at the same merchants with min. S$500 spend per calendar month. Unlimited 0.3% cash rebates on all other purchases
BOC Family Card	Minimum spend of $500700 in a month (WEF 24 Apr 2018)	Earn 710% cashback on dining, 5% supermarkets, hospital bills, NETS FlashPay (first 4 tops up), online spend and selected merchants, 15% telco bills, 0.5% all other expenses Monthly cash rebate capped at S$100 per billing cycle (dining/online purchases is capped at S$30/$30).
OCBC 365 Credit Card	Minimum spend of $600 in a month	Earn 6% cashback on dining, 3% on online spend, Grocery, telco bills and 0.3% on all other spend
HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card	Minimum monthly spend of $400 in Eligible Purchases per month for all 3 months in a Quarter	Earn up to 5% cash rebates on telco bills, fuel, groceries and up to 2% on dining
DBS Live Fresh Card	Minimum monthly spend of $600 in a month to receive up to S$60 cashback (Dec 2017 onwards).	Earn 5% cashback on online payment or pay using Visa payWave through your Card, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay. With effect from 1 June 2018, the monthly cashback earned on your DBS Live Fresh Card will be capped at S$20 on eligible Online spend, S$20 on eligible Visa payWave spend and S$20 on all other spend.
UOB One Card	Minimum spend of $500 or $1000 or $2000 per month for all 3 months in a Quarter (with minimum of 5 purchases monthly)	Enjoy up to 3.33% / 5% cash rebate for each qualifying quarter up to $50, $100 or $300.
HSBC Advance Credit Card	No minimum spend	HSBC Advance customers earn 3.5% / 2.5% cashback for spending above $2000 / $2000 and below   Non-HSBC Advance customers earn 2.5% / 1.5% cashback for spending above $2000 / $2000 and below
Maybank Platinum Visa Card	Minimum spend of S$300  monthly for each quarter.	Up to 3.33% cash rebates on local spend 0.3% cash rebates on overseas spend S$3 off movie tickets at Shaw Theatres
American Express True Cashback Card	No minimum spend No earn cap	1.5% cashback after first 6 months
ICBC Koipy Dual Currency Card	No minimum spend	Earn up to 3% cashback on all spend with minimum spend of $1000 in a month, otherwise 1% cashback
Standard Chartered MANHATTAN World MasterCard	Minimum spend of $3,000 in a month	Earn 3% cash rebate on all spend
SAFRA DBS Credit Card	Minimum spend of $500 in a month	Earn 3% cashback on MasterCard PayPass transactions and online shopping 0.3% cash rebate on all other retail transactions
UOB UnionPay Card	No minimum spend	Earn 2% cashback on all spend
StanChart Spree Card	No minimum spend	Earn 3% cashback on all online spends in foreign currency and all vPost spends. Earn 2% cashback on all online spends in local currency, all contactless and mobile payments. and 1% cashback on any purchase
DBS Visa Debit Card	No minimum spend keep your cash withdrawals to three times or less and up to S$400 every month across all your DBS/POSB Cards as well as local DBS/POSB ATMs and branches in the same month	Earn 5% cashback when you pay using Visa payWave, through your card, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay Note:With effect from 1 March 2018, DBS is removing the 3 times cash withdrawal condition. By simply keeping your total cash withdrawal below S$400 across all your DBS/POSB Cards at all DBS/POSB ATMs and branches locally, you can enjoy 5% cashback on all local Visa payWave spend on your DBS Visa Debit Card when you spend minimum S$400 on your Card in that month
Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Card	No minimum spend	Earn 1.5% cashback on any purchase
Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature Card	No minimum spend	Enjoy 1.6% Unlimited Cash rebates on all local spend - no minimum spend and no cap and 2X TREATS Points with every dollar spent on foreign currency transactions.

How to Capture Video Clips in Windows 10

Windows 10 comes with a free video capturing utility. Basically it can capture any type of screen activity and save it as a video clip.

Press Win + G to open the Game Bar, the Xbox app feature that lets you record screen activity.

The rest should be self-explainatory.

Joke of the day

What do you call the parents of TRANSFORMER



Please highlight the below to see the answer!

TRANSPARENT

Get $50 when you top up SRS online

Pay less income tax when you top up your Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS)

Save more (up to $50) when you top up POSB SRS online!

https://www.posb.com.sg/personal/promotion/srs-promo

Qoo10 Singles Day Mastercard 11.11 Coupons

$20 off When You Spend $40 (with MasterPass), $11 off When You Spend $30

https://www.qoo10.sg/mastercard

DBS S$50 Cashback now till 31 December 2017

Simply accumulate a foreign currency spend of S$1,500 from now till 31 December 2017 to enjoy the S$50 Cashback. So use your DBS Visa Debit Card when you shop overseas or online.

Limited to the first 10,000 eligible cardholders during campaign period.

https://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/promotion/visa-debit-cashback

11.11 global shopping festival - Taobao / Ezbuy

Chinese Singles' Day 光棍节 festival has become the largest online shopping day in the world. The date Nov 11 is chosen because the number "1" resembles an individual that is alone.

As much as I want to make use of the attractive promotion to buy toys from Taobao / Ezbuy, I wouldnt dare after reading this report.

Better safe than sorry, I guess.

HSBC 5% Cash Rebate Programme 2017

This Promotion is valid from 1 Novmeber to 31 December 2017. This Promotion is limited to the first 5,000 Cardholders who successfully register for the Promotion via SMS in the required format below (each a “Successful Cardholder”). All registrations must be sent via SMS to 74722 by 31 December 2017 and composed in the following format: OctRebate<space>NRIC/Passport No. (Example: OctRebate S1234567A).

Each Successful Cardholder who meets the minimum Eligible Spend of S$500 in a given calendar month during the Promotion Period shall receive a 5% cash rebate (“Cash Rebate”), subject to a maximum Cash Rebate of S$40 in a calendar month.

Hurry!

https://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/cashrebate



Key notes:
Spend a minimum $500 in a calendar month, up to $800 to receive the maximum cash rebate of $40