I’m writing this right after I spoke as a panelist at a Financial Wellness event. And here are some of the questions asked which I think everyone who is earning an income should know:

“What does financial wellness mean to you?”

What a loaded question, right? What does it mean to you?

For me – if physical wellness means we are looking after ourselves holistically, making sure our health is optimised and working well into old age, can you say the same for your finance and state of wealth?

Most people, especially moms, have enough to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I get it – it’s not the most exciting thing to plan and think about. Most people are clueless as to where to even begin financial planning and “putting their money to work”.

“What is the difference between investing and simply putting my savings in the bank?” 

What most people don’t realise is that the interest rates you get for your savings account are less than inflation rates. Meaning your money in the bank will be worth a lot less in the future when you want to use it as your retirement fund.

Therefore, you need to invest your money elsewhere so that it will give you a better return in the future.

“Where do you invest your money?”

Just like most people, I don’t have a finance background, so I invest in things I can understand. Because when you put money at places where you don’t understand fully, it’s called gambling. And we don’t want to do that with our hard-earned cash.

I put my eggs in different baskets – properties, businesses and fully-managed investment portfolios.

“How do you decide what to invest in?”

It depends on your short-term and long-term goals. For me, investing in properties is definitely for the long term. Every time you buy and sell, you’ll be slapped with huge tax and legal fees. So if you don’t mind having a big chunk of your cash trapped there for at least 10 to 20 years, it’s one of the safest investments you can make.

Secondly, just like properties, investing in businesses requires lots of energy and time. And even though I enjoy building businesses, my time is limited.

And that is why I love investing in fully-managed investment portfolios. It allows me to invest with minimal effort, so I can spend my time with my family instead.

“How do I start investing with minimal effort?”

You can open an account with a digital wealth manager like Syfe to look after your investments.

Trust me. I’ve learnt the hard way by trying to do every single thing myself but ended up with a burnt-out mind and body. So I encourage you to make your life easier by asking for help. Just like delegating jobs to professionals, getting a helper to take care of your daily chores, using Syfe is hassle-free.

For parents, professionals and working adults who often lack the time to consistently monitor their investments, Syfe does all the work for you.

It is a digital wealth manager, offering fully-managed investment portfolios for everyone, regardless of your financial goals.

Syfe helps you to:

• Consistently monitor your investments
• Automatically reinvest your dividends, and
• Rebalance your portfolios twice a year to maximise your returns!

Basically, Syfe has got it covered, so you don’t have to. It allows you to grow your money worry-free.

“Is Syfe like a robo-advisor?”

It is not your average robo-advisor. It makes investing very simple for people like us, the way we want, and it has some of the lowest fees in the industry.

Whether you’re new to investing, an experienced investor, or somewhere in between, Syfe offers portfolios for every investor type so you can build wealth and achieve your financial goals, in the simplest way.

You can even mix and match your portfolios to work towards your unique financial goals, whether that’s saving up for your children’s education, planning for your retirement or looking for passive income to supplement your salary.

“Is it safe to invest with a digital wealth manager like Syfe?”

There’s always risk involved when it comes to investing. But Syfe is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore(MAS) under a Capital Markets Services (CMS) License. Syfe follows all stringent standards set by MAS for financial and investment services companies.

“How do I get started?”

Here are a few options that Syfe offers:

• Syfe Core Portfolios
  

This is an all-in-one portfolio holding stock, bond, and gold-exchange traded fund (ETF) from 3,500+ companies in fast-growing sectors globally, like technology and healthcare. Examples of companies include Amazon, Pfizer, Google, Microsoft, and more.

So if you always wanted to have shares in any of these companies but have no idea where to start, this is a great way to get your skin in the game.

On top of that, it has an increased focus on China which is poised to deliver “one of the fastest and fastest macro recoveries in 2021 among major economies globally,” according to Goldman Sachs – a leading global financial institution.

Depending on your investment style and goals, you can choose between the three portfolios –  Core Defensive, Core Balanced, or Core Growth – or like me, you can even diversify into all three!

• Syfe REIT+ Portfolio  

If you believe in REITs and want to earn a passive income through Singapore REITS,  Syfe’s REIT+ portfolio gives you access to the 20 largest and most tradeable REITs in Singapore, such as Capitaland Integrated Commercial Trust and Mapletree Commercial Trust .

“What does it mean by investing in REITs?”

Well, it essentially means that you’re having shares or owning parts of the 20 largest property companies that own properties you see all around you in Singapore! Exciting eh?

With REIT+, you can earn passive income through the form of dividends. You can also choose between having your dividends automatically reinvested or paid out quarterly to your bank accounts. In 2019, the dividend yield was at an attractive rate of 5.1% – way better than any bank interest!

Familiar examples of the REITs REIT+ constitute:

• Syfe Cash+ Portfolio  

Now, if you prefer access to cash as and when you need to, a better place to park your spare cash is with Syfe Cash+ Portfolio. You can earn higher projected returns (1.5% p.a.) than a bank savings account.

It is the perfect avenue for you to grow your money while paying no management fees, allowing you to keep all of what you earn.

Since its launch in January, Cash+ has generated actual annualised returns of [2.18%]. This is higher than the projected return of 1.75% p.a. that was advertised at launch. However, due to the persistently low interest rate environment, Syfe has recently revised the projected returns to 1.5% p.a. for the next quarter.

This is still higher than what other cash management accounts are offering.

And the best part?

Just like all of Syfe’s products, there are no limits, no minimum investment amount, no lock-up periods and unlimited free withdrawals. So no more excuses about not having enough to invest. You can start with very little.

You may read more about Syfe Cash+ Portfolio here.

In closing, investing with Syfe is one of the most hassle-free ways to invest and build your portfolio. Start with building your personalised portfolio here today with Syfe and enjoy a 6-month fee waiver on your first $30,000 investment when you use the code: THECHILLMOM.