Believe it or not, this is an important question for all Singaporeans reaching 65 years-old that can have long term implications to your financial health as you age. Contrary to conventional wisdom – which is to take money out as fast as you can out of the clutches of the government, there is actually a good case why you shoul do just the opposite. Here’s why.
Continue reading “CPF Life: Should I defer Payout Past 65?”
If you read social media, you may get the impression that CPF is a terrible scheme that is concocted to “steal” everyone’s money. Here is a different view of CPF. In Singapore, your CPF account is the safest investment you can make with the highest returns. Unlike savings account that are insured up to $50K, your entire CPF savings is backed by the full faith and strength of the Government of Singapore, which has one of the highest credit rating that any country can aspire to. In short, there is virtually no chance that CPF will default on its obligations. And it is politically untenable to let that happen!
Continue reading “How Much Money Did CPF Make For You in 2018?”
We know that every generation is different. How we grew up and the times we grew up in shape our view of life, religion and everything else. I belong to the Baby Boomer generation (will explain more what that is) – a generation that saw the biggest economic boom and is likely the generation to-date that has accumulated the most wealth. So what about the rest? Let me walk you through.
Continue reading “Let’s Talk Generation Gap”
As Singaporeans age and live longer, the government is rightfully thinking of ways to help seniors cope financially, especially those who do not have enough cash either in the CPF or in the bank but owns a HDB unit. At the same time, it wants to support the policy of “ageing-in-place”. According to HDB, “through the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS), you will be able to monetise your flat to receive a stream of income in your retirement years, while continuing to live in it. ” That idea sounds quite decent. Since January 1, 2019, about 130,000 HDB unit owners are now eligible for the LBS. Before you sign the dotted line, here are 4 things you should know.
Continue reading “HDB Lease Buyback Scheme(LBS): Before you sign the dotted line ….”
Geriatricians are generally family practice or internal medicine doctors that specialises in the care and treatment of older patients, generally those over 65. But many elderly persons already see their GPs or family doctors regularly – so why do they need to see an “old-age” specialist? For many, they may not. They can continue to go to their GP or family doctor for regular checkups and treatments. So when should you see a geriatrician?
Continue reading “When should I see my Geriatrician vs my GP?”
Sleep apnea is a condition that interrupts your breathing when you sleep – sometimes causing you to stop breathing anywhere from 10 seconds up to several minutes. The most common type of sleep apnea is known as “obstructive sleep apnea” or OSA for short. OSA happens when your airway become blocked when you are sleeping. A common symptom is snoring. Sleep apnea is dangerous because it is known to cause high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, weight gain and other health problems. But for drivers it may be worse — sleep apnea can cause drowsiness when driving and has been linked to road accidents.
Continue reading “Does Growing Old Cause Sleep Apnea?”
First, the good news. If you are employed with a company before turning 55, and you are a Singapore citizen or PR, you enjoy protection under the RRA law. Your company cannot ask you to retire before the minimum retirement age of 62.
Continue reading “Retirement & Re-employment Act (RRA): Good for Seniors?”
When we ring in 2019, we will have hit a record for children all over the world. And it is not a good record. According to Save The Children, more children than ever before are living in conflict areas and are at risk of death and violence. We will start the year with at least 357 million children suffering in conflict areas or roughly 1-in-6 children in our world. Most of the conflict areas are in Africa and Middle East.
I do not want to throw a wet blanket on your new year festivities. This is not an appeal for money for the many charities that help these children wherever they can. This is not a political statement about government or politics and to tell you who is to blame. And I am not going to show you in this article the heart wrenching pictures of children starved to death, injured by weapons of war or simply killed by indiscriminate bombings.
Continue reading “Happy New Year. We Have Achieved A New Record for Children.”
If you are going to eat at home anyway, you do not have to settle for plain old take-out food from your favorite GrabFood or FoodPanda menu. Personally, I get little satisfaction from eating take-out delivery. For one, the quality of the dishes tend to drop when it has to take 30-60 minutes to get to you after it is prepared. That means it is normally no longer piping hot when you get it. If it is a noodle or pasta dish, it is even worse – it tends to get soggy and loses the “al dente”. Sorry, if I am dining in, I cannot get excited about meals delivered by GrabFood or FoodPanda.
No time to shop for ingredients? No idea what dishes to make? No recipe? No cooking experience? … but still crave for home cooked freshly made and piping hot dish straight out of the kitchen … try this for a change.
Continue reading “Tired of GrabFood or FoodPanda take-out? Try this.”
You have heard that a vegetarian diet is healthier and can help you live longer – yes, it is true and there is ample scientific evidence. What is a vegetarian diet? There are two types of vegetarians – while both do not eat any animal meat — the more common group is known as lacto-ovo vegetarians who will also eat animal by-products such as eggs and cheese. The vegans do not eat any of the by-products.
An evidence-based review shows that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower risk of death of ischemic heart disease, lower risk of hypertension, diabetes and cancer compared to non-vegetarian. A typical vegetarian diet includes foods that are loaded with nutrients that are healthy for us. But just avoiding meat does not automatically make for a good diet plan and may even work against you. If you decide to do vegetarian, here’s how to make the best of your dietary choice.
Continue reading “American Dietetic Association: Thumbs Up for Vegetarian Diets but …”
