As year 2021 draws to a close, it is time to reflect and count our blessings. 2021 is probably one of my most difficult years to date. It is a year I am not likely to forget as we had a health scare in the family which added to the stress of coping with the pandemic.
For almost two years, I have had to forgo or keep to a minimum things I had previously taken for granted — shaking hands, visiting family and friends, dining out, taking off overseas, visiting malls, going to the cinema, visiting the dentist, having a haircut, etc.
Reading the accounts of people who recovered from COVID-19 brought home to me the preciousness of simple pleasures like having our loved ones close to us, going outdoors and being able to taste and smell.
I’m immensely grateful for:
1. The people who love and care for me.
2. The roof over our heads and the food on our table.
3. The first class healthcare system in my country.
4. The selfless and dedicated folks working at the frontline. In particular, I want to thank the healthcare workers who have worked so hard for so long.
5. Having internet access which keeps me connected with people whom I cannot meet face to face and up to date with my investments. The ones that did well were $NetLink NBN Tr (CJLU.SG)$  $DBS Group Holdings (D05.SG)$  $CapitaLandInvest (9CI.SG)$ and  $CapLand IntCom T (C38U.SG)$ .
6. Last but not least, the discovery of moomoo and its powerful app so I can access quality charts, news and market data quickly. Moomoo gave me my first $Apple (AAPL.US)$ share and helped to broaden my knowledge about trading in the US market. It will always have a special place in my heart because of this. I’m also thankful for the friends I’ve made through Moomoo.
Even in the darkest cloud, there is always a silver lining.
Happy Thanksgiving and all the best in your investment!

Successful traders are those with successful trading habits. Luck can only carry one so far. One of the key successful habits is to form a trading plan. As Benjamin Franklin rightly said, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
Here’s how to form a trading plan and execute it successfully.
1) Financial Analysis
Identify potential stocks $Apple (AAPL.US)$  $Meta Platforms (FB.US)$  $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$  $Alphabet-C (GOOG.US)$  $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$  $Netflix (NFLX.US)$  $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$  $Tesla (TSLA.US)$  $Rivian Automotive (RIVN.US)$  $Pfizer (PFE.US)$  $Moderna (MRNA.US)$  $BioNTech (BNTX.US)$  $Novavax (NVAX.US)$  $Medtecs Intl (546.SG)$  $Altimeter Growth Corp (AGC.US)$ by analysing the company’s financial statements and dividend track record. This is where financial ratios like gross profit margin, net profit margin, return on equity, current ratio, debt to cash flow ratio, net gearing ratio and dividend yield come in handy. Also pay attention to the current news that can impact the company.
2) Technical Analysis and 2% Rule
Study the charts. Use technical indicators to spot the trend. Identify the entry price, the price target for taking profit and the price to stop loss using support and resistance. Determine the risk-to-reward ratio (RR) and the probability of success (also called the percentage of winning trades). The potential reward should be at least three times the potential risk. Don’t give in to the fear of missing out (FOMO). In the words of Warren Buffett, “the stock market is a device to transfer money from the impatient to the patient.” The risk of losing money can be minimised by applying the 2% rule (each trade should not be more than 2% of the capital set aside for investment).
3) Control emotions and follow the plan consistently
This is probably the part where most traders fail. It is as tempting to hold on to winning stocks as it is difficult to let go of losing sticks but giving in to emotional impulses defeats the purpose of having a plan in the first place. Stick to the plan.
4) Positive Reinforcement
We become what we repeatedly do. Foster good trading habits by rewarding ourselves whenever we follow the plan consistently. This has nothing to do with the amount of profit or loss made in the trade. For instance, exiting a trade before the loss deepens to painful levels is a trading behaviour that should be rewarded despite not making a profit.
5) Review and Refine
Evaluate the trading plan for its effectiveness and finetune it to suit one’s risk appetite, financial needs, investment period and new developments in the market. There is no best trading plan, only what is suitable.
With practice and perseverance, we can all become successful traders!
Disclaimer: The above is my personal opinion. It is not financial advice or a recommendation to invest. Please consult a financial advisor before making any investment decision.
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A Singapore billionaire has quietly accumulated $Tesla (TSLA.US)$ shares until he is currently its third largest individual shareholder. He sold all his other stocks $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$  $Baidu (BIDU.US)$  $NIO Inc (NIO.US)$ and focused solely on Tesla, doubling down even when the market plunged. His story is inspiring but my risk appetite is lower and I don’t think I can bet so much on a single stock like he did.
If I had a $1 million windfall, I would put 90% of it in an S&P ETF like $Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO.US)$, $SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY.US)$ and $iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV.US)$  and 5% in Treasury bills. The remaining 5% will be reserved for stocks that I think have the potential to become the next $Amazon (AMZN.US)$ , $Tesla (TSLA.US)$, $Sea (SE.US)$ ,  $Apple (AAPL.US)$ and $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ .
VOO:
Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet, feels that stock picking is difficult for the average person to suceed at and recommends investing in a low cost S&P 500 index fund. Indeeed, research has shown that few people and funds can consistently beat the market. Practising what he preaches, Buffet has instructed the trustee for his estate to place 90% of his money in $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ and 10% in Treasury bills for his wife upon his death.
S&P 500 tracks the performance of 500 largest companies in the US $Amazon (AMZN.US)$  $Apple (AAPL.US)$  $Netflix (NFLX.US)$  $Meta Platforms (FB.US)$ $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$   $Alphabet-C (GOOG.US)$  $Moderna (MRNA.US)$ so one can leverage on the performance of some of the best companies in the world and achieve diversification at the same time. The importance of diversification cannot be overstated as it smooths out fluctuations in the overall portfolio value. Declines in some sectors will be offset by growth in other sectors.
The average annual return of S&P 500 from 2012 to 2021 is around 14%. The actual return is dependent on timing (the cost price) which can be influenced by emotions. As it is difficult to time the market, I would do dollar cost averaging to average out my costs.
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Disclaimer: The above is my personal opinion.It is not financial advice or a recommendation to invest. Please consult your financial advisor before making any investment decision.
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