Has anyone ever bought from this carou supplier before? My friend and I are just looking to buy some pcj for our own fun to rip and enjoy ourselves - scared of getting filtered packs but also can't really afford boxes :/
Hi, 19 yo NSF here looking for any advice on my financial position/how to strategise when I eventually start working in the future. I have read the starter threads and just wanted to seek more advice!
Insurance policies:
Limited Premium Living Policy NTUC (over 85k cash value, fully paid)
Great Protector Active Classic (500K sum assured, fully paid)
Great Life Multiplier 3x (90k) with critical illness, E&I riders (fully paid)
Secured a full ride scholarship for university - all expenses covered including hostel, living allowances.
Will have about 5k to invest per year during university years.
Looking to invest all of my income now into a Momentum + Small Cap Value barbell of IWMO/AVSG, and eventually glide into a complex ETF - managed futures (probably DBMF) as I get older to hedge against volatility.
About 13.5k invested in my portfolio now, looking for advice on any future insurances I should pick up eventually as I start working to improve my coverage, and as a working adult living with my parents eventually how much should I allocate to investments? Or just any general comments/advice/info on my journey/how to allocate NSF allowance are all welcome - thank you for taking the time to respond!
To preface, I am a new investor and if any information here is wrong, please correct me! I am still learning as I go along.
What do you guys think about the Momentum + Small Cap Value barbell?
Momentum tracks stocks that show strong earnings or price trends, which can offer higher returns than baseline indexes (SPMO beating VOO when backtested) but the tradeoff is they do have higher risk to be caught holding the losers when the market reverses sharply.
On the other hand, small cap value has been researched to have a negative to no correlation to momentum. Small cap value screens for companies that have more space to grow (relative to mega cap) while value adds an extra layer of looking for companies with strong fundamentals.
This allows momentum to complement small cap value in a very interesting manner I found while running some backtests - by combining both, small cap value dominated during economic recoveries while momentum dominated during bull markets - allowing the curve to smoothen out each other. The nature of these two means that when momentum crashes, small cap value tends to thrive more in that market.
Analysing the data from the backtest,
Worst Year (Minimum Annual Return): The worst calendar year for VOO was a painful -18.19%. By contrast, the Momentum/SCV combination cut that nearly in half, with its worst year maxing out at just -9.94%.
2. Annual Gain/Loss Asymmetry
The Gain/Loss Ratio (Annual) for VOO was an already solid 1.67.
The SPMO/VBR blend vaulted that ratio to 3.51. Because the combination minimized its bad years so effectively (-5.53% average annual loss vs VOO's -11.34%), its compounding wasn't interrupted as violently, leading to a much higher proportion of upside to downside over multi-year periods.
3. (CAGR)
Despite lowering the worst-case annual drawdowns, the 55/45 factor blend did not sacrifice growth.
It achieved a 15.19% CAGR, beating both the S&P 500 (14.91%) and the broader market VTSIM (11.00%).
It achieved this higher return with lower Annual Downside Deviation (2.96% vs VOO's 4.84%), effectively proving it delivered a smoother ride year-over-year. (over approximately 15 year backtest)
Running another backtest of QQQ and this barbell portfolio over a 40 year time period using testfol.io, the barbell portfolio appeared to have better sustainability in exchange for minimal loss in growth.
Maximum Drawdown:
QQQSIM (-82.97%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (-52.78%) Winner: SPMO/VBR
Longest Drawdown:
QQQSIM (14.87 years) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (4.21 years) Winner: SPMO/VBR
Ulcer Index:
QQQSIM (36.25) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (11.97)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
2. Absolute Growth vs. Risk-Adjusted Efficiency
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR):
QQQSIM (14.76%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (13.37%) Winner: QQQSIM
Sharpe Ratio (Reward per unit of total risk):
QQQSIM (0.54) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (0.61)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
Sortino Ratio (Reward per unit of downside risk): QQQSIM (0.78) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (0.84)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
Annual Downside Deviation:
QQQSIM (12.97%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (6.57%)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
QQQSIM achieved higher raw growth over the 15+ years, but the factor blend was significantly more efficient, delivering its returns with almost half the downside volatility.
3. Market Capture (Annual)
Downside Capture Ratio:
QQQSIM (181.57%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (81.54%) Winner: SPMO/VBR
Upside Capture Ratio:
QQQSIM (146.16%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (108.03%) Winner: QQQSIM
QQQ amplifies both market booms and busts violently. The factor blend seems to provide a structural shield during bear markets.
4. Withdrawal Rates (Income Sustainability)
10-Year Safe Withdrawal Rate:
QQQSIM (2.91%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (8.41%)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
30-Year Perpetual Withdrawal Rate:
QQQSIM (7.71%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (8.14%)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
40-Year Safe Withdrawal Rate:
QQQSIM (8.88%) vs. SPMO/VBR 55/45 (9.54%)
Winner: SPMO/VBR
As a new investor myself, I understand that this strategy comes with significant tracking error of the index, so I am intending to use a broad world fund like VWRA to smooth this out, along with a small cap value + momentum barbell to take up a portion of my portfolio to drive more growth. What are your thoughts on this barbell allocation? I am open to discussion but still learning and new to all this so please be nice!
Sorry for asking the question here - my post kept getting blocked in r/NTU :(
Hi Maritime Studies seniors in NTU, as a prospective student to Maritime Studies I have a few questions that I would be grateful if anyone answered:
For those who took the Second Major in Business(MSB), how much of a competitive edge did it provide during your job search?
Which specific maritime modules or electives have proved most relevant to your current role?
How significant were any Overseas Exchange experiences in shaping your understanding of the global shipping market?
What are the most common entry-level career paths (e.g., chartering, brokering, operations) for graduates today?
5. Are there additional opportunities for NTU global scholarship recipients in MSB?
Thank you so much for answering my questions! Any responses are greatly valued <3
Would love to also chat w any seniors/ other prospective students going for 9th may tea sess please dm me HAHAH
For those already established in the Maritime Industry in SG, I have some questions that would be really appreciated if answered:
Given the rise of automation in logistics and chartering, how vulnerable are Maritime jobs to AI displacement into the future in your opinion?
How would you describe the actual work-life balance in Singapore’s shore-based sector, especially in roles that require coordinating with different time zones?
For someone entering the industry now, which specific sub-sectors (e.g., green bunkering, maritime finance, or port tech) currently hold the highest relevance in Singapore in your opinion?
What is the most challenging or high-pressure aspect of your role that schooling life didn't fully prepare you for?
Looking at the next 5–10 years, do you see the industry in Singapore specifically becoming more stable and corporate, or more volatile due to global supply chain shifts?
Really grateful to anyone who takes time our of your day to answer these questions! Just a lost student trying to figure out what to study in the future <3