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Cashback vs Miles Cards - Why I'm on Team Cashback

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Hello guys!

For those of you who didn't manage to get tickets to the live event earlier, you can watch the full video here!



I hope I've convinced you guys about the merits of being of Team Cashback :P

You can tune into the video to hear both sides of the argument (I didn't get to present all my pointers yet, but will do so in a subsequent writeup) and decide for yourself whether the miles or cashback strategy will be best for you.



At the end of the day, the choice between miles vs. cashback cards really comes down to an individual's lifestyle profile and preferences (especially how much a personal values premium air travel). If you're a frequent business traveller like Aaron (The MileLion), it'll be quite silly for you to be playing the cashback game. But for mere mortals like the rest of us who don't get the privilege of travelling (especially via our company) that often, then cashback might be a better option.

For someone who's content with flying economy (like my husband and I), then cashback cards truly offer us better value and control in redeeming the flights that we want PLUS with leftover cash to spare...which can then fund our holiday discretionary expenses.

Don't forget about restrictions imposed on miles redemption either:
- Miles are subject to devaluation at a rate faster than inflation
- You can't earn interest on your miles, unlike cashback
- You'll often find yourself on the waitlist for flight redemptions
- You'll need to have that flexibility in your travel dates because you don't have control

Sure, cash is subjected to inflation too, but if you invest that cash right, you'll be able to keep up or even earn more than what it costs you in inflation.

Most importantly, with the competition among airlines and increased budget travel options, cash can go a much longer way than miles in this regard.

I'm not saying adopting a miles strategy is bad. I'm saying it depends on your lifestyle and preference. In my case, a 100% miles strategy doesn't work for me, and I get much more value being on Team Cashback (cash back on my credit card + extra interest on my high-yield savings account!).

And you know what? Although Aaron and I are on opposite camps when it comes to this topic, that doesn't mean both strategies are exclusive! You can even adopt the best of both strategies - cashback PLUS miles. I'll talk more about this in a later post.

There's a few cards and tools I recommended during the session and I know it can get quite complicated, so don't worry, I'll be sharing that spreadsheet soon! I'm currently finalizing some details and promotions with the various companies and will be releasing the
2018 Cash Maximising Tools (An Ultimate Guidebook to getting more out of every dollar)in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

#notsponsored

I got a few PMs about my outfit details, so here they are!
Dress from Playdress: $19.90
McDonalds LINE fan (Cony): $6
Seashell bag: $12.90 (Buy from Zalora + Shopback)
A lot of Instagram influencers have been recommending Cluse watches recently on my feed.
I didn't think it was worth all that hype, so here's what I got instead.
Top photo: Cluse watch
Bottom photo: Mine
With love,
Dawn (aka Cashback Girl, heh)


Terms to know in the cryptocurrency social universe

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When I first dipped my toes into the universe of cryptocurrencies, I could barely understand a word of what the crypto folks were talking about on Reddit, Medium and the various other forums. It was like a whole new different language, and I'm not even referring to the technical terms found in most of the whitepapers.

Given how much price is largely driven by market sentiment in the crypto universe, it pays to understand what's happening on the ground, so today's guide is largely targeted for the newbies who need a little help understanding the slang flying around on Facebook when folks discuss about cryptocurrencies.

Fiat
Government-issued currency, or basically cash.
Eg. You need to convert your fiat into bitcoin before you can buy alts.

Altcoin / Alts
Refers to all other coins that are not Bitcoin.
Eg. People congratulate me when Bitcoin makes a bull run, but they don't know my alts are bleeding.

Shitcoin
Any coin that purports to save the world. Also refers to alts that are perceived to be terrible, worthless, or a downright scam. (Note, one man's shitcoin could be another's treasure.)
Eg. Is FAILcoin a shitcoin? Its original developer completely disappeared after its announcement.

ICO
Acronym for initial coin offering. Similar to IPOs in the stock market, only that ICOs are in the crypto universe.
Eg. There's a new ICO coming up. You subscribing?

SAT(s)
Short-form for 1 satoshi, the lowest denominator of a Bitcoin.
Eg. Did you watch that video about that Buzzfeed guy who couldn't buy a Bitcoin because he didn't have enough money? He could only afford a few sats.

FOMO
Acronym for fear of missing out.
Eg. Bitcoin just hit $10,000! This FOMO is real, should I buy?




ATH
Acronym for all-time high.
Eg. Bitcoin is hitting ATH every single day!

To the moon / moon
Refers to the price of a coin going up, supposedly with no upside limit.
Eg. Bitcoin is mooning! 

HODL
To hold. Also means Hold On for Dear Life.
Eg. I intend to HODL Bitcoin until it moons.

FUD
Acronym for fear, uncertainty and doubt.
Eg. Bitcoin's drop now is only temporary and all just due to baseless FUD.



Shill / Shilling
The act of promoting good stuff about alt coins (usually on social media) in hopes that people will start buying and the price will go up.
Eg. Stop shilling IOTA!

Pump and dump
Refers to prices going up rapidly (usually because of FOMO or shilling) and crashing after (sometimes due to FUD).
Eg. Stop shilling IOTA just so it'll pump and dump.

Choyna
China.
Eg. Is NEO's recent dip due to Choyna FUD?

Bagholder / Baghodler
A person who purchased a crypto coin at an all-time high or during a bull run, and are now stuck in a tight position now that prices have plummeted.
Eg. Peter bought IOTA because he FOMO-ed when it mooned overnight, and now he's a badhodler hoping for another bull run so he can unload it.

Bears / bearish
Folks familiar with stocks will know this. A bear is someone with bearish sentiment about the market and thinks that prices are headed down.
Eg. I'm bearish about the Bitcoin market right now.

Bull / bullish
The opposite of being bearish. A bull is someone who believes the market is headed upward.
Eg. I'm super bullish about Bitcoin now, it is going to the moon!

Whale
Refers to a person with deep pockets.
Eg. Satoshi is a whale. He reportedly owns one million bitcoins! / Peter just bought USD 100k of Bitcoin. What a whale!

Rekt
Basically means wrecked.
Eg. Uh oh big dip. I'm rekt.

Butthurt
What you'll feel when your shitcoin goes to zero.
Eg. Oh crap, turns out XXX was a shitcoin. I'm butthurt.

BTFD
Acronym for buy the farking dip. Basically refers to buying when people are panic selling.
Eg. Bitcoin just dumped! BTFD!!!

DYOR
Acronym for do your own research.
Eg. Stop asking me whether Litecoin will moon. DYOR!


Can you stomach the wild ride in the crypto universe? (If you can't, keep calm and put in only money you can afford to lose. A few hundred dollars is fine too.)

Let me know if you come across any new slang terms which I've missed out!

With love,
Dawn

Best Cashback Credit Cards to get for 2018

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If someone came up to you to offer you free cash on the money you're already spending every month, would you say no?

I didn't think so either. Everyone needs a good cash back credit card, period.

If you're still paying via NETS / your debit card, it is high time you embraced the cash back rewards that credit cards have to offer!

I previously revealed the cards I have in my wallet during the live debate last week, but also shared a first glimpse into the spreadsheet I've been working on which captures the best cashback credit cards to move into 2018 with. A number of you have emailed me to ask for that list, so here are the best ones I've shortlisted:

Legend:
Yellow - best in category
Green - second-best

If you're signing up for any of these cards, don't forget to indicate here that you're a Budget Babe reader so you can get additional free cash vouchers.

Battle of the Cashback credit cards


UOB One Card

Folks with a UOB One account should definitely get the UOB One, which is a fantastic cash-back card through and through, while helping you chalk up higher interest on your savings as well. If you're having a large purchase coming up, you'll probably benefit the most from getting a 5% cashback out of this card ($2000 monthly spend).

Read my previous review of the UOB One account here.




Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback / AMEX True Cashback 


This is an easy and fuss-free credit card to hold, as it gives you 1.5% on all spend without any minimum or maximum limits, nor does it set caps by categories.

For the lazy folks who don't wish to manage multiple cash back credit cards in your wallet, this would be the best bet. Alternatively, you can also get the AMEX True Cashback Card, although that's accepted by fewer merchants in contrast to SCB's MasterCard.



Bank of China Family Card

This is a really fabulous card for online and dining. Moreover, if you're already on the BOC SmartSaver program (read my review here), this card can help you to get higher interest rates on your savings.



Citi Cash Back Visa Card

If you drive and dine out often, then you'll probably want to keep this card close as it is best for dining and petrol (up to 20.88% fuel savings at Esso and Shell). Or if you're frequently booking rides on the Grab app, this card also gives you 8% cash back for that, provided you're able to hit the minimum monthly card spend of $888. 

You can also get extra $125 Grab or NTUC vouchers by signing up here.



OCBC 365

This card has been talked to death as it has been around for a really long time, but if you're on the OCBC 360 account, you'll probably have to get this to maximise your savings interest rate. It also offers a relatively high dining cash back rate, and free travel insurance when you book your flights with this card.



UOB Yolo Card


The best use of this card would be for its 1-for-1 movie tickets at Cathay Cineplex, as well as the free Grab ride every weekend if you manage to meet the transaction spend in that preceding week. Use it for your weekend dining and entertainment.



OCBC Frank Credit Card

This was one of my very first credit cards, and I feel it is one that is often overlooked because no one really talks much about it online. The truth is, this is a really fantastic card with a 6% online shopping rebate which includes Grab and Uber rides. You'll also get 3% to 5% cash back on your movies, karaoke sessions and major coffee chains, including Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

And yes, you can use this to clock higher interest saving rates on your OCBC 360 account! In my opinion, this card is much more superior to OCBC 365 if your spending behaviour fits into what I've described above. The minimum spend is also much lower at $400 per month.



Citibank SMRT Card

Best for travelling on public transport and for groceries (across various places including Fairprice, Giant and Sheng Siong. This is broader, unlike the POSB Everyday Card which limits you to only Sheng Shiong supermarkets).

You can also get extra $125 Grab or NTUC vouchers by signing up here.


Cash back cards are a great way to get free money

I get a few hundred dollars of cash back every year (and I don't even spend a lot!) easily by maximising my cards this way, and that's not even counting the additional interest I get on my linked-bank account savings... If you play your credit card cash back strategy well, there's a lot of free cash that you can get back on money which you're already spending right now.

Of course, as always, remember to be responsible about your credit card spend and always pay off your bills on time at the end of the month! Otherwise, if you're worried about potentially overspending, then you can consider the DBS Visa Debit Card for its 5% cashback (I've also previously reviewed here).

Are there any other cash back credit cards that I've missed out which you think deserves to be on this list? Let me know!

With love,
Dawn

Buying a car? Here’s the best deals on car loans in Singapore for you

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With public transport in Singapore being a letdown in recent years (who’s tired of hearing SMRT announce a “track fault” by now? I sure am!), I take back my words from 2015 when I wrote about how ditching the car could make you a multi-millionaire (assuming you took your monthly vehicle expenses and invested it instead). 

As we progress in life and start a family, the benefits offered by a car cannot always be measured in monetary terms. Although I would disagree with the need to get a car just to keep up with the Joneses, it is hard to argue against the convenience and reliability it offers (in contrast to the frustration we commuters face from train breakdowns today).
But before you choose your car, it is vital to consider if you have the financial resources to pay for it. Obviously getting a car will be akin to taking up another “financial bomb” (the others being a wedding, a house, a child, etc) and most of us commonfolks will find it difificult to afford a car on simply our savings and salary alone. Hence, we’ll need to get a car loan, and you’d want to find the best deal while you’re at it.

Important things to know about car loans

Since May 2016, MAS regulationsnow allow banks to give 70% financing for cars with an Open Market Value (OMV) of less than or equal to S$20,000, and 60% for vehicles with OMV more than S$20,000. Assuming your car’s OMV is less than S$20,000 and your car costs S$75,000, then a bank will give you a maximum of S$52,500 as loan. The remaining amount – S$22,500 will then have to be paid from your own pocket.
Do also note that the maximum tenure of a car loan is 7 years with any bank. So before you decide to take a loan, make sure that you can afford to make repayments on the loan, without any late payments or defaults.
My husband and I will be getting a car this year, and these were some of the best car loans we looked at:

The best car loan deals

1. DBS Car Loan

DBS isoffering a special interest rate of 2.28% (flat rate) and 4.29% (EIR) for online applications of new car loans up to 31 January 2018. For offline applications, the interest rate is pegged at 2.78% p.a. (flat rate). You can buy both new and used cars through DBS fundings, and don’t forget to get your free credit report while you’re at it!

2. OCBC Car Loan

OCBC offers new car loans at a flat interest rate of 2.78% (EIR of 5.09% to 5.27% p.a.). For used car loans, the rate is 2.98% (EIR of 5.46% to 5.64% p.a.).
If you are thinking of refinancing your existing car loan, OCBC will give you 100% loan transfer and a flat interest rate of 2.08% (EIR of 4.03% to 4.52% p.a.). Find out more here.

3. UOB Car Loan

UOB has a unique loan plan called the UOB HP50 Car Loanwith a five-year tenure. This product allows you to pay just half of your monthly instalment amount for a limited period in case you need greater cashflow at the moment. You’ll now be able to enjoy this half-payment for 59 months, and in the 60th month (the end of the tenure), you can either pay the remaining amount and claim your vehicle for your own, or sell your car in the market or to the dealer.
For new cars, the flat interest rate is 2.78% (EIR 5.32% to 6.03% p.a.) whereas for second-hand cars, the rate is 2.98% (EIR 5.68% - 6.46%).
If you’re applying for this loan before 31 January 2018, UOB has an existing promotion where you could stand a chance to win SPC vouchers or even an entire year worth of petrol.

4. Hong Leong Finance Car Loan

HLF also has both new car loans and used car loans. The interest rates are similar to those offered by UOB at flat 2.78% p.a. and 2.98% p.a., respectively. Find out more here.

5. Maybank Car Loan

Maybank also offers both new and used car loans. The interest rate starts from 3.25% p.a.
Car loan
Flat rate
EIR
DBS Car Loan (New)
2.28% (limited period only)
4.29% (limited period only)
OCBC Car Loan (New)
2.78%
5.09% to 5.27%
OCBC Car Loan (Used)
2.98%
5.46% to 5.64%
UOB Car Loan (HP50)
2.78%
5.32% to 6.03%
UOB Car Loan (Used)
2.98%
5.68% to 6.46%
HLF Car Loan (New)
2.78%
NA
HLF Car Loan (Used)
2.98%
NA
Maybank Car Loan
3.25%
NA
*Figures provided by BankBazaar.sg

Should I choose a dealer loan or bank loan?

This question is often posed across forums and in the context of our discussion, it is an important consideration to address. The average car loan interest rate currently offered by banks in Singapore hovers around the 2.78% mark. However, the interest rate will change as per the repayment period.
Car dealers do things differently – some have tie-ups with banks while some offer their own independent financing options to buyers. When choosing a dealer, it all comes down to what car manufacturer you choose. Honda and Toyota, as we know it, are the biggest players in the market, accounting for over 40% of new car registrations. So buying a Honda or a Toyota and choosing a dealer-financed option will most likely give you a lower interest rate compared to other brands like Nissan and Mazda (which are of course popular too, just maybe not as much) which provide dealer-financed loan options.
So how do dealer loans compare with that offered by banks? Well, for one, interest rates offered by dealers tend to be higher than banks. But the benefit with dealerships is that they often offer lower monthly repayment options and longer tenures. So coming back to what choice is economically ideal, choosing a bank will automatically eliminate the middleman in the equation, which of course is the dealer in this situation.
Dealerships entice customers with lower monthly payments. But in reality, you’d be paying more interest on longer tenures with dealers, than what you would if you’d taken your loan with a bank. Most importantly, there are times when banks run attractive loan promotions for car loans and if you’re lucky / resourceful enough, you might be able to snag a deal at an even lower rate.
For those of you who already have cars, did you go for a dealer or bank loan? Do let me know in the comments below! 
Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with BankBazaar.sg. All opinions are of my own.


A step-by-step guide to buying alt coins

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There's been a lot of sponsored ads popping up on my Facebook recently, each claiming how to teach you to buy your first Bitcoin. 

All of those ads were mainly promoting CFDs (contracts for differences), which basically allows you to speculate on the rise or fall in prices of Bitcoin. For those who are new to CFDs, you are basically buying a contract between yourself and the CFD provider, and NOT the underlying asset. In other words, you're not buying the actual Bitcoin(s) and neither do you own it.

I won't name and shame the companies here, but their tactics are similar:

  • - Talk about how some young Singaporean investor became a millionaire by investing in Bitcoin and tell you to "learn how he did it here!"
  • - Highlight how you could have been rich by now if you had invested in Bitcoin earlier this year
  • - Tell you to either go for their paid course / sign up on their platform to start buying before you miss out 

None of them actually tell you how to buy and own your own Bitcoin, but I will. If you're a beginner, head over here for a legitimate step-by-step guide where the Bitcoins you buy is yours and entirely yours for keeps.

In a recent (private) readers' meet-up held on 1 Dec, someone asked me if I was buying any alts other than Bitcoins, and I mentioned that I was buying heavily into Litecoin on Coinbase. Here's how both currencies performed since:


1-Dec18-Dec% gain
Bitcoin$11,000.00$19,500.0077%
Litecoin$99.00$321.00224%

(Disclaimer: I invested in Bitcoin and Litecoin much earlier on, prior to the meet-up)


If you've already bought the big 3 - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin - and you're looking at buying other types of cryptocurrencies (termed as "alts", short for alternative coins), there are a few cryptocurrency exchanges (similar to stock exchanges) that will allow you to do that.

Binance

My top exchange of choice now is Binance, which is also now the #1 cryptocurrency exchange in the world. They're registered in Hong Kong (a key financial hub in Asia, aside from Singapore) and support many of the alts available for trading.



You can sign up for a secure account on Binance here.

Note: I previously used Bittrex, but I won't recommend them because my account has been pending verification for months and there's still no word on when verifications will finally be complete. This is a huge problem, because as an unverified user, you can only deposit funds and buy, but you're not allowed to withdraw / cash out at all!
If you're interested on the problems plaguing Bittrex, you can have a look at this article here.



HitBTC

Another exchange I use is HitBTC, although I'm not a complete fan because HitBTC got hacked in early 2015 where coins were stolen. However, they do have a wide variety of trading pairs as well so it is generally easy to find alts that you wish to buy.





I'm lost! How exactly do I buy alts?

As most of the exchanges don't accept direct cash to alts, you'll have to first convert your cash into either BTC or ETH, and then send them over to the exchange where you can buy alts. 


Here's a full step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Buy Bitcoin / Ethereum on Coinbase or Gemini.



I use both, but would recommend Coinbase as it is the most secure and offers instant purchases. Using the SCB Singpost credit card gave us 7% cashback, which offsets Coinbase's fees, but the card's T&Cs has changed since. Gemini, on the other hand, requires you to wire transfer USD into their overseas bank, and takes 2 - 5 days to clear your deposits before your funds appear on your account and are available for trading. Thanks to Gemini's inefficiency, I've missed out on many opportunities to buy at a low in the past weeks, so I still prefer Coinbase when I need to purchase BTC / ETH immediately so I can buy my alts.

Step 2: Send your Bitcoin / Ethereum to your exchange wallet





Step 3: Once your coins are received on the exchange, you can now use them to buy alts



For security reasons, do not leave your coins on the exchange(s) where they can get hacked or stolen. As such, I would recommend getting a hardware wallet such as a Trezor or Ledger Nano S to store your coins securely.

I'll write about how to buy and set up your hardware wallet shortly, but if you're in a hurry to get one, you can buy them from an authorized distributor here and enter promo code "SGBUDGETBABE" for a freebie :)


With love,
Dawn


IPO Analysis: Clearbridge Health Limited

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While there has been quite a number of IPOs getting listed on SGX recently, none have managed to successfully capture my attention, but I was admittedly quite intrigued when SGX informed me that there was a new healthcare IPO coming to the Catalist Board.



Details

Clearbridge Health Limited commenced trading today. Its IPO price was at $0.28, which unfortunately was not open to public subscription, and it ended its first day of trading flat at the same price.

Business

Clearbridge specialises in precision medicine, which is the practice of identifying the individual characteristics of each patient as well as probability of diseases, based on their genomic and metabolomics profile. 

They also offer Clinical diagnostic tests through their in-house laboratory, SAM Laboratory Pte Ltd, which includes:
- Health screening 
- Cancer diagnosis  
- Biomarker diagnostics, capable of surveying for over 138 possible conditions
- Treatment monitoring and prognosis

Strengths

There's no equivalent competitor in the local stock market.

Although I'm a fan of biotech and genomics, I reckon a lot of bio-technologies at this stage are still rather preliminary and has not yet reached mass adoption stage. I mean, just look at CordLife (incidentally, the CEO for Clearbridge is the former CEO of CordLife).

Risks

At this stage, the outlook for the company looks unclear and fraught with many risks, given its niche industry.

The company is still largely loss-making and does not have consistent net profits to speak of.



Conclusion

IPO price of $0.28 is at a significant premium to its NAV of 14 cents. With little reassurance, I'm not inclined to pay such a premium at this stage.

I like its offering, but I'm just about as confident in this company as an investment as I am in Cordlife, so I'll give in a pass for now. Will take a second look again when Clearbridge actually starts reporting consistent net profits, and I see more people being open to the idea of genomics and biomarkers testing.

P.S. This is a short analysis because it didn't take me long to conclude that I'll be staying out for now.


With love,
Budget Babe

Practical Ideas for Christmas Gift Exchange (under $50)

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Stuck while trying to figure out what to buy for your upcoming Christmas gift exchange? Or for Secret Santa?

I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas gift exchanges for a very simple reason - I don't always get to use the stuff I'm given, and I find that a huge waste. When I shop for gifts, I always focus on practicality and whether I think the recipient will use it. 

(Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. All recommendations are of my own.)

Here are some of my favourite practical gifts for the different types of people in my life:

For bosses



I'm always stuck when it comes to buying a Christmas gift for my bosses, but my friend solved my problem for good when she highlighted that a gift from a social enterprise will probably be the best, because it makes the recipient (i.e. your bosses) look good as well!

Check out these amazing namecard holders designed by autistic students from Pathlight School here. Can you imagine these holders being a key talking point for your bosses when he/she meets future clients? Bingo!

Price: $29.90

The teacher / tutor



Teachers have a love-hate relationship with marking, but they're an evil necessity in order for our students to improve. As such, help them customize a stamp to make their lives a little easier! You can personalize a stamp using their names as well, such as "Mrs Tan likes this" to make their marking a little more fun!

Price: $13 and up. Get it here at More Than Good.

The Investor



Give your investor friend a gift that will keep on growing - a pre-loaded Ethereum card! Second only to Bitcoin in the cryptocurrency universe, Ethereum has grown from $1 to $735 this year, and will likely continue its long-term uptrend. 

Price: $5 (for the card). Feel free to load any amount of ether as you desire.

The K-drama addict 


Viu Premium all-access pass with priority viewing, so she can watch her favourite K-drama episodes as fast as 8 hours after it airs in Korea! I used this on many of my trips this year, and it was a great hack to saving money on my budget airline flights where entertainment systems aren't provided, since you can download episodes or even movies in HD and watch it offline!

Price: $29.90

The skincare / vegan / organic junkie



The rise of the green skincare movement is taking the beauty industry by storm, with its focus on plant-derived ingredients and eliminating harsh chemicals made in a lab. Get your friend this organic gel sunblock, made specifically for Singapore's weather and from a blend of 100% natural and certified organic ingredients.

Price: $18.90



The artist / gamer / young-at-heart



Ever wondered how you'll look like as a LEGO character? Wonder no more, as Two Three Bricks will turn your photo into a LEGO print and put your curiosity to rest! Get it here.

Price: $16 and up.

The workaholic 



This lovely rose-gold planner at Kikki.K and thought it would make such a elegant gift for the workaholic to get their schedules under control. I've already requested for this in my Secret Santa this year!

Price: $29.90



The most practical gift? Vouchers!

I don't care what people say about vouchers being a lazy gift, because at the end of the day, no one really likes that mug / notebook / chocolates you've giving either, so you might as well give them something they'll actually get to use!

Seriously, I'd be elated if I get vouchers in a gift exchange, because every year I get stuff that I don't really want or care for. Most of them just go into the wardrobe where they never see the light of day.

Here are some fantastic brands you get get gift cards or vouchers from:

  • Sephora (for the skincare / makeup junkie)
  • Klook (for the wanderlust traveller)
  • Book Depository (for the bookworm)
  • Guavapass (for the #fitspo)
  • Golden Village / Cathay / Shaw vouchers (for the movie addict)
  • Zalora / ASOS (for the fashionista)
  • Starbucks / The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf / Costa Coffee (for the coffee lovers)
  • Mothercare (for the new moms)

Otherwise, if you're not sure who will be getting your present (if it is a random office exchange where you pick numbers or names out of a hat), I can assure you these vouchers below will be well-received no matter who your recipient is!

  • NTUC / Cold Storage
  • Capitaland / Takashimaya
  • Watsons / Guardian 
  • Grab
  • Qoo10
  • Lazada
  • Zalora 
  • Shopee
  • Deliveroo / honestbee / Food Panda
  • Naiise
And the best thing is, you don't even need to restrict yourself to any of these brands! My top pick for this season lies in a little-known app called Fuzzie, where you can purchase a gorgeous Christmas gift card to give away. 

Here's what I got:



I discovered the Fuzzie app thanks to a tip from a reader, and was blown away by the type of merchants they have on the app. Some examples include Grab, Klook, Zalora, Qoo10, Lazada, Shopee, Book Depository, Costa Coffee, Naiise, Deliveroo, honestbee, Food Panda, Guavapass, Amore Fitness and more! 

Look out for the Ultimate Cashback Guidebook which will be released in a few weeks, where I'll elaborate more on Fuzzie and how you can maximise your cashback on the app (on top of stacking with your miles / cashback credit card!).

Pssst, if you want an additional $5 with your first purchase (minimum $5 spend), use my affiliate promo code SGBB2018 when you sign up for the app here. 

(Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. I do not get paid by any of the brands if you buy any of my recommendations from the list in this article.)

Merry Christmas guys!

With love,
Dawn

BITCOIN PLUNGES BY 40% IN A SINGLE DAY!

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BITCOIN PLUNGES BY 40% IN A SINGLE DAY.



IS IT A PONZI? IS BITCOIN A SCAM?!

I opened my screen this morning only to see almost every single coin down by 30% - 40%. EVERYTHING WAS BLEEDING RED.

Not even the oil crisis previously did we see such a massive tank overnight in terms of percentage losses. But in the world of crypto, this isn't the first time.

Someone I know lost half a million ($500,000) overnight thanks to this crash. Can you just imagine that? Can you stomach the risk?

The funny thing is, he wasn't even the least scared. In fact, he was happily enjoying his holiday and not even checking the charts.

Whereas a lot of those who recently invested in Bitcoin / cryptocurrencies be like



I'm like



Speculators be like:



Whereas I'm like:




When Bitcoin was at $19k folks were saying it was too high and that they'll wait to buy on the dip. Well, here's your dip and now you're too afraid to buy it?! 

If you thought Bitcoin was worth buying at $15k till $19k, then it should be even more of a bargain now at $12k.

So why aren't you buying?

The only people who are fleeing the markets now are those who don't understand the underlying technology of Bitcoin (or whatever cryptocurrency they've bought into). Speak to some of the tech folks and you'll see that the true believers are not selling at all.

The crypto folks call it weeding out "weak hands".

If you don't have the confidence in what you're buying, then perhaps you'll be better off NOT buying it.

This is probably worth a reread at this point: everyone wants to buy when things have gone up but are too afraid to buy when things go down.

Crypto is volatile. That's why I said to only use money you can afford to lose. If you had gone into Bitcoin wishing to make a quick buck and barely knowing anything about it, I hope you exited in time. If you had taken a loan to buy some Bitcoin...I wish you all the luck in the world.

In the meantime, I'm off to finish that Cashback Guidebook. 45+ pages and counting, I can do this!




It's a new and dangerous world guys. Stay safe.

With love,
Dawn

Warning: Do NOT bank in these "cheques" you get from the banks!

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Because we all need Public Service Announcements to save us from banking in money that isn't ours.

There's a marketing tactic being practised by the various banks in Singapore which I'm going to call out today as being extremely unethical and misleading, but hey that's just my personal opinion and you're free to disagree.

If these banks haven't yet gotten a warning by MAS for their tactics, then my guess is that either MAS is completely unaware, or have chosen to close an eye to this. Whatever it is, I believe this is an issue that needs more awareness, and if none of local influencers who are always being paid by the banks / credit card companies to promote their products / services will do it, then I will.

(Don't be quick to blame the influencers. Many of them rely on such sponsored postings for a living, and my guess is that many are afraid to talk bad or expose questionable concerns about the brands they work with in case it affects their future chances of being sponsored. That, is exactly what happened to me after I exposed the misleading marketing messages put out by the influencers engaged for the UOB Krisflyer campaign here. But credibility will always be fundamental to SG Budget Babe, and I'll continue writing, sponsored posts or not.)

So I've been receiving some highly questionable "cheques" from Citibank and Standard Chartered because I'm a banking customer with them. It caught me by surprise the first time I saw it, as I thought they had mistakenly sent me a cheque for something which I wasn't aware of. Upon a closer look, however, I realised it was simply a marketing ploy to get me to take up a loan with them, so into the bin these letters went.

According to others online, it seems like UOB is also practising such a tactic. If you know of more banks doing this, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.

This tactic involves :

  • Sending out a "cheque" that actually looks pretty legitimate, with a sum of money printed on it which you can actually cash in
  • Accompanying letter states that it'll be credited into your bank account when cleared successfully
  • It is even signed off by a prominent figure (in this case, the Head of Retail Banking) to lend some credibility 


Reproduced with permission from owner.

I'm not sure how many folks would be savvy or alert enough to realise that this money is NOT theirs. Yes, the money does appear in your bank account if you credit it in, but at the same time, you get deducted the sum from your credit card bill. And if you go trigger happy and spend that money, thinking you just got a windfall?

Congrats, you'll have to now deal with a 2.5% processing fee of the sum you just banked in, on top of late payment charges AND interest payment if you fail to clear off the debt within the month.

Clearly I'm not the only one who's annoyed by such unethical marketing tactics. It belongs in the same category as the misleading marketing messages promoted by local Instagram influencers which I've called out previously here (UOB Krisflyer) and here (UOB Stash).



Is this unethical or completely acceptable? You decide.


If your parents are not completely English-literate, you might want to start reading their letters from the banks and credit card companies for as long as such unethical marketing practices (in my opinion) prevails.

With love,
Dawn

2017 Update: How I Doubled My Net Worth In 1 Year

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2017 has been an amazing year - I got married to the love of my life, officially moved in with my in-laws, finally visited Venice, went into cryptocurrencies right before its massive bull stream that catapulted it into mainstream consciousness, wrote an entire cashback guidebook (look out for the password to access it tomorrow in your inbox!)...and did a whole bunch of speaking engagements for CPF, DBS, Seedly, and more. It has been such a memorable year and I've learnt so much.

We're now nearing the end of the year so it is time for an annual review of how I fared this year in terms of meeting my financial goals. Here's a quick recap of previous years: 
My initial focus in 2014 was all about cutting down expenses and maximising my savings, but over the years, I soon came to realise that there's a limit as to how much you can reduce expenses. If I wanted to save more, the key would be to grow my income - whether through my job or through side hustles such as selling stuff on Carousell and gleaning ad revenue from the blog (Google Adsense in particular).




Therefore in 2017, I decided that "cut expenses" would no longer be a realistic goal. Instead, I focused on "maximising returns from expenses", which is why there was so much talk about cashback and other reward programs this year (you'll find them consolidated in the upcoming Ultimate Cashback Guidebook). Most of the other goals remained constant, because when it comes to investing, it truly is a lifelong quest for learning and self-improvement.




So here's how I fared in 2017:

1. Grow savings - ACHIEVED!


I was initially expecting a drop in savings, as we needed to spend money for our wedding this year, but fortunately all the hard work and late nights that went into planning a budget wedding really paid off. This included being savvy about the right credit cards we used in order to maximise cashback on wedding expenses as well. Being able to see my fairytale wedding dream come alive at a mere $88 per guest (when hotel banquet rates are typically $120+) was no mean feat, but was entirely worth it. As a result, we managed to recoup the majority of our expenses from the ang paos received, which helped to usher in the beginnings of a great marriage.

By opting to go for a budget honeymoon (where we backpacked), we ended up only spending $3000 per person for a 14-day trip around Italy, and even had funds left over to go for a $705 Vietnam holiday later on.

My cash savings this year came in at $45,000 which was aided by a rise in income (and yes, I've to pay higher income taxes as a result, but I guess it is a good problem to have). I'm pretty satisfied by how I've fared in this aspect.





2. Increase net worth - ACHIEVED!

I had originally targeted to hit the momentous milestone by age 30, and even detailed out a plan on how to reach that goal here. Last November, I managed to reach $100k in net worth (cash + investments + CPF)...this year, my net worth has doubled to $200,000

(How I calculate my net worth : liquid savings + investment portfolio + CPF)

How was this possible? I wondered the same, so upon digging deeper, I realised this was achieved through a combination of factors:
What I learnt from seeing my net worth double within a single year was that it gets easier over time, and the growth is truly exponential as long as you're patient enough to let your seeds harvest. All the effort spent in the earlier years helped to allow compound interest to snowball, and all I had to do was to let the magic happen.


3. Improve investment performance - Somewhat ACHIEVED


I've made some good investment decisions, and some bad ones this year (you can read about them here). So as always, while there has been some stocks that have given me excellent returns this year, there are bound to be some losers dragging down the portfolio as well. This is where portfolio sizing is key, and having the conviction to continue holding until their value is achieved. I remain confident that the stocks I've bought will eventually have their true value recognised by the market, and will continue holding, or even adding on, when the price dips. 

Given how bullish markets were this year, it was difficult for me to find stocks trading at a discount, so I mostly added to the ones I already had, and took positions in other stocks which lost favour with the public this year (but I'm still bullish on, in the mid to long term). How did I fare in the stock market? Well, all I can say is that I can definitely still do better.




In the world of cryptocurrencies, I studied it for close to half a year before I was confident enough to put a portion of my money in, and the effort seems to be paying off at the moment, with my portfolio gains surpassing that of what I've made in stocks. Am I making money? Yes. Have I made MORE money than what some other people have made in buying (shitcoins, in my opinion) IOTA and Ripple? No.

There's so many people rushing into cryptocurrencies now because of FOMO, chasing after coins that have already gone up by multiple times. Do you really understand what the coin does? Do you know the security measures required to safeguard your coins? Do you know how to transfer coins? Do you know that you can LOSE ALL YOUR COINS if you transfer to the wrong wallet address and YOU CAN NEVER GET IT BACK? 

Here's an example of some coins I view as undergoing the mania phase right now: Ripple, IOTA, Cardano (ADA). These are coins which I feel are completely NOT worth their valuations right now (but hey why would you trust the opinion of some girl on the Internet right?) I bought ADA when it was at a much lower price, believing it was worth at least 2 to 3 times more. I'm now sitting on 500% gains for it and am seeing everyone rushing into ADA now, but errrrr no one can seem to justify to me why ADA is worth its current market cap!?! Would I pay for ADA at the price I bought it at? Yes. Would I pay for ADA at its current price today? No. What's the difference? I think its valuations today surpass what it actually is deserving of (do you know that ADA Is just a whitepaper vision now and its decentralized PoS blockchain is not even ready, unlike other coins who already have their own working product?) I rest my case.

I quote Charlie Lee, the founder of Litecoin (and also the one that gave me supersized returns) on this:

Source

(Please don't get the mistaken idea that cryptocurrencies are a sure-win investment. They are extremely volatile instruments and for the high returns, you're taking on high risks as well. You may want to read this post where I talked about a friend who lost $500,000 overnight when the markets crashed on Christmas...are you sure you can stomach the ride? If you're not prepared to lose it all, then perhaps you might not be able to handle investing in cryptocurrencies especially given the number of shitcoins out there.)

As always, I continue only to invest in only stuff that I understand, which are either undervalued, solve a real-life problem, or are changing the world. Whether in stocks or cryptocurrencies, this underlying philosophy remains the same and has served me well this year, so I don't foresee it changing anytime soon.

Could I lose all my money? Yeah if Bitcoin crashes or go to zero, there's no saying what will happen. So my mantra is only to invest in cryptocurrencies using money that I can afford to lose. If I'm wrong about cryptocurrencies (but I don't think I am, lol) and lose my capital, I'll just suck thumb and delay my FIRE plans. But if I'm right about this...heh.

4. Maximise returns on expenses - Somewhat ACHIEVED




You'll find a recurring trend in my expenses - bills take up the biggest portion without fail, every single year.  The bills portion went up significantly this year because I started contributing to my in-laws household expenses since I'm now a permanent member of the family, and also because we clocked quite a bit of expenses for the wedding under my cards and funds.

Bills are non-discretionary expenses which are hard to reduce further. But even trimming discretionary spending has proven difficult in the last few years. There's only so much a girl can do to skimp and save further, especially when I already live a pretty minimalistic lifestyle. (I prefer hawker meals and homecooked food over cafe brunches, I don't drink or party, I mostly take public transport unless I'm cabbing for work, I don't buy branded stuff or shop excessively on clothes / shoes / makeup...)




Therefore, instead of trying to make my life more difficult in trying to cut my expenses even further, I decided that the goal for this year was to maximise my returns on every dollar spent instead. By combining the right credit card strategy with various cashback tools and saving apps, I was able to make every single dollar go further. For instance, I got a few hundred dollars of cashback from routing my online purchases through Shopback, and managed to get rewards even on my tax payments to IRAS by going through CardUp!

2018 will be even better, now that I've finally gotten the Ultimate Cashback Guidebook out. This will be available only to subscribed readers and members of the merchants I'm working with, therefore, be sure to look out for the link and password in your inbox over the next few days!

The most important lesson I learnt this year? That it really does get easier. Once you hit your first $100,000, you would have established the key lifestyle habits crucial to growing your wealth. Thereafter, the rolling effect of compound interests really do start to become more prominent. And if you need some ideas on how to reach your first $100k, check out this post. 



What about you, how did you fare this year? Did you meet your financial goals? If not, what's stopping you?

With love,
Budget Babe

The Ultimate Guidebook to the Best Cashback Tools in Singapore

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If your new year's resolution for 2018 is to save more money, one fantastic way to start is to get maximum cashback and rewards from your expenses.




My stance towards money is very simple – I believe in always getting the best value for my dollar whenever I spend. To achieve this, I’m always on the lookout for the best deals and tools that can help me on my financial journey.

Imagine if you could get cash back on your income tax payments to IRAS (or other mandatory expenses like utility bills, school fees and rental), and be rewarded for every dollar you spend on food, travel and shopping. As I mentioned in my previous post here on how I managed to double my net worth within a year, one of the important factors was in all the cashback I received on my expenses. Every dollar counts.



The idea to create an Ultimate Cashback Guidebook was born when a number of you guys privately messaged me asking for my “hacks” to getting more cash back on my dollar(s). As such, what you're about to access is the product of months of research and meetings (with the respective founders of the tools I’ll be introducing in the book), in order to understand the real value they’re bringing to our lives and how we can maximise them.

Of course, you should not neglect to make your savings work harder for you by parking it in a high-yield bank savings account. Most of the better ones have been reviewed on this blog in previous articles (use the search button on the right), but here's a quick overview:


What else is included in the guidebook:
  • Best credit cards for cashback
    • Bonus: Best debit cashback card
  • Best high-yield bank savings accounts
  • Cashback for insurance, loans, and other non-discretionary expenses
  • This tool gives you 2X the cashback
  • Buy 4D on weekends and keep your ticket price regardless of whether your numbers win or lose (instead of donating it to Singapore Pools)
  • Getting free miles on top of your cashback
  • Getting 50% discounts all the time, any day and every day
  • Cashback apps that are a waste of time
  • Promo codes and reader offers

Note that I'm not paid a single cent to write or give out this guidebook, and none of the content in the guidebook are sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. If you appreciate the work that I've done and in keeping this as a free resource, please consider supporting me on my Patreon page here.


Here's how you can access a copy of
The Ultimate Guidebook to the Best Cashback Tools in Singapore:

  • For readers subscribed to the mailing list, you would have received an email from me with a password. Click here to unlock your copy.
  • A copy has also been provided to the partners who have provided valuable assistance in making this guidebook possible. If you're a staff / user with the below companies, you can access your copy here with the provided password that has been disseminated to your marketing lead through these respective links:


The full comparison table of all cards reviewed in the guidebook are provided below.




Have a fantastic 2018 ahead, and may this help you to maximise all your cashback this year!

With love,

Budget Babe

My #1 Advice for those new to crypto / Bitcoin

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My #1 advice for those of you who are new to buying crypto...

Only invest using money you can afford to lose.

The crypto world is a volatile one. Prices swing up and down all the time. Can you stomach the ride?




One moment your screen looks like this...


You're happy with your crypto profits, wondering if you should cash out, but then you remember that everytime you sold previously it only went up higher. So you decide to hold onto your coins.

Then the next moment this happens:


Are you sure you can sit through this?

Maybe you think you're not good enough, so you decide to go on the Internet to find if there's anyone you can learn from. You decide to find out what everyone thinks are good cryptos to invest in. After all, the wisdom of the masses must surely be right, right?

Then this happens:


The other day someone's post appeared on my feed (yes, in Singapore if I remember correctly). He had taken out his home mortgage to buy Bitcoin at USD 19,000. Now his $100k has dropped to $75k and he's in deep trouble. He asked for help on whether he should sell.

You can just imagine what people had to say to that.


Lastly, there are also tons of unethical social media "influencers" who are now promoting crypto in ways that I completely do not agree with. Last month, a popular Youtuber made USD 500,000 by promoting a coin which ranks #1 on my list of shitcoins.(Fun fact: Ripple ranks #2 on that same list, heh.)

Did you also know that there's lots of price manipulation going on, and tons of of pump & dump happening in crypto? (They pump to you --> you buy at high --> they sell and take profit).

Let's not forget the "gurus" sharing about how they're a millionaire thanks to Bitcoin and crypto. One promises to teach you for free. Pay 0.1 Bitcoin to join his group and he'll give you tips.

I'm not gonna risk getting sued here but you can just Google about all these and see for yourself. It is all there on the charts. The history is as clear as day.

So do you have enough guts for crypto?


Having said that, I've not lost a single cent on any of my crypto investments thus far, and I intend to keep it that way. My secret? Buying only coins that are NOT shitcoins. There's tons of shitcoins out there and they're doing a fantastic job of masquerading otherwise. Unlike stocks, these coins are mostly NOT tagged to any assets (eg. free cash flow, property, bank fixed deposits). But my story for crypto will come another day. Am I a genius or a guru? Neither, as there are also folks who made profits from investing in shitcoins. Ultimately, you just need to know how to balance your own risks. If you don't share your profits, then don't cry when you lose.

Should you go into crypto? Yes, I think so. Even if it's just $100, or $1000, or $10,000. Use what you're willing to lose. I cannot promise that you'll be in profits, but I can promise you that this is going to be the most unforgettable ride of your life.

Now HODL! (that's not a spelling mistake, it stands for Hold On for Dear Life)


Also read:

For those of you on the mailing list, I'm going to send out a private email to you guys to warn you about a platform that is being (irresponsibly) promoted by popular SG lifestyle influencers right now. You can follow their lead if you want to buy and NOT OWN your own Bitcoins. Look out for that in your inboxes soon!

Next post: My Best Crypto Investment for 2018 (no, it isn't Cardano)

With love,
Dawn

Why I think Ripple (XRP) is a shitcoin

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If you're new to crypto, please read these first:


Moving onto Ripple, which has now climbed to #2 in the world.


Yet I think the Ripple tokens (XRP) are shitcoins, and I'm not alone on this. Read on for my analysis.

The funny thing is, most of the people who have been in crypto the longest are almost absolutely anti-XRP. But if you ask the fanboys and the fangirls...they're often the newbies, who will tell you that XRP is the next Bitcoin in making, only better.




Note: If you don't understand crypto speak, first check out this post and then come back here.

Yes, I know XRP is now #2 in the crypto universe, but that doesn't change my opinion about it being a shitcoin. If you bought into it because it was so hyped up recently, congratulations! You might want to look at this hilarious graphic (ignore the spelling errors) first before I delve into XRP deeper:


Source: Reddit


Why did YOU buy XRP?


Whenever I ask someone that, they give me the same usual reasons:

  • The Ripple system solves a real problem for banks and they already have banks using them
  • The payments industry is huge. Banks are more likely to use Ripple than Bitcoin. In fact, they already are! (Cites list of banks and Jap / Korean credit card companies here)
  • It is the world's second most valuable payment currency

Mainstream media continues to shill and mislead by calling Ripple the "Bitcoin rival", perhaps for clickbait. That's an insult to Bitcoin if I ever heard any.


Ripple caught my attention much earlier last year, after I saw on CNBC that it rose a spectacular 4000% to finish the first half of 2017. At that time, XRP's price was $0.23 when I first started studying it, but eventually decided not to buy because it is a shitcoin.

Well, XRP is $2.90 today. Earlier in November, I shared with a few friends that I believed XRP would rise because people won't understand, or perhaps won't be bothered to try and understand XRP from beyond all the shilling that they read online and on the mass media. And then there'll be a crash after these people wake up and realise the gap and these glaring red flags. I hope you won't be one of them. I might be wrong, and I'm open to being corrected, but so far no proponent of Ripple has ever been able to convince me otherwise.



Why didn't I buy it at $0.23? Because I don't believe in investing in shitcoins. Go ahead and trade them if you will, but when a crash comes, mark my words that the fundamentally strong coins will survive while the weak ones will get weeded out by the market. 

But what do I know? I can't predict the future, and I'm just a girl blabbing online. So do your own homework and make up your own mind. But since a few readers have requested for me to write on WHY I think XRP is a shitcoin, here are my thoughts. 


Why I think XRP is a shitcoin through and through



It'll be helpful to start with an analogy. Someone shared this earlier today and I thought it was really apt, so I'm passing it on here.

Think of 
  • Ripple as Apple
  • The Ripple system as iOS
  • XRP tokens as iPhones
But unlike how you can buy the shares of Apple to benefit from their growth (which I did), you cannot buy the shares of Ripple. You can only buy their tokens, which can be used in their system. Note that the tokens do not give you any share of the profits that Ripple makes, unlike Apple shares.

If you're happy buying iPhones because you believe its value will go up, go ahead and buy XRP for all you want.


Other issues why XRP makes me really uncomfortable:
  • XRP tokens are pre-mined.
  • The ex-founder is holding tons and tons of it.
  • The system is centralized, which goes against crypto's vision of decentralization.
Most people don't understand that Ripple's technology is not dependent on the token. I repeat, you do not need to use XRP tokens in the Ripple system. 

This is where some XRP fans step in and argue, but using XRP tokens will give the banks greater cost savings! Sureeeeeeeeee, but the banks aren't using it. XRP's valuation at $117 billion is downright ridiculous when the tokens aren't even needed to use the software and no one is using it anyway.

In fact, banks can actually create their own tokens to be used in Ripple's system. What's so hard about that when you can literally do it in minutes? Just take a look at how one guy created his own coins that easily here. Also, here's DBS about to launch their own digital coin through their off-shore subsidiary bank. Can those coins be processed on RippleNet? I sure bet they can.




Or have you been buying XRP because you believe it'll be listed on Coinbase? I don't know what Coinbase will do, but you might want to check this out:

https://www.gdax.com/static/digital-asset-framework-2017-11.pdf
GDAX is Coinbase's exchange.
Decentralized. What was Ripple again? Oh, centralized. Rightttttttttt.

Most of the nodes that are being run right now are owned by Ripple, and the majority of Ripple tokens are held by their founders. Rightttttttttttttttttttt.

Still not convinced? Read this.


So, should you still buy XRP? Or sell the XRP tokens you bought without realising this major red flag? Those are questions only you can answer. While I label it as a shitcoin, there's no denying that it has gone up exponentially in recent months, and you would have grown disgustingly rich if you had bought it earlier. 

In the meantime, I'm just waiting for a massive crash to happen once all the buyers who had FOMO-ed into XRP realise what a big mistake they've made. But who knows whether that crash will come? After all, humans believed the Earth was flat for the longest time until someone successfully sent a spaceship into outerspace and proved otherwise.

I think it is a scandal that XRP is #2 instead of ETH, and am waiting for it to be dethroned so ETH can be back in its rightful place where it belongs. 

But no matter what happens to XRP, you can be sure I'll be watching on the sidelines.


I've got no love for XRP.

Signing off,
Dawn.

Good luck to those of you who invested in XRP (Ripple tokens)

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For those of you who have been reading this space for quite some time, you know that I don't often write negative stuff here. However, I make an exception when I feel that it is something in the public interest to know, or it is an important expose to make because people are getting misled. 

I wrote about Ripple (XRP) tokens a few days ago because I could no longer take how people were being blindsided by the mass media and various online "influencers" into buying it.




If you're new to crypto, please read these first:

Source: Twitter (first shared by my friend G)
Why do people believe that the value of XRP tokens are connected to the success of Ripple as a company?

I don't doubt that the Ripple system is being used by banks  to great success. I also think that they have a long runway to grow in terms of acquiring more clients and attracting more financial institutions onboard. But I'm wary about the XRP tokens, which are presently not being used as much as the Ripple system is. 

My other concerns about investing in XRP can be found in an extensive analysis here so I won't be repeating myself.


Source: Twitter and CNBC where over USD 30k was spent on buying XRP during the show
I also know of someone who bought XRP because of this:


So to all of you who bought because you saw it on mass / social media without really understanding how disconnected the XRP tokens are from the Ripple system...I can only wish you good luck, especially if you bought Ripple at $3 or higher believing that its value will only go up.



Take a look at XRP today:

Look at all those people who panic sold without understanding why XRP's price was reduced on CMC. This is what happens when you buy a coin you don't believe in, or when you buy shitcoins.
Can it go up higher? Sure. Can it go down? Yes, because my opinion is it is an absolute travesty that a coin with barely any utility value right now has a $100 billion market cap.

You're free to disagree with my opinion. In the meantime, I'm staying far, far away from XRP.

Ain't no love for XRP.
Signing off,
Dawn


What should you consider before taking out a vehicle loan?

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Not many of us are fortunate enough to be able to pay for our vehicle in full using cash. As a result, we usually have to resort to taking out a loan in order to finance our purchase. A few of you have asked me to write about our own thought process when we got our car last month, so here’s me continuing this as Part 2 of my previous post here.

The first thing you’ll want to do before you decide to even go ahead and get that car, is to first check your finances to ensure you don’t end up stretching yourself too thin with loan repayments later on.

Liquidity vs. loan interests – What can I afford?

Depending on the Open Market Value (OMV) of your car, you can get maximum financing of up to 60% or 70% of the OMV. If the OMV of the car is below S$20,000, then you can get financing up to 70% and cars with OMV of S$20,000; above that is up to 60%.
But this doesn’t mean that you absolutely have to take the maximum financing offered to you! If you have cash to spare, there are two options you can consider:
1.     Should I make a larger downpayment in cash and take a smaller loan?
2.     Should I spread my repayments over a longer or shorter loan duration?
Always be wary of car brokers, because while there are some good dealers around, there are also plenty who are simply out to sell you a junk car and reap fat profits off the sale. Many of the dealers will also offer you stuff like an in-house loan and an extended loan tenure. “So you pay less every month, no need to worry!” they will sing. Please be smart and don’t fall for their tricks.
If you have cash to spare, a lower loan quantum and/or a shorter loan tenure will result in you paying less interest at the end of the day.

 Repayments terms and early repayment penalties

Make sure you read the repayment terms of your loan carefully. For instance, banks such as DBS, POSB and Maybank charge an early redemption fee of 20% of the total interest payable + an additional 1% of the original loan amount as an early redemption fee. You might want to pull out your calculator and look into this before running to the bank with your cheque book.
 When we were in the car dealer’s office, the broker got my husband to sign on a multitude of pages without even checking, under the pretext of time and that “I’ve got you covered, bro. Don’t worry, all these clauses are the standard ones. You’ll get a copy of everything you signed, don’t worry.”
But because I was there, I stopped him from taking all our documents before I was done reading and checking every page. Yes, it took up more of his time, but what’s a few more minutes when they’re earning big commissions from your purchase? Don’t let them make you feel bad for wanting to protect your own interests and make sure you aren’t being scammed.
Even if you trust them (but I never trust anyone 100% except myself when it comes to money), please be sure to read though every single page! Yes, I know the document is thick, but if you fail to check and you end up signing your life away to some exorbitant interest rate or dubious terms that you weren’t aware of…no one is going to save you afterward.

Should you get a new car or settle for a used car?

Of course it goes without saying that used cars are cheaper to own than new cars (under the same category obviously). But are the loans on used cars cheaper as well? Unfortunately, not always. Here’s an example.
This is the difference between OCBC New Car Loan and Used Car Loan rates:

No matter which loan tenure you choose, you will be making more interest payments on a used car loan when compared to a new car loan.
Another aspect that you need to address when deciding between a new car and a used car is that financing options are limited for the latter. The older your car, the more limited your choices become. We got a 10-year-old secondhand car, and many of the more well-established banks did not offer loans for secondhand vehicles that old, so we ended up going with a smaller player (which wasn’t my first choice. I was aiming to go for a DBS or OCBC loan, but we literally had no choice as our car was too old). Almost all top banks including DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB among others offer car loans for new purchases. However, not all offer the same options for used car purchases.
If you’re strapped for cash, a used car might not be the best option for the long haul anyway. Should you decide to extend the use of your car beyond 10 years, you will forgo your Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) rebate, incur an additional surcharge on your road tax and even getting good insurance cover will be a problem.
So, with a new car purchase, you don’t have to worry about your car for the next 10 years but with a used car, the older it is, the closer you are to worrying about the exact same situation again if you’re planning to have a vehicle for a long time.

Are you planning to keep the car for long or looking to part ways in the near future?

This decision can greatly affect all the above considerations. For instance, let’s say you’re not set on retaining your car for more than a few years and looking to change or upgrade to a better car somewhere down the road. Have you accounted for this when choosing your repayment tenure, especially if there are early repayment penalties charged if you terminate early?
If you’ve taken a car loan for a tenure of 6 years and are planning to keep your car only for 3, then your plan is flawed; you can either terminate your loan early by paying the outstanding balance and the early redemption fee, or you have to keep the car for the next 3 years.
However, borrowing from the previous point, if you’re planning to change your car down the line, a used car might do you some good. That’s because your overall cost to get moving on the road with your car will be cheaper and you can afford a shorter tenure. Getting a used car might even let you save for your dream car without tampering with the convenience factor of owning your own vehicle to get to places. Of course, there’s also the intangible benefits such as not having to worry about train breakdowns, or not being able to get a cab anymore.

Who’s paying for the car? Can you afford the monthly repayments?

Another important point to consider is if the car belongs to the both of you, or if it’ll mostly be used by your spouse alone.
In my case, I hate driving on the roads (especially as road rage by some other drivers towards a female drivers is really terrible) so I was not for the idea of getting our own car at all. However, my husband needed it for work, and we did our calculations before realising that the amount he spends every month on Grab and Uber are almost equivalent to what our friend spends on his car every month (not to mention the inconvenience and stress of not being able to get a ride).
Should we spend a bit more money every month for the time savings and convenience that a car affords? After evaluating the decision for months, we finally decided to go ahead.
Since my husband will be the only one driving the car, and since he earns a higher income than I do, we both agreed that he will pay for the car in its entirety.

Always make sure that you never spread yourself too thin with your loan repayments. If you have to dip into your retirement savings or even borrow just to finance your purchase and loan, then perhaps you might want to reconsider if you realllllllly need it.

I hope this helps! Many thanks to the team at BankBazaar.sg who helped to offer some ideas on what we should look out for.
Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with BankBazaar.sgAll opinions are of my own.

Why I Won’t Be Using My CPF To Pay For My House

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For those of you who attended my sharing at the CPF Talk on 22 Oct, I mentioned that I have no intention to use my CPF to pay for my new house.

Naturally, this raised quite a few eyebrows, because 8 in 10 Singaporeans pay for their house using their CPF Ordinary Account (OA) savings.

But you heard me right.



What I feel my CPF is for

Now, before you go bat crazy on me, please hear me out first.

In my view, my CPF forms my “untouchable” pot of retirement gold. It is my social security net when I am old and too tired to work for an income.

When viewed as part of my entire financial portfolio, the CPF component contributes to the “bond” aspect – low risk with reasonably high interest rates.

With an interest rate of up to 3.5% per annum on my Ordinary Account savings, and up to 5% per annum on my Special Account and Medisave savings*,  I get to enjoy interest that no high-yield bank account can offer. You can jump through as many hoops as you can on those accounts, but you’re unlikely to even come close to 3.5% interest on your bank savings.

*Inclusive of an extra 1% interest paid on the first $60,000 of a member’s combined balances, of which up to $20,000 comes from your Ordinary Account (OA). Members aged 55 and above will also receive an additional 1% extra interest on the first $30,000 of their combined balances, with up to $20,000 from your OA.

If I were to use my CPF OA to pay for my home today, I am basically borrowing from my retirement funds for today’s expenses. That potentially leaves me with lesser money for my future.

In fact, if I do use my CPF OA, I will then owe my retirement fund that capital (the amount I had withdrawn to pay for my house i.e. principal sum) AND accrued interest.

Accrued interest is the interest my CPF savings would have earned if I did not withdraw it.

You can love or hate the CPF accrued interest (I’m with the former), but its function remains the same: to grow your CPF monies for your retirement. If you withdraw from it today, you have to make sure you are more diligent in saving up for your retirement beyond what you currently have in your CPF.

In short, the more CPF monies you use for your house today, the less you leave for your retirement.

Why I feel using cash to pay is better

Some Singaporeans, especially young married couples fresh out of university, may have no choice but to turn to their CPF in order to finance their monthly mortgage because cash isn’t an option at hand.

My husband and I aren’t cash-rich, but we’ve been diligently cutting our discretionary expenses and saving over the past two years to ensure we’ll have enough money to pay for our home…without needing to dip into our CPF reserves.

You see, if I were to leave my CPF-OA untouched, my money can grow by 2.5% every year. Compound this over 40 years and that accumulates into a tidy sum.

Who should use CPF instead of cash then?

However, some prefer to have more liquidity (i.e. cash) on hand for emergencies. If so, using CPF instead of cash to finance their house would be a better option.
The caveat, however, is that you have to be disciplined and set aside your own retirement fund.

Should I refinance or pay off my home loan using CPF-OA now?

If you already have an outstanding home loan, a common question most Singaporeans ask themselves is whether they should quickly clear off their housing debt using their CPF-OA (and celebrate being debt-free) OR refinance their home loan instead.
What’s the difference, and which is the smarter choice?
I personally would prefer to opt for refinancing, because all I would need to do is to find a bank loan^ with an interest rate lower than 2.5% (which is the CPF-OA’s interest rate).
In other words, you could either:
-       Pay the bank 1.85% interest while earning 2.5% in your CPF-OA, or
-       Pay (your own) CPF 2.5% interest

Option 1
Refinance with bank loan
Option 2
Pay off full outstanding sum
using CPF OA
Interest paid in first year
$250,000 x 1.85% = $4,625
$250,000 x 2.5% = $6,250
(This is the accrued interest that your CPF savings would have earned for your retirement.)
Interest gain or accrued in CPF in first year
$250,000 x 2.5% = $6,250
$0
Nett loss / gain
+ $1,625
         - $6,250        

The bottom line is, as long as you can get a bank loan where the interest rate is less than the CPF-OA interest rate, it makes more sense to refinance and pay your bank loan using cash instead. There are plenty of such loans available, and
if you need to understand more on how home loans work, I’ve previously written about it here.
Furthermore, your nett gain of 0.65% is then compounded over time (2.5% minus 1.85%).
^Just note that bank loans are subject to market fluctuations. On the other hand, HDB loans will always be pegged at 0.10% above the prevailing CPF Ordinary Account (OA) interest rate.

Conclusion

There is nothing wrong with using CPF to pay for your house, because for some it’s the only option. But in my opinion, with careful planning, cash is still the smarter option.
This is also because I personally see my CPF as my retirement fund, something to grow instead of withdraw from.
But if you still choose to use your CPF, just remember that you have to pay the principal sum and accrued interest back to yourself. It is for your own retirement after all.
If you want to understand how your home can help with your retirement, here’s an interesting video by CPF that explains more:  



Disclaimer: This post is written in collaboration with CPF Board. All opinions are of my own. 

BITCONNECT IS BACK! Please don't fall for this a second time!

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Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

Round One

Earlier last year, I had warned readers about various scams in the Bitcoin space - including Bitcoin mining, Bitconnect, and even local scammers trying to cheat you of your money by hopping onto the Bitcoin hype train. I did this through various social media channels - at events, through the mailing list, on Facebook and even IG stories.


I slammed Bitconnect for being a downright Ponzi scheme, but obviously my words were drowned out by all the Youtubers and other famous social media influencers who had only good things to say about it.

Among them were CryptoNick and Cryptochick (also how I first came to know of Bitconnect), who have over 200,000 subscribers between them. It was already clear by November that these guys had a vested interest to promote Bitconnect even though so many of us were calling it a downright Ponzi scheme, and made a killing by promoting their Bitconnect referrals to their clueless fans and followers. Fun fact: CryptoNick made over $900,000 through his Bitconnect referrals which Doug Polk previously exposed before the whole scheme collapsed.

Need proof? Here's a screenshot evidence for you non-believers.

Some of the common objections raised:

CryptoNick sounds really smart and makes really smart videos though! He even sells investment courses in crypto! Plus he's made a ton of money from this so it seems legit.
Yeah, he made money from your referrals that's why. Dude sells investment courses in crypto and doesn't even know what a private wallet key is.

But they've earned so much from Bitconnect and for so long! If it were a Ponzi scheme surely it would have collapsed by now...
Took long enough, but yes here you go!

These guys have so many subscribers and followers on Youtube. If it were a scam then why would they show their real face online? Surely they won't risk their reputation like that.
Not so sure about this man, some of the biggest scammers in history were also the most prolific and still got away with all that money.


TLDR:
  • BitConnect was a Ponzi scheme that survived for as long as it did thanks to social media "influencers" who earned a whole bunch of referral money from promoting it to their followers.
  • It promised high interests and guaranteed yield for lending one's Bitcoins to the platform, which needed to be exchanged into BCC tokens. For what it's worth, payouts were indeed given (until they were no longer unsustainable).
  • BitConnect was served legal letters by regulators.
  • BitConnect is refunding their customers with BCC tokens (instead of BTC), which are close to worthless now, having dropped 95% in the last 24 hours.








See, I did warn you guys. Read on for a second warning.

But BB, why only warn through the mailing list instead of putting it publicly?
Because the last time I warned the public of another scam (here in Singapore), I got sued by the founder. While protecting the interest of everyone who reads this blog, who's gonna protect mine? That was when I realised I had to be extra careful when it comes to exposing such acts from now, especially if the people behind the scams are rich and can easily spend a few thousands of their (dirty) money to take smaller folks like me and my warnings down. That's the reason why the mailing list (sign-up box on your left) exists. No sales and no giving away of your emails, ever.



Anyway, I could go on, but that's not really what I'm here for. Now that you have a rough introduction to the history of Bitconnect and why so many people fell for it, let's get to the main point of this post, shall we?


Round Two

What prompted me to get down to writing this is because...Bitconnect is back! V2.0

I kid you not. They've changed their name and colour scheme, but it is most certainly them alright. How do I know? Because it is being promoted on their original website, that's why. And I'm documenting this as hard, solid evidence so the next time you encounter a disbeliever of Bitconnect BitconnectX, you can just refer them to this post.

Heck, they're even running an ICO (initial coin offering)! Why not right, since ICOs are so hot right now?



All images from http://bitconnectx.co/

I won't be surprised if a new group of investors fall for this again, especially since BitConnect X seems to be more intelligently thought out this time. Look at all the terms that are being thrown around - decentralized, PoS, PoW - and their roadmap even states development of mobile wallets and exchanges (this sounds a lot like some other legitimate projects, doesn't it?)

I'll tell you what is missing - the team. Why?

Go figure ;)

Please don't fall for this a second time.

With love,
Dawn

Legitcoin - is this ICO really legitimate?

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"Biggest ICO project of 2018"!
"1 coin is predicted to reach $70 by March 2018!"

Someone tried shilling a new ICO (initial coin offering) to me recently and after just 15 minutes, I was so convinced and believe this to be another outright scam, so I'm documenting this here for us all to come back in March 2018 to see what happens.



A little intro into Legitcoin: they claim to be:
  1. The "biggest ICO project of 2018" 
  2. Legitcoin "will be one of the fastest blockchains ever made"
  3. Will be listed on Bittrex and HiBTC (I think they mean HitBTC, LOL!)
  4. Registered users are "entitled to free Legitcard for ATM cash withdrawal of Legitcoin or any cryptocurrency worldwide"
  5. Moreover, they promise that Legitcoin will be "accepted online by merchants in an increasing number of countries"





Let's delve a little deeper into each of these claims.

1. Biggest ICO project of 2018? Really? Who described them as so? Why did I not see this bold claim anywhere else except on their own website, and from those shilling Legitcoin online?

2. Fastest blockchains ever made? Really? It isn't that easy to build a fast (not to mention secure and scalable) blockchain overnight. Just compare Bitcoin and Ethereum to see how long their developments took. On top of that, try beating RaiBlocks (XRB) first and then maybe I'll reconsider the merits of this claim.

3. Exchange listings doesn't make it any more legit. There are shitcoins on Bittrex and HitBTC too!

4. Really? Other teams such as those from TenX and Monaco have been working on ATM cards for the longest time, and they're still encountering issues. Their cards are also limited to selected cryptocurrencies. Oh, they also have much bigger teams working on it, by the way. What secret does Legitcoin's team of 3 have to be able to do this in record time?

5. Bitcoin took years before it started gaining acceptance as a mode of payment. Other cryptocurrencies like Dash, Litecoin and RaiBlocks are still working on achieving this level of traction. What does Legitcoin have that is capable of this shortcut?



My wild guess is that either this ICO will magically disappear after collecting the funds, or this could happen instead:
- Whales buying coins upon listing to push up the price and try to hit promise of $70 by March 2018. The aim is to create buying pressure so that other investors will FOMO in and start buying Legitcoin, believing it to be the next big thing.
- This scheme could eventually will collapse when funds run out to prop up the price.



Let's not forget that their team profiles do not have any external links to verify their claims either. I have no clue where this Mark Lee, Steve Forster and Jessica Leed popped up from. Maybe I'm being too skeptical, but their names sound so common that I suspect these are all falsified identities meant to give naive investors a false sense of reassurance, as if this team truly exists. Just putting a real-life photo (and a video of "Jessica Leed" speaking) doesn't help to convince me.

Read the write-ups and decide for yourself. Oh, and check out "Jessica Leed" here too:




But BB, what if Legitcoin really hits $70 in 2 months?
There's also a 50% chance that this whole thing could go to zero. I'll rather stay safe and stay out. Your choice!

Need a better ICO idea? Here's what I have my eyes on right now.

With love,
Dawn

What will it take to get influencers to be honest about sponsored posts?

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Did 4 separate local influencers suddenly wake up this week and decided they wanted to post a (glowing) review of Lancome's Ultra Wear Foundation, or did they conveniently decided they'll sneak an ad on us without disclosing that they were sponsored?

I would have (almost...or not) believed it was an organic review and they genuinely all just happened to want to rave about how amazing Lancome's foundation is. That is, until you see how glaringly similar all the messages are:

  • The Ultra Wear Foundation by Lancome
  • Matte / like a second skin / flawless
  • Provides a link to Lancome's page for followers to claim a free sample to try

(Note: I do not own any credits for any of the photos below. All screenshots taken from the named Instagram profiles.)


As a consumer on Instagram, I absolutely HATE being lied to. And when someone try to pass off a sponsored review as an organic opinion of their own, that's definitely lying as I see it.


Whether or not this was a paid post or they were sponsored in kind (with the product), I'm sure we can all agree that the hashtags #sp #sponsored or #ad should have been clearly stated here. 

Now, an influencer posting a sponsored review doesn't necessarily mean they are lying about their thoughts towards the product or service. But the way I see it, an influencer posting a sponsored review without disclosing that a sponsored affiliation exists is clearly demonstrating their lack of integrity and ethics.

But what if they weren't paid in cash to do so? Well, I'll quote the ASAS here on what defines a sponsored relationship:


The last time I called out something similar, some influencers went back to sneakily add in the sponsored disclosure hashtag while remaining completely silent (read the UOB Krisflyer expose here). Let's see if the same happens this time. 



What's so difficult about disclosing sponsored relationships? Or are people afraid that their followers won't trust them anymore if they know the review was sponsored? -.-

We need to insist on higher standards in influencer marketing, and it is up to you and me to change it. If you're an influencer yourself, start by being open and honest with your readers. If you're a reader or follower, call out your favourite influencers when they fail to disclose sponsorships. Because you know, maybe they really did happen to just...forget.

With love,
Budget Babe

Here's how a crypto ponzi scheme looks like

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Breaking news:
This is probably the only time you'll ever see Budget Babe promote and invest into a Ponzi Scheme.
The horror!!!!!!!!

So I just came across one of the most impressive and smartest crypto projects I've ever seen. In fact, the entire scheme is so full of genius - if people buy, you get dividends; if people sell, the price lowers until people buy again, which gives you MORE dividends. You literally can almost not lose as long as you have iron hands and not sell.

It is a joke of a crypto project and an outright, self-confessed Ponzi Scheme, but I've put my money in and thought this was too golden a joke not to share.

Before I get all irresponsible and go into details of this ponzi, let me first do a responsible Public Service Announcement:

There's no end to scams and ponzi schemes in the crypto world, and so many people are being cheated of their money because they're just chasing crypto gains without having the slightest clue about stuff like how to prevent their coins from being stolen, how to spot and avoid shitcoins, and all the other essential stuff that it takes to navigate this crazy crypto universe.

The latest news is that another shitcoin ICO called Prodeum just exited the scene after scamming millions of investor dollars and left this message on their website:


Out of the coins I study, I would say about 10% of them end up to be scams / ponzis / shitcoins. And my personal investment mantra is, as long as I spot a major red flag which makes me feel uncomfortable about the project, I'm out.

But I'm not here to nag today. In fact,
I'm here to promote a new coin which is a legitimate ponzi scheme.

Yes you read that right. But before you click the exit website button on the top left, let me explain why you should listen and continue reading.

If you want to get educated on how a ponzi crypto scheme looks like, this is literally the best way to learn.

Whether you want to put money in or not is up to you, but at least you can be almost certain that you probably won't be losing your money unlike what happened with folks who lost their life savings in Bitconnect just to learn this same lesson.

Allow me to introduce: Proof of Weak Hands coin (PoWHCoin).

I've studied so many dubious coins, scams and ponzi schemes in the crypto space (*coughs*Bitconnect*cough*Legit Coin) that I'm blown away by how the developers of POWHCoin have nicely tied almost every element into this single project.

This is the smartest, most hilarious, and most ingenious coin I've ever seen. Go take a look here!

  • Pyramid schemes? Check. They openly tell you they're one.
  • Wanna invest? They tell you that you're throwing, not investing, money into this, and even call you "fools and madmen" before you click through to buy.
  • Pays dividends? Hell yeah.
  • Anonymous or invisible team? Check.
  • Get rich quick scheme? Check.
  • Pump and dump scheme? Check.
  • Shilling? Check.
  • Advisory team? Nope, but there's an inspiration team alright! (imo, CryptoNick and CryptoChick ought to be on that list too!)
  • Shady whitepaper? Check.
Now for the legitimacy:
  • Does it really pay dividends? Yes.
  • Can you really cash out your dividends? Yes.
  • Can you sell and cash out? Yes.
  • Is the smart contract immutable (i.e. cannot be changed)? Seems like it.



Just look at this ingenious whitepaper summary! 




Wanna cash out? Worried you can't cash out if the website goes down like the penis site above?
The contract address is: 0xA7CA36F7273D4d38fc2aEC5A454C497F86728a7A

Click on their Whitepaper link (top of toolbar) and watch how it redirects you to the SEC investor alert document on crypto LOL.



If you appreciate humour OR wish to get into a Ponzi Scheme OR wish to get educated on how a Ponzi Scheme looks like, play around with the website features here:

https://powhcoin.com/
This coin literally cannot crash! Check out the smart contract and you'll see why - the instructions are built into it!

I played around on this website for an entire hour and have no regrets. This is the funniest thing I've seen in crypto. Btw, did you spot all the little subtleties in the website? Each time you refresh the coin price page, it even gives you a good old quote like "Bag-holders like you are why we can have nice things" or "Buy high, panic, sell low, repeat."

Whoever built this deserves an award for their level of wit, sarcasm and humour all combined into one. And you know what? I'm so amused that I've just invested thrown USD 50 into this just to show my support. 




YES, BUDGET BABE HAS JUST PUT HER OWN MONEY INTO A PONZI SCHEME called PoWHcoin.

Take my money!!!!!!


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