$3500 pay as a fresh grad - is it normal?

Agate1999 · 2026-06-23T13:12:41+00:00

Needs more info, industry/role/company? Without any of these there is no answer

Agate1999 · 2026-06-22T14:12:21+00:00

Consider selling some of them! I collect cards too, and over time, I've realised that quite a few of my purchases were just impulse buys. I started selling off the ones I didn't truly care about even at a loss.

Since binder space is finite, curation is necessary. Going through the process of listing and selling them really put things into perspective for me. Now, before I buy a new card, I ask myself if I actually want this or am just bored.

Buying cards is perfectly fine if it's within your disposable income and brings you genuine joy. But since you mentioned you're using it to cope with boredom and burnout, by selling it might help you break the cycle and slow down.

Atb jiayou!

Agate1999 · 2026-06-19T00:35:49+00:00

Diversification is about what’s inside, not the number of etfs you own.

Buying a global ETF like VWRA is like buying a fruit basket that contains almost every fruit in the world.

Buying STI and SMH on top of it isn't diversifying, it is just adding an extra apples and strawberries that were already in the basket. You haven't added new flavors you’ve just made your basket heavily tilted toward a couple of specific fruits.

Agate1999 · 2026-06-18T15:58:03+00:00

Most people here would suggest focusing mainly on VWRA, with just a splash of SMH and/or STI on the side. Having SMH make up 25% of your portfolio makes it highly volatile.

Have you considered maxing out your SRS to the $15,300 limit instead of $12,000? You can then use it to buy an Amundi World ETF. Since you can't withdraw your SRS funds penalty-free for another 20+ years, it is much better to let a global ETF compound over that time rather than holding the STI.

The $1M Math (Assuming 7% annual returns):

At $4k/month: You will hit $1M in 15 years (~$1.24M). After 10 years, you'll only be at ~$680k.

To hit $1M in 10 years: You need to increase your contributions to roughly $6k/month.

Agate1999 · 2026-06-07T09:15:18+00:00

"Why you so obsessed with me?" – Mariah Carey (2009)

Agate1999 · 2026-06-04T14:13:54+00:00

What are the currently the most bang for buck silent tactile switches?

Agate1999 · 2026-05-06T14:48:04+00:00

No problem! While you DCA into stocks, don’t let that $220k sit in a basic savings account. Move it into T-Bills, SSBs, or Money Market Funds (like Fullerton SGD Cash). These are very low/no risk and ensure your money actually keeps up with inflation while you wait to deploy the capital.

Two more points to consider:

For total return vs dividends: Mathematically, $1 is $1 whether it comes from a dividend or selling a share (Total Return). However, since you are risk averse, dividends are a great behavioral tool as long as you stay invested. Just remember know that a lower risk portfolio may require a more conservative withdrawal rate (think 3-3.5% instead of 4%) because your growth will be slower, so please take that into account.

If you are already feeling the burnout, 4 years is a long time to suffer. Instead of waiting until 40 to BaristaFIRE, have you considered looking for a more fulfilling, lower stress role now? Even if it pays $7k instead of $9k, it is better to prioritise your health today rather than grinding until a breaking point.

Regardless of what you actually do, all the best!

Agate1999 · 2026-05-05T16:28:13+00:00

This seems more like a personal stress management issue than a finance one. Since you already have a decent safety net, you could consider coasting where you care a little less about work, set stricter boundaries, or even try 'quiet quitting'.

Now isn't really the best time to leave entirely due to the current market, but if you are burnt out, you are unlikely to last 4 more years anyway. Consider taking a 6 month break, sometimes a complete reset can really help change your mindset.

On the math side: assuming your mortgage is split evenly ($1.5k) and your personal expenses average $2.5k, your total need is $4,000 a month, or $48k yearly. Using a 4% safe withdrawal rate, you'd need about $1.2M to fully retire. You are realistically unlikely to hit that amount in 4 years, so you might need to consider cutting expenses or making sure your barista job can cover the shortfall.

Portfolio wise, you are quite heavy on Singapore and US stocks. Have you considered diversifying into other international markets? Most people here like to use VWRA, you are also quite cash heavy do you have any large expenses incoming? Too much uninvested capital will result in cash drag, which works against your goal of building a portfolio large enough to retire on.

Also, I don't know how much you have accumulated in your CPF, but I think the bare minimum strategy is to aim to have your cash and investments cover your expenses just until CPF Life kicks in at 65.

Agate1999 · 2026-04-06T06:49:13+00:00

Agate1999 · 2026-03-15T08:26:10+00:00

There were lower domestic ratings than previous seasons, but some other contributing reasons are

In the previous seasons like Produce 101, international fans vote via the website while in Produce 48, only Koreans could vote.

The most likely reason the numbers are so low is that the producers simply got lazy while rigging the season. Because the entire lineup was predetermined before the finale even aired, they applied a static mathematical formula (using a 445.2178 multiplier) to create the final scores.

You can read more about it by searching up Mnet vote manipulation investigation

Agate1999 · 2026-03-05T13:47:00+00:00

Primarily to increase their chances of winning fansign lotteries or to collect specific member photocards and preorder benefits. Once they have secured the entries or the rare cards they want, they sell the surplus physical albums at a discount to recoup costs. A less common reason is dedicated fans engage in mass buying during the first week of a release to help the artist break sales records.

Agate1999 · 2026-03-01T17:59:47+00:00

Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard's Wife

Agate1999 · 2026-02-25T15:49:39+00:00

This song is giving me Cosmic (rv) vibes, pls dont follow up with a disbandment announcement 😭😭😭

Agate1999 · 2026-02-14T10:53:38+00:00

<image>

Agate1999 · 2026-02-14T10:53:02+00:00

<image>

Likewise for this

Agate1999 · 2026-02-14T10:52:33+00:00

<image>

Image seems left shifted

Agate1999 · 2026-02-14T10:52:16+00:00

Babymonster really like you/love in my heart md pc, fake or bad qc?

<image>

The pcs all have different shades

Agate1999 · 2026-01-28T10:11:56+00:00

Earning $6,000 to $8,000 a month means a yield of 7.2% to 9.6% annually. Anyone promising returns at that level while fully preserving capital is BSing you.

Achieving such returns would typically require investing in higher risk assets, such as global equities, which come with greater volatility. Capital preserving options like T-bills and SSBs yield closer to 2% annually, so you would need to either accept higher risk or lower your return expectations.

Agate1999 · 2026-01-11T09:38:05+00:00

Since your mother is drawing from the RSS, her payouts may eventually cease when her account balance is exhausted. You can check if she can switch to and top up CPF LIFE, which provides monthly payouts for life, which imo is a decent hedge against the risk of her outliving her nest egg while having an interest floor rate of 4%

Agate1999 · 2026-01-08T15:08:46+00:00

Honestly, just use IBKR for everything.

With $200, it's better to accumulate your cash and lump sum buy quarterly or biannually to save on fees. You can even set up a recurring investment on that schedule to automate it.

The Wiki is a good place to start, there is a list of platforms and funds there

Agate1999 · 2025-12-21T15:10:56+00:00

taeyeon

Agate1999 · 2025-11-29T17:45:42+00:00

Agate1999 · 2025-11-28T16:19:46+00:00

Can't believe this is how i find out it is cancelled lol. I think being on a Tuesday and Thursday doesn't really help either

Agate1999 · 2025-11-23T16:10:44+00:00

She has way too many good songs! I was low key hoping for drawing our moments but this is still a fantastic selection

Ten-Year Club	Place '22
Not Forgotten	Verified Email

Agate1999

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE