Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Risk Management for Young People

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Risk Management for Young People

I am asked to give a talk about risk management for young people. The audience are undergraduates. The organizer asked me to talk more generally about risk management and not focus on life insurance (as this was the practice of other speakers). I agree to the suggestion, as I believe that life insurance is not a good way of risk management for young people. You can read the key points of my speech here.

You can read other FAQs in www.tankinlian.com/ask.aspx.

8 comments:

Unknown said...: I've noticed that you advocate a lot of STI ETF. Nothing wrong with that. But personally I feel such a portfolio is still not diversified, as all money is invested in a single country and in only 30 stocks. Japan would be a good case study of why international diversification is really recommended.

Getting an ETF that covers MSCI World and MSCI Emerging Markets might be advisable as well. I wonder why you have not mentioned this before Mr Tan?; August 18, 2010 7:42 AM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Reply to Garrett
I recommend what I am familiar with. I leave it to other people, like you, to recommend something that you think is better. You can do it in your own blog.
If you wish to add to my pool of knowledge, please send details of your recommended product by e-mail to me.
If I agree with them, I will post it. If not, I will not post it.; August 18, 2010 8:55 AM
Unknown said...: Dear Mr. Tan,
I have e-mail your speech to my nephews and nieces as well to my kids who would benefit immensely with the short, clear and focus article on risk management. It is vital in our open eyes big big environment that they be educated and protected.

Thank you.; August 18, 2010 9:47 AM
hosingping said...: I know nothing about investment. hopefully after the long on long term investing, i can start investing soon.; August 18, 2010 11:11 AM
C H Yak said...: Yes I agree that a more holistic approach should be taken to also consider the last 2 factors, beside "Insurance" matters as they tend to be taken for granted :-

(a) Insufficient Savings For Retirement (b)Unemployment

I wrote in my blog "The Property Bubble & Investment Trap" to support Mr Tan's earlier post "Burst of property bubble" ... and a commenter wrote :-

Q "So you rather whole of Singapore land and housing prices fall and who will suffer and benefit then?
If the value of these homes aree unsustainable, it will collapse or the demand will fall.
But judging from the buoyant market, these homes must be affordable despite its high prices?
Better to have a healthy property market than an unhealthy market.
So your doomsday forecast or lament on high prices is rather puzzling." UQ

If he is a property agent, he does not fully understand the implications and tries to mislead. He certainly cannot be a genuine INVESTOR.

Read my post and reply to him :-

http://de-leviathan.blogspot.com/2010/08/property-bubble-investment-trap.html

which is also highlighted by
The Singapore Daily on 17 Aug 2010 @
http://singaporedaily.net/; August 18, 2010 11:58 AM
Spur said...: Risk mgmt for young people mainly on the intangibles. Just need a medical insurance payable from Medisave. Other than that, risk mgmt is more to do with attitude and habits. E.g. have a savings habit, healthy lifestyle, thrifty mindset, active mind always seeking to learn & improve, learning new skillsets, minimum of vices like gambling, smoking, visiting prostitutes etc etc.

People always think of risk mgmt in investing or having big CI cover. Well, not much use if you have lousy attitude and become retrenched & unemployable at 40 yrs old.; August 18, 2010 12:01 PM
ron said...: Some basic principles about the ARTE of risk management:

A) Accept it
B) Reduce it
C) Transfer it
D) Elliminate it

Define your own risk and ask how much of it are you willing to accept.

How to manage the risk of pregnancy?

A) accept it - gamble on it
B) reduce it - use a condom
C) transfer it - visit a prostitute
D) elliminate it - use your 5 best friends

If you still dont understand risk.. you should not be allowed surfing the net without parental supervision.; August 18, 2010 2:55 PM
Unknown said...: Took risk management as a module before in school. It's quite enlightening and I came away with the idea that insurance is usually not the best risk management technique. It attempts to reduce the burden after a problem has occurred. It does not prevent the problem from actually happening. For example, as a motorcyclist, I can buy extensive insurance coverage. But isn't it better to buy a more responsive and reliable motorcycle, take up defensive riding lessons to improve my skills, wear protective gears? Or I can even choose to remove the risk altogether by giving up riding.; August 19, 2010 12:19 AM