Use fill-able PDF forms

If ind it very difficult to access the websites of government agencies, such as IRAS, MOM, ACRA, CPF.

Their websites are complicated. They have many layers of links for different categories of users. They have different systems of login. Quite often, I go to the wrong link and access the wrong pages. 

Each agency expects the public to spend hours to be educated about their website. They forget that the public has to deal with dozens of agencies.

I prefer a common login to a central website, where I can download a form or instructions. I can prepare the form offline and submit it to the agency. The form can be designed to be "fill-able" and with inbuilt validation, so that the public can provide the data friendly information to be used by the backend system.

This style, which is used elsewhere, is much easier for the public to use.

The harmful effects of the tender system

Singapore was a low cost country 50 years ago. It became a high cost country over the past 30 years. We are now one of the most expensive countries in the world!

This journey to become a high cost country has been bad for our character and is destroying the future for our next generation.

A major contributing factor is the belief that "tendering" is the best way to allocate resources. This is a mistaken belief. It has allowed certain opportunists to make a lot of money at the expense of the general public - in the price of homes, shops, contracting work, etc.

Instead of reducing cost, it has allowed certain well connected people to make excessive profits. It has also led to corrupt practices - for example, some of the recent cases that were prosecuted. This must be the tip of the iceberg.

The tender system has also lead to bad workmanship and lower standards. Look at the poor quality of our HDB flats at one time, and now the frequent breakdown of the MRT trains.

Our COE system, for tendering of the expensive piece of paper, has also gone haywire.

There is a better way than the tender system. If only our well paid civil servants and political leadership use their common sense and think differently.

Save $200,000 by choosing the right insurance policy

Read this review by Alvin of The BigFatPurse.com
http://www.bigfatpurse.com/2013/06/how-to-accumulate-200000-for-retirement-by-choosing-the-right-insurance-policy/

Free or inexpensive PDF book

Here are some free or inexpensive PDF books that sell for less than half the price of the hard copy version, and suitable for the Singapore context. 

www.tklcloud.com/pdfbook

FREE Talk on "Improve Your Business"

I am giving a talk on how you can improve your business by using the services available on TKL Cloud to:

• Keep your business accounts
• Manage your employee's payroll, leave and time recording
• Sell your products, services and consultancy through the Internet
• Invite people to attend a talk or event and manage the registration
• And more.

These services are designed for small companies. The cost of using the services is only $120 per month, after government funding.

The talk is on 21 June and 29 June at 99 Bukit Timah Road. (FREE admission).

If you are interested, please register at
http://tklcloud.com/book/41

Look forward to see you. You can register for your friends and colleagues to attend also.  A confirmation e-mail will be sent to you after registration.

Allow elderly to join Medisheld without underwriting

11 June 2013

Editor, Forum Page
Straits Times

Mr. Geoffrey Kung, secretary of the Reverse Cooperative,  

suggested that seniors should be helped by allowing them to 

join a group health insurance scheme.

I support this suggestion and to use Medishield to achieve this

goal.

I suggest that elderly citizens, above 65 years, should be allowed 

to join this scheme without the need to satisfy the underwriting 

requirements and without exclusion of pre-existing conditions.

We can allow the elderly who are now uninsured a period of three months

to enroll into the scheme. 

To ensure a good take-up, Insurance agents should be allowed to sign up the 

eligible senior citizens and be given a one time commission of $50 for each case.

It should be possible for the claim experience of this group of insured to be

monitored separately, and for any deficit to be funded by the government. 

It is better for our national health care system that these senior citizens be 

covered by Medishield, rather than for them to remain in a limbo.

Tan Kin Lian

President

Financial Services Consumer Association

Intelligence Quiz Contest 2 (4 houses)

This quiz involves only 4 houses, so it should be easy for you to complete. You can win the PDF copy of the Intellgence Quiz Vol 1
http://tklcloud.com/book/57

Publish a book - it is easy

Do you want to publish a book? It is easy and can earn revenue for you. Try it here.
http://tklcloud.com/consult/12

Public sector can set the benchmark

7 June 2013

Editor

Forum Page

Straits Times

I am encouraged by the lead taken by the Government to give an 

increase of $70 a month for low wage workers employed in the

public sector.

I suggest that they should reverse the practice of outsourcing

 such as cleaning and security, and employ the workers directly

in the public sector. They pay, terms of employment and practices

in the public sector can set a benchmark for similar jobs in the

private sector.

If the public sector have to outsource some jobs due to 

difficulty in managing the workers, they should insist that the

pay and working conditions meet the same standards that are

provided in the public sector.

It is important to adopt a more holistic approach to 

raise the pay of low wage workers and reduce the income

gap in Singapore.

Tan Kin Lian

Intelligence Quiz Contest 1

Take part in this Intelligence Quiz Contest and win a prize.
http://tklcloud.com/book/56

Continue my existing life policy?

When I give a talk on financial planning, many participants realized that they had bought a life insurance policy that gave them a poor return. They ask me - should I continue or terminate the policy?

I have written this book to show them how to find the right answer. It includes two case studies 

http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/11

Managing your appointments

t is quite troublesome to schedule an appointment. Most people are busy and just to fix a time slot takes a lot of time.
This can be resolved using the "Appointment" system in TKL Cloud.
You can indicate the time slots that are available for a meeting or telephone call. People can choose the slot and book it. 
It is like seeing a doctor. 
This can be used for property agents to schedule viewing visits or for customers to consult an insurance adviser or other consultants.
To learn about this, attend the Briefing session on 21 June.
www.tklcloud.com/book/41

EXPERIENCE
Someone wanted to see me at 11.30 am this morning. He did not turn up. I called him, and his reason was "I did not confirm". I actually sent an email to tell him "OK".
This type of missed appointment is quite often. They only need to send email to reconfirm.

Mis-selling of private Shield

An woman in her early 50s, who has a low income, was sold an expensive Shield policy by an insurance agent placed in the bank. She paid over $800 in premium, to cover treatment in private hospital, which she did not need. 

Her niece helped her to lodge a complaint for mis-selling, but the insurance company did not take any action against the agent. She knew that she would not be able to afford the premium after a few years, and her total Medisave savings would be wiped out.

This type of mis-selling is quite rampant. Many people are paying more for a private Shield plan than is really needed - and the excuse is "you do not have to pay cash".

For people without much savings, a better way to manage the cost of medical care is shown here:
http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/2

Please help to pass this message to your relatives and friends, especially those in their 50s and older.

Wisdom on how to live life - Dr Tommy Wong (books 1 to 5)

Dr. Tommy Wong, professor turned international author, has written five books on "Wisdom on How to Live Life".

These books are written in a conversational style, which makes them easy to read and understand. The topics covered by the conversations are relevant to daily living in a place such as Singapore. In his books, Dr. Wong brings out the important message of paying attention to the spiritual aspect of living, rather than just focusing on the materialistic aspect. This change in focus can be comforting to those who are experiencing stress in their daily life.

This series of books (hard copy) is selling at $100-. Dr. Wong has now made the PDF version available for sale at $35-.

http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/6

Comment by Tan Kin Lian: I like the writing style of Dr. Tommy Wong. He is able to bring the message across clearly using the dialogue format. This is the same format used by Plato in his al.-time famous book, "The Republic". Definitely a book worth reading (actually - 5 books!)

Read this book summary

Read this summary of my new book "Choose the right life insurance policy".

Buy it now for yourself or to make a gift for you children.
http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/LoadBrochure.aspx?ID=5

It cost you $4 and can make a big difference to you, or to your children.

The book can be ordered here:
http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/5

Not easy to send an e-invoice

The private sector has to spend a lot of time to save a few minutes of time of the public sector. It is quite ridiculous.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=829&IID=836

A "must read" for every young person

A must read for every young person, before they plunge into a life insurance policy that may lock them in a poor deal for a lifetime.

Parents should buy this book and pass it to their children. I cannot think of a more meaningful gift.

http://tklcloud.com/pdfbook/5

Choose the right life insurance policy - must read for young people

Many people find a life insurance policy to be confusing. This is likely to be the intent of the insurance company who designed the policy. By making it confusing to consumers, they are able to hide the essential facts that are required by the regulators to be disclosed to consumers in the Benefit Illustration.

The insurance agent (or financial adviser) is required to give you a Benefit Illustration for the policy that is being recommended to you. The trouble is – most consumers do not understand how to read the Benefit Illustration.

I will show you in this book what to look for in the Benefit Illustration, and you can then decide if the recommended policy is the right plan for you to invest your hard earned savings. The good news is – you do not need to spend many hours to understand what to look for. It only takes you 30 minutes!

I will also show you a better way to invest your hard earned savings to get a higher return than offered by most life insurance policies. And, if you need insurance protection to take care of your dependents in the event of premature death, or to pay for medical expenses, you will also find a better solution in this book.

For most working people in Singapore, the difference between the right and wrong choice can amount to more than $200,000.

All they need is to spend a few dollars and 30 minutes on this book and they will learn how to get a much better outcome for their savings. 

This PDF book "Choose the right life insurance policy" is now available for $4 at  www.tklcloud.com/ishop/16

Review of COE system

I sent this letter to the Minister for Transport and the Land Transport Authority giving my suggestions on how to address the issue of high COE prices. We have to look at the root cause of the problem. The review of the COE system will not solve the problem.

I suggested that the regulation should be changed to allow owners to rent their cars to neighbours.

http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=835&IID=842

Settlement of insurance claim

A person had a heart attack while driving and died in the crash. The family had difficulty in making a claim for the personal accident and hospital insurance policy and had to pay an increase premium on the renewal of the car insurance.

The journalist asked for my views on these three insurance policies and if there is any fault with the insurance cover.

http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=834&IID=841