Portfolio Returns for July 2026

I felt it would be good to track the returns of my portfolios regularly since they fluctuate frequently depending on the stock market.

Here are the movements for this month. Surprisingly (or maybe not), BCIP and CPFIS portfolios, which consist of STI ETF rose quite a bit this month. Perhaps due to inflows with the restart of the US-Iran war.

Movement for the Robo-Advisors:

                                            

Below are the time-weighted returns of the Income Funds. 

Additionally, I think it will be interesting to see the breakdown of my portfolios in percentages (below). 

Market trends from the last 30 days: 

• A chipmaker selloff gathered pace through the week, pushing the semiconductor group toward a bear market on worries that AI infrastructure spending is becoming hard to justify — the worst week for the sector since the April 2025 tariff meltdown, with the industry gauge down 20% from its record. Bloomberg

• A new AI model from Chinese startup Moonshot further spooked investors, with its "Kimi K3" launch seen as evidence China's AI capabilities are advancing quickly, pressuring U.S. tech valuations. BloombergThe Motley Fool

• Netflix also plunged on a disappointing revenue forecast, adding to tech-sector weakness. TheStreet

• US-Iran war restarted, with Trump saying the peace deal is off

• Geopolitical tension escalated, with U.S. Central Command striking Iran for a seventh consecutive night, and WTI crude rose 3.7% to $81.88/barrel on Middle East risk. TheStreetThe Motley Fool

 

 

14 Pots of Gold for Perpetual Income - Progress and Updates

In my previous articles, I explained that I set up my 14 pots of gold using ChatGPT and Claude.

If all 14 pots are completed, I will be able to get 5k in passive income per month.

Here is my status as of today:

I have only completed 6 out of the 14 pots.

Building a Dividend Portfolio That Lasts Forever

My investment portfolio is built around one simple goal: generating S$5,000 a month in passive dividend income, sustainably, for the rest of my life. No capital withdrawals. No selling down assets. Just a portfolio that quietly pays me while I sleep.

To get there, I organise every holding into one of three sleeves — Ballast, Income, and Growth.

Ballast is the foundation. These are assets that hold their value when markets fall apart — long-duration government bonds, Singapore Savings Bonds, T-bill ladders, and cash. They don't generate exciting returns, but they're not supposed to. Their job is to be there when everything else isn't. In a portfolio designed to last 40 years, surviving drawdowns matters as much as capturing upside.

Income is the engine. This is where most of the portfolio lives — Singapore REITs, dividend-paying blue chips like DBS and UOB, global income ETFs like VHYD, and infrastructure trusts. These holdings are chosen for yield quality, distribution sustainability, and diversification across sectors and geographies. The target is a blended yield high enough to generate S$5,000 a month without relying on capital gains.

Growth is the kicker. A smaller sleeve of higher-conviction, lower-yield positions — S&P 500 ETFs, Nasdaq exposure, SGX — that compound quietly in the background. These don't contribute much income today, but they protect the portfolio's real value against inflation over decades. A portfolio that generates S$5,000 a month today but doesn't grow will be worth far less in purchasing power terms by 2045.

The three sleeves work together. Ballast keeps you calm in a crisis. Income pays the bills. Growth makes sure those bills stay paid in real terms.

Enjoy the journey!

Onwards!

 

Dividends for Jun 2026 - Towards 5k a Month

Here are my dividends for Jun 2026:

So I collected $2,051 in dividends for this month.  

In case you are wondering, some stocks are repeated because I have 2 brokerage accounts.

Here are my monthly dividends over the last 8 years:

Here are the dividends I collected every year until the current day:

My total dividends collected from 2019 till now: $140,154

Here is the progress of my average monthly dividends over the years:

There are only 6 data points for 2026 so far, and the average dividend for 2026 will likely change as the year progresses. 

I plan to first receive $2500 (achieved), then finally $5000 in dividends every month on average.

By simple projection of the above chart, I will only hit my target of 5k a month in dividends after 2027.

Additionally, I share the interest I received from the various banks for the deposits this month:

Also, in this month, I made $10.40 from my side hustle - GrabFood delivery. 

All in, I made $2061.57 this month from dividends, interest, and food delivery.

Onwards!    

    

 

 

I doubled my STI portfolio!

Today, as the Straits Times Index reached another all-time high of 5,433.49, my CPFIS portfolio also doubled. 

I used the CPFIS to invest in the STI ETF during COVID.

By the rule of 72, since I took around 6 years to double my investment, then 72/6 = 12% average annual returns.

I think this is pretty decent, STI = Super Terrific Index!

This is a nice milestone in my investment journey, hence this blog post.

Screenshots to commemorate this occasion are below:

Here are the transactions invested during Covid times - around 2020/2021.

Here are the dividends, collected along the way. 

Here are more details of the transactions:

Onwards!

Planning for Retirement

I saw an interesting headline in my feeds but it was blocked by the paywall.

Fortunately, the National Library app allows one to access news articles for free.  

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/how-i-knew-i-was-ready-retire-50

Here's an infographic of the article:

I thought the item about 'intentionally fill the calendar' is useful. It is best to have some routine to stick to, be it exercise or work. 

However, the author is an EY Partner, considered to be a very successful person. He was able to retire at 50. I wonder how many will be able to retire at 50 like him.

Portfolio Returns for June 2026

I felt it would be good to track the returns of my portfolios regularly since they fluctuate frequently depending on the stock market.

Here are the movements for this month. This is the first time I noticed that in terms of simple returns, my BCIP(STI ETF) portfolio gives better returns than the SPY/VUSD portfolio. This is because I have held the BCIP(STI ETF) portfolio for a longer time. 

Movement for the Robo-Advisors:

                                            

Below are the time-weighted returns of the Income Funds. 

Additionally, I think it will be interesting to see the breakdown of my portfolios in percentages (below). 

Market trends from the last 30 days: 

• The main event is the signing of the US-Iran war peace deal

- MOU signed June 19 in Geneva, but it's a framework, not the final deal

- 60 days to negotiate the permanent settlement (nuclear program, sanctions, IAEA/UNSC resolutions)

- Hormuz reopens immediately (pending mine clearance)

- Iran reaffirms no nuclear weapons under NPT; broader nuclear program still unresolved

- ~$24B in frozen Iranian funds unfrozen, half upfront

- Lebanon ceasefire included, but Israel isn't withdrawing from southern Lebanon

- Already a dispute brewing over whether US must release funds before next talks begin

- Already there are talks of US hardliners and Israel's dissatisfaction to the deal

 

Dividends for May 2026 - Towards 5k a month

Here are my dividends for May 2026:

                                    

So I collected $3,422 in dividends for this month.  

In case you are wondering, some stocks are repeated because I have 2 brokerage accounts.

Here are my monthly dividends over the last 8 years:

Here are the dividends I collected every year until the current day:

My total dividends collected from 2019 till now: $138,102

Here is the progress of my average monthly dividends over the years:

There are only 5 data points for 2026 so far, and the average dividend for 2026 will likely change as the year progresses. 

I plan to first receive $2500 (achieved), then finally $5000 in dividends every month on average.

By simple projection of the above chart, I will only hit my target of 5k a month in dividends after 2027.

Additionally, I share the interest I received from the various banks for the deposits this month:

Also, in this month, I made $9.50 from my side hustle - GrabFood delivery. 

All in, I made $3,726 this month from dividends, interest, and food delivery.

Onwards!