tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post641451299037874384..comments2024-03-19T18:44:15.041+08:00Comments on Little Stories: The Risks of Unregulated Investments in SingaporeGilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-18904061006720658162010-04-20T12:35:04.184+08:002010-04-20T12:35:04.184+08:00Having a licence is not enough. All finanical adv...Having a licence is not enough. All finanical advisers should get themselves CPA & CFA certified. (I know a number of them are bound to fail these exams & this is the reason why I made this suggestion so as to reduce the number of con-men & women in the financial industry.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-14711334834794717922010-01-07T23:38:15.179+08:002010-01-07T23:38:15.179+08:00One of the big issues with Land is the extremely l...One of the big issues with Land is the extremely low value of the land without planning permission. One very large plot currently being offerd in the UK is marked up by 20 times. So if you need to liquidate a 12000 dollar plot you get $600 assuming you can get a buyer. Also this company does not have offices in the UK having been shut down there a few years ago for doing exactly what they are now doing in Asia. These are scams moving round the world.Mikehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1240178/THE-INTERVIEW-The-swindle-inspector.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-38452794272281439202010-01-07T02:06:41.070+08:002010-01-07T02:06:41.070+08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10894450547846138151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-51183063183179889962010-01-06T20:12:13.117+08:002010-01-06T20:12:13.117+08:00///Don't you guys object to the idea that our ...///Don't you guys object to the idea that our govt should spend our taxpayers' money to protect some gullible fools from throwing their money overseas?///<br /><br />What is wrong from with this - protecting the money of possibly your own citizens (also taxpayers) from being lost to a foreign land.<br /><br />If not, then at least free up the public media for programs on this kind of investments to be freely discussed (educational lessons) so that the wider public will be wary and may not be so gullible. <br /><br />The knowledge gap must be eliminated or made as small as possible between the seller and the buyer as the former may be privy to important stuff the latter may not missing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-57475946625568114392010-01-04T22:37:16.521+08:002010-01-04T22:37:16.521+08:00Excuse me...
Don't you guys object to the ide...Excuse me...<br /><br />Don't you guys object to the idea that our govt should spend our taxpayers' money to protect some gullible fools from throwing their money overseas?<br /><br />Because that's what the ST Forum post amounts to. If the govt puts up civil servants to regulate the foreign land sales, it means public money is spent for the benefit of those few who have the money to spare to invest in foreign properties. I find this concept nothing but revolting.Robert Lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-64956006871081504162010-01-04T17:27:27.044+08:002010-01-04T17:27:27.044+08:00There were investment in tea leaves too...There were investment in tea leaves too...ACSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-7570220919097829002010-01-04T09:37:10.387+08:002010-01-04T09:37:10.387+08:00Now you ask why there is such huge land price infl...Now you ask why there is such huge land price inflation world over?<br /><br />Anyway, the same question that many have been asking. If PRs can buy HDBs at no age limitation, why must single Singaporeans be allowed to buy only if they are past 30?<br /><br />Singapore is never always the best or neatest in legal systems. We just think we are.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-90515174388986112912010-01-03T13:03:52.830+08:002010-01-03T13:03:52.830+08:00Mr Wang 7:58 am
Brilliant and earth shaking state...Mr Wang 7:58 am<br /><br />Brilliant and earth shaking statement! Need to be put on a plaque!<br /><br />Any naive person would have instantly come to his senses after reading it. And thereby avoid being scammed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-5415383586010378802010-01-03T08:00:48.269+08:002010-01-03T08:00:48.269+08:00"If the offer is so good:-"
Whether th...<i>"If the offer is so good:-" </i><br /><br />Whether the offer is good, I do not know. <br /><br />That is the problem. I wouldn't know much about land in the UK.Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-12438746386236076642010-01-03T07:58:59.372+08:002010-01-03T07:58:59.372+08:00Also true.
Really the biggest turn-off for me is ...Also true.<br /><br />Really the biggest turn-off for me is that I would be signing an agreement with an unknown company, in fact, a company set up for no other purpose or business than to hold and administer this piece of land in the UK.<br /><br />In Year 3, the company could quietly close down and be wound-up, and I might not even know it until Year 4 ... or 5 ... or 6.Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-61484127782867376292010-01-03T00:45:32.791+08:002010-01-03T00:45:32.791+08:00Also, UK residents are more likely to have heard o...Also, UK residents are more likely to have heard of this landbank scam and avoid it, while people living in Malaysia and Singapore have not, thus making them better patsies than Brits.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534842755063770798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-83401837373081397732010-01-02T21:43:37.555+08:002010-01-02T21:43:37.555+08:00If the offer is so good:-
might as well buy a plo...If the offer is so good:-<br /><br />might as well buy a plot of land on the moon.....<br /><br />Where squatting laws will not be considered.no?Onlookernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-2147841054706151382010-01-02T17:21:24.227+08:002010-01-02T17:21:24.227+08:00"Why not do it in their own backyard?"
..."Why not do it in their own backyard?"<br /><br />I did ask that question.<br /><br />The answer given was that if a UK resident buys the land and then later sells it, capital gains tax will apply, making your profit much smaller.<br /><br />Whereas the capital gains tax would not apply to a non-UK resident.<br /><br />There is no capital gains tax in Singapore, nor in Malaysia (for real estate), so conceivably the scheme works better for S'poreans / Malaysians, than UK residents.Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-10342616776373342792010-01-02T16:07:28.008+08:002010-01-02T16:07:28.008+08:00Why not do it in their own backyard ?
There are a...Why not do it in their own backyard ?<br /><br />There are always people closer to home including respectable funds(we are talking about UK & Europe) looking for good returns and they have all the right professionals who are more intimate with the conditions there to advise and consult.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-1217334600490416712010-01-02T08:53:07.548+08:002010-01-02T08:53:07.548+08:00totally agree with Mr Wang. The govt should just r...totally agree with Mr Wang. The govt should just regulate the entire investment sphere evenly, and make all these firms and sales people responsible for truthful marketing tactics.<br /><br />My beef with these non-regulated investment schemes are selective or inflated historical returns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-39366829252410925952010-01-01T23:41:44.409+08:002010-01-01T23:41:44.409+08:00http://www.lanerealtycorp.com/
Farmland in Saskat...http://www.lanerealtycorp.com/<br /><br />Farmland in Saskatchewan costs <br />only C$50,000 for 160 acres(64 hectares). i.e. 640,000m2<br /><br />Only C$0.08 per sq. m.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-85656256065258803602010-01-01T20:47:18.271+08:002010-01-01T20:47:18.271+08:00Time Sharing is the worst of the lot of "inve...Time Sharing is the worst of the lot of "investments".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-17716578598562623882010-01-01T20:34:54.173+08:002010-01-01T20:34:54.173+08:00Time sharing is another one.Time sharing is another one.choozmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01299185424304358451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-81763391577642923012010-01-01T16:51:20.000+08:002010-01-01T16:51:20.000+08:00I sensed that Mr Wang, despite his high income is ...I sensed that Mr Wang, despite his high income is also very careful with money, treasuring even 10s or 100s of dollars.<br /><br />Such people will grow their money very fast and be very rich. <br /><br />And this is one good way and strategy to get rich. Have a high paying job (or do a good business) and treasure even small amounts of money. <br /><br />Even though I do not earn half as much as Mr Wang, I also treasure money and have become quite rich and comfortable enough to even retire now.<br /><br />Forget about getting rich through all kinds of funny investments, if you don't have good income in the first place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-59510458061555080032010-01-01T16:50:15.200+08:002010-01-01T16:50:15.200+08:00I sensed that Mr Wang, despite his high income is ...I sensed that Mr Wang, despite his high income is also very careful with money, treasuring even 10s or 100s of dollars.<br /><br />Such people will grow their money very fast and be very rich. <br /><br />And this is one good way and strategy to get rich. Have a high paying job (or do a good business) and treasure even small amounts of money. <br /><br />Even though I do not earn half as much as Mr Wang, I also treasure money and have become quite rich and comfortable enough to even retire now.<br /><br />Forget about getting rich through all kinds of funny investments, if you don't have good income in the first place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-27491519502189268972010-01-01T15:41:54.548+08:002010-01-01T15:41:54.548+08:00"BTW, why would a person who makes at least $...<i> "BTW, why would a person who makes at least $320K per annum (deduced from your SRS post) sit through 1 hr of hardsell to get $100 worth of shopping vouchers?..." </i><br /><br />It was actually much longer than 1 hour. Because my wife and I asked so many questions. And also because we brought our two kids along for the free high tea.<br /><br />Free high tea for 4 people, and $100 of shopping vouchers. Plus an educational session on how landbanking works. <br /><br />Not bad, what. :DGilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-37672905824684729012010-01-01T14:17:16.354+08:002010-01-01T14:17:16.354+08:00Mr. Wang,
3 landbanking companies, Profitable Plo...Mr. Wang,<br /><br />3 landbanking companies, Profitable Plots, UK Land and Edgewood have been raided by Malaysia authorities. <br /><br />http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/lega<br />l/general_news/companies_commission<br />_raids_three_companies_over_illegal<br />_land_investments.html<br /><br />4 years ago, telemarketter from Profitable Plots called me and I asked him about Walton. He sent me a collection of negative articles on Walton. How they paid 3 times cheap farmland in Canada then mark it up another 3 times to sell it to Asian investors etc. The reason why these companies are here is $5000 for a plot looks dirt cheap to Asians in HK & Singapore but to someone in Calgary or Alberta, they wouldn't pay $400 for the same plot. <br /><br />Investors should ask themselves when these companies advertise returns of 15-20%...why do they offer to lend you money at 8% to invest in these plots of land. It is down right silly.<br /><br />We may laugh at Malaysians for losing those jet engines and other negative demonstrations of competence but they did stop those toxic minibonds from entering their country, recovered most of the money from Swiss-cash scam and yes, they are ahead in shutting down these landbanking scams.<br /><br />BTW, why would a person who makes at least $320K per annum (deduced from your SRS post) sit through 1 hr of hardsell to get $100 worth of shopping vouchers?...<br /><br />HAPPY NEW YEAR...Mr. Wang.<br /><br />Lucky Tan. (singaporemind.blogspot.com)Lucky Tanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04966909243143681126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-13745718727666867262010-01-01T12:04:15.203+08:002010-01-01T12:04:15.203+08:00I don't think you can blame the gov on this. I...I don't think you can blame the gov on this. Investment is a personal responsibility. Like the saying goes, "don't invest in anything you don't understand". Do you want to gov to nanny us on how to invest our money still? (As if they are not already nanny us how we use our CPF money)<br /><br />I think Singaporeans need to smarten up themselves and be responsible for their own money and not let others (gov or non-gov) handle for them. Retirement money or not. <br /><br />Another saying goes, "fool and his money are soon parted".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-46305054003850063012009-12-31T22:44:35.975+08:002009-12-31T22:44:35.975+08:00You were right to be cautious. These sales are pro...You were right to be cautious. These sales are probably a scam.<br /><br />The land exists, and it can be sold off. However, it is unused land classified as agricultural land. Any appreciation in the value of the land, or perhaps better to say, any significant appreciation in the value of the land is dependent on gaining planning permission for other uses (such as housing or industrial uses). This is rarely if ever given.<br /><br />There have been exposés of these sales here in the UK. Here is one link to a BBC consumer program's exposé: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/items/01/2009_33_thu.shtmlChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534842755063770798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405345292513335071.post-56240995949606602932009-12-31T21:51:30.411+08:002009-12-31T21:51:30.411+08:00I think if the govt want to regulate landbanking, ...I think if the govt want to regulate landbanking, they will also have to regulate<br /><br />1. fine wine investment<br />2. ostrich farming investment<br />3. fine art investment<br />4. selling of hair gain product for balding men<br />5. etc, etc<br /><br />A thousand and one things to regulate.<br /><br />Or how to regulate to protect all kinds of naive, gullible and stupid people in general?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com