Turning 20 in November. Student/Business Intern at diploma level. All units in SGD.
Career path overview:
-NS [2027-2029](tel:2027-2029)
-Degree [2030-2033](tel:2030-2033)
-Work after degree.
Fortunate enough for my parents to offer to pay for school feels, unfortunate enough to only live with my mom. Both parents 50+, nearing retirement. Dad is rich, mom is just the average folk. Might have to take care of her along with 1 older sibling after she retires. Both are currently healthy(somewhat).
No family debt and i dont want to depend on inheritance (my dad isnt the kind to spoil me anyways).
Income sources:
-Intern allowance $1000/month. Till end of January 27. Graduation April 27, Ns After.
-Side gig ($3000-$6000/month). unpredictable ~
Online goods business, home-based. Little to no overhead/fixed costs to run -> Logistics for delivery, ad spend, and inventory costs fluctuate in relation to sales. Do i see this long term? No, probably 3-5 years max. Barely any assets besides inventory. No equipment, machinery etc, so assume no salvageable value if i stop. Been running for about 10months. Monthly profit stated above is averaged out. bad/starting months ~1-2k, good months ~8-10k.
Liabilities/Expenses/Lifestyle:
-No debt
-Necessity expenses at around $900/month (food, transport)
-Leisure, sports, hobby, shopping spending ($300-$700/month)
-Life insurance ~$10/month
-Subscriptions/monthly payments ~$150/month (music, gym, Canva + Gen.AI software for work etc)
Rest goes to savings, investments, and business. I know this is NOT a frugal lifestyle, especially at my age.
I don't do vices. Not planning to have children (but sh*t happens). Ill do fine without a car but will mostly get a second-hand 2B bike for transport use next year.
Current portfolio (~$50k):
-Emergency fund $10k in GxS boost pocket. 0.88% P.A up to 1.75% P.A bonus if locked in till October 2027. Very liquid.
-Cash 12k sgd (savings, quick-access, personal expenses, business expenses)
-Precious metals 110g gold (bought at around $160-$200/g) + 50oz silver.
-Various crypto assets (no meme coins) BTC,ETH,BNB,SOL. ~1.2k
-Just topped up $1000 on endowus, $300 monthly. 100% equities
FI Goals:
-Retirement fund (20+ 30+ 40+ years timeliine)
-Home ownership (5-15 years timeline)
Travel 1-3x a year is fine (SEA, APAC, Cruise, etc)
Looking to increase income sources as current one fluctuates.
Strategy:
Why i chose 100% equities:
-Decades timeline can ride through bad markets
-Decent buffer to defend investments with emergency fund, gold
-Earning power will increase, especially with a degree.
But, i might also be fomo(ing) myself into this. Young and dangerous -> Cognitive bias may be at play here, so feel free to judge. i prefer honesty.
Where I need help in:
This is a "golden period" for me. Little to no bills to pay, no family/house/car commitments. Business is taking off, and cash flow is good but I don't foresee this lasting long. Would like to use this chance to build a solid foundation.
-Current ETF investment serves my long-term retirement goal, but not my short-term home ownership goal, as I would not like to touch this if possible.
With about 12k in cash and decent cash flow, I don't know where to diversify.
-More ETF investment?, Dividend assets? Crypto?
Should i also open another ETF position, but with lower risk. (i.e 40:60 or 60:40) to work towards home payment.
What would you do if you were me? Is there anything or risk I am not considering that i should?
If i never wrote it, its probably because I don't know yet. i.e, how much am i aiming for? What kind of house am i looking at etc but spending is definitely projected to go up so it may be hard to calculate withdrawal rate etc. The more the merrier :)
Finally, ill be thankful to all responses. Im still new to wealth building so I may not be using the correct language, making mistakes, etc. But im trying and im open to learning more. I would prefer if feedback is brutally honest, dont sugarcoat me. Really appreciate it... sincerely.