In fact, I can bore you further by explaining how the same targets can be achieved with 1M with a small level or risk, but this will stray too much away from TS's topic.
Do share on this.


Please skip if this is too long-winded or boring.
Background: Some rich people realized that the nett rental yields from their properties are less than 4% now, so they take profit on properties and switched to investment-grade (aka safer) bonds. Let's say you got $1m.
Bond Financing Terms:
- Gearing:
Banks give 70 to 80% gearing = $0.20-0.30 to own $1
- Ownership
These bonds are held in bank custodian accounts (same as share financing).
- Cost
Interest rates for Investment-grade bonds: flexi (1.2-1.3%pa), fixed (appx 2%pa for max 3 years).
- Other assumptions
Top local bank/GLC holding company bonds and Commission cost excluded.
Strategy:
Product: OCBC 4% Perceptual Securities
Exposure: You use 1M to control 4M of the bond = 3M loan. (75% financing)
Cost: 3M x 2%pa = $60K (using fixed rates to avoid SIBOR fluctuations)
Gross Yield = 4M x 4% = $160K
Nett: Yield = $160K - $60K = $100K
Return = 10% (100K for your 1M)
Then back to the old example:
$100K a year = $8333 a month
$8333 is tax-free and that is like making $12K gross salary a month + deducting for transport to workplace, officewear, taxes, etc
Put aside $4000 a month for living expense = enough money for food, a small car or even monthly tour.
Put aside another $4000 to pay for your condo/HDB instalments. Otherwise, reinvest the money
hehee, nearly the same right? of course got higher risk and you might find a bond that matures within the same period as your bond-financing fixed tenure.
Disclaimer:
- In real life, Bond financing is only for private banking customers with $2m of disposable income (excluding residential property).
- Please note that you will die pain pain if your bond defaults = bankrupt, so only consider the safest of the safest bonds.
- The 1m example is a true picture of what the richer and risk-adverse investors do, but their magnitude is larger.
- In my 2m hypothesis, my $2m example includes offloading your residential property n financing a new one.
- This is why 2m is very important benchmark based on current market prices.
All the examples are just to illustrate the reverse rat-race in our society. There are many many many other factors + strategy to consider before u step into bond financing. I reiterate that all my examples are oversimplifed for our discussion and not meant to encourage bond investment.
Super side-track: you are based in overseas, even more choices:-
Many aust state govt/bank debts give >4-5%
Even OCBC Indonesia issues bond at 11%pa. (you hold and reinvest for 7-8 years = 100% gain. Rupiah wun drop 100% right?)
The drawback is tax, Indonesia takes appx 20% on bond incomes if i remember correctly.