The Kopitiam Investor
Hi, I’m Marcus.
I didn’t grow up talking about stocks or ETFs at the dinner table.
I grew up in Singapore watching my parents work hard, save carefully, and trust that a steady job and a paid-off HDB would be enough. For their generation, maybe it was.
But the world has changed. Inflation eats quietly. CPF alone won’t be enough. And waiting until you “feel ready” to invest is the most expensive mistake most Singaporeans make.
It wasn’t until my late twenties that I stopped waiting and started doing. I opened my first brokerage account, made plenty of mistakes, lost some money on stocks I didn’t understand, and slowly — very slowly — figured out what actually works for someone like me.
This blog is the honest record of that journey.
What This Blog Is About
The Kopitiam Investor is a personal finance and investing blog written for everyday Singaporeans — not Wall Street professionals, not finance graduates, not people with SGD 100,000 sitting idle.
Just regular people who want to build wealth quietly, consistently, and without drama.
I write about:
- ETFs — VWRA, CSPX, STI ETF, SMH and why they matter for long-term investors
- Stocks — NVDA, GOOG, TSM and how I think about individual company positions
- CPF & SRS — making Singapore’s unique financial tools work harder for you
- Dollar-Cost Averaging — the boring strategy that actually builds wealth
- Brokerages — IBKR, Tiger Brokers, moomoo and which suits which investor
- My real portfolio — the actual numbers, milestones, and monthly updates
I don’t write theory. I write from real experience, with a real portfolio, on a real journey to SGD 1,000,000.
The Goal
By June 2037, I am building toward a SGD 1,000,000 investment portfolio.
Starting from SGD 133,444 in June 2026, investing consistently every month, and targeting an average annual return of 8.57%.
I document every milestone here — the wins, the setbacks, the market crashes I had to sit through, and the moments where staying the course felt impossible.
If you want to follow along, you’re welcome here.
Why “Kopitiam”?
Because wealth should be built over coffee — not in boardrooms.
The kopitiam is where real Singaporeans talk. Where uncles argue about football and property. Where $1.50 kopi comes with no pretension and no agenda.
That’s the spirit of this blog. Honest, unpretentious, and built for real people.
Building wealth, one cup at a time. ☕
A Note on the Name
Marcus is a pen name.
It is dedicated to a dear friend who left this world far too young — taken suddenly, before he got to see what his life could become.
I think about him when I feel like skipping a month of DCA, or when the market drops and I want to panic-sell. He never got the chance to build something like this.
So I build it for both of us.
If you’re reading this and you had someone leave too soon — build something in their name. The conversations we never finished can still change lives. 🙏
Disclaimer
Everything on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. I am not a licensed financial advisor. Nothing here constitutes financial advice.
Always do your own research. Consult a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Want to follow the journey? Start with my first article: How to Start Investing in Singapore with SGD 100