Entrepreneur ready to save as he travels

He launched a product which helps him save on overseas phone bills; results promising so far.

Sat, Feb 13, 2010
The Sunday Times

By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent

Unhappy with having to pay high phone bills whenever he travelled, Mr William Soo decided to launch a product that delivers amazing savings of more than 80 per cent on overseas phone bills.

Trusling Communications offers a Ready-2-Go Travel Kit, which comprises a country-specific prepaid SIM card and an international call forwarded service that lets customers forward their Singapore calls to their overseas numbers.

The firm was set up in 2007 by Mr Soo, a Malaysian, and his Hong Kong- born wife Jenny Yiu, both 34, with an initial outlay of $200,000.

The product was launched in March last year and the results have been promising. Trusling now sells 2,000 kits a month. Its turnover in December was $40,000.

When it comes to his personal investments, liquidity and managing risks are important factors for Mr Soo. For example, he is willing to take on more risks now because the potential downside is much lower than in 2007 and 2008.

Besides investing his savings in currencies and fixed income funds, he is also on the lookout for opportunities to buy investment properties in Hong Kong, Britain and the United States.

He obtained a master's degree in finance from Imperial College, London, in 1998 after graduating with an economics degree from the London School of Economics the year before. He worked for three years in China-based Hangzhou Future World Recreation before returning to Malaysia in 2001 to work in Citibank's credit card division. He came to Singapore in 2004 and continued working for Citibank as a manager overseeing credit card fees and pricing.

He became a Singapore permanent resident in 2007. His wife, an Australian citizen, is a director at Trusling and oversees its sales and marketing functions.

Q: Are you a spender or saver?

While I enjoy spoiling myself occasionally, I also enjoy the simple things in life such as good foodcourt food. I believe firmly in spending only what I earn. I normally manage to save/invest 20 per cent to 50 per cent of my income. I spend $2,000 to $3,000 a month. The only exception is when I go on my twice-a-year overseas holidays with my wife.

Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?

I have five credit cards and normally charge about $2,000 each month of my personal spending on cards. I am a full transactor, which means I pay off my credit card bills in full monthly. Having been in the credit card industry, I know exactly how the banks earn their money through the high interest rates they charge. I keep minimal cash and withdraw $100 to $200 each time I visit the ATM, which is about five times a month.

Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?

I am an 'opportunistic' investor. My most recent investment is in my own business, Trusling. I look after my own capital and investments, which I spread across various financial products that I classify based on the volatility and degree of liquidity, such as:

• Low risk (primarily high-liquidity products in various foreign currencies),
• Mid risk (fixed income derivatives) and
• High risk (unit trusts and properties).

My portfolio comprises about 70 per cent unit trusts and 30 per cent cash.

I target to attain at least 7 per cent annual return on my investment portfolio. My current stocks include Microsoft, Google and HSBC, and I hold units in Invesco Energy fund, AllianceBernstein Emerging Markets Growth Portfolio and Permal Fixed Income Holdings, as well as China funds.

I have a life cover of RM1.5 million (S$621,000) and medical insurance. I do not own any endowment plans as I don't believe the returns on these can match the other investment opportunities available.

Q: Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?

I came from a middle-class family in Malaysia and have an older sister. My father was a rubber plantation worker in Malacca before becoming a construction worker in Kuala Lumpur in his mid-20s. He went on to set up his own construction firms when I was about three years old. He has always been an inspiration. My mother is a prudent housewife. I was taught the importance of careful spending and 'saving for the rainy day' since young. We lived in a 1,500 sq ft double-storey terrace house in Kuala Lumpur. My parents believed in the benefits of education and I was sent to Britain to pursue my A levels and university education.

Q: How did you get interested in investing?

I have always liked numbers. I learnt about the theory of investments in university where I was trained in economics and finance. I gained my first practical experience in investing during my first working year when I was working in China in 1999. I invested $15,000 in some high-risk 'penny' stocks in Hong Kong and lost everything a year later. I now keep my investments to much safer products such as blue chip stocks, unit trusts and properties.

Q: What property do you own?

I don't own any property but I'm on the lookout for good opportunities in Hong Kong, Britain and the US.

I'm not keen to buy property here as the average rental yield of about 3 per cent is very low.

I would prefer to borrow money here as the cost of funds is low and invest it in a territory, say Hong Kong, where the rental yield is about 6 per cent and enjoy capital appreciation as well.

Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have bought?

My own business, which I invested $200,000 in. Thankfully, things seem to be moving in the right direction. Based on its track record so far, it has a great potential to grow and hopefully generate income for my golden years.

Q: What's your retirement plan?

It's probably too early to say what we plan to do when we retire, but it is likely to involve a lot of travelling, which is a passion for both my wife and me. A monthly combined disposable income of $10,000 should be sufficient. I target to be financially independent at the age of 45.

Q: Home is now...?

A 1,600 sq ft rented apartment off Grange Road. I'm renting it for $5,000 a month.

Q: I drive...?

A black Nissan Murano.

Worst and Best Bets

Q: What has been your worst investment to date?

This would probably be my car, which cost $120,000 and continues to depreciate every year. I bought it in 2007. The current value of the car is $70,000. Of course, the convenience I enjoy from it and the extra sleep I get every morning is priceless.

Q: And your best?

I used to own a 30-year-old, 1,400 sq ft apartment in Mid-levels, Hong Kong, which I bought for S$850,000 in 2003 at the onset of the Sars epidemic. I bought it then as I was working in China and was familiar with the Hong Kong market. I earned an annual rental yield of 6 per cent and sold off the property at S$1.48 million in 2006. I managed to walk off with a profit of about S$500,000 after accounting for the bank loan interest, taxes and other costs.

Another good move was when I liquidated nearly all my investments in 2006 when everything was getting too bullish, and held 90 per cent in cash with the balance in a few unit trusts. I monitor charts that track stock movements and I look out for how long each market cycle lasts. It was only in 2008 and last year that I moved my savings back into financial instruments.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.