What will I buy with $3000 (Nov 2016)?

I didn't buy any stock in Oct. Will I buy any stock in Nov? I don't know.

There are a few events that make some investors jittery -- US Presidential Elections on 8 Nov, OPEC and Iraq being unable to agree on a supply cut despite saying that they will cut, Swiber defaulting on its bond payments. There are many worried shareholders, to the extent of local banks having to report their exposure to oil-related companies. I am glad that our banks are able to give the break down of their loan books.

Cooling measures are still in place, which means the government believes that prices has room to fall. If property prices do fall, cooling measures could be removed.

There are also reports on retrenchment and new jobs. Should we give Singaporeans priority in jobs? I think we already do. The paperwork and levies should deter the hiring of foreigners, but the salary expectation is probably the problem. Foreigners are willing to be paid lesser. Does the government have to specifically create jobs for jobless Singaporeans? Probably not. Eventually, the market will balance out the supply and demand which is reflected in the quality and the price of goods and services. At an individual level, I just need to make sure that I continue to learn new skills and remain as a desirable asset to my employer, while at the same time thinking about what I will do if I suddenly become jobless tomorrow. My current back up plan is to be a part time uber driver and maybe write my own application.

However if there are good buys, I may spend a bit. Thinking about the Singtel, SIA Engineering, ST Engineering, UOB, but prices aren't attractive enough yet. Otherwise, just build up warchest and collect dividends.

The writer owns shares in Singtel, SIA Engineering, ST Engineering, UOB.