8 investment masters to follow in 2021 for a solid portfolio

If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s the importance of being prepared for a rainy day (or, more like a rainy year). The upheaval brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need to invest for the future.

For beginners with little to no knowledge, the question is how to begin. Well, one of the best ways to start is by learning from those who have gone before.

Here are eight leading investors and finance experts to follow in 2021 for tips and insights on how to grow a strong investment portfolio.

1. Kyith Ng – Founder, Investment Moats

Regular readers of local finance blog Investment Moats praise it for its down-to-earth content and simple-to-understand style of writing. That’s not surprising, considering that founder Kyith Ng is as man-in-the-street as they come.

Within his blog articles, Kyith shares his own investing goals and experiences, while also providing insights into topics such as money management in investing, how to identify good and bad businesses, and how to read long term market trends.

His ultimate goal is to promote financial independence among Singaporeans, and he is doing a credible job leading the way; as a salaryman with a middle-income career, Kyith has built up a net worth of $700k over the past 13 years.

2. Alvin Chow – Founder, Dr Wealth

Believing that investment is a skillset that gives returns for life, Alvin Chow set out to teach essential financial education to fellow Singaporeans. To that end, he has established a team to run Dr Wealth, a local investment academy focused on helping graduates achieve market-beating returns.

Even if you aren’t ready to commit to signing up for their courses, there is still plenty of knowledge to be gleaned from the Dr Wealth blog, which covers industry news, market trends, stocks tips and investment advice.

The blog, while a tad scholarly, is well worth a read for budding investors seeking to understand the intricacies of capitalism and investing.

3. Lorna Tan – Author and former invest editor, Sunday Times

After a long and fruitful career as the Editor of Sunday Times Invest, to say that Lorna Tan has amassed a wealth of knowledge would be putting it lightly. Luckily for us, she has distilled years of learnings and insight into a series of successful books.

Her latest publication, Money Smart, contains nuggets of wisdom about personal finance. In particular, her essays on popular investments are especially helpful in understanding how common investment platforms and schemes relate to the average Singaporean.

Writing as a seasoned journalist, Lorna breaks down complex financial terms into simple-to-understand ideas in her book. Highly recommended for those seeking to understand investing within the larger context of managing your personal finances.

4. Ben Carlson – Director, Ritholtz Wealth Management

Despite a busy full-time job overseeing more than USD 1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in assets-under-management, Ben Carlson still finds time to write frequently for his personal finance blog A Wealth of Common Sense.

Insisting on a common-sense approach to wealth-building and investment, Ben teaches investors to focus on crucial concepts that withstand the test of time, instead of wasting energy on chasing short-lived trends.

He accomplishes this using real-life scenarios and examples, which make for relatable, enjoyable, thought-provoking reading that help nurture macro-level insights.

5. Jim Collins – Investment and financial independence blogger

Blog: The Simple Path to Wealth

If you think you need a background in finance or economics to be a successful investor, well you’ve never met Jim Collins. An English Literature degree-holder, Jim has worked in seemingly every single profession: from mail clerk to landscaper to radio talk show host.

Despite his atypical career path, Jim today runs a thriving blog most well-known for its investment-focused Stocks Series. Part investment blogger and part financial independence blogger, he is also regularly invited to speak at places such as Google, where he champions a simple approach to investing.

6. J David Stein – Top investment podcaster

If podcasts are your preferred way of absorbing new information, you should check out Money for the Rest of Us, a highly-rated weekly podcast by David Stein.

Drawing on his past experience managing billions of dollars worth of assets, David’s goal is to help investors of all levels think critically about their investments in order to avoid unfavourable outcomes.

His podcasts are crafted to challenge conventional thinking and highlight possible pitfalls, helping investors of all levels to avoid developing common but harmful investing behaviours and beliefs.

7. Barbara Corcoran – NYC Real Estate Queen and Shark Tank investor

If you choose to believe in fairy tales, choose this one. Starting off as a waitress, Barbara Corcoran hustled all the way to the top of the real estate sector in cut-throat New York.

Today, she is a successful multi-millionaire, and as seen on Shark Tank, spends her days investing in budding businesses, making even more bank in the process! That’s the best type of virtuous cycle, you guys.

Besides appearing on TV, Barbara also hosts a lively podcast, Business Unusual where she gives out advice on career, entrepreneurship, investment and personal finance in her trademark blend of straight-talk and encouragement.

8. Kevin O’Leary (Mr Wonderful) –  Multi-millionaire businessman and Shark Tank investor

With a personality that outshines his bald head, multi-millionaire Kevin O’Leary (aka Mr Wonderful) is well-known for his hardball (some may say unscrupulous) deals on Shark Tank.

But don’t let the cut-throat antics fool you; Mr Wonderful is just a persona, as he reveals on his YouTube channel. Besides that scintillating tell-all (1.3 million views and counting), you’ll also find his ‘Ask Mr Wonderful’ series where he talks about all things related to investing and wealth making.

If you can look past the somewhat click-baitey titles (i.e. 5 Things Every Guy Should Do in Their 20s, The Biggest Mistake I’ve Ever Made), you’ll find actionable (and occasionally surprising) tips and pointers delivered in his signature off-the-cuff style.