How often should I rebalance?

Quarterly or semi-annually is sufficient for most beginners unless your allocation drifts significantly.

What matters most in year one?

Contribution discipline and avoiding behavior mistakes matter more than tiny differences in instrument selection.

STI ETF vs S&P 500: Which Fits a New Investor Better?

A decision framework for choosing local vs global index exposure based on goals, risk, and behavior.

Max Tan

The Compound Club Contributor · 2 Feb 2026 · 11 min read

STI-focused products provide stronger local relevance and often dividend characteristics linked to Singapore sectors.

S&P 500 exposure concentrates on large-cap US companies and global earnings engines, which can offer different growth dynamics.

International exposure introduces currency effects, which can be beneficial or painful depending on period and direction.

Home bias can increase comfort, but over-concentration in one market can reduce resilience across macro regimes.

The best ETF for you is the one you can continue buying during boring months and difficult months.

If a portfolio setup causes emotional overreaction, your structure is wrong even if the theory is technically strong.

A split approach can reduce all-in bets on one narrative. Keep it simple and review quarterly with the same checklist.

The key is contribution consistency and a rule-based review rhythm, not constant re-optimization.

No. A blended allocation is often practical and easier to maintain over long horizons.

Max Tan

The Compound Club Contributor · 2 Feb 2026 · 11 min read

Youth-first finance educator focused on actionable Singapore context.