Grown and Not Built!

Wonder of wonders. Maybe it also happens in other parts of the world.

In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built - they're grown.

The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree. This tree produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves.

Cherrapunji is credited with being the wettest place on earth, and The War-Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area's many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges.Walla!

US K-Workers Head for China

With an economy in limbo and pump-priming seeing negligible impact, new US graduates see the push and pull factor in operation.

To them, Shanghai and Beijing are becoming new lands of opportunity and they are heading there in droves.

Joshua Arjuna Stephens graduated from Wesleyan University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies. Two years ago, he decided to take a temporary summer position in Shanghai with China Prep, an educational travel company. Even those with limited or no knowledge of Chinese are heeding the call. They are lured by China’s surging economy, the lower cost of living and a chance to bypass some of the dues-paying that is common to first jobs in the United States.

“I’ve seen a surge of young people coming to work in China over the last few years,” said Jack Perkowski, founder of Asimco Technologies, one of the largest automotive parts companies in China.

“When I came over to China in 1994, that was the first wave of Americans coming to China,” he said. “These young people are part of this big second wave.”

One of those in the latest wave is Joshua Arjuna Stephens, who graduated from Wesleyan University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies. Two years ago, he decided to take a temporary summer position in Shanghai with China Prep, an educational travel company.

“I didn’t know anything about China,” said Stephens, who worked on market research and programme development. “People thought I was nuts to go not speaking the language, but I wanted to do something off the beaten track.”

Two years later, after stints in the non-profit sector and at a large public relations firm in Beijing, he is highly proficient in Mandarin and works as a manager for XPD Media, a social media company based in Beijing that makes online games.

Jonathan Woetzel, a partner with McKinsey & Company in Shanghai who has lived in China since the mid-1980s, says that compared with just a few years ago, he was seeing more young Americans arriving in China to be part of an entrepreneurial boom. “There’s a lot of experimentation going on in China right now, particularly in the energy sphere, and when people are young they are willing to come and try something new,” he said

And the Chinese economy is more hospitable for both entrepreneurs and job seekers, with a gross domestic product that rose 7.9 per cent in the most recent quarter compared with the period a year earlier. Unemployment in urban areas is 4.3 per cent, according to government data.

Grace Hsieh, president of the Yale Club in Beijing and a 2007 graduate, says she’s seen a rise in the number of Yale graduates who have come to work in Beijing since she arrived in China two years ago. She is working as an account executive in Beijing for Hill & Knowlton, the public relations company.

Sarabeth Berman, a 2006 graduate of Barnard College with a major in urban studies, initially arrived in Beijing to take a job that would have been difficult for a 23-year-old to land in the United States: programme director at BeijingDance/LDTX, the first modern dance company in China to be founded independently of the government.

Berman said she was hired for her familiarity with Western modern dance rather than a deep knowledge of China. “Despite my lack of language skills and the fact that I had no experience working in China, I was given the opportunity to manage the touring, international projects, and produce and programme our annual Beijing Dance Festival.”

After two years of living and working in China, Berman is proficient in Mandarin. She travels throughout China, Europe and the United States with the dance company.

Willy Tsao, the artistic director of BeijingDance/LDTX, said he hired Berman because of her ability to make connections beyond China. “I needed someone who was capable of communicating with the Western world.”

Another dynamic in the hiring process, Tsao says, is that Westerners can often bring a skill set that is harder to find among the Chinese.

“Sarabeth is always taking initiative and thinking what we can do,” he said, “while I think the more standard Chinese approach is to take orders.” He sees the difference as rooted in the educational system. “In Chinese schools students are encouraged to be quiet and less outspoken; it fosters a culture of listening more than initiating.”

Perkowski says many Chinese companies are looking to hire native English speakers to help them navigate the American market. “I’m working with a company right now that wants me to help them find young American professionals who can be their liaisons to the US,” he said. “They want people who understand the social and cultural nuances of the West.”

Perkowski’s latest venture, JFP Holdings, a merchant bank based in Beijing, hasn’t posted any job openings, but has received more than 60 résumés; a third of them are from young people in the United States who want to come work in China, he said.

Mick Zomnir, 20, a soon-to-be junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is working as a summer intern for JFP. “As things have gotten more difficult in the US, I started to think about opportunities elsewhere,” he said. He does not speak Chinese but says he will begin studying Mandarin when he returns to MIT in the fall.

A big draw of working in China, many young people say, is that they feel it has allowed them to skip a rung or two on the career ladder.

Berman said: “There is no doubt that China is an awesome place to jump-start your career. Back in the US, I would be intern No. 3 at some company or selling tickets at Lincoln Centre.”

For others, like Jason Misium, 23, China has solved the cash flow problem of starting a business. After graduating with a degree in biology from Harvard in 2008, Misium came to China to study the language. Then he started Sophos Academic Group, an academic consulting firm that works with Chinese students who want to study in the United States. “It’s China’s fault that I’m still here,” he says. “It’s just so cheap to start a business.” It cost him the equivalent of US$12,000 (RM42,000), which he had in savings, he said.

Among many young Americans, the China exit strategy is a common topic of conversation. Stephens, Berman and Misium all said they were planning to return to the United States eventually.

Woetzel of McKinsey said work experience in China was not an automatic ticket to a great job back home. He said it was not a marker the way an Ivy League education is: “The mere fact of just showing up and working in China and speaking Chinese is not enough.”

That said, Woetzel added, someone who has been able to make their mark in China is a valuable hire. “At McKinsey, we are looking for people who have demonstrated leadership,” he said, “and working in a context like China builds character, requires you to be a lot more entrepreneurial and forces you to innovate.”

So, how does the US feel when they start losing K-workers to a potential competitor?

The Auditing of Najib's 1Malaysia

Some of the articles in Malaysian Insider do focus on salient issues. I am not political and focus only on issues . With another 20 days to go before the nation turns 52, this article encapsulates some of the issues facing the nation today.Read on

"AUG 10 - News headlines and opinion pieces in the past few weeks have been rather telling as we hurtle to another anniversary of Merdeka.

Politicians and even journalists are trading barbs, calling one another racists - which is really the flip side of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's 1 Malaysia slogan.

But the prime minister has remained above the fray. In fact, he spent part of the weekend visiting Batu Caves, the first sitting prime minister to do so. Indian Malaysians were happy as he gave out some goodies and said he would mull other requests.

Yes, Najib has flipped chapatis in a Sikh gurdwara, sipped some coffee in Brickfields or rather Little India and has now toured Batu Caves, complete with a giant garland that could make it to the Malaysian Book of Records.

His visits to these places dominated by the Indians have been rich with symbolism.

But has anything really changed since the last general election?

Yes. And no.

The five Hindraf leaders are free, some setting up political parties and continuing to harangue governments of the day on multifarious issues with the latest being the KampungBuah Pala issue.

So be it Barisan or Pakatan, they will bite and try to get what they want in return for their support.

But other things have not changed. Malaysians still don't feel equal in this nation that will soon be 52. Both the coalitions pay lip-service to mutual respect for one another, each vociferous about their communal rights and wrongs of the other party.

As for the Indian Malaysians, getting 15 per cent of this or that (although double their percentage in population terms) might seem good but there lies the death of meritocracy, there lies the crutch that will hobble and cripple them as equal members of the Malaysian nation.

Would it be so easy to appease every Malaysian with a visit, a smile, a “Vanakkam”, a “Nandri” and let bygones be bygones? A hello, a thank you and walk away after that and tick the boxes that say 1 Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.

Should we let the inequality, racism and divisiveness continue bubbling to keep Malaysians separate and easier to manage?

Have we seen anything that has said People First since April 3, 2009?

1 Malaysia Unit Trusts? Isn't that our money that they allow us to invest in the unit trust at a time when there is a wide range of trusts and REITS?

Have we seen anything that has said Performance Now since April 3,

2009? Has the economy improved or have we decided to debate about beer sales and the infallibility of one's coalitions vis-a-vis the rival's?

Have we seen anything 1 Malaysia? Is “Vanakkam” and “Nandri” enough?"

Beware of these Cancer Signals....

Melanie Haiken the Caring.com Senior Editor wrote this extensive piece. Good reading.

Annual checkups and tests such as colonoscopies and PSA assays are important, but it’s not a good idea to rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It’s just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable.(You should also listen to those close to you, such as a wife or
partner, because others sometimes notice things we’re unaware of, or don’t want to admit) You don’t want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they’d noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.

1. UPSET STOMACH or STOMACHACHE
One of the first signs colon cancer patients remember experiencing when they look back is unexplained stomach aches. Those with pancreatic cancer describe a dull ache that feels like it’s pressing inward. Many liver cancer patients say they went in complaining of stomach cramps and upset stomachs so frequently that their doctors
thought they had ulcers. Liver cancer patients and those with leukemia can experience abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen, which may feel like an ache on the lower left side. If you have a stomachache that you can’t attribute to a digestive problem or that doesn’t go away, ask your doctor to order an ultrasound. Finding a liver or pancreatic tumor early can make all the difference in treatment.

2. CHRONIC “ACID STOMACH” OF FEELING FULL AFTER A SMALL MEAL
The most common early sign of stomach cancer is pain in the upper or middle abdomen that feels like gas or heartburn. It may be aggravated by eating, so that you feel full when you haven’t actually eaten much. What’s particularly confusing is that the pain can be relieved by antacids, confirming your conclusion that it was caused by acid in the stomach, when it’s more than that. An unexplained pain or ache in lower right side can be the first sign of liver cancer, known as one of the “silent killers.” Feeling full after a small meal is a common sign of liver cancer as well. If you have frequent bouts of acid stomach, an unexplained abdominal ache, or a full feeling after meals even when you’re eating less than normal, call your doctor.

3. UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS
If you notice the pounds coming off and you haven’t made changes to your diet or exercise regime, it’s important to find out why. Unexplained weight loss can be an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it can also be a sign of cancer that’s spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of waste.

4. JAUNDICE
Pancreatic cancer, another one of the “silent killers,” is often discovered when someone notices jaundice and asks the doctor to do a battery of tests. Jaundice is most commonly thought of as a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, but darker-than-normal urine that’s not the result of dehydration is also a sign. Clay-colored stools are another little-known sign of jaundice. Oddly, jaundice can also cause itching, because the bile salts in the bloodstream cause the skin to itch. Some people with pancreatic cancer say they noticed the itching before they noticed the jaundice itself.

5. WHEEZING OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH
One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. “I couldn’t even walk to my car without wheezing; I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn’t have it it before?”, is how one man described it. Shortness of breath, chest pain, or spitting blood are also signs of testicular cancer that’s spread to the lungs.

6. CHRONIC COUGH OR CHEST PAIN
Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. One way to tell the difference: The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

7. FREQUENT FEVERS OR INFECTIONS
These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy white cells, sapping the body’s infection-fighting capabilities. Doctors sometimes catch leukemia in older adults onlyafter the patient has been in a number of times complaining of fever, aches,and flu-like symptoms over an extended period of time.

8. DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING
Most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, having trouble swallowing is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too. Men diagnosed with esophageal cancer look back and remember a feeling of pressure and soreness when swallowing that didn’t go away the way a cold or flu would have. Consult your doctor also if you have a frequent feeling of needing to clear your throat or that food is stuck in your chest;either of these can signal a narrowing of the esophagus that could mean the presence of a tumor.

9. CHRONIC HEARTBURN
If you just ate half a pizza, heartburn is expected. But if you have frequent episodes of heartburn or a constant low-level feeling of pain in the chest after
eating, call your doctor and ask to be screened for esophageal cancer. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — a condition in which stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing heartburn and an acidic taste in the throat — can trigger a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which can be a precursor of esophageal cancer.

10. SWELLING OF FACIAL FEATURES
Some patients with lung cancer report that they noticed puffiness,swelling, or redness in the face. The explanation for this is that small cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.

11. SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES OR LUMPS IN THE NECK, UNDERARM OR GROIN
Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer. For example, a lump or an enlarged lymph in the neck or underarm is sometimes a sign of thyroid, head, or throat cancer. A painless lump on the neck, underarm, or groin can be an early sign of leukemia.

12. EXCESSIVE BRUISING OR BLEEDING THAT DOES'NT STOP
This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelets and red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. One man with leukemia noticed that his gums bled when he brushed his teeth; another described bruising in strange places, such as on his fingers and hands. The explanation: Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and clot.

13. WEAKNESS & FATIQUE
“I had to stop halfway across the yard and sit down when I was mowing the lawn,” said one man when describing the fatigue that led to his discovery of pancreatic cancer. Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer (and other ills) that you’ll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms. But any time, you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn’t respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.

14. RECTAL BLEEDING OR BLOOD IN THE STOOLS
“I thought it was hemorrhoids” is one of the most common statements doctors hear when diagnosing colorectal cancer. Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy. Another sign of blood in the stool many people miss is stools that are darker in color.

15. BOWEL PROBLEMS
Constipation, diarrhea, and changes in stools can all be signs of cancer.As with many other cancer symptoms, the way to tell if this is cause for concern is if it goes on for more than a few days without a clear cause, such as flu or food poisoning. People diagnosed with colon cancer say they noticed more frequent stools, as well as a feeling that their bowels were not emptied completely. One of the early signs of pancreatic cancer is fatty stools, which can be recognized as frequent, large stools that are paler than normal and smelly. This is a sign that your body’s not absorbing your food normally, and it should be brought to your doctor’s attention.

16. DIFFICULTY URINATING OR CHANGES IN FLOW
Hands-down, the most common early sign of prostate cancer is a feeling of not being able to start peeing once you’re set to go. Many men also report having a hard time stopping the flow of urine, a flow that starts and stops, or a stream that’s weaker than normal. Any of these symptoms is reason to call your doctor for an exam and a screening test for prostate-specific antigen.

17. PAIN OR BURNING DURING URINATION
This symptom can also indicate a urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted disease, of course, but in any case it warrants an immediate trip to the doctor. This symptom is often combined with the feeling that you need to go more often, particularly at night. These same symptoms can also indicate inflammation or infection in the prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia, the name for what happens when the prostate grows bigger and blocks the flow of urine. However, you need to get checked out to tell the difference.

18. BLOOD IN URINE OR SEMEN
Men are often warned about blood in the urine, but they may not realize that blood in semen is also a danger sign for prostate cancer. Blood in the urine or semen isn’t always visible as blood; urine may just be a pink, dark red, or smoky brown color, while blood in the semen may just look like a pinkish streak.

19. ERECTION PROBLEMS
As prostate cancer progresses, another very common sign is difficulty getting or sustaining an erection. This can be a difficult subject to talk about, but it’s important to bring it to your doctor’s attention. It could be a sign of sexual dysfunction with another cause, of course, but it’s a reason to have an exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

20. PAIN, ACHING OR HEAVINESS IN THE GROIN, HIPS, THIGHS OR ABDOMEN
One sign of prostate cancer is frequent pain in the hips, upper thighs, or the lowest part of the back. Men with testicular cancer report noticing a heavy, aching feeling low in the belly or abdomen, or in the scrotum or testicles themselves. They sometimes describe it as a feeling of downward pulling or as a generalized ache throughout the groin area. Prostate cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes often makes itself known as discomfort in the pelvis or swelling in the legs.

21. TESTICULAR SWELLING OR LUMP
The lumps that indicate testicular cancer are nearly always painless. It’s also common for a testicle to be enlarged or swollen, but lacking any specific lump that you can see or feel. Some men report feeling discomfort from the enlargement, but not an outright pain.

22. UNEXPLAINED BACK PAIN
Back pain can mean all sorts of things, of course — most often pulled muscles or disc problems. But unexplained, persistent back pain can be an early sign of cancer as well, so get it checked out. Pain in the lower back and hips can be a sign of prostate cancer, while pain in the upper back can signal lung cancer. A pain in the upper abdomen and back is one of the few early signs of pancreatic cancer.

23. SCALY OR PAINFUL NIPPLE OR CHEST, NIPPLE DISCHARGE
Men do get breast cancer; they also get a condition called gynecomastia,which is a benign lump in the breast area. Breast cancer is usually detected as a lump, but if it’s spreading inward it can also cause chest pain. Other signs of breast cancer include patches of red, scaly, or dimpled skin or changes to the nipple such as turning inward or leaking fluid. Bring any lump,swelling, or skin or nipple problem, or any chest pain, to your doctor'sattention.

24. A SORE OR SKIN LUMP THAT DOESNT HEAL, BECOMES CRUSTY OR BLEEDS EASILY
Most of us know how to watch moles for changes that might indicate skin cancer. But other signs, such as small waxy lumps or dry scaly patches, are easier to miss. Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer — melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma —and be vigilant about checking skin all over the body for odd-looking growths or spots.

25. CHANGES IN NAILS
Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer. A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer, while newly discovered “clubbing,” which means enlargement of the ends of the fingers, with nails that curve down over the tips, can be a sign of lung cancer. Pale or white nails can be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly, sometimes a sign of liver cancer.

So there you have it.

En Garde! Tun is on the Offensive Again...

Tun Dr. Mahathir is now more vocal in defence of his recently dumped policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English.

Shazwan Mustafa Kamal wrote this in the Malaysian Insider today. I quote his write-up.

"Tun Dr Mahathir today openly lashed out at Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to scrap the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI).

Dr Mahathir said that maintaining the PPSMI policy was necessary, and that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had to be “realistic” about it.

“What he (Muhyiddin) feels about the issue is his own business. Science and mathematics must be taught in English. That is my belief. The party (BN) stands to lose a lot of support if the old policy is replaced with the new one in 2012.”

According to Dr Mahathir, there were other ways of teaching the subjects in English, even among students in rural areas. Computer language software, he said, would enable not only the students but also teachers themselves who were struggling with English to improve their language proficiency skills.

The Education Ministry has come under fire recently for deciding to reverse its English policy.

One of the reasons cited for the policy turnaround was the shortage of teachers. In response to this, Dr Mahathir said the shortage was because teachers had been teaching in Bahasa Malaysia all along.

Although a “soft landing” approach will be used in the early stages, many people have raised concerns as to whether the policy switch will truly benefit the students.

“You’re playing around with our children’s future,” warned the former prime minister."

Seems Tun is getting more vocal in defending his policy which has been dumped.

Let us see what follow up he has up his sleeves.

Fantastic X-Ray Photographs

These are great photographs using x-rays. See for yourself.

Retiring with Grace?

A Singaporean reporter Lorna Tan did a story on "Retiring without Tears".

It is a very practical treatise and we should all read it with reflection.I have paraphrased wherever required to capture the gist of her arguments.

" More Singaporeans are facing the grim reality of retiring later or having to lower their lifestyle expectations when they do retire. This is partly because they fail to plan early for their retirement, if at all.

Recent surveys on retirement have indicated that the majority of people are unprepared for retirement.

An annual Future of Retirement study from HSBC - It's Time To Prepare - has found that an alarming 91 per cent of Singaporeans do not have any idea what their retirement income would be, and only 9 per cent are prepared for this phase of life.Truly sad....

In addition, while 39 per cent feel that they understand their short-term finances very well, only 23 per cent can say the same about their long-term finances.

HSBC Singapore's head of personal financial services, Mr Sebastian Arcuri remarks: 'The lack of understanding and knowledge of long-term financial milestones like retirement could be intensified by the current economic downturn, which may have led more Singaporeans to divert their attention to short-term survival needs instead of their long-term goals.'

Last month, HSBC launched a free retirement planning service for its mass affluent customers who have at least $200,000 with the bank.

Thus, to improve the prospects of a comfortable retirement, one cannot afford to delay reviewing one's retirement nest egg. Here are some considerations. [listed out by Lorna.]

1 Retirement age

For a start, it is important to determine at just what age you hope to retire in order to work towards retirement goals, said Mr Ho Kien Hung, a manager at Alpha Financial Advisers. The earlier a person does this, the more time he has to plan, and to resolve any hiccups along the way.

Failing to plan for a specific retirement age may result in a person procrastinating over his retirement plans and ending up with not enough savings to retire comfortably, or having to continue working even after reaching the desired retirement age.

2 Years of retirement

This refers to the length of time that you require your retirement funds to last.

Of course, to some extent, this is in the lap of the gods. [Oh,sure!]

But based on current statistics and the retirement age of 62, most Singaporeans can expect to live a further 20 to 30 years after retirement.

According to statistics from the 2008 World Population Data Sheet, the life expectancy is 78 for Singapore males and 83 for females.

You should also take your family's medical history into account. Given advances in medical science, people are living longer and it would be wise to make provisions for additional years of retirement, said Mr Arcuri.

Mr Darren Lim, 78, wished he had done all this.

When he retired from his job as a tennis coach at 60, he never thought he would live past 70. By the time he was 70, he had used up his retirement nest egg and is now depending on his son for monthly cash handouts.

3 Retirement lifestyle

A comfortable retirement means different things to different people. Your expectations of just what a comfortable retirement will look like affects how much you need to set aside for your nest egg, said Mr Arcuri.

For instance, if you plan to travel around the world when you retire, you are likely to need more income than someone content to pursue hobbies and activities that are easier on the pocket.

The choice of which country to reside in is also a consideration, as the cost of living in some neighbouring countries is much lower than in Singapore.[This is a cheeky one!]

Here are some questions you could ask yourself. Do you still plan to work? Do you plan to go for an annual holiday? Would you consider downgrading to a smaller car or even switching to public transport?

Such retirement lifestyle requirements would help to determine the bare minimum sum one needs for a retirement nest egg, said Mr Albert Lam, investment director at IPP Financial Advisers.

4 Inflation

You cannot ignore the impact of inflation, which is the increase in the general price level of goods and services. This is because inflation adversely affects the purchasing power of your money.

For example, based on an average annual inflation rate of 3 per cent, $1,000 today would be worth only $642 in today's terms in 15 years' time. As a result, a retirement income that is enough to sustain you in your first year of retirement may be insufficient by the 10th year, said Mr Arcuri.

5 Financial commitments

Consider what your likely monetary commitments in retirement are. With more people marrying and starting a family later, you need to consider whether your house would be fully paid off by the time you retire, and whether you still need to support your children in their studies, said Mr Ho.

Other dependants may include aged parents, said Mr Arcuri. If so, you would need to ensure that your retirement income also caters to their needs.

6 Medical expenses

Studies have shown that medical expenses are substantially higher in the last years of life. As they have the potential to put a major dent in your financial security, medical insurance plans that can take care of health-care related expenses should be considered.

Mr Christopher Tan, chief executive of wealth management firm Providend, says that when working out your retirement income, take into account the premiums of medical plans and other insurance policies that you still need to pay beyond your working years.

7 Leaving a legacy

Be it a desire to leave an inheritance to the next generation or a charitable bequest, your legacy plans would also determine how your retirement portfolio is structured. In either case, a portion or all the capital has to be left untouched, said Mr Arcuri. Hence, you would need to make provisions to ensure that the earmarked assets would not be drawn down to fund your retirement.

8 Existing assets and post- retirement income

When working out your retirement income needs, consider your existing assets as well as future income streams. For instance, you can project the values of assets, like your Central Provident Fund savings, insurance policies, unit trusts, bonds, shares, properties and even antiques, till retirement, said Mr Ho.

You may also receive post-retirement income in the form of pensions, annuities or property rentals."

So after reading all these points and arguments,how many of us can really retire with grace?