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.

Next >>