Tag: T_defense

[20]G7shields@ family_livelihood #severance

Posted on by tiger40490

 

k_tectonic

See also

I now spend lots of time (over thinking?) blogging and analyzing my various protections, which make me feel deeply satisfied (safety).

##layers@ buffer|alternative|batt ⇒security explains the semantics of defense ^ protection ^ buffer^^^ but in this bpost, I prefer the physical feel of a “shield” rather then the abstract concept of “protection”. In this blogpost I will use other metaphors besides “shield”. Pillar and Levee (黄河) each has unique connotations.

Multiple shields on multiple fronts are important to both my heart and mind. Despite their limitations, these shields can even make me feel superior. Together, these protections constitute one of my key strengths, though not competitive strengths per se, as in a scarce-resource context. I don’t need to but often want to compare within my circle.

Note this blog is strictly on livelihood proteciton, not ego protections (like PIP, stigma, trauma,,,) or family pains (like kids delinquency)

— all pillars/levees/shields are precarious, fragile and vulnerable. In a way, human existence is fundamentally fragile, and whatever protections always fragile. A big dose of detachment is needed on a regular basis. Overall, I (and presumably wife) feel less vulnerable in SG than the Chinese immigrants in the U.S.

  • MLP job (not within G5) is the most precarious of all pillars supporting my carefree ezlife. (The tech career longevity shield is better.) Lossing this pillar would expose me to
  • .. large or opaque codebase .. speed of figure-things-out relative to teammates
  • .. painful commute
  • SG citizenship is a stronger pillar/levee because its vulnerabilities are widely analyzed.
  • other vulnerabilities are discussed below.

— legends

  • [4|5|9=among G4|G5|G9]
  • [b=let’s ask those with relatively high branks like Siddesh] — these “Siddeshes” fly high but vulnerable without my protective armor.
  • [d=conscious, active detachment needed]
  • [$$$ etc = value-for-the-family of the protection, and reliability to a lesser extent]
  • [AAA etc = reliability rating of the protection, and value to a lesser extent] — I used to assign higher rating to external protections, but now need more self-reliance and self-confidence. See locus@control:current carefree high ground mostly due2%%effort

==== short-term protections

[BB $] [9d] MLP medbx + sancturary + severance

===== medium-term protections

[B $] [7bd] My growing nest egg and nonwork incomes (beyond rental). Reliability of each income stream depends partly on my active management. CPF-life is more reliable like “A”.

  • Jolt: the investment seminars always exaggerate the value and reliability of this particular protection, which is actually much lower than SG citizenship, wellness etc.
  • 2025 update: To a family on the cashflow low ground (like [39]), a SGD 100k cash nest egg would be an effective shield. For a CMC[ChMidClass], a SGD 2M net (incl some liquid) asset would be a solid shield. See [40]

[AAA $$] [2] robust tech career longevity is arguably the #1 bedrock of my ffree

  • Actually career longevity depends a lot on physical longevity, but in this list, I separate out wellness.
  • continuous, self-driven learning attitude, with plenty of refresh/reinforce, 温故知新
  • [A $$] [b] IV competitiveness including theoretical skills. If I lose my job during covid19, but demand remains, I would rely on IV skills to get another well-paying job.
  • [B] [d] WallSt contract job market — protects against early decline of demand
  • [C] [d] robust demand for java across industries
  • [A $] [b] dev-till-70 as a mentality is an effective shield.
  • [B $] my on-the-job survival skill is slightly less reliable as protection.

==== long term protections

[AA $$] [3b] conserver lifestyle  — good burn rate as Family [6] — protects against many cash-flow threats including job insecurity during covid19.

PERSONAL burn rate would be rated AAA

[A $$$] [4bd] wellness — lifestyle + current condition. title is vague and broad.

  • [A] [d] diet habit, BMI green zone
  • [AA] exercise lifestyle
  • [d] good sleep — protects against workload, ,,,

[$$$] [5d] stable marriage — is a cornerstone and protects against many threats.

  • Is this a livelihood protection? Grandpa would say yes as he pointed out how marriage affects the kids and my own livelihood.
  • How reliable this protection is? Up to me. Grandpa would say you can choose to show more tolerance (包容), more respect,  more understanding, more kindness
  • [$] harmony at home — long term is best, but any harmony is valuable protection for kids and aging parents.
  • This item is an under-appreciated pillar, esp. for the kids.

[A $$] [6b] SG citizenship — protects against healthcare inflation, long-term nursing cost, housing cost, general inflation. Some protective benefits of SG citizenship are not measured by money —

  • protection against poor service (common in many countries) when I’m in need of help
  • protective environment for up-bringing of kids — drug-free,,
  • protects against covid19 job insecurity. Job support (Singaporeans’ livelihood protection) wass the biggest medium-term concern of the Singapore government, arguably a bigger concern than 1) outbreak management 2) food supply
  • the middle/low income working families [11th~60th percentiles of SG citizens] are well-taken care of by the nanny state including NUTC union. In the U.S. the church seems to provide a similar (much smaller) safety net
  • See the full list in ## SG citizenship: value imt GC
  • As listed, all other shields require active, high maintenance effort (Nonwork income is lower maintenance). This shield requires zero effort on my part, as the government puts in a huge effort maintaining this shield.
  • This item “defines” and “anchors” the A-rating. This item has lower reliability because it’s beyond my personal control. Singaporeans tend to have too much confidence in the PAP leaders as if they are Gods and never misjudge, mis-calculate, lack strength/vision. Well, there are very capable leaders in other countries, too, but their citizens don’t have such naive perceptions.

anti-aging muscle workout

Posted on by tiger40490

muscle loss is normal as people age.

Use multiple tools and equipments. Variety is good.

— prevent falls

— protect joints

— prolong mobility

— boost bone density

— resistance_training to prevent or control t2dm

https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/why-does-exercise-sometimes-raise-blood-sugar says “Most forms of aerobic/cardiovascular exercise will lower your glucose levels, while activities such as high-intensity training and weightlifting can raise it.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34856088/ “suggests an inverse association of the skeletal muscle mass with blood glucose level, which encourages the implication of muscle-building exercises as the preventive measure for T2DM”. This research uses a healthy population without T2DM.

Muscle mass is considered a physical “shield” against blood sugar deterioration as we age. https://www.ingredia-usa.com/blood-sugar-and-the-benefits-of-building-muscle-mass/ suggests “Prevent Diabetes by Increasing Your Muscle Mass”

##drug risk4boy: specific strategies

Posted on by tiger40490

Beyond drugs, there are similar bad influences in the U.S. community. Here are my practical strategies, in no particular order:

  • choose strict schools. Pay the price, but see luxury/special edu: unaffordable4%%middle class
  • join a class as an older student
  • Choose Chinese neighborhood like Edison (Honglin’s suggestion). Accept the long commute.
  • protect the bond with kids, so they open up to me when needed. Jack Zhang pointed out I need time for kids.
  • wife stay home to keep an eye on him for a while. During the formative years, mother has more influence than father. (If he needs constant monitoring, then consider SG.)
  • focus on what we can control; recognize and accept the things beyond our control.

#1 Biggest strategy — the parachute. When needed, be decisive to relocate back to SG.
I would then have no doubt that I need to work in SG for several years, perhaps at lower salary.
Accept that both kids could be delayed by a year or two, or consider international schools.
Philosophically, Even though every decision has consequences, we are not permanently locked into the emigration decisions.

#1 safeguard — both parents staying together. “If both parents stay with the kid, things won’t go too bad.”

#9 safeguard — SG extraterritorial penalty on drug usage is a deterrent for my kids. Can be a valuable restraint and deterrent.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cannabis-drug-laws-outside-singapore-hair-test-cna-explains-2916026

— friends’ tips on drug abuse

  • XR said he would show pictures to his kids and drive home the reality about drugs.
  • In the U.S., my son could attend a religious school or charter school with strict control.
  • Jack said church would be a positive “force”.
  • Jack said drugs are more widespread in college than high school but I don’t know.
  • Jack said early intervention is key. The earlier parents try to help their kids quit, the easier it would be.

[20]steadfast focus@Protect` #短期 #bonding,optimism

Posted on by tiger40490

k_soul_search  k_tectonic

See also

This blogpost needs more sunshine, more Dram-refresh, like a 座右铭.

— Lee Hsien Loong said SG would zealously guard its competitive position. Singapore would lose the high ground to other countries after a few strategic missteps. I would say SG also need to protect the enviable covid19 situation, amidst worsening situations in most countries near and far.

Similarly, I now (2021) have a precious carefree ezlife to protect. We need protection against 1) strategic or smaller missteps 2) external threats and hazards

— during the pandemic

For the identiable protections, I’m willing to spend more money (+ some tcost) like tutors, relatively-healthy-but-expensive foods, nearby family outings (tcost),,. Make good use of the extra leaves.

  • protect my precious family harmony and protect my bonding with boy —
  • protect boy’s motivation, confidence, optimism — wordy problems are the most dreadful, basically clueless and hopeless
  • protect my precious wellness condition — diet, dental, endurance, energy, drive ,,, combined to demand huge commitment in absorbency + time. This protection can be enhanced at some $cost such as yoga classes and fancy fruits
    • Longevity of grandpa .. My health (more than my salary) is fundamental to the protection of dabao, meimei, ,,
  • protect my precious job — the PIP-green zone, health insurance, extra leaves, and numerous other precious features, work-life balance,
  • protect the satisfactory married life
  • protect my precious brbr
  • — some also-rans:
  • ? productivity at work or self-study? may need to take a back seat?
  • ? protect my carefree cash-flow situation. Perhaps should delay the U.S. plan
  • ? protect my interview readiness? I think I will NOT lose it so soon.

— G9 short-term factors contributing to my current carefree ezlife, half-ranked by … the amount of “sunshine deserved”

  1. grades .. acceptable over the last 6M
  2. U.S. job market .. golden escape pod over the next 4Y.
    • .. no immigration stressors
  3. marriage .. uneventful over the last 3Y
  4. family harmony .. reasonable after PSLE, over the last 6M
    • .. screen time conflict ? unabated
    • .. bonding with boy? improving
  5. blogging .. plenty of content and spare time, over the last 3Y
  6. salary and Brbr .. good percentile [SG cohort] for the last 2Y.
  7. workload .. one of the G2 short-term factors but less sunshine needed. Spectacular over the last 2Y.
    • .. plenty of leaves as buffers
  8. my primary lang@FT_job enjoys stability+robust demand
  9. —- longer-term facto, beyond this question:
  10. HDB home .. low maintenance over the last 5Y,
    • .. No pest, very few repairs
  11. health of entire family .. good over the last 2Y.
    • .. good sleep, no overweight,,
  12. IV-prep battery .. body-building over the decades, which offers protection over the next 3 to 10Y.

 

[20]random list@ Protection + reinforcer #early plann

Posted on by tiger40490

Note this blogpost is an extension of Shields@family_livelihood , going beyond livelihood. See also

The range of threats, hazards …. is limitless. Missteps and swans are two of many types. At any time, our mind can only focus on a handful. Inevitably, many dangers fall under our radar, because it’s impossible to monitor 33 threats.

The focus on the word “protection” is likely to uncover some threats I perceive semi-consciously or sub-consciously.

  • [b] early planning as a protection — the earlier the better
  • [bc] [B $] my hand-picked bx — shields. Pr(payout) is rather low 🙁
  • Buddhism mentality can be a protection — a bit more reading
  • [b] sound education environment for kids — protects against .. parents’ worries
  • [bj] UChicago branding — helps me get noticed in some competitive selections.
  • [j] English skill — protects against job market competition from overseas newcomers. It is an essential skill in the U.S. when seeking help or defending my family. In Singapore, Chinese can be a competitive advantage.
  • — G5 heavy-duty protections, elaborated in Shields@family livelihood
  • SG citizenship
  • wellness
  • cashflow
  • tech career longevity
  • stable marriage
  • — trivial but interesting protections
  • printer is a protection due to therapeutic blogg
  • vim as a universal reliable alternative text editor, if we can’t easily transfer files into windows for editing
  • [j=threat of job loss or job pain]
  • [b=branks… see Shields@family livelihood ]
  • [c=cash flow stress or distress]

— the shields help protect and strengthen each other..

  • career longevity … provides long streams of income
  • health and and healthy habits … are instrumental to career longevity
  • my strong marriage .. protects my health
  • Sg … the tiny red dot provides protection to my assets, my family, and even help protect career longevity
  • brbr .. (conserver lifestyle) helps build my nest egg
  • my nest egg … center of “graph” … can buy wellness services, learning opportunities to prolong my career

— On 28 Feb 2024, Frank.Fu lost his job while I received a huge bonus payout, and immiediately computed my YoY asset growth (annual snap),,, I wonder what are the truly important shields that protect my livelihood high ground relative to the wider population

* wellness habits, wellness conditions… in the family is the most valuable…

Almost all other shileds are are (indirect) cashflow shields.
* in-demand profile on finDev market .. my skills are still relevant, but my age is a growing concern.
* burn rate control .. many have pointed out my strength and my advantage in this particular skill
* cpfLife compared to U.S. SSA payout
* HDB value and rental demand … not really dependable but better than other rental incomes

— a random list of specific action items to reinforce, strengthen, broaden the protections.

See also random ffree-derailers#resilience measure in the tanbinvest blog. By contrast, today’s list features short-term, hopefully specific, action items. Some are part of long-term plans even though the action items will be on and off. Also, let’s avoid items that don’t really “reinforce” anything.

  • [v=vague]
  • improve vocab for career, legal, parenting,,,
  • maintain and expand vocab for analytical or therapeutic blogg capabilities
  • learn DIY home improvement/repair
  • piano — learn some pop songs that I can play and sing.
  • legal knowledge, esp. in the U.S. context
  • online influencing .. digital marketing (as an alternative career/income) is one aspect. You can also use this skillset to influence opinions or increase awareness (“spread the words”).
  • — family and kids
  • [v] strengthen the marriage to provide a /harbor/ for raising healthy, resilient kids
  • [v] more “investment” in family, more energy, not necessarily more time
  • [v] more quality time with kids to strengthen the bond
  • encourage kids to learn more music
  • more self-analysis (blogging beats discussions) to understand my parenting struggles
  • — wellness
  • make time for wellness, esp. research and experiments
  • morning exercise — try more
  • more basketball sessions
  • more jump-rope sessions
  • increase weekly exercise frequency from 1 to 2. If not possible, then implement multiple mini exercises within a day.
  • consider exercise classes again
  • — pff
  • ctbz on brbr.. My capacity to further drive down burn rate will be needed again and again in my lifetime.
  • reduce time spent on those small investments for fun, to make time for higher priorities. The nonwork income generated is too low to provide meaningful protection. Reduction can strengthen the shield by freeing up more time and “bandwidth” for more meaningful protections.
  • — career
  • improve tool knowledge for GTD
  • refresh for IV muscle building. Refresh beats learning new stuff.

##more healthy than average@@ #defenses

Posted on by tiger40490

When I say “I’m clearly more healthy than average” we are assigning some composite numeric rating to our individual health condition, a vague composite. Here I want to highlight a few elements relevant to myself

  • dental .. my saliva probably has a stronger cleansing effect
  • skin .. some individuals’ skin is less prone to radiation damage. Mine is more vulnerable
  • bone density .. my bones are denser and more resistant to wear-n-tear
  • flexibility .. reduces injuries. I score lower here.
  • sleep .. a natural healing and self-repair. My mom can easily use sleep to recharge and recover from depletion. Am average.
  • sexual health .. enhances physical and psychological well-being. I self-score higher than average.
  • common cold .. Many of my colleagues easily catch the cold. I seldom do.
  • coping devices .. contribute to a healthier system. They include meditation, sleep, workout, comfort foods, expressive writing,
  • psychological defenses ..
  • diet and exercise habits .. a crucial lifestyle defense. They make an individual “healthy” in terms of lifestyle.
  • heart (+ lung) .. some hearts can last longer
  • BMI deep-green
  • overall immune system .. some immune systems are more resilient. In the U.S. I had only a few minor breakdowns (ear infection, fever)

Note I decided to exclude external factors such as healthcare infrastructure, support network etc.

In my list, common keywords are defense, robust/resilience,,, Each person’s system is under relentless attacks. The healthier system is basically more fortified.

 

reliable Shields@@ (finHealth^health)habits

Posted on by tiger40490

k_soul_search

Context .. the G5 shields on family livelihood
See also .. health is wealth , how to accumulate wellness and WellnessCanBeOverrated

My personal control on family burn rate may not be very effective in X years when our expenses escalate, but at the moment, it is more reliable (albeit less valuable) than my wellness “shield” including my habits and current wellness condition.

In terms of adversities (hazards, swants/missteps,,,,), both HH) health and FF) financial adversities happen to more than 50% of all families. Occurrence is generally beyond our control, despite our preventive measures.

In general, the “victim” has more resources dealing with FF than HH:

  • HH is more often a physical adversity while FF is more of a social issue. Therefore other people (including organizations with resources) can more effectively help the victim of FF than HH.
  • For a victim of HH (everyone suffering ill health), at least in the developed world, the most critical help usually is, rather than financial resources, some medical expertise, the patient’s immunity, energy, fighting spirit,,, Donald Trump’s covid19 treatment was the very best but he probably relied on his own immunity.
  • What if, in a rich or poor country, a HH victim actually needs financial resources? I think this is very common.  There may be no effective cure for the health condition, but financial resources can significantly improve the quality of her life.

On some bposts, I listed and analyzed many financial adversities. These adversities usually hit numerous individuals, often individuals stuck on “cash-flow low ground”. Always, some percentage of the victims would survive. I can imagine that I am likely among the survivors.

In contrast, if a health adversity happens to someone in my family, there’s less control, less effective intervention available.

Wellness habits interact with defective genes (present in each of us), healthcare infrastructure, fate ,,, to determine an individual’s DALYs. For example, some smokers and drinkers outlive their healthy counterparts.

— God and karma have a more dominant role in the HH domain than the FF domain. Therefore, I want to do more good deeds, for my kids and grandchildren.
— accumulating protection .. As I said in bposts health is wealth and  “hard_to_accumulate” …. You can’t accumulate health and pass it on to next generation or donate it. For self-use, health can’t be preserved or invested for growth.

##layers@ buffer|alternative|batt ⇒security

Posted on by tiger40490

k_tectonic ,,, k_office_sanctuary

See also spare time as slack resource + [20]random list@ Protection+reinforcer #early planning

This blog is /fairly good/ at focus — focus on 1) buffers or 2) alternatives or 3 batteries

Multiple layers of cushion/buffer/slack-resource … always give me a deep sense of enhanced security. I’m very sensitive to this kinda thing. I feel our life is a small dugout canoe in the high seas, battered by the high waves… soooo many storms, perils, blows, threats, dangers,

Defining example of buffer — the past reserves can tide over the SG economy and buy time, but this buffer can be depleted. Therefore, the current term of government must use the past reserves in a sustainable way, not to consume the fruits of the previous generations and leave a reduced reserve for future generations.

Note on optimism — layers of buffer sounds defensive and pessimistic, but is optimistic at a fundamental level. If you don’t believe in the buffers, why would you bother to build them?

I wish the list below can be more focused on a specific theme. On the other hand wide-ranging is kinda good.

  • [b] strong family — protection for every family member
  • [b] social support network … beyond family-n-friends
  • [bt] UChicago brand creates a protective buffer over my self-esteem
  • ——– wellness (including mental) protector
  • A [b] plenty of spare time for workout and rest, rather than fully stretched .. to protect against spare time “resource” depletion
    • A [b] plenty of paid leaves to protect against depletion of “slack resource” such as spare time
  • [b] office — (even MRT) as a harbor with wifi for my laptop … is an invaluable alternative venue when home becomes too “hot” with tension and distress.
  • [d] EAP counsellors, Cigna-accepted psychologist, even trusted friends like Raymond … as “redundant support network”, to help me deal with various challenges. Note SG offers more social support than other countries.
  • [b] early rise — good for wellness, but under stress I tend to “eat into this buffer” i.e. slowly delay early rise
  • AAA+ [b] #1 eg: low BMI / cholesterol / blood pressure; pull up + fitness …. to protect against wellness “hazards”.
  • AAA [b] high fruit/veg, low fat/starch diet …. to prepare for stress binge
  • AA [b] on belly, low visible fat to protect against (almost inevitable) bulging
  • [b] light body weight relative to my strength, as shown in my pull-up and curl-up
  • ——— alternative gz (+ school) choices
  • [d] teaching and research as an alternative career, thanks to my branded master’s degree
  • A [dt] internet and finDev as two alternative job markets
  • AA [dt] SG and U.S. as two alternative job markets
  • A [dt] c++ in addition to java; jxee in addition to coreJava to provide many times more job opportunities
  • A [d] SG, U.S. and Australia schools for my kids. Many would see them as viable alternatives.
  • See also my “juice meetup” email to Ash.S
  • Ash.S suggestion: Consider small firms .. I agree that either in Singapore or the U.S. small firms are less selective, and less strict in hiring.
  • Ash.S suggestion: Consider quant dev .. I hear you that quant dev roles are possibly growing in Singapore job market. This could become a promising green field for my next job search. I’m good at math, with a branded qualification.
  • My intern’s suggestion: Once I reach a high salary, and have enough of the associated stress + responsibility + expectations, I can hope to find a slow-pace semi-retirement job, at a lower pay like 120k ~ 180k..
  • ——– career buffers
  • [bt] plenty of coding drill and QQ accumulated over the years, fully digested in my own words in blog and github. If there’s a decline in my learning, this visible, measurable built-up buffer would be valuable. Remember the aging Batman in the Bane movie — he relied on his past training to rebuild strengths.
  • [b] sustained traction and engagement (at least neutral attitude) on tech xx. See reliability @ effort^talent. If there’s a decline in my level of engagement, I think it will not drop to zero. I can feel an invisible buffer therein.
  • ——– personal technology++
  • multiple browser brands
  • [bd] multiple low-cost laptops for coding drill and git blogging. In crunch time, I need this backup support.
  • [b] diskHog/landGrab files to be released when I run out of disk space
  • [b] simple smart phones. Don’t get addicted and dependent on the newer smart phone features
  • [b] low-cost commercial VPN, gDrive, wpress… can help reduce stress (via buffering)
  • buy cheap but reliable furniture and gadgets to reduce stress
    • [b] have spares, thanks to the low cost
  • ——— cash flow planning is my strongest hand, so let’s avoid the obvious or the familiar
  • When I reduce my family BR, I feel my buffer/cushion growing
  • [bt] bx: hospitalization cash payout as additional buffer
  • AAA [b] wife able to make a living; sister able and willing to help support my kids if something happens to me
  • [d] MYS and China as additional/alternative retirement destinations, if SG becomes difficult
  • [d] currency diversification — USD assets, SGD assets, RMB assets
  • [AAA etc = reliability rating of the buffer/shield] See locus@control:current carefree high ground mostly due2%%effort
  • [b = buffer. I like the imagery of energy-absorbing buffer stop. They absorb impacts from unexpected adversities and buys me TIME.]
  • [d = diversification … to put my eggs into multiple baskets]
  • [t = battery of accumulation]

— defense ^ protection ^ shield ^ buffer ^ ^^

“Defense” and “protection” are more proactive, more adaptive, while “shield” and “buffer” are more passive and static. A defense/protection may not have any physical form — it can be an attitude, a psychological preparation.

buffer .. even more static than a shield.

alternative .. often an effective “defense” (not a shield).

battery .. less clear. Definitely a form of defense. Not a static shield.

Note that a buffer, shield, and esp. a battery all require periodic /reinforcement/, therefore never “100%” static.

#1 defense in {wellness|PFF|||}

Posted on by tiger40490

In this blogpost, I have a preference for unconventional, innovative views. They are more likely to offer some insight and lasting value.

— In wellness, my biggest cushion/buffer is .. BMI
But I would also point out my lifelong habits in diet, workout…
— in terms of physical mobility, my biggest defense is .. stretching practice for life
— in weight management, my biggest defense is .. timing + portion control
— I have a good appetite. The biggest defense is .. raw veg
— for my hypertension risk, the biggest hazard seems to be … emotional distress
— to prevent lost access to wechat account (important data) … the single most important thing to remember is the mobileNum xxxx5241
— for my career longevity, the biggest shield is … tech-xx absorbency for body-building contest.
Tech xx requires wellness
— risk of job loss, biggest prevention is …. company budget.
In many cases, my tech IV competence is a far more effective cushion, but here question is the Prevention of job loss.
— for my self-esteem on any job, biggest stress-protection for PIP is … my therapeutic blogging as self-help? In this answer, I accept the risk of PIP as a fact of life.

My friend Shou might say “aim to scratch some itch of the manager” but I have never been good at that.
— For the upbringing of my kids, biggest pillar and protection is … strong, lasting marriage built on health!
— for the heavy burden of college funding, first relief is … my kids won’t qualify for expensive colleges
— In family cashflow, analysis is easy. Our biggest protection is … my and wife’s career longevity.
This protection is more effective, more reliable than any government. One reason — government will not give priority to my family among thousands if there’s a pandemic, financial disaster etc.

Most of the disasters I can think of are much more than financial
— for any property investment, biggest cushion is … rental yield (see blogpost on weather-proof: rentalYield^windfall), which depends on location, purchase timing etc.

Warning — rental yield doesn’t apply so well to a home I buy for self-use so it is easy to trivialize rental yield.
— for credit risk in my investments (often risky), arguably the best alternative (as a defense) is CPF or gold. Note USD would drop if US government hits a default event.
— for retirement destination, best alternative (as a protection) is MYS
— for reliable retirement income, the fountainhead is CPF-life supported by SG economy managed by the PAP government.