Daily Briefing: SIA surprises with a loss; When high debt can mean high rewards

And here's why it's never too early to start saving for retirement.

From Bloomberg via Yahoo!: Singapore Airlines Ltd. shares plunged the most in almost six years after reporting a surprise loss because of intense competition, prompting Southeast Asia’s biggest carrier to kick off a review of its business. The stock slumped 7.3% to $9.98, erasing $922 million ($663m) in market value. Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said Friday he would leave “no stone unturned” in the review.

From Motley Fool Singapore: For many investors, high debt levels are viewed in a negative light. After all, they mean there is a greater risk attached to the company in question. If it is unable to pay its debts due to underperformance, it could become bankrupt. However, high debt can also be a good thing. It can equate to higher rewards, which in some cases more than makes up for the higher level of risk.

From Yahoo! Finance Singapore: To get an idea of what this means for retirement financial needs, consider this simple but conservative example: Say a Singaporean woman retires at age 62. According to the longevity data, she could live for another 23 years. If she doesn’t have to pay for the roof over her head and can survive on a low monthly budget of S$500, she would still need S$138,000 to fund her retirement. Even now, surviving on S$500 a month in Singapore is a big challenge. It is likely to get tougher in the years to come.