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Alvin Lock

Alvin Lock

Alvin has enjoyed extensive success with more than 11 years of experience and track record in Retail and Private Banking. His core expertise encompasses a full spectrum of wealth management services including Investment Advisory, Portfolio Management and Financing, Margin Trading, Legacy Planning, and Property Loans.

Protecting Your Property: Home Fire Prevention & Safety Tips We All Need to Know

The truth is, many of us think we know what we’d do in the event of a blaze — but actually don’t. As a homeowner, there is never a bad time to review fire prevention and safety tips with your loved ones. This is especially so when the frequency of fire-related incidents seems to be on the rise, as evident from recent news reports such as ‘Help, my house is on fire’: What you need to do when you see

Alvin Lock February 16, 2022

Decoupling – What And How It Can Help You Buy A Second Property

Following the recent increase in Additional Buyer Stamp Duty (ABSD), Singaporeans must pay 17% ABSD if they intend to purchase a second property. Would you be interested to find out how you can still purchase a second property without incurring ABSD? With 11 years of experience under his belt, Alvin Lock has worked with the most prestigious local and international financial institutions in Singapore. His expertise lies in retail and private banking space, including investment advisory, legacy planning and property

Alvin Lock January 27, 2022

Your Cheat Sheet to November 2021 HDB BTOs

As we approach the end of the year, the final Build-To-Order (BTO) launch has also approached. If you have not managed to ballot for a unit in the past launches, here’s your chance! The highly anticipated November BTO Launch will feature 8 sites. The launch includes a central location, Rochor, alongside mature estates like Kallang/Whampoa. If you’re still pondering, this article will give you a quick rundown of the main pros and cons of each site. Rochor (Central) This is

Alvin Lock November 17, 2021

Why is there such strong demand for BTO flats in Telok Blangah and Tengah?

“Do you want to…BTO?” The surreal rite of passage for most Singaporeans. To some, just a casual journey to Toa Payoh might seem like an ordinary day with your partner. Suddenly, there you stand with your key in your hand, unsure of the life ahead but certain that you are going to make this home. So where would you choose to build your life? This 2021, HDB’s BTO launch encompasses a diverse offering including mature and non-mature estates. Many resources

Alvin Lock June 2, 2021

5 new areas in Singapore for your next home

Singapore as we know is always striving to become a beautiful livable city. We often see buildings in mid-construction and these sites are not a rare sight at all. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the city-state, new residential towns are emerging, slowly but surely. In this article, we will look at 5 areas in Singapore undergoing rapid development. The reason for this? Spotting good locations early gives us more options We can buy homes there at a cheaper

Alvin Lock April 23, 2021

Battle of the BTOs: November 2020 Launch (Part 1)

The demand for BTOs in 2020 has been fierce, to say the least, with the August BTO launches being oversubscribed within a day of a one-week launch period. The potential delays for the completion of BTO launches due to Covid-19, as announced by HDB, have not shaken the demand. With over 38,500 applicants for 7,862 BTO flats, it is likely we will see the same level of competition for the November BTO launches. That being said, let us take an

Alvin Lock November 4, 2020

3 Ways COVID-19 Has Redesigned Our Homes

In April 2020, the Singapore government announced the start of the circuit breaker and made it mandatory for employees to adopt the ‘Work from Home’ (WFH) scheme, forcing everyone to work in a non-office environment. Never have we stayed indoors for so long that our homes have now become our offices, school and for some, even a gym. While phase 2 is well underway and the start of phase 3 approaches, we are not likely to return to the life

Alvin Lock October 1, 2020

Brief Review of Mortgage Rates in 2018 and 2019 and a Revisit for SIBOR?

General Trends in 2018 Looking back at the trend of mortgages in 2018, we would have noticed that people are all big about fixed rates and many of you would have to ask why? The reason is simple, fixed rates were at a 1.55%, 2-years fixed whereas floating rates were at 1.6%, and looking at this minimal difference between the 2, it’s obvious why people would rather opt for a fixed rate mortgage. The US Fed had forecasted 4 increases

Alvin Lock March 30, 2019

Your Last Chance at Safety; An Opinion Piece for Property Loan Fixed Rates Packages

Introduction: End of An Era of Cheap This is already old news – the US Fed raised rates again, as anticipated, on 14th June 2017, bringing the target rate to 1.25%. They are expected to raise again to 1.4% in the second half of the year, and then to 2.1% in 2018. We also saw a “hike” ourselves, towards and over the weekend whenever there are such announcements, in the form of concerned queries by new and existing home owners

Alvin Lock July 19, 2017

Mid Year Update on Property Financing

Introduction Time flies. In just a short span of 6 months, there have been some significant announcements and events. The US Federal Reserve increased interest rate for the 4th time since 2008, and for the second time this year, from 1% to 1.25%, with more expected raises to come this year and next. At home here in Singapore, SIBOR looks to be inching up as well. It’s also at the 1% mark too, having risen from a base of around 0.85%

Alvin Lock June 29, 2017