A Journey to Wealth Creation

Time Value of Money

2011-12-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

From the concept of compounding interest, lets discuss the time value of money. The time value of money is based on the fact that one will prefer to receive a certain amount of money today than the same amount in the future. The example below will illustrate this point better.

Imagine you have won a cash prize! You are given 2 options to receive the money:
A. To receive $1,000 now, or
B. To receive $1,000 in three years.

Which option would you choose? Of course you would want the $1,000 now! Three years is a long time and why would you wait 3 years to get the money? You would say,”Give it to me NOW!” All things being equal, it is better to have money now rather than later.

A $100 bills does not have the same value as a $100 bill one year from now due to inflation. Although the face value of the bill is the same, you can do much more with the money if you have it now, and over time, you can earn more interest on your money.

Back to the example: by receiving $1,000 today, you can potentially increase the future value of your money (i.e. the value of your money in the future) by investing and gaining interest over a period of time. For option B, you actually lose out on the opportunity to earn interest.

How much would you have lost in choosing option B or how much would you have gained if you choose option A?
In the earlier example where the compounding interest is shown step by step, the mathematical formula can be expressed as

FV = PV (1+ i)ⁿ

where
PV = the present value of the money
i = the interest rate
n =the number of compounding periods

Assuming the interest rate is 4.5% per annum, if you have taken $1,000 and invested it with compounded the interest over three years, the total amount you would have in 3 years

FV = 1,000 x ( 1 + 0.045)³
= $1,141.16

In other words, your future value of $1,000 today is $1,141.16! Which means you would have lost $141.16 if you choosen option B or gain that amount if you have choosen option A.

Now you know why people say time is money. The time value of money concept shows that there is a financial basis for saying that

10 Reasons Why You Need Financial Planning

2011-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

If our grandparents and parent didn’t need financial planning, why do we? Well, 20 to 30 years ago, the lifestyle is very different compared to now. The world has changed tremendously and so has our lifestyle. See if you recognize these trends and how it affects you?

1. You are going to live longer

Life expectancy worldwide is increasing. Due to improvements in healthcare today, a baby boy born in 2004 is expected to have a life expectancy of 74 and a girl, 79 years or higher (depending on country)

2. You will spend more on healthcare

As you live longer, the total cost of medical care over your lifetime will also be more. Diseases that probably killed a person are now treatable but expensive. You also need to plan for long term care after retirement.

3. To enjoy retirement

You will retire longer. If you and your spouse retire at 55 and live to 75, you’re going to eat 43,800 meals in retirement. Excluding inflation, if each meal costs 5, you’ll spend 438,000 on food alone.

4. You have more ways to spend your money

Not too long ago, there were no theme parks, satellite television, home theater systems, mobile phones, PDA’s, play-station, private medical care, internet, shopping malls, designer coffee, tolls, etc. to drain our income.

5. You travel a lot more.

You spend more on travel than you used to for common activities like work, shopping and schooling. It is very common to travel 30 miles or more in a single day. With increases in fuel price, your budget for travel will shoot up

6. You will marry later and have children later

Nowadays, it is very common to see retirees with children still studying. You have to build an education fund to cater after you no longer earn an income.

7. Costs of raising children is higher

Cost of raising children will rise. Children clothes, food and medical care cost more than adults. You also pay for music classes, ballet class, children camp, language development, tuition, and more.

8. Your children will spend more time in university

10 to 15 years ago, a diploma is sufficient to get a good start. Today many continue on for their Masters degree or even Phd. Instead of starting work at 22 or 24, you will have to pay for food, lodging, travel and study fees for a longer period.

9. Inflation

Inflation raises the cost of products and services. You may outlive your money, if your investments do not grow at least at par with it.

10. To pass wealth to the next generation

This is increasingly difficult because it is likely that you will outlive your assets and have nothing to leave to your children. In many cases, the transfer of wealth is going backwards.

It is for all these reasons that you need to have a financial plan. The earlier you start, the easier it is.

2011-10-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am a Unit Trust consultant and I have been one for the past 9 years.. yup, since 2002!!! I may not be your so called successful agent who's driving a Mercedes or a BMW, earning 5 to 6 figure incomes, but nevertheless, I am successful in my own way.
I have been a National Sales Convention qualifier year after year since 2006 and a Million Ringgit Producer every year for the same number of years.
I came from a broken home, had a miserable childhood, struggled to make ends meet, was a single mom, and just finished school with a grade 2 in SPM. I did not know where I was going and what I was doing. Oh, I had dreams to marry a rich man but even though there were rich or very well to do men wanting to fulfill my dreams, I just couldn't go through with it because I did not love them.
I was bored easily, hated going to work from 9 to 5 and staring at the same 4 walls or people for too long, and I never worked in a place for more then 3 years. I have worked in Sunway Lagoon, Penang Parkroyal, The Ritz Carlton, Warner Music Malaysia , just to name a few...
It as by sheer chance , upon coming back from overseas, after a holiday upon quitting my last job that I happened on an advertisement in the Star newspaper looking for unit trust consultants with Public Mutual Bhd. It seemed interesting for me, and I went for the Business Opportunity Meeting and was signed up by my upline, Hamidah.
I was hopeless at meeting people and balked at the thought of making cold calls. And when following my upline and some colleagues on roadshows and such, froze when my upline urged me to approach someone to solicit sales. My upline all but gave up on me.
I was lucky though I manage some nerve to talk to a few slightly higher nett worth people and they invested their EPF funds with me and that kept me going. I had some income but it as not much.
Finally with my upline and side lines (colleagues under the same group) urging, tutorial and all, I finally broke out from my shell and did more or less what was expected of me.
I fell in love with one of my colleagues who helped me a lot and guided me a lot. He was a divorcee just like me, and after about a year of seeing each other, we got married.
It was he who encouraged me a lot, pointing out what would happen if I give up (I have to back to work and earn pittance and stare at the same four walls etc... no time to myself and such)
and it was for my children I decided to work harder.
That is how I got to where I am today. The other beautiful part of being a unit trust consultant like me is I have no boss, and I go to work whenever I like. There are times I work just 2 or 3 days a week, there are times I go to work late or come back early. There are times I just skip work altogether just to spend time with my children, especially when they are unwell. It's the freedom of not having to report to anyone and just taking time off whenever I like. There are times, I just see a client a day and run off to go shopping or watch a movie on my own.
And oh... every year, I get to go on free trips... all paid for... I sold of tickets to Kunming and Ho Chih Minh trips to my colleagues as I was dumb in the beginning, and went to Bali, Phuket (as you can see in the pictures here)... all in 5 star hotels and 5 star tours and meals... we don't have to pay a single cent except for your shopping.... and next year??? I am heading to Tokyo, Japan....... anyone coming????
And the best thing? I earn so much more then I would earn working for someone in the office. I earn 2-3 times more and sometimes on a hardworking month, even 4-5 times what I would earn getting scolded or having to clock into the office from 9 to 5.
Well, I know I can earn so much more if I want to and if I am willing to put in more effort, but hey, I want to enjoy my life, my husband and my children's growing years as well, instead of being just a workaholic and thinking about dollars and cents. Thus I choose to be a simple, average unit trust consultant instead earning enough to give my family a comfortable life... and managing my clients the best I can. To any of my clients (if you are reading this) Thanks for all the support you have give me.... I will endeavor to do my best.
To anyone interested in joining me or exploring a career in unit trust like me, and enjoying your time, feel free to contact me : Miera at 012 3386033 or Dzul at 017 6830333

some advices to keep in mind...

2011-10-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

"Is it a good time to buy/invest?"

2011-08-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me whether it is a good time to invest in unit trust funds given the current market condition.

First of all, the stock market is volatile, which means it will always go up and down. I mean, has anyone seen a market that continues to stay up for many years?

Secondly when the market is down, it is a good time to buy.

Unfortunately people have the tendency to panic. Once they see the market going down, they sell their funds. And a lot of time they sell at a lost because they sell at the wrong time i.e when they are making losses.

Ideally the best time to buy is when the market is really down and sell when the market is high up. But who can accurately tell when the market is at its down low or at its all time high, before the situations take place?

Unit trust investment is about buying units (hence the name unit trust). When you buy at a lower price you get a lot more units (compared to buying at a high price per unit). And if you sell when the market is up you get a lot more profit.

One way to invest around the volatility of the stock market is to practice the “dollar cost averaging”.

What it means is to top up your investment or in other words buy regularly. The ideal situation is off course to buy every month. In EPF’s case, its members are allowed to withdraw every three month to top up their investments.

When the market is down and you have the financial resources, take advantage ot it! Buy more units as you will get more for less. Look at it this way, when the market is down the price per unit for most funds are low too. Think Mega sale!

And once you’ve reached your target, sell. And sell when the market is doing well.

Wise Investing

2011-08-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

If you are a first time investor, you may want to think about your investment objective. They could be retirement fund, to pay for the down payment of a house, children’s education or acquiring a painting.

Then think about your investment target i.e how much profit you would like to make. For example, if you put in RM100,000 in one lump sum, you may want your investment to grow to RM150,000 or even double to RM200,000.

Another aspect is how long you are willing to wait to see the money grow or double from RM100,000 to RM200,000.

Use Law of 72 to determine how long it takes to double your investment.

(Formula: 72/return)

For example if you put RM100,000 into EPF which gives 5.8% (round it up to 6%) return last year, divide 72 by 12:

72/6= 12

This means it takes 12 years for your investment of RM100,000 to double to RM200,000.

However if you invest the RM100,000 into a fund which can give you a 12% profit per year,

72/12=6

This means it takes 6 years for your investment to double its growth from RM100,000 to RM200,000

Unit trust is a medium to long term investment. So make sure your time frame is no lesser than three years or you will risk losing your capital.

It is also important for you to be aware of your risk appetite. If you are a conservative investor you may want to go for a fund which is low risk yet provide consistently low return. If you are a moderate investor, you should invest in a fund which has medium risk and provides moderate return. As for aggressive investor, you may want to consider a fund which has high risk and give high return.

There are many funds available in the market, choose one that suits your needs. Make an informed decision and invest wisely.

Lessons in Unit Trusts Investment

2011-08-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

LESSON 1: Markets Move in Cycles

Investment markets move in cycles, and it is impossible to predict when a market will rise or fall.
However, by looking at the past we can observe how markets usually perform, and that can help us in the future to put market movements in perpective.

Markets always recover

One thing we know from looking at the long- term performance of share market is that, despite short - term volatility, markets always recovers. Even after the crash of 1929 the share market eventually recovered, although it did take more than 10 years. The good news is that since the 1960s, the recovery period has been shorter, typically less than five years. (Resources: FMUTM mazagine)

LESSON 2: Diversification reduces risk

It is impossible to predict market movements accurately. Attempting to do so is little more than speculation.
However, you can reduce the impact of market movements by diversifying your portfolio. Adiversified portfolio is spread across a number of diffreent asset type. Diversifying prevents the value of your portfolio from being dependent on the performmance of a single asset type. A fall in the value of one investment may be offset by gains in the value of another.

Ways to diversify

Managed funds provide an easy route to diversification. Through a single managed fund it's possible to diversify across asset class, company, industry, sector, country and even fund manager.

Diversification means you don't need to pick the performers each year

In 1999, at the peak of technology share boom, returns varied widely. Australian shares generated a return of over 15% -- particularly impressive when you consider that the gains came at end of a nine- year run which saw market surge 143%. In the stampede to invest in shares, the usual safe havens were overlooked. Bonds and property trusts delivered returns of only 3% each.

But the following year saw the beginning of tech crash. Investor sentiment had changed. Returns for Australian shares were down at the end of 1999 as investors bailed out of the property trusts 16% as investors sought a safe haven for thier investments.

Diversification reduces risk. Because it's impossible to predict market movement, one way to manage market risk is to maintain a diversified portfolio. Spreading your investment across a range of carefully diversified assets, will mininise the risk and smooth your returns. Your financial planner can help you learn about fund that will help to diversify your portfolio.

Lesson 3: 'Time in' not 'timing'

Patience is its own reward. But patience also rewards investor. Most of long- term gains on equity markets are made or lost in just a few trading days each year. Take away those 'big' returns are more like what you would expect from a defensive investment. Investors who lose patience and get out of the market run the risk of being absent when significant gains are made.
Markets are unpredictable, so picking those 'big'. Staying invested means you capture the full benefits of the share market. Your returns might be down one month, but bywithdrawing from the market you run the risk of missing out on the recovery.

Who should take advantage of shares?

Generally investors with a long time horizon, who do not need to access their money for more than five years. can afford to take on more risk because they have more time to ride out the fluctuations on the market. However, if you intend to be in the market for less than five years, you might consider focusing on the less volatile asset classes such as cash and bonds.

LESSON 4: Start early, save regularly

You don't need a lot of money to begin investing. By making small regular constributions over time, you might be surpised by how quickly your investments accumulate.
And investing the same dollar amount at regular intervals can help smooth out the ups and down of markets. Investing this way means you purchase more shares or unit when prices are low and fewer when prices are high. Its important to start saving as soon as you can. The longer your money you can take advantage of compound interest. Starting now will give your money time to grow through the power of compounding

Please feel free to contact me : Miera 012 338 6033 , should you have any concerns that need addressing...

NSC trip 2011 - Phuket

2011-05-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Some pictures taken during our trip to Phuket, a reward trip from Public Mutual. A 100% totally paid for trip,with the exception of shopping....... that's it...

The ladies, at the Millenium Patong (Lakeside) lobby , where we stayed.....

A group picture taken at the Wat Chalong....

The ladies again with the banner at the Island Safari camp.....

Waiting for our boat to James Bond Island , all decked out with our sun hats.....

Me.......

Branch Annual Dinner 2011

2011-03-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Me in the newspapers... as a National Sales Convention qualifier...

A picture with some colleagues.....

A picture with Nash/ Nazril Idrus (actor/presenter/financial guru /speaker/etc.....)

my recognition.... a certificate.....

Retiring in comfort...

2011-01-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

There is a significant duration of my absence on this blog, so to my followers, my humble apologies for not updating for so long.

The past few days, I have been reviewing my clients investment, especially my long time, regular clients who had stuck with me through thick and thin and obedient enough to invest in unit trust once every quarterly, and I am proud to say that most of them are getting quite good returns by doing so.

However sad to say I do not have that many clients who are investing their cash money via DDI or Direct Debit Investment which means we deduct a certain sum(say RM100) from your bank account every month for the purpose of doing a cash investment view additional savings for retirement.

Based on a survey that was published in Berita Harian, New Straits Times and a few other newspapers, an average Malaysian will spend all his/her EPF monies supposedly for retirement purpose, in just two to three years upon withdrawing their EPF monies. And I have witnessed that fact for real as I watched several of my clients who sadly depleted their EPF funds upon retirement within the mentioned time.

Without money, how do we go on with the remainder lifes? Where do you get the money from, every month, in order to maintain and to retain the previous lifestyle? Many people who are stuck in these positions will either ask money from their children, hoping their children can give them some money (but are sorely disappointed when their children cannot do so as their children too, have other commitments by then) or they are forced to go back to work. As a security guard, a taxi driver or something...

I firmly believe that a proper pre-retirement financial plan has to be made for those who aren’t in a government sponsored pension program where you can still derive and enjoy pension upon retirement. Even then, please remember that the pension paid to you is only half of what you are making at present time and by then say, 20 years from now, life will be so much more expensive then it is now, due to the ever rising inflation!!!

It’s always a good idea that as long as you work, no matter how old you are. Now is the time to start financial plan. The younger you are, the better. But, just in case that you only realize this when you get older, it is still a good thing. Better late than never.

I have some useful tips to share with you …

1) Register with EPF on the very first day of your working day. However, after taking into account of the cost of inflation, the contribution alone may not enough to sustain the entire retirement period. Therefore, it is always good idea to create your own retirement plan by putting aside at least some, say, 10% of consumable income for later use.

2) Increase personal saving as you getting old. If your start working at the age of 25 with 10% saving and decided to increase 1% every year, by reaching 35, you will save 20% of the income for retirement plan.

3) Put aside some of your annual bonus for retirement plan. Apart from that, you may have to revise retirement plan every year, to ensure that the money flow is enough and, to adhere to the original plan.

For more info, please feel free to contact me Miera at 012 338 6033 or Dzul at 017 683 0333

reaping the rewards..the incentive trip to BALI 2010

2010-05-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

This was so much fun being a part of a large tour group. I know most of us probably can afford to go to Bali by ourselves.. but what makes this reward trip so special is the fun we had, we had a full schedule, lots of fun, and the best of the best?? Malaysian Airlines flights, five star hotels (Nikko Bali Resort and Spa , in this case) , best food and guides all for FREE!!!

That is how much fun it is to be part of Public Mutual Berhad.. =) Rewarded for all your hard work.

Interested in joining us? Call Miera 012 338 6033 or Dzul Rashidi at 017 6830333 now to find out more..

Annual Awards Night 2010

2010-05-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

Memories are made of these.... after a year of hard work, the qualifiers enjoy...... AAN is the equilavent to the Emmys or Grammys for the unit trust industry... at least for Public Mutual Berhad....

reaping the rewards...as a UT consultant

2010-05-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

National Sales Convention 2010 on the 15th May 2010

Public Mutual declares Dividend on 5 of its funds....

2009-06-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.publicmutual.com.my/page.aspx?name=prs_rls_090602_0855

3 simple steps to manage your money in hard times

2009-05-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Step 1
Your first step to financial freedom starts with your desire. You must decide that you can reach your financial goals. To begin, get organized.
First add all of the records of your money-- cash on hand, savings and checking accounts, other assets. Next do the same with all the bills and debts you owe. Make a list of every bill to be paid each month.

Step 2
Then keep track of your spending. Use a notebook to record all spending, including items such as coffee and lunches. After a month total all that you spend and look for unnecessary spending you can cut, such as eating out, bottled water or soda pop. Look for extras to eliminate in phone services, internet access and cable tv subscriptions.

Step 3
Pay yourself first. Set aside money for your savings account each pay period. Pay as you go. If you can't buy it with cash, do without. Cut your credit cards in half and stop using them. Choose one debt to pay down first. Pay the minimum on all bills and debts, except the one you're paying down. On that one, pay as much as you can, using money you save by cutting extras from your budget. Once that is paid, do the same with the next and so on, until all are paid.

How to Manage Your Money

2009-05-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Chances are, if you’re living paycheck to paycheck and wondering how you’re going to make ends meet sometimes, you need some help in the money management aspect of your life. If this is the case, you are not alone. In fact, it is a lot more common than most people seem to think that it is. The weak economy and the expenses of day to day living are a struggle for most families. The skyrocketing prices of fuel have become quite a hardship for some and taken a bite out of already tight budgets for most individuals.

Step 1
Sitting down and taking a look at your financial situation may help you to find some ways to bring money management into your lifestyle. Granted, money management can’t increase your paychecks or deliver money to your door, but it can help you spend your paychecks in more practical ways. In fact, have a money management plan can help you increase your savings and decrease some of your expenses. It will take dedication and willingness for some change but the end results may be very worthwhile.

Step 2
The first and simplest money management step is to figure out where your money is going. Keep track of every single cent that you spend for an entire month. If you get a cup of coffee every morning before work, write that down. If you get a pack of crackers from a vending machine, jot that down as well. Keep track of your gas expenses, groceries, all your bills – every single thing that you spend money on. Before the end of the month, you may just realize some things that are really taking away from your success. That RM10.00 cup of coffee (from Starbucks or Coffee Bean) every morning might be costing you an extra RM300 per month. Sure, that doesn’t sound like much but when gas might cost you an extra RM300 each month, that coffee money will come in handy. Make coffee at home or the office instead of going through Starbucks or Coffee Bean every day.

Step 3
One secret of successful money management is common sense. Don’t go grocery shopping in the grocery store that doesn’t accept coupons. Find and cut out as many coupons as possible. You can easily save a nice sum of money every visit to the grocery store if you just look around for coupons, take the time to cut them out and carry them with you. The average coupon user saves RM15 each visit. If you go to the grocery store every week, that’s an average savings of RM60 a month that will stay in your pocket. If not, at least look for a store with a membership loyalty card, like Jusco or Tesco where you get rebates and special discounts which help a lot!!!

Step 4
One other simple and successful factor in money management is conservation. Do you really need to have the TV on when you aren’t even paying attention to it? Is there a need to have every light in the house on when you’re not in the rooms? Conserving electricity will decrease your electric bill. Running the washing machine only when it is full will conserve water and electricity. Sure, the savings may only be a few extra dollars each month but when you’re trying to decrease expenses, every single penny helps. Take an evening and truly analyze your monthly expenses. Find a money management plan that will work for you and remain dedicated to it. You’ll see the results almost immediately.

EPF declares 4.5% dividend, lowest since 2003

2009-05-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon(19th May):

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has declared a dividend of 4.5 per cent for 2008, its lowest since 2003, and warned members not to expect more than that for this year.

The EPF’s dividend was 5.8 per cent for 2007, 5.15 per cent in 2006, 5 per cent in 2005, 4.75 per cent in 2004 and 4.50 per cent in 2003.

"Up until September last year, the EPF was doing well in equities. However, following the effect of the global financial meltdown, our performance in equity investments recorded a drop of less than 20 per cent, which impacted our dividend pay-out.

"This, however, compares better with that of the KLCI which was down approximately 40 per cent from end of December 2007 to December 2008," EPF chairman Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said in a statement.

Net income for the year was recorded at RM14.26 billion, after deducting allowances for diminution in value of equities and doubtful debts, dividends for withdrawals, investment expenses, operational expenses, and death and incapacitation benefit payments. This represented a decrease of 15.47 per cent over 2007 net income of RM16.87 billion.

EPF made allowances of RM4.69 billion for diminution in value of both overseas and local equities, compared to only RM520 million in 2007. Out of the 2008 provision, RM3.20 billion was allocated for overseas equities.

"The fundamentals of the companies we have invested in remain strong and we are confident that this provision will be written back once recovery takes place," said Samsudin.

As at December 31 2008, the EPF’s total investment funds grew by RM28.99 billion to RM342 billion compared to RM313.01 billion a year ago.

The three main contributors to EPF’s record gross income of RM20 billion in 2008 were loans and bonds (RM6.78 billion), equities (RM6.67 billion), and Malaysian Government Securities (RM4.94 billion)

Dividends will be credited to members’ accounts on March 23 2009.

"We are bracing ourselves for a tough year ahead as the effects of the global financial crisis continue to be felt. However, we believe that in every crisis, there is opportunity to be seized. The key is to remain vigilant and continue delivering results for the benefit of our members through our prudent investment strategy," Samsudin said.

(taken from NST.com.my)

Annual Awards Night (Part 2 of the pics...)

2009-05-18T18:28:00.003-07:00

Champion MFAM Wan Nazarudin and MFA Adam and little ol' me...
2nd runner ups.....
1st runner ups....
!st runner ups showing their hard earned trophies...
We are the champions!!!! We're unbeatable so far....
A hero's welcome for the top producer of the year!!! RM14,957,006 in personal sales!!!!
Tan Sri escorted down by Amber Chia and another model...
Top Producer/MFA, Top MFAM and 1st Runner Up MFAM
..... and Top Dreamer... me... LOL
"Hold this trophy, get it's feel and go get it.." was Top MGAM Norhaili's advice to me as we took this picture... Thanks for the motivation Norhaili... Hope I can just do that...

Annual Awards Night and Happy 34th Birthday to Public Mutual...

2009-05-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Me with another agent from Bangsar Branch as well
Here comes Tan Sri...
Yang Berbahagia, Tan Sri Datuk Teh Hong Piow, the Chairman of Public Bank, Public Mutual, 3rd richest man in Malaysia and one of the richest man in the world... driven in in a 'float' carriage by Malaysian Supermodel Amber Chia
A performance by the staff of Public Mutual Berhad, singing a welcome song to Tan Sri.
Happy birthday Public Mutual.. we are 34 years old!!! (Hmmm.. just as old as me... LOL)
Cake cutting ceremony..

Tan Sri and his ladies in waiting....all models... and Amber Chia in red...
A speech...
Dance performance..
Crowd waiting to go in. Everyone is kept outside by Tan Sri's personal security/bodyguards as he gives his speech..
Me and Hismazaitul, a lovely woman and also one of the top achievers in the company...
Congratulations. another award won by Public Mutual.. this one is by the Asian Investor Magazine.. for Best Malaysia Onshore Fund House...

Me and my upline, the person who guided me when I was just a newbie/rookie, MFGAM, Hamidah Ahmad and Haji Samudin who is my side line and also a top achiever..

Investor Behaviour....LOL

2009-05-16T15:04:00.001-07:00

The 20th National Sales Convention

2009-05-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

A view of the Sunway lagoon from the walkway from the Sunway Pyramid to Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa..

A signage welcoming all participants...

The venue.. the gorgeous 5 star Sunway Lagoon Resort and Spa..

Photo op in front of the glorious statues in the front area.

Ms Yeoh Kim Hong, the CEO, giving her opening speech..

After coffee break...

My upline, MFGAM Hamidah Ahmad from Klang Branch

My pic..... 3rd row...

Cash Flow - all about managing your money

2009-05-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Definition

A measure of a company's financial health. Equals cash receipts minus cash payments over a given period of time; or equivalently, net profit plus amounts charged off for depreciation, depletion, and amortization.

The Cash flow process involves analyzing your income and outgoings, and identifying strengths, weaknesses, and important patterns; optimizing your net discretionary cash flow; and creating an explicit plan for spending and investing.

It is calculated based on this basic accounting equation:
CASH FLOW = INCOME - OUTGOINGS

If you experience net cash inflow, this means you have extra money to save and invest, whereas net cash outflow means that you are financially distressed!

To track the health of your household annual cash flow, complete the details of all your income and outgoings in our Cash flow Analysis

http://www.publicmutual.com.my/application/calculator/cashflow/cashflow.aspx

Your networth - key to managing your wealth

2009-05-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Your net worth is simply what you own after subtracting what you owe. It's just basic math, but understanding your net worth is a critical first-step to checking to see if you're realizing your financial goals. Figuring out your new worth is really quite simple: just add up your assets and subtract your liabilities.

Getting on Track
Most people don't know their net worth, but it's a great way to look at how many years worth of spending habits affect financial health.

Lisa, a young professional living in Kuala Lumpur, figured out her net worth and found that she had too much credit card debt and too much money languishing in a low-interest savings account. It inspired her to pay cash for a new lap top she really needed--a lap top she was planning to put on her credit card because it seemed so expensive. Her new lap top is now a real asset rather than a liability she might have spent years slowly paying for.

The Importance of Net Worth
Whether you're making big purchase plans or saving for your retirement, your net worth is crucial information. Here's why:

Getting a grasp on your real net worth is the first step in reorganizing and rebuilding your finances. If you are in debt, the important thing is to turn it around and start saving.

Before you can reach a financial goal, you need to know where you stand now. Your net worth is a reference point on your financial road map. Once you know your net worth, you can set a budget to reach your goals.

You'll be better able to protect your assets. Determining the worth of your valuables is not only necessary to figure your net worth, it also helps you get the proper insurance coverage.

On the Plus Side
Things in the "plus" column are your assets. For instance:

Home
Car
EPF
ASB/ASN/ Bank account
Stocks, bonds and unit trust/mutual funds
Artwork
Jewelry /Gold
Collectibles /Antiques
Cash value of life insurance
Do not include a future inheritance; you can't count on it. The same goes for future paychecks. You only want to tally assets and debts you have right now.

Your home is probably your biggest asset and your mortgage your biggest liability. Be sure to get an accurate idea of what it's really worth by seeing what homes are selling for in your area. If you want to be really accurate, subtract seven percent from the price you think your home is worth today for a broker's commission and other costs of sale.

On the Minus Side
Now, here are things that go in your "minus" column:

Car loan
Home mortgage
Student loans
LHDN/Income Tax debt
Credit card debt

Credit card debt is often overlooked, but it is every bit as real as a home loan and can be more dangerous to your financial health if you carry large balances from month to month.

Take Action
If you find you're spending more than you're earning, make an action plan to control expenses and increase investments. Keeping more of what you make is the key to increasing your net worth.

Use our calculator to find out your networth as a start on how to manage your wealth:
http://www.publicmutual.com.my/application/calculator/networth/Networth.aspx

Dividend Payout for Public Mutual Funds.

2009-05-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

Public Islamic Bond Fund Wins Failaka and Morningstar Awards

Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual has announced over RM80 million income distribution for two of its Islamic funds. The total gross distributions declared are for financial year ended 30 April 2009:

Fund/
Gross Distribution / Unit

Public Islamic Dividend Fund
1.25 sen

Public Islamic Asia Dividend Fund
0.25 sen

Public Mutual’s Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow commented that Public Mutual is pleased to be able to declare distributions on these two Islamic funds despite these trying times.

Public Islamic Dividend Fund which was launched in 2006, is a local Islamic dividend fund that is open for EPF Members Investment Scheme. Meanwhile, Public Islamic Asia Dividend Fund which was launched in the following year, is a regional Islamic dividend fund that invests in selected foreign markets which include South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and other approved markets.

Both funds aim to provide income by investing in a portfolio of stocks that complies with Shariah requirements and which offer or have the potential to offer attractive dividend yields.

Public Mutual is Malaysia’s largest private unit trust company with 68 funds under management. It has over 2,000,000 accountholders serviced by over 42,000 unit trust consultants. As at 31 March 2009, the total net asset value of the funds managed by the company was RM24.2 billion.

How to Curb Your Overspending

2009-04-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Bitten by the buying bug? Try these strategies to curb your spending:

Keep track. Write down everything you buy for at least two weeks: groceries, petrol, even a cup of coffee. Being aware of where your money goes will put you in control.

Quell the urge. Postpone buying what you think you want for 48 hours. If you still want it, make your well-thought-out purchase.

Simplify. Figure out a weekly budget that includes only basics like food and transport. Don't buy anything not in your budget for a month to discover what you can do without.

Quit cold turkey. Put your credit cards away and pay for everything with cash. Even better, institute a buy-nothing campaign.

by Gail Vaz-Oxlade in Chatelaine, taken from Readers Digest

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2009-04-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Suze Orman: The best way to invest in a down market.

Investing the same dollar amount every month of the year in the same stock or mutual fund—or dollar-cost averaging—is the single best way to minimize your risk of buying shares at the wrong time. And if you're thinking of investing in the current market environment, when some stock prices are down by as much as 70 percent from their highs, this is the optimum time to use dollar-cost averaging.

Why? Let's say you have $12,000 to invest this year and you have picked a mutual fund to put it in. Shares of this fund have gone as high as $15 but have fallen to $10. Now's your time, you think, and you invest all $12,000 in 1,200 shares. Oops! You were wrong. A temporary setback drives the share price even lower, and a year later shares are selling for $5. On paper you've lost $5 a share, for a total loss of $6,000; what's more, you have no money to buy more shares at the lower price (when they may be a real bargain).

If you take the same $12,000 and invest it in the mutual fund in stages, at the rate of $1,000 a month over a year, here's how you'll come out: After one year, you own a total of 1,717 shares, worth $8,585 at $5 a share. Even though the price per share is down to $5, your loss on paper is only $3,415, or $2,585 less than if you had bought the fund outright. You also own 517 more shares to profit from should the price go back up. When it's at $10 again, you'll have 1,717 shares, worth $17,170, instead of the $12,000 you'd have if you had bought them all at once. (By the way, if you contribute to an IRA or a 401(k) every month, you're already using the principles of dollar-cost averaging.) This method, like all recommended strategies for investing in the stock market, depends on your having at least ten years before you need the money you invest.

A Letter to My College-Bound Daughter

2009-04-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

By Dan Kadlec, Money magazine/taken from Oprah.com

As my eldest heads to campus, her old man has a few parting financial tips.

Dear Lexie,

On your first day of college, let me congratulate you on your well-earned freedom. No more curfews. No more being dragged places you'd rather not be. No more of Dad's teachable moments about responsibility, opportunity...life. And no more boring lessons about after-tax income, saving, borrowing, compound returns and growth stocks.

While we're on the subject of "no more," let me gently mention that it applies to the car you've been driving too, and my gas card and your allowance. Freedom, you see, has its price. Sorry, I couldn't resist one more teachable moment.

I know that you will study hard and explore all the great things that a university has to offer. You are ready for this and, frankly, so am I. Your freedom and a degree of mine come wrapped together.

Yet I can't help but worry that you may get tripped up with money issues. It's easy to do, especially when you're just starting out. But happily, it's also fairly easy to avoid. So if you'll just indulge me one last time, I'd like to offer some parting financial wisdom for your first semester and beyond.

Live Within Your Means
You are fortunate to have parents that can take care of your biggest bills—tuition, room and board, transportation home. But the rest, dear child, is up to you. It would be a shame for you to end up in debt with your modest earning ability right now (the average credit card balance for college seniors: nearly $3,000). So estimate all of your expenses over the next 17 weeks and compare that with your available resources. Looking at the whole semester, not just a sample week, makes plain how recurring expenses add up—like, say, $4 a day at Starbucks setting you back nearly $500.

Separate your spending into categories, such as books, laundry, entertainment, food and beverages (spare me the details about what kind of beverages). "Keep an envelope for each, and place all of your receipts in those envelopes so you can go back and count what you spent where," says Douglas Andrew, author of Millionaire by Thirty. "That way you'll quickly recognize where you may be going overboard." Make adjustments as needed. But when you add to one category, be sure you subtract from another. If money runs tight, don't default to a part-time job unless you'd really enjoy it or it's truly a last option. You worked hard all summer and saved enough to get by. Cut your expenses instead. That's a lifetime skill worth developing now.

Get the Right Credit Card
I have a confession: In the past few months I have—without telling you—thrown away at least a dozen credit card offers to you. this bombardment will continue when you move to campus. Why do credit card companies want to hook you before you have income? They're in it for the long term. Issuers know that people tend to be loyal to their first credit card; get it in college and you're likely to still be using it years later. So they will not stop the barrage, and even without me as your guardian filter, I hope you'll keep throwing the offers away. You need only one—a Visa, a MasterCard or an American Express. Later, when you've proved you can manage one card, I want you to add two others—a department store card and a gas card—to help build a good credit rating. In each case, never charge more than 30 percent of your credit limit and pay in full every month. But just to be safe, authorize an appropriate automatic monthly payment to protect you from late fees and a credit blemish.

You don't yet appreciate how important a good credit history is. When you graduate, your credit rating will be looked at by landlords, utility companies, cell phone providers, banks (if you buy or lease a car) and even employers. "The worst thing you can do is miss a payment," says Ellen Cannon, managing editor of BankRate.com. "That will damage your credit score, which is the basis of your financial life." Look for a low-rate student card with no annual fees, like CitimtvU Platinum Select Visa for College Students (0 percent interest for six months; 13.99 percent thereafter) or Blue Cash from American Express (0 percent interest for the first six months; then 8.99 percent to 15.99 percent depending on your credit history; and a cashback feature for purchases). I don't often get excited by a 0 percent introductory rate. But in this case it's a nice feature. You may charge more than you expect initially buying books and setting up your dorm room—and have to carry a balance for a month or two.

Study Money
Even if you don't have to, take at least one economics and one personal finance course. High schools don't teach much about budgets and credit or supply and demand. These courses will open your eyes to how much money works in the real world and introduce you to practical skills you'll use the rest of your life. They will also, finally, give you an inkling of what your dad's been writing about for 25 years

See the Big Picture
Don't get caught up in talk on campus about which majors are the best stepping stones to financial success. You'll hear plenty of that from kids who want or may be under pressure to get a quick return from their education. Forget them. Many of those kids will end up disliking their jobs and muddling through so-so careers. You can make a great living doing almost anything, as long as you love it. So take risks. Explore. Switch majors. Get your head out of the books and do something surprising. There's time. But find your bliss and pursue it. Go ahead and get fluent in Spanish and study abroad if that makes your heart sing. Your knowledge and experience will pay off later on, I promise—just as you'll be rewarded for the joy you bring to tasks that excite you.

So that's it, Lexie. Of course, I'll be available for more advice anytime—for the price of a phone call. Judging by how eagerly you packed your things, though, I recognize that my time would be ill spent sitting in front of the telephone waiting. That's okay, I won't. We're both ready.

Love always,
Dad

Simple and short ...

2009-03-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere about another fellow agent who explains to his clients the comparison when they enter the market now during crisis or when the market is OK.

It is like when you go to pasar malam during rainy season. You can see many things are still available. The seller will offer you special discount or FREE items.

But if you go to pasar malam when there is no rain. Many of the items are sold out. The seller don’t give you any discount.

In the same manner, when you enter the market during tough time, many stocks sell at discount. So hurry up, while it is still raining.

In other words... make hay while the sun shines or well, buy your stocks while it is cheap!!! =)

More info, contact me; 012 3386033 Miera

Public Mutual Berhad Annual Dinner Photos

2009-03-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

Me and En Nazril Idrus, celebrity and financial planner extraodinaire -one of my inspiration..

Two more of my friends and inspiration, Group Agency Managers -En Amin Yahya and Haji Rozaimi

My sideline, Manager - Haji Samsudin

The people who brought me into the business and help me get where I am.. Haji Ismaon and Puan Hamidah (my upline/Group Agency Manager)

My husband who is also an agent, and myself....

Good Advice

2009-03-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Are You Waiting For Financial Independence?

2009-03-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's easy to become consumed with our own quest for financial freedom. Sometimes so consumed that we forget why we want to achieve our goal in the first place. For most of us, we share a goal to regain control of our time so that we can choose what we do instead of having to do it.

But do we have to wait for financial independence before we can begin to do the things that we truly enjoy?

This is where the reading from the bible or Quran provides some guidance.

We are told that if we have the ability to do good, then we should not withhold it from those who need it. Financial independence may involve sacrifices, but helping those who look to us for assistance is not one of them.

It's great to have a goal of financial independence, and it's great to be earning lots of passive income, but these pursuits will be empty and meaningless unless you can look to help others when you have the ability to do so.

There's no doubt you'll some excess time when you become financially free, but can you bring forward some of the benefit now?

Your money goal should not be one that forsakes all else, as there are many important aspects to your life. If you have the time now, don't delay... use it to help people who ask of your time, including your family and friends.

With this in mind I'd like to get you to try to write down the top three priorities in your life?

1.

2.

3.

What's one thing you can do for each of these priorities that doesn't require that you become financially independent first?

Remember that your personal wealth should be measured in both monetary and non-monetary terms.

BEGIN FUNDING FOR YOUR FINANCIAL SECURITY

2009-02-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You've graduated from school and landed a job. Your salary, however, is limited, and you don't have much money (if any) left at the end of the month. So where can you find money to save? And, once you find it, where should this cash go?

Here are some ways to help free up the money you need for current expenses, financial protection, and future investments—all without pushing the panic button.

Get Out From Under
For most young adults, paying down debt is the first step toward freeing up cash for the financial protection they need. If you're spending more than you make, think about areas where you can cut back. Don't rule out getting a less expensive apartment, roommates, or trading in a more expensive car for a secondhand model. Other expenses that could be trimmed include dining out, entertainment, and vacations.

If you owe balances on high-rate credit cards, look into obtaining a low-interest credit card or bank loan and transferring your existing balances. Then plan to pay as much as you can each month to reduce the total balance, and try to avoid adding new charges.

What You Really Need to Buy
How would you pay the bills if your paychecks suddenly stopped? That's when you turn to insurance and personal savings. Two items you need to "buy" before considering future big-ticket purchases:
-Health insurance is your first priority, as hospital stays can be extremely costly. If you're not covered under a company group plan, get a simple plan that will cover you in case of any unfortunate events.
-Life insurance is the next logical step, but may only be a concern if you have dependents. In fact, you're statistically more likely to become disabled than to die prematurely. Disability insurance can replace about 60% of your income if you can't work for an extended period due to illness or injury. If you can't get this through your employer, call individual insurance companies to compare rates.

Build a Cash Reserve
If you should ever become disabled or lose your job, you'll also need savings to fall back on until paychecks start up again. Try to save at least three months' worth of living expenses in an easy-to-access "liquid" account, which includes a checking or savings account. Saving up emergency cash is easier if your financial institution has an automatic payroll savings plan.

These plans automatically transfer a designated amount of your salary each pay period—before you see your paycheck—directly into your account.

To get the best rate on your liquid savings, look into putting part of this nest egg into unit trust funds to get better returns over the long term.

Stop Waiting for the Next Paycheck
Beginning your working life with good financial decisions doesn't call for complex moves, it does require discipline and a long-term outlook. This commitment can help get you out of debt and keep you from a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle.

Points to Remember
1. Outstanding debt is one of the biggest obstacles to saving.
2. Disability insurance is a major safeguard against financial trouble if you're out of work for an extended period.
3. Most experts recommend saving at least three months' worth of living expenses in case income stops. An easy and painless way to fund an emergency cash account is through an automatic savings plan.
4. Unit Trust funds are a potentially higher-earning alternative to bank savings accounts. But unit trust can sometimes technically lose money during an economic downturn(if the investor is not invested long enough ), and yields will fluctuate, unlike savings accounts.

Baby Steps to Debt Freedom

2009-02-22T05:17:00.000-08:00

(taken off Health Today- November 2008 issue by Ruth M Floresca)

Many people resort to buying against their credit card or borrowing from an office mate or a close friend to survive from pay day to pay day.

But a habit of borrowing, coupled with poor personal financial management, can land you in deep indebtedness and cause you to lose your home and lose other people’s trust.

Crawling out of debt is not easy – but it can be done. Financial planners share some sound advice for overcoming your money debacles.

Money drainers
Before taking those small steps to debt freedom, recognize what practices contribute to your accumulation of debts:

- Overspending: Spending more than they earn is the most common reason people get mired in personal debts. And the most efficient tool for over-spending is the credit card. Unfortunately, credit card misuse can get you into deep trouble by spending money yet to be earned.

- Absence of a financial safety net: Even wise spenders can suddenly find themselves in debt if they get caught unprepared by life-changing circumstances, such as a medical emergency or a death in the family. If you haven’t taken steps to protect your family against financial impacts, unfortunate events can easily get you into serious debt.

- Lack of plans for the future: Not having concrete goals, such as “we need to have out own home in 5 years” or “next year I sould be able to afford an educational plan for my child” can worsen your overspending tendencies. It is important to educate oneself on financial planning and the importance of savings.

- Being materialistic: Being unable to differentiate needs from wants can get you into a personal debt crisis

Path to freedom
Follow these practical tips to start eliminating your debts.

1.Live within your means. Make a budget and stick to it. List down how much money comes in and how much you can afford to spend and what you can set aside for savings and debt payments, Your best chance of fixing your debt problem is a simple lifestyle change. So stop comparing yourself with others and be satisfied with hat you have.

2.Pay yourself first. Immediate reserve 10% of your salary for savings every month. The savings can then be put into investment plans. Take an insurance plan that you can comfortably pay even if it means being under-insured. Under is better then nothing.

3.Make debt payments a priority. No matter how long it takes, pay off loans one at a time until they are all zeroed out. If you have multiple credit cards, transfer all balances to the card with the lowest interest rate. Cut up all the other cards and avoid using the remaining card until all debts are paid.

4.Get the whole family involved. Make your financial goals a family project. Help children understand why everyone needs to tighten their belts, teach them how to save and train them to prioritize expenses.

5.Start a sideline or home business. Start a small venture base on whatever interest you have using the minimum investment to help yourself earn some extra money and widen your entrepreneurial experience.

Being free from debt is an arduous process, but the rewards are well worth it- peace of mind and the opportunity to start saving for your family’s future.

Something a friend of mine shared with me...

2009-02-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

To quote a friend of mine...who is a fund manager....

"This year is a brutal year for investors. And if I’m right about now I could use some honest, straightforward advice about what to do next...

Because no matter where you stand politically, as an investor, the one thing you can agree on is that we all want to make money. And you can right now make a very profitable decision... by taking advantage of this rare historical moment; you could build for yourself and your family a comfortable lining of wealth. So you can...

See the stocks that can turn your nest egg into a fortune... before your neighbor, your boss, and even big player in the market

Make all the right moves to secure your long-term wealth. I simply seek out well-managed companies with an unbeatable product or service that are undervalued and unknown by most investors. I’m looking for those rare investments that change lives. The stocks that will be talked about decades from now to help me build lasting wealth for me and my family.

So why not wait until 2010? You might be asking... because by the time you read about a recovery in the paper, the lion's share of the profits will already be booked!

That's why I described this opportunity as a rare moment in history. Because if you're patient and get in the right stocks today before the economy recover, you could be in store for massive profits in the coming years. You can build a winning portfolio that you can realistically expect to outperform the market, whether you have RM1000 to invest today or tens of thousands"

Public Mutual swept 7 awards, including Best Overall Group Award

2009-02-12T01:43:00.000-08:00

Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual emerged for the sixth consecutive year as the biggest winner at The Edge-Lipper Malaysia Fund Awards 2009 by winning 7 of the 24 awards, including the prestigious “Best Overall Group” award.

Public Mutual’s Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow expressed pride that once again Public Mutual emerged as the biggest winner at The Edge-Lipper Malaysia Fund Awards 2009. “These awards reflect Public Mutual's commitment to do its utmost to give value to our investors,” he said. He dedicated these awards to Public Mutual’s board of directors, management, staff, agency force and the investors for their unwavering support and trust over the years.

Tan Sri Teh and the management team were on stage to receive the awards from YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Hj Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance 1 during the award presentation ceremony held at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

Public Mutual swept 7 awards, including Best Overall Group Award

Public Mutual’s Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow (right) receiving the prestigious Best Overall Group award from YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Hj Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance 1 (left).
Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual emerged for the sixth consecutive year as the biggest winner at The Edge-Lipper Malaysia Fund Awards 2009 by winning 7 of the 24 awards, including the prestigious “Best Overall Group” award.
Public Mutual’s Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow expressed pride that once again Public Mutual emerged as the biggest winner at The Edge-Lipper Malaysia Fund Awards 2009. “These awards reflect Public Mutual's commitment to do its utmost to give value to our investors,” he said. He dedicated these awards to Public Mutual’s board of directors, management, staff, agency force and the investors for their unwavering support and trust over the years.
Tan Sri Teh and the management team were on stage to receive the awards from YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Hj Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance 1 during the award presentation ceremony held at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.
No
Fund / Company
Category
1
PB Growth Fund
Equity Malaysia
5 years
2
Public SmallCap Fund
Equity Malaysia Small and Mid Caps
5 years
3
PB Balanced Fund
Mixed Asset MYR Balanced
5 years
4
Public Islamic Bond Fund
Bond Malaysian Ringgit - Islamic
5 years
5
Public Bond Fund
Bond Malaysian Ringgit
10 years
6
PB Balanced Fund
Mixed Asset MYR Balanced
10 years
7
Public Mutual Berhad
Best Overall Group Award

Public Mutual is Malaysia’s largest private unit trust company with 67 funds under management. It has over 2,000,000 accountholders serviced by over 40,000 unit trust consultants. As at 31 December 2008, the total net asset value of the funds managed by the company was RM23.3 billion.

Market Wrap : Week Ended 06 February 2009

2009-02-12T01:35:00.000-08:00

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

· After moving in a trading range early in the week, the KLCI closed at a 3-week high of 896.6 points on Friday due to buying of index stocks to register a gain of 1.4% for the week.

· Regional markets mostly closed on a firm note due to gains on Wall Street in the previous week.

· The market is anticipated to move in tandem with overseas markets as investors monitor the outlook for the U.S. credit market, global economic growth and interest rates.

STOCKMARKET COMMENTARY

After moving in a trading range early in the week, the KLCI rose to close at a 3-week high of 896.6 points on Friday due to buying of index stocks. The KLCI registered a gain of 1.4% for the week.

Average daily trading volume increased to 0.4 bil units from 0.3 bil units over the week while daily turnover in value terms rose to RM0.6 bil from RM0.4 bil over the same period.

Regional markets mostly closed on a firm note due to gains on Wall Street. The Shanghai Composite Index and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose by 8.4% and 7.9% respectively over the week. However, the Singapore market registered a loss of 1.8% over the same period.

On Wall Street, trading was volatile early in the week with the Dow falling below 8,000 points amid cautious sentiment. However, optimism that a weak jobs report will spur the U.S. Senate to approve the US$819bil economic stimulus package helped the Dow to rebound and close at 8,281 points for a weekly gain of 3.5%. The Nasdaq was higher 7.8% to 1,592 points over the week.

The number of U.S. non-farm job losses increased to a 34-year high of 598,000 in January from 577,000 jobs lost in December due to higher unemployment in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The unemployment rate rose to a 16-year high of 7.6% in January from 7.2% in December. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the new version of the economic stimulus plan on 10th February after more than a week of intense debate among lawmakers.

Crude oil prices fell following news of higher-than-expected U.S. oil inventories. Oil prices registered a weekly loss of 3.6% to close at US$40.17/brl.

On the local front, the government announced that a mini-budget to stimulate economic growth will be unveiled in the next parliament session, which is scheduled between 16th February and 19th March 2009. The second stimulus plan will include monetary and other measures and is expected to be larger than the first stimulus package of RM7bil announced last November.

Looking ahead, the local market is anticipated to continue moving in tandem with overseas markets over the near term. Investors will continue to monitor the outlook for the U.S. credit market, global economic growth and interest rates.

At the KLCI’s closing level of 896.6 points on 6th February 2009, the local stock market is trading at a P/E of 13.3x on 2009 earnings which is at a discount of 19.9% to the 9-year average P/E ratio of 16.6x. The local market is also supported by a gross dividend yield of 6.0%, which matches the previous historical high of 6% registered in August 1998 following the Asian financial crisis.

STOCKMARKET COMMENTARY

After moving in a trading range early in the week, the KLCI rose to close at a 3-week high of 896.6 points on Friday due to buying of index stocks. The KLCI registered a gain of 1.4% for the week.

Average daily trading volume increased to 0.4 bil units from 0.3 bil units over the week while daily turnover in value terms rose to RM0.6 bil from RM0.4 bil over the same period.

Regional markets mostly closed on a firm note due to gains on Wall Street. The Shanghai Composite Index and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose by 8.4% and 7.9% respectively over the week. However, the Singapore market registered a loss of 1.8% over the same period.

On Wall Street, trading was volatile early in the week with the Dow falling below 8,000 points amid cautious sentiment. However, optimism that a weak jobs report will spur the U.S. Senate to approve the US$819bil economic stimulus package helped the Dow to rebound and close at 8,281 points for a weekly gain of 3.5%. The Nasdaq was higher 7.8% to 1,592 points over the week.

The number of U.S. non-farm job losses increased to a 34-year high of 598,000 in January from 577,000 jobs lost in December due to higher unemployment in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The unemployment rate rose to a 16-year high of 7.6% in January from 7.2% in December. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the new version of the economic stimulus plan on 10th February after more than a week of intense debate among lawmakers.

Crude oil prices fell following news of higher-than-expected U.S. oil inventories. Oil prices registered a weekly loss of 3.6% to close at US$40.17/brl.

On the local front, the government announced that a mini-budget to stimulate economic growth will be unveiled in the next parliament session, which is scheduled between 16th February and 19th March 2009. The second stimulus plan will include monetary and other measures and is expected to be larger than the first stimulus package of RM7bil announced last November.

Looking ahead, the local market is anticipated to continue moving in tandem with overseas markets over the near term. Investors will continue to monitor the outlook for the U.S. credit market, global economic growth and interest rates.

At the KLCI’s closing level of 896.6 points on 6th February 2009, the local stock market is trading at a P/E of 13.3x on 2009 earnings which is at a discount of 19.9% to the 9-year average P/E ratio of 16.6x. The local market is also supported by a gross dividend yield of 6.0%, which matches the previous historical high of 6% registered in August 1998 following the Asian financial crisis.

STOCKMARKET COMMENTARY

After moving in a trading range early in the week, the KLCI rose to close at a 3-week high of 896.6 points on Friday due to buying of index stocks. The KLCI registered a gain of 1.4% for the week.

Average daily trading volume increased to 0.4 bil units from 0.3 bil units over the week while daily turnover in value terms rose to RM0.6 bil from RM0.4 bil over the same period.

Regional markets mostly closed on a firm note due to gains on Wall Street. The Shanghai Composite Index and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose by 8.4% and 7.9% respectively over the week. However, the Singapore market registered a loss of 1.8% over the same period.

On Wall Street, trading was volatile early in the week with the Dow falling below 8,000 points amid cautious sentiment. However, optimism that a weak jobs report will spur the U.S. Senate to approve the US$819bil economic stimulus package helped the Dow to rebound and close at 8,281 points for a weekly gain of 3.5%. The Nasdaq was higher 7.8% to 1,592 points over the week.

The number of U.S. non-farm job losses increased to a 34-year high of 598,000 in January from 577,000 jobs lost in December due to higher unemployment in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The unemployment rate rose to a 16-year high of 7.6% in January from 7.2% in December. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the new version of the economic stimulus plan on 10th February after more than a week of intense debate among lawmakers.

Crude oil prices fell following news of higher-than-expected U.S. oil inventories. Oil prices registered a weekly loss of 3.6% to close at US$40.17/brl.

On the local front, the government announced that a mini-budget to stimulate economic growth will be unveiled in the next parliament session, which is scheduled between 16th February and 19th March 2009. The second stimulus plan will include monetary and other measures and is expected to be larger than the first stimulus package of RM7bil announced last November.

Looking ahead, the local market is anticipated to continue moving in tandem with overseas markets over the near term. Investors will continue to monitor the outlook for the U.S. credit market, global economic growth and interest rates.

At the KLCI’s closing level of 896.6 points on 6th February 2009, the local stock market is trading at a P/E of 13.3x on 2009 earnings which is at a discount of 19.9% to the 9-year average P/E ratio of 16.6x. The local market is also supported by a gross dividend yield of 6.0%, which matches the previous historical high of 6% registered in August 1998 following the Asian financial crisis.

BOND MARKET COMMENTARY

For the fortnight ended 6th February 2009, U.S. Treasuries weakened ahead of the U.S. government’s largest quarterly auction of government debt. The yield on the 3, 5 and 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds rose by between 28 basis points (bps) and 38 bps to 1.43%, 1.96% and 2.99% respectively over the fortnight.

Prices of Malaysian Government Securities (MGS) eased on expectations of a larger fiscal deficit this year, which may exceed the government’s earlier projection of 4.8% of GDP. The 5 and 10-year MGS yields rose by 16 and 42 bps to 2.84% and 3.39% respectively over the fortnight. The 3-year MGS yield edged down by 1 basis point to 2.44% over the same period.

The local corporate bond market continued to be thinly traded with the yields on the 3, 5 and 10-year AAA corporate bonds remaining unchanged at 4.60%, 5.43% and 6.10% respectively over the fortnight.

In the money market, the spread of the 3-month Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offer Rate (KLIBOR) over the yield on the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill narrowed to 233 bps from 251 bps a fortnight ago as the yield on the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill rose by 17 bps over the fortnight.

The U.S. Treasury bond market is expected to move in a trading range as concerns over the increased supply of government debt are mitigated by demand for safe haven assets amidst the current economic slowdown.

On the domestic front, the MGS market is expected to be supported by the ongoing flight to safer fixed income securities. In addition, easing inflationary pressures will allow the central bank to further reduce interest rates in the coming months.

Over the long term, the local bond market is projected to be underpinned by resilient demand for quality corporate bonds and sustained liquidity in the domestic economy.

How To Select Unit Trust Funds?

2009-02-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

There are many unit trusts funds from which to choose, but having considered the type of fund or funds most likely to meet your needs, you have already narrowed down your choices considerably.

The next logical step is to decide which unit trust fund to invest in.

What To Look For ?
A random check will confirm most, if not all, investors would look at the performance or investment results.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict a unit trust's future investment performance. This will depend on the type of fund, the general market trends and the investments which a fund manager picks.
Most managers would provide the past performance tables that normally show the total returns since inception or how much an initial investment made several years ago would be worth today with any income reinvested.

Look at the performance of the funds but do not pay too much attention to period of a year or less - external factors beyond the control of the managers may have influenced results - a high flyer may not stand the test of time. Ideally, a fund showing consistent performance over a long period, the longer the better.

Check the performance of a company's other funds to make sure that it was not just a bit of luck with one fund.

Do not let another type of fund take your fancy just because it has produced better results than the one you had initially chosen. It may be more risky and may not meet your requirements.

However, be warned, past performance figures are no guarantee of the future. A fund that has performed well in the past may not do so in the future and vice versa. Go to Fund Performance for fund comparisons.

Do's and Don'ts of Choosing a Unit Trust Fund
Do
-Decide which type of unit trust fund meets your saving needs.
-Shop around for a reliable unit trust company
-Check whether investment limits, frequency of income payments, etc, are suitable
-Check past performance records

Don't
-Don't choose any unit trust fund just because its performance has been good, make sure it is the right fund for you.
-Don't pay too much attention to short term performance, good consistent performance over all periods is the best lead.
-Don't decide on a unit trust fund just because it has low charges, good performance is far more important
-Don't borrow to invest in unit trust unless you are absolutely aware of the risk involved.

Financial Planning Strategies in Tough Times

2009-02-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

Even with hints of recovery, it's not easy to scope out the economy's direction and even harder to make financial decisions for your family in such rough-and-tumble times.

The following strategies can help strengthen your money management skills. All are designed to give you an edge during the tough times.

Evaluate your spending habits

Are they helping or hindering your financial stability? Can you really afford that SUV? Or season’s tickets to the symphony? Do you need a financial planner to help you reduce debt? It might be helpful if you get a financial planning consultant.

Start first by analyzing spending and savings habits. Here are questions that you may want to ask yourself:

Do your debt payments, including your mortgage, exceed 35% of your gross monthly pay? If so, you have too much debt. Your mortgage should not exceed 35% of your gross income. (That includes property taxes and insurance.) Add that payment to other debt - your credit cards, car loan, etc. and you may be approaching a dangerous debt threshold.

Do you justify impulse purchases? You’ve had a tough week, so you buy things to feel better. Or you tell yourself; “I don’t go on vacation much, so I’ll just buy these Italian shoes!” If this sounds familiar, try a “Stop Spending Week.” Eliminate restaurant meals and unplanned purchases. You’ll be surprised at the results.

Do you shop around for the best deal? You could lower your expenses by shopping around for discount. Shopping around could save on a lot of expenses.

Deal with the immediate bills. You should make regular payments and not add to current debt. Time to crack down: Don't add any more debt and continue paying down current debt. You should try the “pay yourself first" method with automatic paycheck deposits to a savings account.

Organize your financial life

You should keep everything at your fingertips - your budget, investments and bills in one place. Staying on top of your finances can be empowering because you know exactly where you stand. Review and assess your savings goals monthly.

The foundation for living within your means is to get your finances in order. That’s essential because you’ll need to calculate what it’s going to take to meet your long-term goals, for example, retirement.

Get serious and take these steps:Consolidate credit cards. If you’ve got three credit cards with different teaser rates or annual percentage rates, you may not have a grip on how much debt you’re actually carrying. Transfer the balances to one card (make sure you know what the transfer fees are before you do) and pay off the card with the highest rate first.

Review investments periodically. Keep on top of how well diversified you are in and make periodic tweaks to your portfolio.

Prepare for the worst. No one ever expects to get laid off. Built an emergency cushion. Six months is ideal. But if you’re carrying too much debt, pay that down first.

Get life and disability insurance. All of us need life insurance - enough for a surviving spouse to pay off debts and to live comfortably for a time.

Invest regularly and diversify

Start investing in a mutual fund. Make sure your investments are diversified in different asset classes for a steady return. Knowledge is power

Continue to explore your attitudes toward money. This is essential if you want to sharpen your skills as your money manager. Educate yourself.

Get financial planning tips from me or any of financial planner out there and other Web sites or magazines on how to invest or save for your future.

The more you know, the better money manager you will become.

The Secret of Investing In Unit Trust - by KC Lau

2009-02-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

The secret of investing in Unit Trust

There are 3 common strategies used in unit trust investment.

1. Ringgit Cost Averaging
Regularly invest a fix amount in a unit trust fund regardless of market trend is called the Ringgit Cost Averaging strategy. The actual market performance is fluctuating. When the equity market is high, you buy less unit with the same amount. When the market is low, you buy more unit. For long term, you will get much more unit in the lower price range.

2. Portfolio Re-balancing
Portfolio re-balancing is the process of bringing the different asset classes back into proper relationship following a significant change in one or more. More simply stated, it is returning your portfolio to the proper mix of stocks, bonds and cash when they no longer conform to your plan.
Example:You start investing 50% in equity and 50% in fixed income fund.1 year later, the equity rises and now your portfolio consist of 80% equity and 20% fixed income fund.To re-balance your portfolio, you should sell 30% of your total fund in equity and invest it in fixed income fund so that the portfolio is maintained.This is the simple principle of buying low, and selling high.

3. Switching
Switching will lock in the gain you made in your unit trust investment. Switching fees are low and definitely lower than the upfront service charge. When you are making profit from an equity fund, you can switch it to some lower risk fund to lock the gain instead of selling it for cash. When the market turn low, you can switch it back to equity fund.

To know more, kindly contact me.... 012 338 6033

Strategies for Tough Times: Five Steps to Secure Your Financial Future

2009-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

By Jean Chatzky with reporting from Arielle Gowen(from Oprah.com)

Read the newspapers, turn on the radio or television, and you'll get overwhelming evidence of something you probably already know: Times are tough. Unemployment is rising. Debt is rising. Credit is difficult to come by. And Americans are saving absolutely nothing. So what do you do? My philosophy in all sorts of tough times is to control the things you can control. You'll be surprised how much of a difference—both financially and emotionally—a few small moves will make.

Step 1: Build a Cushion

Having an emergency fund to fall back on is going to help you sleep at night during the best of times, and in a shaky economy, it can be a real lifesaver, particularly if you lose your job. I usually suggest about three to six months of living expenses for a two-income family, and closer to six if you're single or your spouse doesn't work outside the home. In a downturn, you want to shoot for six no matter what your situation, particularly if you work in an industry that's likely to be hit hard—think financial services, real estate or retail.

If that sounds like a lot of money, remember that we're talking about bare minimum living expenses here. If you're laid off, your spending is going to come to a screeching halt, meaning your emergency fund doesn't have to hold enough to cover your current lifestyle if it involves dining out every Friday night, a daily trip to the coffee shop and a family movie on Sundays. You just need to have enough to float the necessities: gas, bill payments and food.

So where do you stash the cash? An emergency fund is all about liquidity, so you want to put it where you can get to it easily, but that doesn't mean you shouldn'tearn some interest. Check out money market or high-interest savings accounts, particularly those that are housed exclusively online, then request an ATM card for easy access. But remember, this is for emergencies only, so no swinging by the bank on your way to the mall.

Step 2: Pay Down Debt

Chipping away at credit card and other high-interest debts during an economic downturn is your best investment. So how do you do it? You have to find wiggle room in your budget by looking at where your money is going and brainstorming ways to cut back. For the next two weeks, track every single penny that leaves your wallet, every swipe of your debit card. You'll be surprised at how much of your spending is discretionary—a sandwich here, a rented movie there. Once you see how the little things add up, you'll have an easier time throwing that cash toward your debts, where it can really have an impact on your balance sheet.

And if you think you've cut back on everything you can, remember that other, bigger items can be adjusted as well. Maybe this year, you pick a family vacation spot that's within driving distance rather than having to shell out for pricey plane tickets.

Step 3: Rebalance Your Portfolio

The easiest way to do this is with target-date retirement funds. These guys take most of the work off your shoulders and are offered by most major investment firms. So what are they? In a nutshell, you pick the fund that will mature closest to when you anticipate retiring—so if you're 35 years old, you want to select a fund with a target date of 2030.Then, it will rebalance itself over time, so you're investing aggressively in more stocks, less bonds while you're young, and as you age, the balance shifts to more bonds, less stocks.

If you want a little more control, a general formula for balancing your portfolio is to subtract your age from 100. The resulting number is the percentage of your money that you should have in stocks. One other thing: Don't try to time the market. History tells us that this never works, and the best strategy is just letting your money ride. If you start making moves, there's a good chance you'll end up selling low and buying high, which is the opposite of what you want. The market always rebounds, so sit tight.

Step 4: Keep Your Job

I know, it's not quite that easy. But you can take a few steps to ensure that the odds are in your favor. When companies look to cut costs and, subsequently, people, they look at who's generating the most revenue. Are you having a positive impact on the company's bottom line? Be sure that you're working on important projects, and ask your boss if you can take on additional responsibilities. The key is to seem indispensable.

When all else fails, it doesn't hurt to have a headhunter at your fingertips in case so you can take action quickly in case things go wrong. And networking, always key to getting and keeping a good job, is even more important now. Show up to events, join an association—the idea is to keep your name and face fresh in the minds of decisionmakers.

Step 5: Work on Your Credit Score

What constitutes a good score has actually gone up, so you have to work a little harder to stay at the top of the class. Things like shopping for credit and high levels of debt all work against you, so keep them to a minimum.

Also, a good score means easy access to cash if you need it, and in these times, everyone should have a home equity line of credit in their back pocket in case of an emergency.

7 steps to better investment planning!

2009-01-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

We invest to safeguard ourselves for a rainy day. If you’ve just started investing or want to start, then you could use our 7-step plan to become your own investment consultant!

Managing your investments becomes easy when you make it a habit to save, even if it’s very little money. You need to keep a meticulous account of personal income versus expenditure on a monthly basis before you start investing.

Here are some steps you can follow:

Step 1: Create a budget and track your expenses
A budget helps you identify problem spending areas and also helps regulate your cash flow. Tracking your expenses against the budget helps you control spending and free up cash to clear existing debt and save for retirement or your child’s education. For example, your budget allocation includes a certain amount for groceries for a week. You discover on comparing that amount against actual expenses that you have overspent on buying additional items that you did not really need. This will caution you against making similar expenditure next week and at the end of the month, you will end up saving money!

Step 2: Pay off your existing credit card debts
Are you surprised that paying off credit card debt is a step towards investments? Credit cards charge a high amount of interest along with the principal repayments. When you clear this amount, you‘ll be glad to realize that all the interest amounts and late fees you paid to credit cards can be utilized for your savings and investment program.

Step 3: Save effectively for a rainy day
Emergencies often arrive unannounced. Ensure that some money is set aside to cover monthly expenses for at least three months. These funds should be invested or set aside in instruments that can be readily accessed should you need cash. For example, keep these funds in a savings account in a bank or invest in a money-market unit trust fund.

Step 4: Design a disciplined savings program
You can open a recurring deposit account. In this case a particular amount from your income gets deposited every month for a fixed tenure. You can also invest in a series of fixed deposits (FDs). For example, if your cash reserve is RM 24,000, this amount can be divided into six FDs of equal amounts, each with a 6-month maturity. At the end of 6 months, you’ll have a fixed deposit maturing every month. You can continue to roll them over to create a source of regular income and minimize risk.

Step 5: Invest in an insurance plan
choose the company that can give you a good coverage with the minimal annual premium.the most important INSURANCE you should take :-
1) Medical Card - for hospitalizations & operations purpose
2) Death - to pay all your debt upon your death or to present to your loves one
3) Disability - to support the whole of your life if you are disable
4) Critical Illness - to support your expenses upon your Illness. example - cancer, heart attack, coma, blindness, benign brain tumor, paralysis etc
5) Personal Accident - all Malaysian driver are recommended!!

Check out!! Have you completely cover yourself or your loves one?
Tips!!- choose the company that offering you with a very minimal premium with the maximum of coverage.-
example (the existing product) : average ANNUAL premium RM 200-400 with the coverage around RM 100,000 - RM 250,000.- if you paid around RM 200-400 / year you are SAFE!!! don't waste your money with a little coverage.

THINK before you make a decision!!!- the separate/term insurance are more advisable compare to package of insurance/insurance+investment(not advisable).
Look for purely insurance.- if you seek for investment go purely for investment.

DON"T BUY THE PACKAGE!! it will cost you a lot!!!-
CHECK OUT WHAT IS YOUR NEEDS!!!

Step 6: Buy yourself your dream home
Investing in a house is one of the best investments you can make. First, your payments towards interest and real estate taxes are tax deductible. Second, your property increases in value over time.

Step 7: Invest in a diversified investment program or systematic investment plan
Your risk tolerance level goes a long way in defining your investment approach. If you’re not averse to taking risks, then you may want to invest in an equity based mutual fund. Else, you may want to invest in a plan that involves bonds and other safe securities. Also, ensure that you keep in mind your investment objectives before you subscribe to an investment plan

For more info, please feell free to contact me : Miera at 012 338 6033...

Some pics to share..

2009-01-28T15:53:00.001-08:00

This picture is of Anne Syafiqa, my daughter

Hamidah(Group Agency Manager )handing a trophy to Sam on his promotion from Agency Supervisor to Agency Manager

Hamidah Ahmad (leader of Excel Group, Group Agency Manager, my mentor and direct upline)

Just me... O_o

Benjamin Graham's timeless key investing principles (articles from NST)

2009-01-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a weekly series of articles by the Securities Industry Development Corp to help educate investors.

"TO ACHIEVE satisfactory investment results is easier than most people realise; to achieve superior results is harder than it looks." - these were the wise words of Benjamin Graham, the father of two fundamental investment disciplines - security analysis and value investing.

Not a name unheard of in the investing world, Benjamin Graham was an icon for many, including William J. Ruane and Irving Kahn. One of his most loyal and notable disciples, however, was Warren Buffet.

There is no better way to learn how to make it big in the investing world than learning it from the best and it doesn't get any better than Benjamin Graham.

Benjamin Graham was born in the UK in 1894 and moved to US when he was eight and a half years old. Although he came from a poor family, he was exceptionally bright at a young age. He graduated from Columbia University in 1914 and started his investment career by joining Wall Street as a financial analyst.

He established his first private investment organisation, the Benjamin Graham Joint Account, at the age of thirty two. During the Great Depression, between 1929 and 1932, he lost 70 per cent of his US$2.5 million (RM9.05 million) fund. Although some of his clients gave up, his fund managed to survive the worst, and by 1935, he recovered all the losses.

What did Graham consider as critical elements to successful investing? Here, we will briefly note the investing principles propoun-ded by Benjamin Graham.* Understand the difference between investment and speculation.Graham established a clear distinction between an investment and a speculation. To qualify as an investment, it must go through analysis, must have a good margin of safety and a satisfactory return. Speculation, on the reverse, merely involves timing and profiting from market fluctuation.* Do a detailed analysis as stocks represent a share of business.

In the process of doing a detailed analysis, investors need to have the mindset of treating stock purchasing as if they own a piece of the business to evaluate stock prices from the perspective of the underlying asset value, financial strength and future earning prospect, instead of focusing on the short-term fluctuation of the market. This is regarded as the intrinsic value of the company.* Build Margin of Safety.

Graham's most famous and influential motto is 'margin of safety'. The experiences that he cumulated during the frenzy of the Great Depression made a deep impression on him. He became a very cautious investor whose number one investment concern is the safety of investment principal.

If the intrinsic value of a stock is RM1 and you buy the stock at the price of 67 sen, then your margin of safety is 33 per cent. This serves as a cushion to your investment in the case of a market downturn or to provide you with a margin of error in calculating the intrinsic value, so that the chances of you losing your principal are at the lowest.* Have a realistic return objective.

The objective of making an investment is to make money. However, Graham warns against aiming for unrealistic return objective. If you expect an abnormally high return from your investment, chances are you will be exposing yourself to unnecessary risk in order to achieve your return objective, which will become speculation instead of investment.

There is no short cut or quick ways to making money. Graham's way of investing is to set a realistic return objective and making investments based on sound investment principles and having the discipline to follow through.* Treat the market as servant, not master.

Graham believes that risks and returns do not increase proportionately. He sees the opportunities in market volatilities. To him, the stock market is manic-depressive and investors should go for a bargain hunt during a market down turn.

The risk of investment can be significantly reduced if investors understand the business and apply good judgment based on the above first three elements in searching for good fundamental stocks, which are temporarily depressed due to market reasons.

However, he discourages making decisions based on any form of forecast and timing of the market. Instead, the decision making should be made based on price attractiveness.

Graham's stock selection criteria include a price-to-book ratio of 1.5 times, price-to-earnings ratio of below 20 times and debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5 times.

From the above, you can observe that Graham advocates defensive investing approaches. This later became the foundation of the investing principles of the famous investing guru, Warren Buffet, who learned about the quantitative screening process from Graham while working in Graham's company.

However, for a lay person to successfully apply Graham's approaches, you need to be prepared to overcome some hurdles. You need to do a lot of hard work and have good accounting knowledge in order to dissect the financial information provided in the annual report or other financial publications.

In addition to that, you will have to be highly sensitive to any news that will affect the performance of the company or the relevant industries. Having the ability to derive your own conclusion from your research, you will also then need to have the determination and faith in your work so as to prevent yourself from being blown away by the market.

This is the first in a weekly series of articles by the Securities Industry Development Corp to help educate investors. Incorporated in March 2007, SIDC is a leading capital markets education, training and information resource provider. For more tips on wise investing, log on to www.min.com. my

Financial planning advice

2009-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.Her natural beauty took his breath away.
'I may look like just an ordinary man,' he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit $65 million.'
Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

What should investors do in this crisis

2009-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

(Taken of the Personal Money Magazine, Malaysia edition -January 2009)
By Robert Foo

The question I am asked often these days is,"So, with this world financial crisis, what would you advise me to do?"
Tha advice depends on each person's circumstances and financial and life objectives. But here are some guidelines:

1. Check that your long-term savings plan is still on track
A savings plan is crucial to achieving your financial objectives and life goals. Downturns usually mean more retrenchments, salary/income cuts, reductions in business volume, and so on. These affect your income and ability to sustain savings over the long term. Consider alternative or multiple-income sources to reduce severe shocks to your long term income situation.

2. Stick to your long-term investment plan
There will always be occurences such as the US subprime, and credit crisis, SARS, dotcom bust, the Asian financial crisis and the Sept 11 terrorist atacks that causes change to your long term plan.
We always advise clients to ride the long term growth curve rather then the very exciting and short term curves. Although they can give good returns, the return probability is much lower and unacceptable to most individuals. Didn't we wish we put more money into the equity market when the KLCI was at about 300 points during the Asian financial crisis?
In the long term, all markets go up, but we are now seeing another short -term fluctuation. Expect more volatility as markets will be closely linked to globalisation, but stick to your long term plan.

3.Dont put all your eggs into one basket
Diversify diversify, diversify: This very common wisdom is often ignored by investors during periods of market euphoria. Remember the hype over the commodities, China, Vietnam, BRIC(Brazil, Russia, India , China), global infrastructure and other thematic funds?
Many of these funds fell by more than 30% in their first year.
many investors have over-exposed themselves to equity, prompted by the exceptional returns in 2007. Reality struck last year.
So diversify. Place sufficient money in other markets, consider alternative asset classes that are not closely correlated with the usual equity/fixed income markets. Although many equity funds have fallen in value, there are still funds that performed last year, be selective. Don't just invest in one or two funds. Build a portfolio that fit your investment needs and profile.

4. If necessary, get professional help
Buying investment products is extremely easy. Knowing the right way to invest is something else.

5.Do not be too affected by sensational news
There is hardly any positive news in the media at this time. The daily talking heads on CNBC and CNN are not going to help you much as most of the news is about what's been happening in the last few weeks or days. Rarely do they provide you with long term views because they are not as sensational and exciting as current news. So do not react to short term information and fluctuations.

**********************************************
For more info please do not hesitate to contact Miera at 012 338 6033

A bit of interesting reading…

2009-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Condensed from the Business Investment page of “August Man magazine, January 2009”
By Mark Paine

This is not the time to become timid and hide away from he big bad world of investments, but a time to get aggressive and become a winner.

Firstly, we have to dispel the illusion that money invested in houses in Singapore, or kept in the bank are your best options. Yes, you would have lost money had you invested into a fund over the past year but over three years even in funds that have fallen 50 percent in the past year, you would still be up 89 percent on your investment – that’s a return of over 23 percent a year (going by HSBC China Fund figures)

Buying houses is all well and good, but they are not the most liquid asset class and historically, house prices in Singapore have fallen in line with the markets with a delay of about 3 months. At the time of (author’s)writing, high end properties in Singapore have fallen in price in the region of 30-40 per cent(URA data stating Marina Bay apartment prices), and that is an awful lot of money to lose when you compare the stock market which has only fallen by 28 per cent.

I don’t know which funds are going to be hot picks for the next few years – we have seen dot com, pharmaceuticals, Eastern Europe, BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China), energy and commodities as the hot sector over the past seven or eight years and who knows what will be the next big sector. However, in my book, a company with a low PE ratio and a good balance sheet has got to be a good investment for the next few years. These companies- whether bought directly or through funds-are on sale at a discount right now.

There is only one sure-fire way to accumulate money and that is to spend less than you earn, invest it, and get a positive return on your investment year after year. Suffice to say, this is not the time to become timid and hide away from he big bad world of investments, but a time to get aggressive and become a winner. As Winston Churchill said, “When you are going through Hell, keep going.”

So don’t keep your cash in the biscuit tin, wise up, do some research and get involved I one of the most dynamic investment markets we have seen in a very long time!

{TO read the above article, get your January copy of the August Man magazine (Malaysian edition) }

How to turn Panic 2008.. into PROFIT 2009....

2009-01-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

Investing may be the furthest thing from your mind right now. But if you give me 5 minutes, I'll convince you it's not just time to think about investing, it's the BEST TIME TO INVEST -- maybe in our lifetime!

Dear Fellow Investor,
Imagine walking into a showroom and everywhere you turn there's a sparkling 7 Series BMW or a growling M Coupe... yours for the price of a pre-owned Toyota.
Would you pass up this "opportunity of a lifetime" -- waiting instead for prices to shoot higher so you could pay more for the car of your dreams?
Fat chance! You'd be like a kid in a candy store, like I would.
Surely it's the same for investors when a phenomenal company like BMW goes on fire sale, right? Don't be so sure!
To find out why, two of the most widely followed stock pickers in America set out amid the nastiest market gyrations in memory. What they discovered may surprise you...

Worse, it may stand between you andthe million dollar wealth you desire!
In fact, the vast majority of investors make 2 mistakes that all but ensure that they will NEVER accumulate million dollar wealth. You may be making at least one of them right now.

The first mistake is never getting around to putting your hard-earned life savings to work for you... the second is getting started too late...

Here are three little-understood stock market FACTS ...
Fact: "Bear markets" occur on average every five years. They last about 15 months and set diversified investors back on the order of 33%.
Fact: "Bull markets" typically run for five YEARS and earn investors average cumulative gains on the order of 166%.
Fact: On November 21, 2008, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down nearly 50% -- over the course of 14 months.
If nothing else, this tells me we're much nearer the bottom -- and the start of the next bull market -- than the doomsayers on TV would have us believe.
And we can all agree that the prospect of earning 166% on your investments over the next five years is a pretty compelling reason NOT to dump your stocks right now.
Of course, it's an even better reason to consider making some potentially life-changing investments while you have the chance. Well, for reasons you're about to see, finding those investments just got a whole lot easier!

Yes, we may be in for a "bull market"rebound of truly epic proportions

True to form, the Dow already bounced for double-digit gains from its November 21 low of 7552. With history as our guide, we'll look back on that move up as the tip of the iceberg. A gentleman named Martin Whitman agrees.

One of the most successful money managers in history, Whitman is telling his clients that we've been blessed with "the buying opportunity of a lifetime"...
Confirming the notion that smart investments we make today could shower us with profits the likes of which we've not seen in decades.
Warren Buffett, arguably the world's greatest living investor, agrees that NOW is the time to invest in American business. He's buying U.S. stocks hand over fist -- and making no bones about it.

And the rest of us?
Unfortunately, research from Charles Schwab mutual funds confirms that the vast majority of individual investors are doomed to miss out entirely.
That's because, according to Schwab's top investor, we can expect to earn 47% of our profits in the first 12 months of a bull market -- long before most investors feel comfortable getting back in.
In other words, when the market inevitably recovers, most investors will be left watching from the sidelines while their opportunistic friends and neighbors get wealthy.
Will you miss out? Or will you set yourself up to rake in historic profits? Frankly, I can't blame you if you're a little apprehensive, given all that's happened in the markets.
But I hope you'll pick the latter. And not only recoup your losses from a brutal 2008 in the months and years ahead, but come out ahead -- way ahead.

Happy New Year to everyone reading this....

2009-01-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

May peace break into your house
and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires
and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words ............ .

May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

Best regards Miera Nadhirah and all of us from Phoenix Consultants...

Apa yang diperkatakan oleh Warren Buffett, pelabur terkenal (pd 16 Oktober 2008 dalam akhbar New York Times)

2009-01-02T01:30:00.000-08:00

"Saya membeli saham mengikut satu peraturan mudah: Rasa takut apabila orang lain bersikap tamak, bersikap tamak bila orang lain rasa takut.

Saya tidak dapat meramalkan pergerakan pasaran saham dalam jangka masa pendek. Saya tidak tahu sama ada harga2 saham akan naik atau turun dalam masa satu bulan atau satu tahun. Walau bagaimanapun, pasaran mungkin akan naik, barangkali dengan banyaknya, sebelum sentimen atau ekonomi bertambah baik. Jika anda menunggu burung robin untuk menandakan kedatangan musim bunga, musim bunga akan berlalu begitu sahaja.

Kini mereka yang memegang wang tunai atau barangan bernilai setara tunai akan berasa senang hati. Mereka tidak sepatutnya berfikiran begitu. Mereka telah memilih satu aset jangka masa panjang yang teruk, yang tidak akan membawa apa2 pulangan. Malah ia pasti akan susut nilai. Sememangnya, polisi2 kerajaan untuk menrgurangkan krisis sekarang mungkin akan membawa inflasi dan mempercepatkan penyusutan nilai sebenar akaun2 tunai.

Warren Buffett's latest quote(Published on 16 October 208 in the New York Times)

2009-01-02T01:22:00.000-08:00

"A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are are fearful.

I can't predict the short term movement of the stock market. I haven't the faintest idea as to weather stocks will be higher or lower a month - or in a year- from now. What is likely, however, is that the market will move higher, perhaps substantially so, well before either sentiment or the economy turns up. So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over.

Today, people who hold cash equilavents feel comfortable. They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long term asset, one that pays virtually nohing and is certain to depreciate in value.Indeed, the policies that government will follow in it's effort to alleviate the current crisis will probably prove inflationary and therefore accelerate declines in the real value of cash accounts."

Public Mutual Declares Dividend for 3 funds...

2009-01-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual declares distributions for two of its funds. The total gross distributions declared are for financial year ended 31st December 2008:
Fund~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gross Distribution / Unit
Public Savings Fund~~~~~~~~~~~~~~7.50 sen per unit
Public Focus Select Fund~~~~~~~~~~~1.25 sen
Public Islamic Enhanced Bond Fund~~~1.75 sen per unit

Public Mutual Declares Dividend for 2 funds...

2009-01-02T01:08:00.000-08:00

Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual declares distributions for two of its funds. The total gross distributions declared are for financial year ended 30 November 2008:

Fund~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gross Distribution / Unit
Public Islamic Balanced Fund~~~1.00 sen
Public Far-East Dividend Fund~~0.35 sen

Public Mutual’s Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow commented that Public Mutual is pleased to be able to continue to declare distributions on its funds despite a very challenging market condition. “Public Islamic Balanced Fund and Public Far-East Dividend Fund have consistently declared annual distributions since their launch in 2005 and 2006 respectively.” he added.

Public Mutual is Malaysia’s largest private unit trust company with 67 funds under management. It has over 2,000,000 accountholders serviced by over 40,000-strong unit trust consultants. As at 31 October 2008, the total net asset value of the funds managed by the company was RM21.5 billion.

Are Syariah Funds/Islamic Funds better positioned?..

2009-01-02T00:56:00.002-08:00

Many global banks are struggling to stay afloat even as Central banks are trying to resuscitate them with the much needed oxygen. In this scenario, the Islamic banks that manage $ 1 trillion worldwide as well as the shariah funds are seemingly in much better shape.There has been a huge rise in investments in shariah mutual funds and other investments. But the fate of Islamic banks is very much tied to the boom in the Middle-East for housing and real estate

Confidence in the Gulf property market has been hit by the global financial turmoil, and there are signs that a five-year property boom is set to slow. Dubai house prices rose 16 percent during the second quarter -- but that compared with 42 percent in the first, according to real estate consultancy Colliers International.

The other day the United Arab Emirates government more than doubled its initial rescue package for banks to almost $33 billion on Tuesday, and bankers say its promise to guarantee banking. UAE Government has sought to allay the fears expressed in international circles about the financial soundness of Islamic banks and said Islamic banks are sheltered from the financial storm. Bahraini Finance Minister Sheikh Ahmed al-Khalifa said that most of the country's banks had invested in the booming Gulf Arab region rather than complex foreign assets, and Islamic banks had no exposure at all to the global crisis.

The risk rating under Islamic banking and finance evaluates real term business potential and growth trends, instead of evaluating manipulated asset values which has caused recent damages to the credit market. Thus the regulators and credit rating agencies should now adopt principles of Islamic banking to safeguard the financial sector from any more turmoil,” Syed Zahid Ahmad Assistant Secretary General,AICMEU Trust.

However, independent analysts feel sliding commodity and property prices in predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia are likely to have a particularly strong impact on the sharia market due to the industry's heavy reliance on those assets to support deals.

Shariah Funds
Shariah funds comply with Islamic laws. Quran prohibits paying or receiving interest; investments in financial services firms are generally eliminated from Shariah-based funds too. Firms with large amounts of debt on their balancesheets are also largely avoided — which has kept these funds mostly safe from the credit crunch and tumultuous markets that have rocked many mainstream mutual funds. Shariah, the religious law of the followers of Islam, has strictures regarding finance and commercial activities permitted for believers. Arab investors only invest in a portfolio of ‘clean’ stocks. They do not invest in stocks of companies dealing in alcohol, conventional financial services (banking and insurance), entertainment (cinemas and hotels), tobacco, pork meat, defence and weapons.

According to experts in Islamic investments, Muslims are only allowed to invest in companies where interest bearing income is less than 10% in any condition.According to media reports, though economic turmoil has also hit the returns on Shariah funds, their five-year total returns have also managed to fare better than the S&P 500 and their peers.

However, for most of these newcomers in Shariah fund it is not religion which driving them to this sector. In fact, they are desperate to survive turmoil in the market. Amana Trust Income Fund (AMANX) and the Amana Trust Growth Fund are the largest funds that invest according to Shariah law in the United States. Other Islamic funds include the Azzad Ethical Income (AEIFX) and Azzad Ethical Midcap funds (ADJEX). However, Shariah funds aren’t perfect, and when the financial sector inevitably picks up, participating investors may be left out in the cold. To combat this, advisers have looked at various ways to increase clients’ involvement in financials without leaving the Shariah mutual fund, such as finding an exchange traded fund with participation in that sector. Analysts say Shariah-based investing will become more popular. However, some clients may have ethnic or political sensitivities that might keep them from being interested in a Shariah fund.

Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury recently said Christians and Muslims should work together to decide what might constitute a fairer system of borrowing, and suggested an alternative to the current banking system.

The pro-Islamic banking community feels strongly that it has been unhurt by sub-prime mortgage crisis. “Interestingly, Islamic banks are unaffected by the sub prime mortgage crisis; rather many non-Muslims are turning up to Islamic banking as the customers spooked by turmoil in the interest based banking system are feeling Islamic banks as a safer haven because they are immune against such crisis due to inherent business ethics within Islamic banking, according to Syed says Zahid Ahmad Assistant Secretary General,AICMEU Trust.

There are two reasons why islamic banks are insulated from the crisis: The first is security from liquidity problem due to inter banks lending in the money markets, merger and resales of debted companies. The second reason is rating of complete investment risks instead of mere credit risks. Principally Islamic banks acts as custodians, advocates or managers for depositors funds and thus they cannot transfer public deposits to other banks without permission of their depositors. Thus Inter bank liquidity transfer on debt finance basis is not permitted in Islam, which takes care of liquidity related problems in the market, Syed Zahid Ahmad said.

Sukuk market
The Islamic bond, or sukuk market has already taken a beating due to global financial crisis, according to reports. The Standard and Poor’s reported in September that global sukuk issuance stood at $14 bn for the first eight months of 2008 compared to $23 bn in the corresponding period in 2007. Analysts said that the present downturn for Sukuk market was temporary and that investors are just waiting for the right time to place their deals.

In recent weeks both the equity and commodity markets have taken a beating. This has resulted in investors liquidating their stocks and commodities plunging both developed and emerging economies into recessionary phase.Prices for most commodities such as crude oil, metals and grains have fallen to multi-month lows as investors pulled billions of dollars from the sector. Bankers estimate that about $50 billion-$60 billion of value has been wiped off commodity markets in the last quarter. The sharia bond market has been hit as companies from Japan to Kuwait and Malaysia cite tough market conditions and high borrowing costs as reasons for either aborting or delaying issue plans. The launch of at least one shariah hedge fund has been shelved and even oil-rich Gulf economies, which are global hubs for Islamic finance, have not been spared.

Financial Health

2008-12-17T00:48:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to be financially healthy? For some, it means never needing to work, but for others, it means avoiding bankruptcy. Your attitude toward money determines how much money you will need and how hard you're willing to work for it to achieve your dreams in life.

Are you financially healthy? How have others built the net worth to fulfill their dreams?

You could start by taking control of your money.

It's the end of the month and you've just finished paying your bills--rent, insurance, credit cards, utilities, car payment, etc. And after everything is paid and your checkbook is balanced, you see once again that there isn't enough left over to put into savings. It's just too hard to find any extra money to save, so your savings plan will just have to wait another month.

Sound familiar? For many of us it does. But contrary to popular opinion, financial security can be based on a very modest income and saving money can be much easier than you think. What it comes down to is knowing how you spend and learning how to spend less than you earn.

Little Things Add Up
Many of your large monthly expenses are probably fixed, such as your rent/mortgage, car or student loan payments. But it's the variable expense category that can easily get out of control. It's so easy to pick up a daily coffee and bagel, magazine, or a new DVD because individually they don't cost much.

But if you pick up a coffee and bagel every day for RM5.00, over the course of a year that RM5.00 could grow to almost RM150 monthly and RM1800 annually. The little things can really add up and cost more than you realize.

Everyone Can Afford to Save Money
Finding money to save is easier than you think. If you decided to make your own coffee and bagel in the morning, you could save that RM5.00 a day and put 150 ringgit into your investment or saving account monthly. The sooner you start, the faster it all adds up.

Control Your Money
Of course, no one is recommending that you eliminate every indulgence, because some of these small expenses enhance your enjoyment of life. But everyone has some purchases they could reduce to help reach their financial goals. Here are some ideas that can help you control your money:

Write down each expense. Try it for a week and keep a record of absolutely everything you spend. You'll begin to see how the little things add up.

Only pay cash. It's a lot harder to hand over cash than it is to use plastic. This helps cut down on impulsive purchases.

Wait a day before buying anything over $100. If you really want it, then you'll go back to the store and buy it. But there'll be times when you decide not to make the purchase and you'll save yourself $100 or more.

Is it time for investing?

2008-12-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

While there might be billions lying around, all around the world in the country’s Treasury for failed businesses and CEOs -- the government doesn't have much to give back to hardworking people like you and me...

And the media isn't focused on providing us with solutions, either. Consider this, from CNBC's Jim Cramer on the October 6, 2008, Today show:
"Whatever money you may need for the next 5 years, please take it out of the stock market right now. This week."

That's the solution?!? Hmm, let's give this some thought... I agree, it's only prudent to protect your short-term cash reserves from the inevitable ups and downs of the stock market.

But my concern is anyone confronted with such theatrics in a time of crisis might react by dumping their stocks into the downturn! As you're about to see, that could be a huge mistake. And it could cost you thousands... if not millions of dollars!
If you ask me, scaring people into cashing out their portfolios AFTER a 20% correction is not only irresponsible -- it's dangerous!

Especially if you're invested in a tax advantaged retirement account, which is where most individual investors have the bulk of their long-term assets.

For one thing, you can't even write off your losses when you sell. More important, there's a good chance you'll never get back in the market. Which could spell disaster, as you'll almost certainly NEVER keep up with inflation invested in cash.

In fact, even in a generous money market account that pays 2.5% a year -- you would STILL LOSE BUYING POWER and fast! Take a look...
What happens to $10,000 in 4 years
with a modest 3% inflation

You can see how at today's low interest rates even modest annual inflation eats away at your buying power.

And don't forget, when you cash out AFTER a major correction, you're essentially locking in your recent losses, turning short-term volatility into a permanent loss.
That's money you'll never get back!

No less an investing luminary than Warren Buffett agrees. In a piece appearing in The New York Times on October 17, 2008, he wrote:
"Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long-term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value."

As usual, Buffett is on to something. Cashing out and hoping for better days is not a solution for securing your retirement. In other words, dumping your stocks after they've sunk to 5-year lows hoping to buy back "at the bottom" is a recipe for disaster. Want proof?

Wouldn't it be great to time the market? Unfortunately, we can't. Here's proof...
According to a study by research firm Dalbar, most individual investors managed to earn an average of 4.5% a year for the 20 years ending in 2007. And that's compared to the S&P 500's wealth-building 11.8% return for the same period.

So why do most individual investors continually underperform the market? Simple. Because they chase performance, moving into stocks when they're hot... and moving out of stocks when they're lagging. Just as folks are telling you to do today!
As a result, most investors unintentionally buy high and sell low over and over again.

Here's the one important point I want to leave you with today...
The best way to secure your long-term financial future is to scoop up stocks cheap and hold on through up and down markets!

But first, let's examine the possibility of market recovery...
"Now is the time to invest and get rich." -- Warren Buffett
Yes, Warren Buffett said that, too. In an interview with Forbes after U.S. stocks sank more than 40%. But it wasn't last month... or last week... Buffett said that in 1974.

Even before Forbes could get the issue to the printer, the Dow had already rocketed some 15% higher in one of the most explosive rallies ever!
Stocks would go on to extend their gains by nearly 40% the very next year.
Clearly, those who held on to their stocks... and bought more in 1974 (when everyone else was unloading!) banked some historic profits. Just ahead, I'll show you exactly how much they made.

But let me be clear: What I just described was NOT some rare historical event. Explosive rallies off market bottoms occur again and again.

History proves that THE BEST TIME TO INVEST is in the midst of market chaos, not after it has passed!

"Bad news is an investor's best friend!"

Need more proof? Okay, think back to what folks were saying during the last two major market sell-offs in 2002 and 1987...

Investors who fell for that rhetoric and pulled their money out of the markets in 1987 and 2002 didn't fare so well. Not only did they sit out a historic market turnaround... they could have missed out on decades of historic profits.

Well, history is repeating itself. Fear is gripping investors again. BusinessWeek confirms it: "If ever it were appropriate to revive the term 'panic,' this is the time."

Sound familiar? You bet it does!

And legendary fund manager Marty Whitman has a curiously different take. He calls what we're facing right now the "the buying opportunity of a lifetime!"

Unfortunately, just as so many folks did in November 1987, most investors will end up missing out. We don't want you to be one of them!

Standard & Poor's reports that you'll make up 80% of your losses within the first year of a market recovery.

Even more amazing, most investors' portfolios typically recoup a full third of their value within in the first 40 days of a turnaround!

So, have we seen the bottom?

It's impossible to know for sure. But, remember, you DON'T have to catch the exact bottom to make a boatload of money. The fact is, the market always recovers after a panic.

To prove it, look no further than the performance of the Dow 30 in the year following the past three major market slumps:

What Goes Down Must Come Up

And consider this: when Ned Davis Research looked at the past 10 recessions since World War II, they found that the average market return one year after the market bottoms out was 32%.

That's the kind of rally you won't want to miss! Heck, Warren Buffett is 77 years old. And he's going "ALL in!"

"My money and my mouth both say equities."
-- Warren Buffett, October 17, 2008

Soon Buffett's personal portfolio will be invested 100% in stocks. If Buffett's betting on a market turnaround, maybe we should, too.

And you don't have to bet the farm to get started. In fact, you can methodically build a fortune just a couple hundred bucks at a time. Need proof?

Think back to the past three major market sell-offs in 1974, 1987, and 2002...

Let's say you took Buffett's sage advice and invested more (rather than sold) each of those three times the market nosedived.

For example, a modest $500 invested in big, safe conglomerates like McDonald's, 3M, and IBM. If you held on to those three stocks...
Today your total investment of $4,500 would be worth $104,041!

And you'd have done it simply by buying and holding America's very best businesses at a time when everyone else was selling. Yes, a time like right now!
"Stocks could return 10% a year for the next decade."

RAISE YOUR CHANCES OF INVESTING PROFITABLY by Rajen Devadason

2008-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

Stock markets rise and fall. Whether your country's
primary bourse is currently on an upswing or downswing
is pretty much immaterial - in the grander scheme of
things.

The reason I say that is equity markets have
an upward bias because the global economy generally
expands from one year to the next.

But that truth can be of little comfort to those who
lack the experience needed to take the long-term
view of things.

So, here's a valuable piece of advice from me to you:
You will usually do best of all, again in general and
over the long haul, if you take investment legend Sir
John Templeton's advice to be 'accommodating'. This
means that when people are rushing to sell in a down
market, you smile and generously buy investments
selectively. And when the milling masses all rush into
an equity market, thus causing prices to run up, you
again take the high road and kindly sell to them.

The net effect of doing so is you will have a much greater
chance than the hordes do of truly buying low and
selling high.

Of course, committing to education is what's going to
be of real help to you in the decades ahead. I
sincerely hope you will focus your cerebral efforts
upon transforming yourself into a wise lifelong
investor.

This will result in your avoiding the most common
failing during times when equity markets overheat,
namely magically turning yourself into a wheeler-dealer
speculator.

As I've written before, most such individuals
tragically end up merely contributing to the long-term
retirement funds or kids' college education funds of
the wiser, calmer, longer term investors who sit on the
opposite of such frenetic trades.

Then carry out your own online or library research on
'Warren Buffett', 'Berkshire Hathaway', 'Benjamin
Graham', 'margin of safety' and 'long-term
investing'.

Taking the time to learn deeply the intricacies of
capital market investing will hold you and those you
love in very, very good stead.

Caught in the Career Trap: Are You Sacrificing Happiness for Security?

2008-11-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

by Susan Liddy

Do you feel 'stuck' in a career that you don't necessarily enjoy, but you do it because it's practical?

You're not alone. According to a study published in Inc.com, 50% of workers surveyed in 2007 reported that they disliked their jobs.

Many people stay put at jobs that don't excite them, don't challenge them, and don't inspire them. In many cases, the job is "what they know," or what they went to school for, or what their parents wanted for them. Now they've been in it so long that they fear rocking the boat of their security by going after their true passion. Hey, it pays the bills... right?

Do you have a picture of the "ideal career" in your mind? Pull it out and take a close look.

What do you do at your dream job? Does it have something to do with your talents, or your hobbies... things you love to do, and are good at? Maybe you're a budding artist or crafter. Wouldn't it be wonderful to make your living by creating?

What are your surroundings at your dream job? Maybe you enjoy the great outdoors. Does your job allow you to commune with nature? Perhaps your dream is to work from a home office. Wouldn't it be wonderful to conduct business with your family close by?

No matter what the ideal profession looks like to you... chances are, you're far away from where you want to be! So let's look at what's stopping you from pursuing that dream career of yours.

Many people who are unsatisfied at their current jobs are actually stuck at a crossroads. Are you one of them? Perhaps deep down, you know that it's time to move on -- but you struggle with letting go of the comfort, predictability, and of course, the security of doing what you've always done. The new job looks great in your mind. But will it guarantee food on your table and a roof over your head?

Most people take the safe route. They choose a career that seems profitable versus one they feel passionate about because it may not pay as well. If this sounds like you... have you considered:

Being unhappy in your job increases stress -- which takes its toll on your health and well being.

Feeling unfulfilled at work prevents you from performing to your full potential - and keeps you from landing that raise and/or promotion.

(Maybe you hate your job so much that you don't even WANT the promotion -- and that's REALLY a neverending cycle of stagnation and misery!)

Sure, your current job may give you a sense of financial security -- and the fear of losing that will continue to grow as long as the economy is in a recessive period. But ask yourself:
What about the insecurity felt of not doing the best job you know how because you're bored at work?

What about the insecurity of knowing that you aren't using your full skills and talents to bring your unique purpose into the world?

What if who you really are inside is so far from the "role" you play at your job every day... that it eats away at you all of the time?

People who are generally unhappy will spend money to feel happier. This often creates a cycle of needing to make more money to spend it to feel happy.

(But how are you going to make more money if you already hate what you're doing now? Do you see what a trap it is to be in a job that you can't stand?)

Believe it or not, many people who have made "financial sacrifices" to pursue their true professional calling actually feel LESS of a need to "spend for gratification." Why? Their personal satisfaction comes from doing what they're meant to do -- and that's a feeling that money can't buy!

Think about this. Everyone who ever embarked upon the career of their dreams had to start somewhere. Perhaps they needed different training, or a bank loan, or a support system, or all of the above. But even if they met with challenges... they learned how to overcome them! They took the less traveled path, and are all the happier because of it.

What's the difference between people who are successful and fulfilled, versus those who merely "tolerate" their lives and jobs? Successful and fulfilled people refuse to give up on their dreams!

Some Myths About Embarking on a New Career:
Myth 1: You must quit your first job before embarking on another.

Myth 2: You cannot get a new business up and running without a "stash of cash" saved up.

Myth 3: You can't afford to go back to school.

Myth 4: There's no one out there to help you grow professionally, and no one to lean on!
Can you begin a new career by way of a hobby... to learn and grow, and put together a plan to shift from one job to the other?

Changing careers is indeed a process that requires careful thought and planning. That may feel overwhelming at first, but consider this...

If you don't start now, five years from now, you'll still be where you are today.

Empowering belief: When we are doing what we are meant to do on this planet, we will be good at it and the money will come.

Reality Check
Do you dread getting up each day to go to work?

Do you watch the clock while at work?

Do you wish you had chosen a different career?

Do you fear that this other career isn't practical or safe, and "pooh pooh" it?

Fearless Integration
What are the elements of your dream career?

Take some time to research the various careers that include these elements.

Talk to people, take people to lunch who may be able to provide information and inspiration...

See if you can engage in this career activity in your spare time (yes, a passion is worth your free time).

Research your chosen career.

Devise a practical plan to shift over.

About the Author:
Susan Liddy, MA, PCC, CPCC is the founder of AspireLifeCoaching.org, a women's coaching organization whose mission is to empower women to aspire fearlessly. Susan's unique and groundbreaking life coaching programs teach women how to break through the fear and disempowerment that block them from who they are and accomplishing their goals.

To learn more about Susan Liddy and AspireLifeCoaching.org visit AspireLifeCoaching.org or call (408) 835-9908.©2008 Susan Liddy, AspireLifeCoaching.org, All rights reserved

How RM100 could save your retirement

2008-11-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

When money is tight, it's tempting to put off any thought of saving. But don't give in. Every little bit can make a difference.
The economy is in turmoil. You may have noticed.

Your house is worth less, your job is less secure, credit is harder to come by, and filling the gas tank consumes virtually a whole day's pay. Many people all over the world are experiencing their worst financial pinch in decades.

Thinking about the future seems almost pointless.

There is a solution, though. Don't listen to your budget howl about how tight money is and how you need every dime for today.

Now, more than ever, it's vital to build a cushion for tomorrow.

It's not a pipe dream. It's essential.

As difficult as it might be now to make ends meet, it would be far worse when you're old and gray and don't have bus fare, let alone money to fix the car.

The good news : RM25 a week or RM100 a month will do it.

Unbelievably depressing data
First, let's contemplate a scary data a research company that tracks 20 million participants (i.e., real people) in USA

Nearly half of all workers 25 and older have less than $50,000 saved for retirement (excluding their homes and any pensions). It's just the same and equally as bad in Malaysia as I'm sure many of you have read that many people finish off their EPF within 3-5 years (if it lasts even that long) What happens after that???

22% of workers and 28% of retirees say they have nothing saved.

The top financial obstacles people listed were, in order: the rising cost of living, health insurance or medical expenses, mortgage payments, debt, and fuel and energy costs.

Cost of living versus cost of not saving
Those would be the reasons my husband and I have a hard time saving, too.

Our electricity bills cost RM200 . It now costs more than RM80 to fill up the car, and, honestly, I can't even add up the petrol or grocery receipts each month because it's so depressing.

I did it once. Not including petrol, we spent about RM800 on food and miscellaneous household expenses, about RM150 to RM200 more than we did last few years.

We even cut back our retirement savings for two months in order to play catch-up with our taxes.

But we kept saving, and we're still saving. Because no one in this economy can afford not to save.

"When you spend a ringgit today, you're giving up about RM16 in 36 years from now," says David Wray, the president of a nonprofit association of companies that provide defined-benefit plans to about 5 million workers.

Add before you subtract
Wray uses something called the Rule of 72, which is a standard personal-finance tool to demonstrate the power of compounding.

The Rule of 72 estimates the rate at which your money saved will double. Just take a hypothetical rate of return -- Wray uses 8% -- and divide that into 72. By this estimate, your money would double every nine years.

That means a ringgit invested at 8% today would be worth RM2 in nine years, RM4 after 18 years, RM8 after 27 years and RM16 after 36 years.

Of course, there are countless factors that affect the real-life growth rate of your savings: how your money is invested, the time frame, the rate of inflation, taxes and so forth.

The point is that whatever amount you save won't remain the same; it grows exponentially over time. Thus it's less important how much you save than that you harness that financial momentum by saving absolutely anything at all. Even RM100 at a time.

The RM100 retirement revival plan
How much might the average strapped person be able to save? I pick RM100. It's a round number, and a small one, but it can add up quickly, as you'll see.

According to our pocket calculator(to obtain one, you can call me at 012 3386033), if you saved just RM100 a month, you'd end up with almost RM100,627 in 30 years, assuming an 8% return. (Historically, that's been the long-term minimum return for investing in our unit trust investment.)

That amount could keep you afloat in your golden years. It's a lot more than nothing.

An additional cushion of even relatively small amounts like those can cover some medical costs, car and home repairs or other expenses that might otherwise send you into debt or leave you flat broke.

Ideas on how to save RM100
Here are the rules: The key is to pick at least one way you can immediately save RM100 this month. If you pick more than one, that's great. But for each RM100 you save, you have to:

* Put RM100 in an envelope and deposit that money in your mutual fund account by the end of the month(don’t cheat!!)
* Write a check for RM100, put that in an envelope, and deposit it.
* Or set up an automatic transfer/standing instructions right now for RM100 to be zapped into your savings account each month .

Yes, you can save RM100
How easy are these?

* Cut RM100 out of your monthly grocery budget
* Slice RM100 out of your vices for the month (cigarettes, alcohol, magazines, music downloads, ice cream, pay-per-view TV).
* Bring lunch to work twice a week. (Leftovers are free.)
* Avoid buying breakfast, coffee(especially at Starbucks or Coffee Bean), soda and snacks. (Or just be good for a few days.)
* Ditch monthly charges and subscriptions you never use.

And if, heaven forbid, you find yourself resisting the idea of taking just one of these simple, mindless steps that will cost you barely any effort whatsoever, just remind your shortsighted self: This is worth RM150,000!

To know more, call me : Miera at 012 338 6033 or email me at miera_pm2002@yahoo.com

Financial Planning Chart

2008-11-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

What is financial planning??

2008-11-16T23:28:00.000-08:00

According to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standard, financial planning is the process of meeting your life goals through the proper management of your finances. Life goals can include buying a home, saving for your child's education or planning for retirement.
The financial planning process consists of six steps that help you take a "big picture" look at where you are financially. Using these six steps, you can work out where you are now, what you may need in the future and what you must do to reach your goals.

The process involves gathering relevant financial information, setting life goals, examining your current financial status and coming up with a strategy or plan for how you can meet your goals given your current situation and future plans. As life and circumstance change, so your financial plan will need to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis:

Ensure you are on track to meet your goals

Identify and address new goals and

Make sure the financial tools you are employing still meet your needs.

Steps to the Financial Planning Process:
1. Identifying and setting short, intermediate and long-term goals. Ideally, each goal will have a date and dollar amount attached to it.

2. Evaluating your current situation - cashflow analysis and calculating your net wort. You need to honestly assess your current financial status, including positives and negatives.

3. Review your insurance coverage, including life, disability, home, auto, umbrella liability and long-term care.

4. Review your current tax situation to identify tax-saving opportunities and potential deductions.

5. Review your estate plan to ensure that your will, living will, healthcare power of attorney and other estate planning documents (revocable living trusts and durable power of attorney) are up-to-date and valid.

6. Develop a retirement funding plan that covers when you plan to retire and how much you will need to support your retirement lifestyle.

7. If you have children, develop a college funding plan to help cover higher education expenses.

8. Develop an overall investment plan with proper investment portfolio that supports your goals, while staying within your investment time horizon and risk tolerance.

All of these areas will help you develop your initial financial roadmap.

Finally, review your plan and progress periodically by giving yourself an annual check up to make sure you are staying on track. Life will throw you a curveball from time to time; divorce, a serious illness and an unexpected job loss can all affect your financial plan. So be prepared and be flexible.

How To Make Financial Planning Work For You
You are the focus of the financial planning process. To achieve the best results from your financial planning, you will need to be prepared to avoid some of the common mistakes by considering the following advice:

1. Set measurable financial goals. Set specific targets of what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve results. For example, instead of saying you want to be "comfortable" when you retire or that you want your children to attend "good" schools, you need to quantify what "comfortable" and "good" mean so that you'll know when you've reached your goals.

2. Understand the effect of each financial decision. Each financial decision you make can affect several other areas of your life. For example, an investment decision may have tax consequences that are harmful to your estate plans. Or a decision about your child's education may affect when and how you meet your retirement goals. Remember that all of your financial decisions are interrelated.

3. Re-evaluate your financial situation periodically. Financial planning is a dynamic process. Your financial goals may change over the years due to changes in your lifestyle or circumstances, such as an inheritance, marriage, birth, house purchase or change of job status. Revisit and revise your financial plan as time goes by to reflect these changes so that you stay on track with your long-term goals.

4. Start planning as soon as you can. Don't delay your financial planning. People who save or invest small amounts of money early, and often, tend to do better than those who wait until later in life. Similarly, by developing good financial planning habits such as saving, budgeting, investing and regularly reviewing your finances early in life, you will be better prepared to meet life changes and handle emergencies.

5. Be realistic in your expectations. Financial planning is a common sense approach to managing your finances to reach your life goals. It cannot change your situation overnight; it is a lifelong process. Remember that events beyond your control such as inflation or changes in the stock market or interest rates will affect your financial planning results.

6. Realize that you are in charge. If you're working with a financial planner, be sure you understand the financial planning process and what the planner should be doing. Provide the planner with all of the relevant information on your financial situation. Ask questions about the recommendations offered to you and play an active role in decision-making.

For more info, please contact Miera 012 338 6033 or Dzul 019 283 3318

SAVE MONEY; BUILD CHARACTER! by Rajen Devadason

2008-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite Disney animated movies is 'Jungle Book'. If you've ever watched it, then the wonderful rendition of 'Bare Necessities' (which is actually'Bear Necessities'!) by Louis Armstrong, who provides the rich vocals of the kindly bear Baloo, is something you will never forget.

Long, long before Disney's artists and vocal talents worked their magic up there on the silver screen, the author Rudyard Kipling wrote the novel upon which the movie is based.

Interestingly, at a different time and on a more factual note, Kipling also wrote that:"Savings represent much more than mere money value.They are proof that the saver is worth something inhimself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself."

Kipling then went on to write, "Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it."

Now tell me... honestly... is your treatment of money today more defined by silly waste that leads to an unsettled min d or by smart restraint that births steadfast resilience?

Whatever your answer, the good news is that there is always room for improvement from bad to good or from good to wonderful.But first you must ask yourself if you truly want to improve.

Do you?Are you sure? Let's face it, way too many of us have resigned ourselves to accepting a lifetime of scarcity, not abundance!That's not merely sad, it's tragic!

Most people, even many living in some of the wealthiest nations on earth, have unintentionally trapped themselves in a pernicious 'cycle of want' that's characterised by hand-to-mouth living, where even a fortnight's delay in our monthly pay cheque would be catastrophic!

But, you know, it doesn't have to be that way! Not ifyou're willing to pay the price to nurture some key disciplines in your life; key disciplines that can and will make an enormous difference to our lives and the well-being of our children.Those core disciplines centre on regular saving and investing.

The ultimate goal of one or two decades of aggressive saving and investing is to make the quantum shift from always having to work hard for you money to having your money work increasingly hard for you!

Those who are familiar with the wonderful teachings of financial guru Robert T. Kiyosaki, author of the runaway bestseller 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' and its numerous sequels, will recognise that this simple phrase, "quit constantly working for your money and let your money work for you," is the dynamic, pulsating heart of Kiyosaki's wealth-building philosophy.

I don't actually agree with everything Kiyosaki says or writes, but I do agree wholeheartedly with the statement above.This is the truth: Almost anyone living in our increasingly market-orientated 21st century is likely to be able to take control of his or her finances and channel them to great accomplishment.

The way to do that is to first NOT let yourself be pushed around - unconsciously - by bankers, creditors,demanding spouses, parents, even children.

Instead, you should CHOOSE to always pay yourself first (or if you believe in tithing, as I do, then you should pay yourself second, at the very least)!

Work out just how much you will pay yourself BEFORE you pay someone else, like your banker, butcher or bricklayer.

Many books on personal finance are crammed full with the same tired advice, "Save 10% of your income andyour future is guaranteed."

In most circumstances, I believe, that is bad advice.You see, most of us need much higher savings rates.Through my writing and my professional speeches,workshops and seminars, I urge everyone who will listen to me to shoot for the stars and aim to reach - perhaps after a dozen years of gradually ratcheting up savings rates from 1% or 2% to 40% or ideally 50%!

For most people making a start is only possible if they focus on the bear, sorry bare... necessities to begin with!

While my 40% to 50% net savings rate may seem way too high a target to be practical, it actually is eminently achievable.And necessary!My analysis based on post-retirement expenses and lengthening lifespans suggests the only way most people in most countries can achieve extraordinary long-term results is by making extraordinary short-term and medium-term sacrifices.This is NOT popular advice, which is fine because I'm not out to win any popularity contest.

If you are... beware. You see, the relatively small number of mature individuals who are willing to pay that price in the near-term in anticipation of long-term payoffs are also usually those who are already utilising the power inherent within a wonderful mathematical relationship known as the Rule of 72!

Just in case you aren't, yet, familiar with that rule,please allow me to explain what it is:The Rule of 72 is a rough rule-of-thumb used byaccountants, bankers and financial planners the world over to ROUGHLY work out the length of time needed to double a sum of money, given a certain interest rate.

Here's how it works:Take an interest rate, say 6%; then take the magic number 72.Divide it by the absolute number of that rate;72 divided by 6 = 12.This means it will take 12 years to grow $1,000 to $2,000 or better still $500,000 to the magic million mark, given a steady 6% annual compounding rate.

Consistent savings that earn say, between 2% and 6% a year will double about every 12 to 36 years. Consistent investments growing, say, between 8% and 18% a year will approximately double every four to nine years.

Each of us wants to double our money as fast as possible, and as often as possible. But the (almost)in violate risk-reward relationship dictates that the more rewards you want to earn from a savings or investment vehicle, the more investment risk (price volatility) you have to stomach.

So, most of us need to start small and patiently grow our cash stash first, before indulging in esoteric schemes offering greater risk in exchange for possible(but seldom guaranteed) bigger rewards.

If you truly possess the seeds of greatness within you,at least based on how Kipling categorised people -which means you are (or are temperamentally capable ofbecoming) a consummate saver - then you will choose today to give up some frivolous expense in exchange for the chance to save and invest more wisely and aggressively.

For more info on investing or how to make your money double up, call me now:
Miera at 012 3386033

How to Make Huge Profits Investing in a Declining Market

2008-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

Most people look at a declining market as something to fear because so many people are losing their life's savings as the market declines. The investing decisions you make during a market crash will impact your investment returns forever. And, if you make the right decisions in a falling market, you can profit handsomely. The fact is, however, that many people lose money (and lots of it) during a stock market crash, but it does not have to be so. So lets take a look at what’s going on here, and how we can profit during this (and any) down market.

Investors are scared of the stock market
There is a simple reason why so many investors and even professional money managers are scared of the stock market–in the short term, stock prices seem arbitrary. Up one day and down the next, watching the ticker every second the market is open can cause one to wonder just what in the world is going on.

Warren Buffett described this phenomenon like only Warren Buffett can:
“In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run it is a weighing machine.”

Actually, Benjamin Graham first said this, and it has stuck with Mr. Buffett, who repeats it often. But the wisdom behind this statement should be taken to heart.

In the short term, stock prices reflect all kinds of noise. Some politician or Financial Whiz says this or that, and stocks fluctuate. Unemployment numbers come out, and the market reacts. A politician says something to get elected, and the stock market traders do their thing. The point is that in the short term (I’d say 1 year or less), stock prices are often the result of factors that do not bear on the long-term value of the enterprise.

When viewed long term, however, the market truly does reflect the underlying value of public companies. By long term I mean really long term (10 years or more). Stocks can be undervalued or overvalued for a decade (see 1960s or 1990s). But given enough time, stocks will reflect the underlying value of the corporation that issued the security.

Investors sell on fear and buy on greed
While most would not quarrel with the above comments, many do not take them to heart. It is not easy to hold on to your investments when they fall 40%. You start to lose confidence in your investing decisions. Then you start to wonder if there has been some seismic shift in the markets.

Remember the Internet bubble? I recall investors talking about how the world was totally different with the Internet, and they used this lie to convince themselves to buy stocks of dot com companies with zero revenue. Remember the housing bubble? Folks would tell me that they are not making any more land, so prices must keep going up. Those folks are renting now and proclaiming that owning a home is NOT the financially prudent thing to do. Oh, brother!
The point is that many investors do exactly the opposite of what they should do. When stocks are going up, they buy, buy, buy. When the markets crash, out of fear, they sell, sell, sell. All I can say is that this is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Timing the stock market is a fool’s game
I have a friend who sold all of his equity investments (a 7 if not 8 figure portfolio) earlier this year before the market crash. At a party at his house the other day, friends were congratulating him on such a wise move. So I asked him if he was going to get back into the market now. He said no. Then I asked when he was going to get back into the market. He did not know. So I reminded everybody that his decision to sell will have been a good one only if he buys at the right time, too.

Successful market timing requires you to be right twice–once when you sell, and once when you buy. And over the lifetime of an investor, you must be correct over and over and over again. Good luck.

How to profit from a stock market crash
The simple and easy way to profit from a stock market crash is to do one of the hardest things in life: nothing. “Don’t just do something, stand there!” is the best strategy, in my opinion. Of course, this assumes that your asset allocation plan is appropriate for your investing horizon and risk tolerance. It also assumes that your investments have gone down because the market has gone down, not because you invested in some silly dot com company with no revenue.

So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve not changed my asset allocation plan. Most of my investors, my family members and I have continued to invest on a regular basis just as before. The proceeds will be going right back into my mutual funds to maintain my asset allocation for my retirement funding.

A side benefit of a market crash
One last thing. A market crash presents a great opportunity to determine just what your risk tolerance is. Mutual fund companies offer a short survey to help you determine your risk tolerance. The survey asks questions like what you would do if the market fell 20%. Would you sell, do nothing, or buy. Once you’ve answered these questions, the survey suggests an asset allocation based on your answers.

Those surveys are all well and good, but there is nothing like losing $10,000, or $100,000, or even $1 million to really gauge your risk tolerance. So after this market crash, you should know your risk tolerance very well. If you sold your investments over the past month or so, you make want to revisit your asset allocation plan. It may have been more risky than you can bear.

Sound money management includes investing for the long term and doing Dollar Cost Averaging. As difficult as it may be, this means not making investing decisions based on fear but through prudence, and that guarantees a much safer footing anytime. So share with me how you have handled your investments during this down market.

To know more, please contact us...Miera at 012 338 6033 or Julie at 012 628 8643

Moving From Debt to Riches by Rajen Devadason

2008-11-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

It must be great to be rich and let the other fellow keep up appearances.
Kin Hubbard

More people are mired in debt than are swimming in riches. But if you belong to that sad majority, don't despair.

All over the world, many dig themselves out of deep pits of debt and then happily discover the same disciplines that got them out of those depressing holes are able to make them rich!
Even if you aren't in debt right now, chances are good that you aren't terribly happy with your present level of wealth either. Am I right?

If so, I'd like you to read this article with an open mind and a ready pen by your side.

I promise you this article will be relatively brief. That is intentional. My aim is to help you quickly learn 8 core principles that you can start putting into practice... today.

I know what it is like to be so overwhelmed by your debts that more often than not you can't sleep soundly. This state of mental disturbance can result in dramatically reduced daytime mental acuity, which yields even worse financial decisions during your vertical hours.

Right now, I'm going to cut through the mess and deal with the heart of this matter:
Those who find themselves in a state of excessive debt got there by traveling the exact same road that's been traversed by Deep Debtors since time immemorial. That wide and smooth path is paved by daily decisions to spend more than is earned.

PRINCIPLE 1: You can't get in debt if you don't spend more than you earn.

Conversely, those who grow richer over time choose to traverse a narrower, rougher street that's tarred with daily, perhaps hourly, decisions to spend less than is earned.

PRINCIPLE 2: You can't help but grow rich if you always focus on earning more than you spend.

Anyone who takes the time to figure out the average cost of his or her loans, in annual interest rate terms, and then compares that to the average yield on his or her savings and investment vehicles will quickly realise that our debts usually cost us more than our savings and investments yield us. Yes, in that regard, the deck is stacked against us! Thankfully, WISDOM will find a way to prevail...

PRINCIPLE 3: Start paying attention to interest rates charged and earned.

Those who decide that enough is enough, who are fed up with constantly burning up hard earned money at the altar of consumer debt, should begin thinking and researching repayment options and strategies that will help them accelerate their repayments even as they simultaneously work hard to bring their expenses under control. It is vital to understand that everything that's linked to moving from a state of (seemingly) perpetual debt to one of eventual abiding riches boils down to exercising self-discipline in day-to-day spending decisions. It also doesn't hurt to focus on increasing your mental store of knowledge and experience in your career specialty; doing so will permit you to earn more money in the years ahead.

PRINCIPLE 4: Decide which is more important to you: Having some shiny new toy today or growing super rich tomorrow.

As wise people make the decision to declare war on their debts, they always figure out ways to spend less. This aim is usually achieved by establishing a spending plan or a budget.

PRINCIPLE 5: Pay attention to your cash flow statement - comprising cash inflows and cash outflows.

The month that you are able to earn more than you spend, is the month that you will end up being cash flow positive! Once you get to that stage, it is a mathematical certainty that you will begin growing richer. This truth can and should be verified by regularly updating a net worth statement - comprising assets and liabilities.

PRINCIPLE 6: Construct and update your net worth statement.

As you get in the habit of monitoring your cash flow patterns and your net worth changes, you will figure out how to squeeze ever more cash out of your budget to fashion into a killer bullet aimed at the heart of your debts. Each month you are able to bring your total debt position down, the more you will have the following month to do the same thing again... only better!

PRINCIPLE 7: As the principal sum on debts is reduced, the interest charged on the loan drops. This frees up even more cash the following month to step up the battle against debt.

Eventually, all your debts will be eradicated. This will free up a great deal of monthly cash flow to aggressively flow into savings and investments.

PRINCIPLE 8: Don't wait to get out of debt before saving and investing something each month; but note that you should become much more aggressive on this exciting Riches Accumulation front as your debts are beaten into a smaller and smaller pulp!

Don't let the simple wording of these 8 principles fool you. Reread them, take careful notes, carry out appropriate research, decide upon clear steps you will take and watch yourself begin your personal trek from debt to riches!

© Rajen Devadason

Want to know how to make your EPF grow?

2008-11-11T02:50:00.001-08:00

Call Miera @ 0123386033 or Julie @ 0126288643 now!!

Turning Short Term Troubles to Long Term Gains-

2008-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Recently I attended a talk by Dr Zeid Ayer ( a Senior Portfolio Manager of principle Global Investors, USA)

And this is what I learnt summarized….

Summary of Short Term Troubles:-

Financial Markets
-All major equity markets are well into bear territory
-Government globally have injected hundreds of billions of USD into the markets and lowered short term official interest rates
-Credit is not cheap and can be difficult to source
-Financial institutions have written off approximately USD600 billion in assets
-Oil is still expensive (despite having dropped a lot)
-Many commodity prices have corrected
-Volatility measures have been at all time highs

Real Economy:-

Global economies slowing
- contraction in many of the 190 countries
- Jobs disappearing – unemployment up
- Housing markets continue to struggle
- US Misery index (unemployment and inflation) is 11.3% as of July

Quote: Bill Miller, CFA – Chairman and CIO –Legg Mason Capital Management
“The problem is that real risk and perceived risk are 2 different things. And that is where people get into trouble, because they perceive risk to be high when prices are low, and they perceived risk to be low when prices are high. That is a psychological problem that most people have.”

Quote: Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790) on Uncertainty
“All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see or feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.”

Volatility:-

-Uncertainty can create market volatility
-Short term –hear noises of bulls and bears(Don’t miss the forest for the trees)
-Long term- market don’t move in a linear manner but in cyclical patterns, It is wise to therefore invest and stay invested for long term.

Time in the Market vs Timing the Market

Between 80 -90% of the returns realized on stocks occurs between 2-7% of the time. So if you are out of the market when stocks make their move, your portfolio is doomed to under-performance.

Growth of $10,000 in an Investment that Perforned Similarly to the S&P 500 Index
(From December1991 to December 2006)

Stayed in Market Entire Time - $45,579
Missed 10 Best Days - $28,397
Missed 30 Best Days - $14,029
Missed 50 Best Days - $8,141
(source: Bloomberg.)

Are there opportunities for long term gains?

Some Economic Positives
Government’s globally are acting to restore order to financial markets
- Injecting liquidity into the system
- Lowering official interest rates
- Fiscal stimulus
- Injecting new equity into financial institutions
- Guaranteeing some deposits

Commodity price, e.g., Oil and Food have subsided
- Lowering inflationary concerns
- Reduces input costs

Productivity is strong in many countries, e.g US
Flexible economies are already adjusting
Transactions are occurring:
- Sovereign Wealth Funds
- Private market transactions, e.g, companies associated with Warren Buffett

Potential long term gains?
- in the case of equities.

Many equity markets have been sold off in an indiscriminate manner
Historically, times like these have provided attractive long term opportunities
No matter what the investment environment, we believe there is value by focusing on selecting stocks which exhibit the three pillars, namely:
- Improving and sustainable business fundamentals
- Attractive relative valuations
- Rising investor expectations

“Time in the market rather then timing the market”
It is worth remembering that a large percentage of out-performance is usually derived in only a few trading days of every year. Miss those days and that performance is lost forever. Then look to minimize risk and maximize returns by having a well diversified portfolio;
Opportunities exist in the market today, and disciplined stock selection over the
months ahead is likely to be well rewarded over the full investment cycle.

To know more on how to maximize your returns please call Miera at 012 338 6033
or Juli at 012 6288643

Understanding Bear Markets

2008-11-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

What they are, how they work, and what they mean for your investments
By Joshua Kennon, About.com

Last year, I wrote an article entitled Understanding a Bear Market. The first sentence read, "If you've only begun investing in the past few years, you aren't aware of what a bear market is." Unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore. In the past few months, Wall Street has reeled, stumbled, picked up speed, fallen on its side, and gone in circles. Professional and average investors alike have no idea where the market is headed, but everyone seems to have an opinion.

What is a bear market and what causes it?By definition, a bear market is when the stock market falls for a prolonged period of time, usually by twenty percent or more. It is the opposite of a bull market. This sharp decline in stock prices is normally due to a decrease in corporate profits, or a correction of overvaluation (i.e., stocks were too expensive and fell to more reasonable levels). Investors who are scared by these lower earnings or lofty valuations sell their stock, causing the price to drop. This causes other investors to worry about losing the money they've invested, so they sell as well; the vicious cycle begins.

One of the best examples of a prolonged bear market is that of 1970's when stocks went sideways for well over a decade. Experiences such as these are generally what scare would-be investors away from investing. Ironically, this keeps the bear market alive; because no few buyers are purchasing investments, the selling continues.

How does a bear market affect my investments?Generally, a bear market will cause the securities you already own to drop in price. The decline in their value may be sudden, or it may be prolonged over the course of time, but the end result is the same: the quoted value of your holdings is lower.

This leads to two fundamental principles:
1.) A bear market is only bad if you plan on selling your stock or need your money immediately.

2.) Falling stock prices and depressed markets are the friend of the long-term, value investor.
In other words, if you invest with the intent to hold your investments for decades, a bear market is a great opportunity to buy. It always amazes me that the "experts" advocate selling after the market has fallen. The time to sell was before your stocks lost value. If they know everything about your money, why they didn't warn you the crash was coming in the first place?

What do I do with my money in a bear market?The first thing you need to do is to look for companies and funds that are going to be fine ten or twenty years down the road. If the market crashed tomorrow and caused Gillette's stock price to fall 30%, people are still going to buy razors. The basics of the business haven't changed.

This brings us to our third principle:

3.) You must learn to separate the stock price from the underlying business. They have very little to do with each other over the short-term.

When you understand this, you will see falling stock markets like a clearance sale at your favorite furniture store; load up on it while you can, because history has borne out that prices will eventually return to more reasonable levels.

More information, please call Miera at 012 3386033 or Juli at 012 6288643

Why I joined this business and a couple of days in a life of a unit trust consultant like me.. LOL

2008-11-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hello and thanks for taking the time to stop by here to read my blog.

My name is Miera and I am 33 years old, and a unit trust consultant with Public Mutual Berhad.

Prior to this, I was working with Warner Music Malaysia and also Ritz Carlton KL, but only as a normal office staff - no fancy titles.

I started this business because I wanted to branch out on my own, being tired of people telling me what to do and what not to do, blah blah blah... , dreamt of a bigger pay check(I only have an SPM certificate -so how much can I earn working for someone???)and not being able to take leave or take off whenever I felt like it. I am sure many of you feel the same way.

I loved travelling and used to travel a bit but then my boss will then make noise because I'm taking too long leaves to travel.

Anyway, in 2002, someone came up to me and shared this opportunity with me and I took the plunge, signed up, took the exam for the license and started here.

It was a little tough as I didn't have any financial or investment background, nor did I have any sale background. Worse, I was an introvert and a shy person. I was terrified of approaching people or hell.. cold calls.. not me!!! And I didn't even know how to drive a car!!!

Fortunately, my upline, Hamidah Ahmad was a patient lady and never gave up on me. She continously supported me and guided me along the way, and made me go through all of the company's training and such.

Then I fell in love.. LOL.. with another agent from a different group.. we got married, had a baby all in the space of 3 years.. (great for my personal life as it helped made me more grounded but yet more delays in my journey in search of success, see how slow I am??)

That delayed my growth in the business but I was fortunate to have had found a few wonderful investors who also became friends who supported me, invested and stayed invested with me over those times. Thanks guys , you know who you are..

Anyway, since last year, after my baby was bigger and more independent, I revved up my engine and decided to concentrate on the business fully. And came a long way from where I was then.

Now I am earning 2 - 4 x more then if were to work for someone in an office or such, a much more self confident person and definitely having loads of fun in the business. I look forward meeting my clients, (most of them are my friends now) helping them plan for their future.

Nothing makes me happier then seeing my clients happy and making money - believe me, with 6 years behind me, a good number of my faithful clients from those years have reaped the benefits of unit trust investment, and for some, they get more then they expected.

I had a taxi driver client who invested a little every month or whenever he had extra over a period of 3 1/2 years and his total investment of Rm7000 grew to Rm13000 which he redeemed late last year because he needed the money to send his daughter off to further studies in Indonesia.

And, not only that, as a free lancer, I get to do the things I want to do at the most impromptu times. Go for a movie, for for a trip, spend time with my baby, spend time with my husband, etc..

Come see what I did the past two days...
On Tuesday the 4th of November, I left the house only at 9am to avoid the rush hour traffic. My husband sent me to the train station (I still don't drive but I already have a 'P' license... just got it.. Hopefully, by next year I can get my own car and drive myself.. LOL). I went to Mid Valley before meeting my upline as we had some things to do in her office in Bukit Tinggi, Klang. We went for lunch, then to her office and then argued whether or not we should go and see our clients in Port Klang.

She was still feeling a little lethargic and jetlagged having just come back from the company challenge trip to Hokkaido, Japan, a few days ago. As for me, I qualified for a trip to Ho Chih Minh city but did not go.. so the company gave a cash reward of RM2000 instead, which came in handy as my mother had health issues that needed taking care of at that time.

Finally, we decided to go and left the office at 3pm. We went and saw our clients, got additional investments and some new ones too.. I didn't get that much investment, just maybe to the tune of RM20K, as we were late and couldn't meet that many people... Anyway, to calculate my commission on that day.. it was RM20K x 2.2% = RM440... (Not bad for a day's work right... I still remember when I was fresh out of school.. I only earned Rm400 for a whole month's work from 9am to 5 pm!!! Now I can earn in just a couple or so of hours!!)

Anyway, we left Port Klang at about 5.30pm and she send me back to Sngai Buloh where I live. Met my husband and daughter Anne there and we had Mc Donald's for dinner before heading home...

On Wednesday, the 5th of November, my husband drove me to our office in Bangsar. I submitted the cases I collected over the past cople of days.. I decided to just update my blogs and surf the internet in the office.

In the few hours there in the office, there was just so much activity too. One of the managers brought 'goodies' he bought in Japan - wasabi Pistachios, candy and nuts and we had a feast. Then yet another manager came in bearing Big Apple Donuts and told us he just came back from Mid Valley watching a movie.. It was like another open house celebration.. LOL

I left the office around 3.30pm to go and see a client of mine. She invested about RM8000, with her EPF. So you can calculate my income if you like, not much but well, unles you're in upper management, chances are many of us do not earn that in a day... After that, I made my way to Mid Valley about 4pm to go and unwind at my fitness club there...

To anyone reading this who wish they can do so, YOU CAN... what is stopping you.. If you want it, just reach out and grab it.. To know more, call me Miera at 012 338 6033 .. You won't regret it..

Although I might not be earning as much as some of my colleagues in the same industry YET(Some earn tens of thousands, some even hundreds of thousand a month!!), the bottom line is I enjoy my work. It's a feel good career, where I feel good being able to help my clients make their future plans a reality and also feeling good since I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I am in search of 5 team members who will wants to join me in continuing to create wealth for ourselves and our clients..I will do my best to help you all the way as long as you do your best as well and put in the effort.. In my line of business, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

Interested parties, please call Miera 012 338 6033

DCA: It Gets You In At The Bottom by Cory Janssen

2008-11-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

This excerpt was taken off http://www.investopedia.com/articles/01/090501.asp
It's a very useful article many of us should read to benefit better from our investment instead of listening to others or following our emotions too much...

"Today we're going to let you in on a hot tip for surviving a sinking stock market.

Industry players and pundits try to convince us that they can tell when the market will hit bottom. Knowing who to believe is just as difficult as it is for them to actually pick the bottom!

What's an investor to do? In this article, we’ll explain a little-known technique that will help protect you in a falling market and let you ignore the futile attempts of those who think they can predict the market's behavior.

There is only one proven investment technique that, regardless of economic conditions, can consistently get investors in at the bottom. Read on to find out what it is, and why it is important.

What Is the Bottom? When a security or market sinks to its lowest price level in a given time period, it means they have hit bottom.

Whenever the markets plummet, people get excited about getting in, but they want to do so only after securities have bottomed out - when price levels begin a steady rise after hitting bottom.

Since everyone wants to know when that will happen, CEOs, media types and analysts all try to forecast the upturn, which signifies that the bottom has indeed been established. Because no one wants to be the last to call the bottom in case price levels tank further, we are bombarded with confidence-building words from every level of industry, including the industry watchers, that prices are unlikely to continue their downward trend.

Much of this commotion comes from the "buying on the dip" mentality left over from the previous bull market in the 1990s when many made a lot of money buying cheap at every dip and riding the recovery.

On the other hand, investors in a bear market feel "things can't possibly get any worse" and that "logically" the market can only climb up.

The GameCalling the bottom has become such a worldwide pastime - it would make veteran investors like Warren Buffett, John Bogle and Peter Lynch chuckle (read more about these great investors here) - you'd think there was a cash prize for predicting it.

To illustrate, here are a handful of past bottom calls as well as the figures that followed.

Boston Globe, Aug 12, 2000 - "…at these undervalued prices…we're not selling any stock at these prices". (On Monday, Aug 14, the S&P 500 closed at 1491. Four years later on Aug 12 2004, the S&P fell a further 29% to close at 1063.)

Wired Magazine, Dec 4, 2000 - "Fred Siegel, president of investment management firm Siegel Group, believes that it is unlikely that the Nasdaq will drop more than another 200 points." (The Nasdaq fell over 1,000 points shortly after Siegel made his prediction.)

Forbes, Aug 8, 2001 - Intel CEO Craig Barrett said "the computer industry has bottomed out". (In less than a month the Philadelphia Semiconductors Index fell another 20%.)

Market guru and former hedge fund manager Jim Cramer of TheStreet.com said it best in Jan 2001: "I get paid to call bottoms. I don't see one yet, but in my 18 years of trading I've never called one exactly right yet. I don't see why this time will be any different."

The Way In The truth of the matter is that if hedge fund managers, mutual fund managers, private investment managers, market gurus, CEOs and analysts can't pick the bottom, neither can we. But don't despair, there is a means to protect yourself in the long run from the effects of a bear market as well as ensure your injection of capital into the market when it is extremely close to the bottom.

The technique is called dollar-cost averaging (DCA), and it is one of the simplest and most useful investing techniques around. DCA is simply putting a set amount of money each month into an investment such as a stock, index fund or mutual fund.

Most banks will even set up a monthly automatic-withdrawals service. DCA is also ideal for the investor who doesn't have that big lump sum at the start but can invest small amounts on a regular basis.

Why DCA Is So Effective? The markets, even though they have bad days or even bad years, tend to go up over time - during the past century, U.S. equities markets appreciated each year by a near 11% average.

When you invest a set amount of your money each month, you buy fewer shares when the market is high and more shares when it's low.

For example, your fixed investment might buy 10 shares when the price is low and only five shares when the price is higher.

DCA therefore lessens the risk of investing a large amount in a single investment at the wrong time (i.e. at an inflated price), and in a falling market, the average cost per share becomes smaller and smaller. This lessening average cost per share will help you gain better overall profits as the market increases over the long term.

Example

Let's suppose that you just got a bonus and now have $10,000 to invest. Instead of investing the lump sum into a mutual fund or stock, you decide to use dollar-cost averaging and spread the investment out over several months by investing $2,000 a month for the next five months.

This averages the price over five months, so some months you may buy fewer shares, each at a higher price, and some months you may buy more shares, each at a lower price.

If the market is lower this month, you may lose money on the shares you bought last month, but this month you receive more shares, which, in the future, will help offset any losses.

With DCA, you are able to take advantage of any low during these five months, guaranteeing you to invest at the very bottom because when it comes, you are simply doing what you do every month.

Once the market turns around, which it is likely to do in the long term, you'll be ahead.

The best part is you didn't have to do any predicting!

If you were to try to forecast the bottom, you could miss it altogether and risk putting your entire $10,000 in at a bad time.

About Timing?

Many people ask, "Isn't it more profitable to buy as much as you can when the market is at its lowest and sell everything when it is at its highest?"

Of course it is, but any professional investor will tell you that you pretty much need supernatural powers to get a correct prediction.

No one knows when the bottoms and tops will happen exactly, and no one can stop surprises from happening. This is why so many professionals preach dollar-cost averaging as an optimal strategy regardless of what the market is doing: DCA smoothes out the bumps of the market over the long term.

Conclusion

Next time you hear of a forecasted bottom, you can be confident that he or she is no more insightful than you no matter who the individual is. No person can predict market behavior. But you can be rest assured that if you use dollar-cost averaging, you are being prudent. DCA not only offers protection from market swings but also helps you can take advantage of the ever-elusive market bottom.

by Cory Janssen www.investopedia.com

--Long Term Success --

2008-11-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Unit Trust Investors who hold their unit trust investments for the long term will achieve better return than those who engage in timing the market.

They should be focused and keep their emotions from influencing their investment decisions. A disciplined and methodical approach to investing is the key to success.

This approach entails holding unit trust

investments for the medium to long term period of at least three years with portfolio rebalancing done on a semi-annual or annual basis.

However, there are some investors believe they can achieve superior returns by timing the purchase and redemption of equity funds to profit from the stock market’s short term movement. They are tempted to engage in especially in an environment where equity markets are volatile. They who wish to make quick gains in the stock market by switching from one fund into another fund will often be disappointed.

Market timing strategies that are touted by so –called investment experts usually have not been proven to be successful. This is because stock markets are inherently volatile and are impossible to predict with numerous factors. Both domestic and foreign, affecting short market movements.

The buy-and-hold principle is based on the notion that a good investment will generate reasonably attractive returns over the medium-to-long term. This simply means ignoring short term movements in the market. Professional fund managers usually adopt this strategy. For investors, this strategy can also work by holding on to a well-selected fund over a period of at least 3 years.

On the other hand, market-timing strategies are subject to many risks. In order to profit from the short term’s trends, the investors has to correctly predict the market’s trend and its turning point.

Without the appropriate skills to discern signals and time the entries and exits, the market timer may not only miss opportunities, but also potentially suffer the blow of rapid losses. Also with higher frequency of fund switching, investors will have to incur increased transaction costs

The advantage of using the “buy and hold” strategy in unit trust investment is that it is easy to manage your investments once you have made them. Over the time, the upward bias of the market will overcome and outweigh any temporary pullbacks in the value of your portfolio.

Investors who are concerned about market volatility are advised to practise dollar cost averaging as this strategy enables investors to focus on the long-term goals and not worry about the prevailing level of the market.

Dollar cost averaging is simply investing a fixed amount of money in a financial asset (such as unit trust fund) on a regular basis regardless of the market cycle. By investing a fixed amount, investors will buy more units when the market is lower and fewer units when the market is higher.

It will produce lower average cost of investment than the average market price over any given period. In addition, investors are also advised to rebalance their portfolios regularly at least once a year to ensure that their portfolio allocation reflects their investment objectives and risk profile.

Thus, as a result of an uptrend in stock prices, an investor’s equity exposure has exceeded a level consistent with his risk tolerances, he can trim a portion of the equity funds and switch into bond or money market funds to rebalance the asset allocation accordingly. Maintaining

the target assets allocation reduces the risk that the portfolio becomes too much concentrated in a single asset class.In conclusion, investors should have a disciplined perspective that focuses on achieving medium to long-term investment goals.

The practice of dollar cost averaging and regular portfolio rebalancing helps investors to focus on the long-term horizon and keeps them from over reacting to the short-term movements of the stock market.

For more info, please contact Miera at 012 338 6033

Food for thoughts...

2008-11-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the Company's.

"We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful," Warren Buffett.
Chinese symbol for the word "crisis" supposedly consists of two symbols; one represents the term "danger," and the other, "opportunity."
I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
Turn to blue-chip consumer behemoths with healthy and sustainable dividends to play defense.
Volatility better punch in, 'cause it's working for me now.
When others are panicking, it's often time to get greedy.
You can't score if you don't shoot.

Excel Group 1 Million Ringgit Producers..2007

2008-11-01T16:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all my dear clients and friends and group that made this possible. Couldn't have done it witout you. I will continue to strive to give you the best I can.

This Economic Crisis could be Your Single Biggest Opportunity for Genuine Financial Freedom!!!

2008-10-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

As you know, our economy is facing financially turbulent times. Major financial collapses from some of the most stable financial institutions in America are radically changing the investment landscape.

Recently, Lehman Brothers, a 158 year old Investment Bank, filed for bankruptcy, and the government is still struggling to shore up one of the largest insurance companies in the world. And now, as we write this letter, the government is debating a proposed $700 Billion bailout to maintain stability in our financial markets.

What’s next? What should you do?

With Phoenix Consultants and one of the best unit trust company in Malaysia on your side, you’re equipped to weather this storm better than most. But now that the storm winds are raging against your own “financial house”, you may be feeling there’s still more you need to do. It is critical to avoid getting swallowed up in panic.

Converting what most see as "Bad" into "Good"

But let’s face it — most of us probably think it’s a bad idea throwing “good money in after bad money” but the economic crisis that we all are facing, and how it affects us personally, is a REAL opportunity to make more money but you have to practice Dollar Cost Averaging (saving/investing every month or quarterly) diligently and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.

I believe this can make a radical difference in achieving your financial freedom.

Call/SMS Miera now for more info.. 012 3386033

Opportunity has power everywhere:always let your hook be hanging; where you least exect it, there will swim a fish. Ovid

While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity. Publilius Syrus

Opportunities multiply as they are seized; they die when neglected. John Wicker

Start a new career and be on your way to wealth creation...

2008-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

If you do not think about the future, you cannot have one. John Glasworthy

If you can see yourself in possession of your goal, it’s half yours. Tom Hopkins

Do you want to be rich? To be able to send your parents to Haj (if you are a Muslim) or even to be able to go for Haj all by yourself? Or to be able to afford that dream home you wanted? To be able to afford that Toyota Camry or Mercedes? How about that trip to visit all eight wonders of the world?

If so, come join me being a unit trust consultant!! Call/ SMS Miera at 012 338 6033 now…

Let’s have a heart-to-heart talk. The unit trust industry has created many millionaires in the past and present, and is waiting to do the same for people like you and me.

Many of these millionaires came to Public Mutual without knowing the single thing about unit trusts or handling finances. They just came because they wanted to be rich, and as you may have realized by now, I joined the company for the same reason as well. I started off as a part timer, and I strongly encourage you to do the same.

Earning RM8,000(ask to see my commission statement if not convinced!!) is not an impossible dream for someone with just a SPM qualification.. or even more.. RM15,000? RM30,000? It’s not impossible… In the unit trust industry, there are people who earn more then RM50,000 monthly!!!

So pick up your phone now and call 012 338 6033. Hesitation will only further delay the realization of your dream.

Think about this… “ If an additional RM8,000 or RM15,000 could be deposited into your account without you quitting your job, won’t that make you an happier person?”

I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I am after. Donald Trump

You may be working in an office as someone important, or someone whom you think is insignificant. However, in whatever position you are at this point of time, you can achieve and attain a better lifestyle. There’s always room for growth and greater success.

The unit trust industry has helped many lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers and pilots to become more successful. Not that highly qualified? Well, how about receptionists, housewives, mechanics, factory workers? Many of these people are enjoying a lifestyle better then even the professionals I mentioned via this wonderful business.

The highest paid profession in this country is probably the medical physicians who can rake in up to RM700,000 annually. Then the pilots, who can take home about RM500,000 per annum.

But, do you know, some of the Group Agency Managers in the unit trust industry are easily taking home an astounding average income of RM1.5 – 2 million yearly???

You don’t even need an diploma or a degree to earn that much.. Just an SPM can make you that much money!! I personally know of a factory worker who brings home at least RM500,000 a year!!!

If you do not try, you will never know how high you can soar.. how much you can do to improve your lifestyle, for you, your loved ones - what’s stopping you??

Call/ SMS me now at 012 338 6033.. it’s the first step to changing your life around…
I was once like you, I didn’t know anything about unit trust, or how to talk to people and I thought I couldn’t but now I realize how silly and foolish I was and went on to learn all I need to know( there are classes and coaching to know all you need to know for free or very, very low fees) and I am on my way to greater things… Question here is… do you want to join me.. I am in need of 5 team members who can work with me part time (or full time) to achieve greater heights together. CALL NOW!!

Buy Low, Sell High by Rajen Devadason

2008-10-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs a
nd blaming it on you
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
and treat those two impostors just the same…
…You’ll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling

Be honest now! Has this ever happened to you?

You've clambered onto a roller coaster, as part of a dare or simply because all your other friends have rushed aboard. You then tried your hardest to make sure the terror in your heart is not betrayed by even the slightest tremor on your face!

Unfortunately, very soon after the ride began, you felt your stomach stay at the top of the rise even as the rest of you hurtled down?

Well, if you’re a glutton for punishment - and adrenalin-inducing thrills - you’ve probably done that more than once, sometimes in the same afternoon, while on holiday in some magical place like Disneyland, perhaps. Intriguingly, there are great similarities between the emotions felt during a roller coaster ride and those experienced during periods of great investment volatility.
I can say that with confidence because I've gone on my fair share of roller coaster rides, mainly in the US, and I’ve spent many years observing, participating in, losing and gaining at the serious game of equity investing, primarily in my home country of Malaysia

I’ve lost money as markets crashed, and made money as those same markets recovered.
Through all my travails, what I’ve learnt is that when it comes to riding the investing ‘roller coasters’, my emotions are not the best barometer to guide my actions.

Let me tell you why:
When markets are high, I tend to get greedy and feel the urge to jump in with even more money.

When markets are low, I suffer pangs of fear and panic that cause me to want to bail out.

And I have done both often enough to realise that those courses of action are usually the wrong things to do at those times. In hindsight, it almost always seems the best course of action would have been to do the exact opposite of what my gut feelings were shouting out for me to do.

Now, Confucius once pointed out, “A superior man is the one who is free from fear and anxieties.”

I’m inclined to agree with that ancient Chinese sage, but the truth is when it comes to investment markets, only two emotions tend to reign supreme - fear and greed.
And both breed anxiety!

Therefore, if you want to have just as an exhilarating a time in the investment market over the long-term, as you do on a wild roller coaster over the short-term, put in place strategies that allow you to exercise almost Vulcan-like control over those pesky emotions!

And, if you lack the self-discipline of Star Trek’s Sarek, Spock, Tuvok or T’Pol, as is the case for almost all humans, then embed strategies that allow you to distance your investment decisions from those emotions.

In my day-to-day work as a Securities Commission-licensed financial planner in Malaysia, I utilise two strategies called dollar-cost averaging and value-cost averaging that allow investors to protect themselves from their own highly developed tendencies to give in to fear and greed at the worst possible times.

WHEN INVESTING, LEARN TO DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM YOUR EMOTIONS
The people who succeed over the long haul in investing are the courageous. That isn’t too surprising. The courageous tend to dominate every field they venture into.

If, that is, their courage is tempered with wisdom and strategic knowledge.

I can’t help you with the first. Wisdom, in all her glory, you will have to nurture through long years of study, thought, experience, contemplation and well-directed practice.

You already know that the oldest formula in the world to make money in business or investing is to buy low and to sell high.

Frankly, in the game of growing long-term wealth, nothing has ever been invented that can beat that easily understood strategy.

Whether it’s wheelbarrows or widgets, pharmaceuticals or paper assets, the only way to grow rich is to buy low and sell high.

Thankfully, in the investment world you can employ excellent strategies like dollar-cost averaging and value-cost averaging to effectively buy low and sell high.

In the case of dollar-cost averaging, you invest equal amounts of money, at equal intervals, regardless of market conditions. The net result over many years is that you end up doing most of your buying at the lower end of the price fluctuation band.

You end up buying low.

You then can wait for a time of market strength to sell high!

Value-cost averaging is similar in concept to dollar-cost averaging, but instead of investing equal amounts, you invest variable amounts that are (kind of!) inversely proportional to the market level. So the higher the market is, the less you invest, and the lower it is, the more you invest.

But if all you have today is a small amount of money to start with, I would urge you to save a bit of that money in the bank each month to build up your emergency buffer account, and then invest the rest in a proven mutual fund or unit trust fund, which is an investment vehicle that pools or collects relatively small contributions from many investors with similar financial aims.

The key thing is to get started.

Procrastination may be best known as the thief of time, but in the world of personal finance it is actually a much more effective thief of future wealth!

Don’t let it rob you... blind!

My advice:
Act today – increase your knowledge, save your money, and commit to becoming a lifetime investor!

By Rajen Devadason (scourced from www.FreeCoolArticles.com)

Financial Planning for Women

2008-10-29T04:39:00.000-07:00

WOMEN manage money in a different way to men.They often have less time to consider the subject, as they have a career or family to consider first. They don't want to feel patronized by financial advisers!

Women are involved in the mainstream of life, outside of the old walls of home.You are remaining single longer so you can achieve realistic career goals.

Mature women are returning to the workforce, not only for financial gain, but also for self fulfillment.

Superwoman is not just a comic character!Your earning capacity is a vital part of the economy...just look at the tax you are paying. You need sound financial planning to protect yourself and your loved ones in times of stress.

Whatever age you are now, the worst thing you can do is to wait before taking action!You need to make sure you can afford the things in life tomorrow and in retirement.

· One in four women are on their own by age 64, whether through divorce, separation or widowhood.
· Eight in 10 women will manage their own money at some point during their lives.Only 2 will have the luxury of not having to worry!
· Women with retirement plans generally save 5% of their salary, versus 15% saved by men.
· Of widows living in poverty, 80% were not poor before their husbands died.

So, there's no time like NOW to make sure that, at least financially, you'll be okay.

BUT HOW?

What have you got?

You'll have to budget to find out. A budget establishes ahead of time where your money will go, and gives you a new power over your money.

Most people are "unconscious" spenders, buying the same things every day out of habit, or buying on whim. But living in this ignorant bliss will empty your purse—fast.

Remember, a budget is dynamic and changes as your life progresses. It's a balancing act to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while planning for the future.

The reward is worth it - you'll eliminate your anxiety and gain control of your money.

You've got money left over at the end of the month - great!If you don't, guess what?

That's all the more reason to invest. You'll need to do some adjusting to your spending, saving or income before you begin an investment plan.

EMERGENCY FUND.

You need to invest around 4-month's worth of living expenses in a money market fund at your bank. It needs to be liquid so you can get money in a hurry.

INSURANCE.

Women actually face greater risks than men. Heart attack and strokes, previously the domain of males has now become a significant threat for women.

And the added threat of breast cancer makes it vital you have life and dread disease insurance.

If you are young and single you may not need life cover, but remember life cover is cheaper and more easy to get at your age. It only gets more expensive - the longer you delay! Suffer an life-threatening event and you may never be able to get cover, let alone be a financial cripple.

What if you cannot earn an income through disability or a long illness? How will you meet your bills and live?Surely, you don't want to be a financial burden on those you love?

If you have any liability like a housing loan or car, please consider life cover.Maybe you share a townhouse with your partner. What if he dies or is disabled and cannot help with your housing loan?

Have you considered a partnership type agreement with him to secure the home for both of you?

If you have dependants, you must have cover! You want to ensure that, at least, your children are protected until they are self-supporting.

The costs of replacing your skills around the home will run into hundreds of ringgit per month.Could your husband afford a maid?

You may be dependant on your husband's income. If so, has he sufficient cover to protect you and your children? Widowhood is a distinct possibility. Distressing as it is, you must consider it.

Some women face financial chaos when widowed. If you rely on your husband's bank account and it is frozen on his death - then what?

As bearers of the next generation, you carry an awesome responsibility.

And although it may be tough paying the premiums, insurance is one of those things that is better to have and not need, than need and not have!

If you would like an indication of what Insurance Coverage will cost(which isn't much), please contact me at 012 338 6033.

SAVE around 10% to 15% of your salary for long-term savings and life and disability cover.If you want to help your children pay for a deposit on their home or provide a wonderful wedding for your daughter - you need to save.

And the sooner you begin - the greater your benefit and the sooner you will be financially independent.The effect of compound interest is a much-misunderstood concept.

EDUCATION for your children is a priority. Start early - at birth. And if you have not done so, it is never too late to begin. Every cent will help.

If you would like an indication of what you should be considering as a monthly education plan saving, sms or call me at 012 338 6033

RETIREMENT PLANNING Having no money today is bad enough, but just think how bad it would be if you had no money when you were 80 years old and have to depend on your children. (Can they take care of you? Even nowadays we as children supporting our parents find it so tough to even fork out a couple of hundred ringgit a month to give them) . Terrible thought.You loose out because you break your career to raise a family.

Your retirement savings suffer and in most cases women don't have a plan at all!You generally LIVE LONGER than men. Just visit a retirement home to confirm this.So, your retirement plan must last longer. Therefore, you need to start retirement savings as soon as possible and save more than men if you take a career break.

If you rely on your husband's EPF or retirement fund, you are treading on dangerous ground. The rate of divorce is high. One in three marriages end in divorce. It may be pessimistic to plan around a future divorce, but to ignore it is foolish.

On average, single retired women have a third more income than divorced retired women.If you have taken a career break to raise a family and are back at work, your priority now is to maximise your retirement savings.

If you would like an indication of what you should be saving for retirement, please feel free to sms or call me at 012 338 6033

Knowledge is power and also peace of mind! If you don't know who handles your family finances you are likely to fall prey to your own helplessness and the vultures out there.
· Who owns what?
· Whose name is the house in? If your husband goes insolvent, will you loose your home?
· Do you both have wills? Who are his beneficiaries? If he was divorced, has he changed his old will? Where is his will and other vital documents like the title deeds to your home?
· What pension or retirement benefits does he have? What group life cover has he got?
If you are getting married, it is vital you investigate the type of marriage you want.I cannot stress this enough!

It's not all doom and gloom! If you have read this far chances are you feel depressed!All I'm trying to do is make you aware of the responsibility you have to yourself and your family.

Women handle more than half of a family's day-to-day finances, yet they handle virtually no family investment decisions. Not surprisingly, after learning key investment principles, women have earned higher returns than men have.

Hopefully this will plant a seed for you to take your security a little further.

If it does then please, please call me - don't let it wait! Invest and then wait - Don't wait to invest!!!
Miera Nadhirah 012 3386033

A personal note to all my friends and existing investors...

2008-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and investors,

To those of you who has been investing with me all this while, a big thank you to all of you, I would never have been where I am without your help and support.

There may be times I may be a little lax, and maybe made some mistakes or wronged you, if that has been the case, I humbly apologised since this is the 2nd last day of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri..

Nevertheless, I hope you will point out any mistakes I've made and continue with your support, which I would be nothing without.

Anyway I hope this blog of mine, will be of some help to you when helping you decide on a new (additional/part time or full time) career or whether to(continue) invest or not and such...

At any time, I welcome any feedback and comments so that I can better myself and my services to each of my clients or team members or potential ones(clients/team members)..

I remain yours sincerely,

Miera ... and you know how to contact me... but in case you don't.. H/P; 012 338 6033
email: miera_pm2002@yahoo.com

Doing Ringgit Cost Averaging and profiting when the market crashes!!!

2008-10-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

What is Ringgit Cost Averaging?

Ringgit Cost Averaging is an investment technique intended to reduce exposure to risk associated with making a single large purchase by investing a fixed amount on a particular investment (such as unit trust) at regular intervals (either monthly or quarterly), regardless of the unit price..

For example, you can choose to transfer RM100 to RM200 from your bank account to a unit trust fund or even make a RM1000 investment every quarter.

The amount and frequency of your investment depend on your financial means and future goals.

How Ringgit Cost Averaging Works?

More units are purchased when prices are low, and fewer unit are bought when prices are high. The premise of ringgit cost averaging is that the investor wants to safeguard against the market losing value shortly after making his or her investment.

Although ringgit cost averaging can be an effective way of investing, it does not assure a profit or protect a loss in a declining market.

Furthermore, you must continue to purchase units both in market uptrends and downtrends in order for the strategy to be effective.Hence you should choose an amount which you feel comfortable investing under all market conditions.

To illustrate ringgit cost averaging better, let’s say you want to save RM12,000 each year for your child’s education fund. Instead of investing it in a lump sum and bear the risk of entering the market high, you decided to invest RM1,000 into a unit trust fund each month as shown in the chart.

Month ~ Investment Amount(RM) ~ Price Per Unit (RM) ~ Number of Units Purchased
January ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2549 ~ 3,923.11
February ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2261 ~ 4,422.82
March ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2068 ~ 4,835.59
April ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1846 ~ 5,417.12
May ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1645 ~ 6,079.03
June ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1589 ~ 6,293.27
July ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1477 ~ 6,770.48
August ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1617 ~ 6,184.29
September ~ 1,000 ~ 0.1947 ~ 5,136.11
October ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2035 ~ 4,914.00
November ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2248 ~ 4,448.40
December ~ 1,000 ~ 0.2510 ~ 3,984.06
Total RM12,000 =========62,608.28 (units)

Results

Average Unit Price - RM0.1983
Average Unit Cost - RM0.1923
Current Unit Price - RM0.2510
Current Value of Investment - RM15,664.48

{Writer’s note: -Hmmph.. I can't seem to make a proper chart in here so my chart looks very silly and confusing..

Your ‘capital’ was only RM12,000 and you’ve made a profit of RM3,664.48 which is about 30% profit!!! If you had invested in January and decided not to invest anymore because of the market drop, you would still be incurring a loss in December!!!

That is the reason why once you start your investment, you have to continue and not be emotional when the market drops. This is to help your investment recover faster or make a profit faster!!)

So take the opportunity and add on to your investments when the date is due or if you’re going it monthly, just go ahead and give me 2-3 years and you will be very happy then.. My personal assurance.. }

“Save a little save often – dollar cost averaging works, if you stick to it.” – Paul Clitheroe, “Ten Key Steps to Wealth”, 2002

For more info or for a proper brochure or chart.. LOL, please call or sms Miera at 012 338 6033

An opportunity you shouldn't miss...

2008-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Why should I consider being a Unit Trust Agent?

1. You have what it takes to succeed in the business.
2. You don’t like the present 9-5 job that makes you work like a donkey but earns like a monkey.
3. You want to escape the rat race where they have the rat eat rat mentality to get to the top.
4. You would like to choose the people whom you work with.
5. You want to start a business with a minimum capital.
6. You would like to travel overseas for free.
7. You would love to work at home or on the go, wherever you are.
8. You would like the opportunity to earn UNLIMITED income
9. You would like to be able to achieve your own success while empowering others to success as well..
10. You want to escape massive traffic jam during peak hours.
11. You would like to be able to take leave to do the things you need to do or want to do anytime for as long as you like.
12. You wish you could send and collect your kid(s) from school and monitor their lives.
13. You would like to build you own business empire.
14. You would like to be able to tell your boss… “YOU’RE FIRED!!”

What do I get?

The chance to do all of the above, help your friends, relatives to succeed like you, get loads of new friends and team support plus knowledge as to how to plan for your own and other people’s financial well being..

Do you know how much it cost to start a franchise business?

Franchise Name ~ Cost
1901 ~ 90– 200 K
Secret Recipe ~ 450K
Otai Burger ~ 23K
Q-Dees ~ 150 – 180K

And to start any other kind of business, you would need a few thousands as well, be in a small kampong sundry shop or a workshop or such. To be a unit trust agent, all you need is RM280 (exam fees, commissioner of oath declaration, membership fees, class) plus a willingness to learn and be successful as well as help others to achieve their dreams.
And if you manage to get a minimum of RM30K sales within 3 months, guess what?? The company will return a portion of that!!!

For a semi - veteran like me, I can easily get more then RM30K in a day’s work…

Qualifications: must have SPM (Grade 3) and must be 21 years and above (University students, housewives, retirees, professionals and everyone is welcome.. Anyone who can spare at least 4-5 hours a week , part time or more…)

More info, please call Miera at 012 - 338 6033 now to change your life around…

Retirement Planning

2008-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Decide today, where you'd like to be tomorrow.

No two people are alike. But there are certain things we all have in common - and one of those is that, at some point, we will want to - or have to - change the way we live and the way we earn our living.

Gone are the days when you can simply retire and do nothing, with all the years after 55... 60... 65 to provide money for. Some people choose to travel... some embark on new business ventures, others simply try to maintain a comfortable lifestyle as the time rolls by.

However we choose to spend it, the answer to a comfortable retirement is money.
And having money then, means saving now.

Every one of us needs to have a plan.

And the time to start putting that plan into action is now.

Everyone dreams of early retirement. The idea of no longer having to work at an early age is very attractive to some people and they dream and wish all day long about the day that they can afford to say, "Take this job and shove it!"

Unfortunately, for many people, early retirement is a dream that will never be realised.

It is not because they are in a job that won't allow early retirement or because they love their work so much that they can't bear to leave it.

It is simply because they spent their time dreaming about early retirement rather than planning for it!

Do you know;
• Around 94% of people DO NOT enjoy a financially carefree retirement.
• You need around 70% of your final salary as a MINIMUM income.
• You need a lump sum of around 10 TIMES your highest annual salary at retirement.
• After 40 years with the same company, you could retire on 60% of your final salary - a 40% DROP IN INCOME!
• INFLATION in retirement is your greatest threat.
• You could live more than 30 years in retirement, with NO SALARY!

Will you have enough money to live until the age of 90?

Managing money during retirement is very different to managing money before retirement.

To know how much you need to have for retirement, feel free to sms or call me, Miera at 012 338 6033
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retirement is going to happen to you!

You know that one day you will retire, yet so many people start thinking about saving for retirement far too late.

To enjoy a comfortable retirement, you should have more then 10 times your highest annual salary at retirement.

A large sum of money indeed! So, you cannot afford to wait!

To help your chances of getting this money, you need to start saving TODAY.

Of course it's a long-term saving. But, it is an investment you cannot afford to loose.

So, you need a balanced portfolio - some security and some risk.
Remember, if you do not save for your retirement, no one else will do it for you

Call me now for for info as to how to get a retirement fund to place !! Miera @ 012 338 6033

Honey , I shrunk my investments.. now what??

2008-10-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Uh oh, the stock market slid again. So what else is new? Even patient optimists have gotten fed up with the market, which is exactly why it's going down.
As the last rat (excuse the expression) bails off the ship, there will be no more sellers left. With only buyers left at the party, the market is bound to go up.
Or at least, so goes the theory.
If you are still hanging in there waiting for the market to go up, here's some things you can do to build wealth.

1. Celebrate that the market is down
The trick to making money is to buy low and sell high. The market is down, so this is a great time to be investing new money on a regular basis. Stocks are on sale, so you'll get more shares in your favorite fund for less money.

2. Keep the faith.
The market will recover, someday, so don't make radical moves out of stocks. Remember, buy low and sell high, not the other way around. So if we are at the bottom, or near it ("building a base" to use investment jargon) this is a poor time to bail.

3. Trim your investments in growth stocks.
The go-go 90s "momentum investing" relied to some extent on the greater fool theory--- you might be buying stocks with no earnings, but someone else would buy them from you later at an even higher price. In this millennium, give value investing a chance. Value investing is investing in stocks that depend less on growth and more on substance(like Dividend funds), and are undervalued compared to their competitors.

4. Allocate your assets wisely.
Allocate your money among investments that don't march in lock-step. When stocks are down, bonds are up. Real estate has different cycles, and international stocks often march to a different drummer.

5. Go back to basics: Budget, reducing unnecessary, unhealthy, or unrewarding expenses.
Pay off consumer (credit cards) debt or pay off that Courts Mammoth bill you have on instalment, since interest is the expense that provides the least amount of pressure for the money.

6. Invest in mutual funds.
Too many investors put all their money into a few funds in limited sectors. Put your money into professionally managed funds that invest in a wide variety of stocks, or invest in index funds that mimic a certain index of stocks.

7. Study economic cycles.
The economy ebbs and flows, just as do the tides. It isn't your fault that your assets went down, and you need to understand economic cycles so you'll have the faith that they'll come back again. They always have, they always do, and they will again.

8. Give yourself a break.
After you've realigned your investments, and have your investments on track, take a break. Sure, you need to keep up with your investments, but don't obsess over them. You'll need to rebalance your portfolio every six months or so, but you really don't need to look things over more often than that.

Call or sms for more info : Miera H/P:012 338 6033 or email at miera_pm2002@yahoo.com

Women and Money

2008-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Overcoming the Financial Gender Gap

Ninety percent of all women become totally responsible for their own financial welfare at some point in their lives, yet women have lagged far behind men when it comes to financial planning and investing. The attitude of many women that someone will take care of their financial needs keeps them from becoming involved in their own financial future, often until death, divorce, job loss, illness or other events thrust them into financial disaster.

Women who do invest tend to be more cautious than men. While conservative investments have their place in a portfolio, investing too conservatively can endanger financial security by not providing adequate resources.

A "Financial Gender Gap" study conducted by Prudential Securities revealed significant differences in how men and women invest. The study places investors in one of the following three zones:

ACTION: Active and accomplished investors.

COMFORT: Complacent individuals who realize the importance of taking responsibility for their financial futures, but don't change their strategies as life situations change.

CAUTION: Those too occupied with the ups and downs of everyday life to develop financial plans.

More men than women were in the Action zone, while more women were in the Comfort and Caution zones, indicating gender differences in risk tolerance, perspective on change and on the future, control issues, attitudes about money, and investment knowledge.

90% of women become wholly responsible for their own financial welfare sometime during their lifetime.
50% of working women do not have a pension.

The average age of widowhood in the U.S. is 56.

Women's pay averages only 76% of men's pay.

90% of retired women are not eligible for pension benefits.

From FYI Online, by Waddell and Reed

The "Investor Zone Update" study, and studies conducted by other organizations, have found that in recent years women have become more inclined to take risk and are less likely to let lack of investing knowledge keep them from investing.

While these studies indicate that women are becoming more empowered financially, there are still fewer women than men in the Action zone, and women are still significantly less likely than men to take investment risks. It's important for women to educate themselves about investing and to become more risk tolerant in order to adequately secure their financial futures.

TIPS FOR WOMEN INVESTORS

Start Now--You don't have to have large amounts of money. Starting early is the best strategy. The authors of The Millionaire next Door and Getting Rich in America believe that becoming rich is now a matter of personal responsibility and choice open to almost everyone, if they start investing at least 10% of their income when they're young.

Set Goals--The most common financial goals include paying off debt, putting kids through college, and saving for retirement. Change your strategy as your situation changes.

Shake off the old myths--Myths and misconceptions sometimes prevent women from taking charge of their financial security.

Just Do It--Don't limit yourself to conservative investments such as money market accounts and fixed deposits. Use asset allocation to diversify your portfolio.

More info please call/sms Miera at 012 338 6033

Malay saying...

2008-10-26T07:42:00.003-07:00

" Jangan tunggu untuk melabur , tapi, melabur lepas itu tunggu.."

Meaning, don't wait to invest but invest and then wait.. Many people are very impatient when they start investing. They always expect to see returns within days or months.. This is not the right way to do it.. and forget invest in mutual funds is a medium to long term investment.

Importance of Planning

2008-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Most people would plan if they want to achieve a certain result badly enough. For example, a man who wants to court a woman may have a vision of the two of them walking blissfully into matrimony. To realise the vision, he would plan a strategy perhaps of frequent meetings and implement accordingly.

Unfortunately, many people do not plan for life's goals because these tend to be very long term. People, when healthy and in the prime of life, are generally reluctant to think about what happens to them when they get old. They tend to think that somehow things will work out.

But things do not simply work out. It would be like expecting to reach a destination by sailing without charting a map. Not setting a direction means never getting there.

Success does not come by accident. Ask any achiever. Such a person did not achieve success without a clear plan and hard work.

In life, anything that is meaningful is worth planning for. A conscious effort is required to think through what is desired and what strategy should be applied to achieve the goal.

The only practical way to achieve life's goals, be it owning a house or a business, is to do financial planning.

Plan for your future.. People never plan to fail but they always fail to plan!!!

Call for more info: Miera 012 338 6033

Remain Calm through Market Turbulence

2008-10-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the turbulence of stock markets in recent months, unit trust investors may be tempted to either sell or buy. However, investors are advised to remain calm and practise dollar cost averaging with their long-term goals in view.

When regional and global markets succumbed to panic selling in August 2007 and more recently in January 2008, the severity and sharpness of the correction was large enough to make unit trust investors ask themselves whether they should redeem now to stem further losses or buy more units at currently low prices. In fact, if they practise dollar cost averaging, they need not concern themselves with these timing issues. Dollar cost averaging enables investors to automatically buy more units when prices fall and fewer units when prices rise.

It is especially during times of market volatility that individual investors should remain focused on their long-term investment goals and keep their emotions from influencing their investment decisions. A disciplined and methodical approach to investing is the key to long-term investment success.

Unit trust investors are advised to buy and hold their investments for the medium to long term. The buy-and-hold principle is based on the notion that a good investment will generate reasonably attractive returns over the medium to long term. This also means that investors are able to distinguish between daily movements in the market and the underlying long-term value of their investments. Professional fund managers buy and hold for the medium to long term as they are prepared to wait patiently over several years for their investments to reach their intrinsic or fair values. For the unit trust investor, the 'buy-and-hold' strategy can also be applied by holding on to a well-selected unit trust fund over a period of at least three years.

There are some investors who believe they can achieve superior returns by timing the purchase and redemption of equity funds to profit from the stockmarket's short-term movements. These investors are tempted to engage in timing the market especially in an environment where equity markets are volatile. Such investors who wish to make quick gains in the stock market by switching from one fund into another fund will often be disappointed. Market timing strategies that are often recommended by 'investment experts' have seldom been successful. This is because stock markets are inherently volatile and are impossible to predict with numerous factors, both domestic and foreign, affecting daily and weekly fluctuations in stock prices.

Investors who wish to take a more active approach with their investments by timing the market will expose themselves to many risks. In order to profit from the market's short-term trends, the investor has to correctly predict the market's trend and its turning points.

Without the appropriate skills to discern signals and time the entries and exits, the market timer may not only miss opportunities, but also potentially suffer the blow of rapid losses. Also with a higher frequency of fund switching, investors will have to incur increased transaction costs.

Investors who are concerned about market volatility are advised to practise dollar cost averaging as this strategy enables investors to focus on the long-term investment goal and not worry about the prevailing level of the market. Dollar cost averaging is simply investing a fixed amount of money in a financial asset (such as a unit trust fund) on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, biannual) regardless of the market cycle. By investing a fixed amount on a regular basis, investors will buy more units when the market is lower and fewer units when the market is higher. This strategy will produce a lower average cost of investment than the average market price over any given period.

In addition, investors are also advised to rebalance their portfolios regularly at least once a year to ensure that their portfolio allocation reflects their investment objectives and risk profile. Thus if, as a result of an uptrend in stock prices, an investor's equity exposure has exceeded a level consistent with his risk tolerance, he can trim a portion of the equity funds and switch into bond or money market funds to rebalance the asset allocation accordingly. Maintaining a target asset allocation reduces the risk that the portfolio becomes too concentrated in a single asset class.

In conclusion, unit trust investors should always focus on achieving their medium to long-term investment goals. The practice of dollar cost averaging and regular portfolio rebalancing are effective tools that help investors remain focused on the long term horizon and prevent them from over-reacting to short-term movements of the stockmarket.

For more info, please do not hesitate to sms or call Miera 012 338 6033

Financial Planning for the 20s and 30s

2008-10-25T07:11:00.001-07:00

Young adults in their twenties and early thirties, so-called "Generation Xers," face a variety of challenges in their quest for financial security. Some of these challenges are similar to those faced by previous generations, while others are unique to the times. If you are a Generation Xer, here are some financial tips to help you manage your money and plan for your future.

Invest in Your Future

Okay, you finished college and have a good job, but who knows where tomorrow's opportunities may lie? Moreover, ongoing technological changes in many fields will require continuous upgrading of education and specific work skills. One way to improve your job and career prospects in the 21st century is to give a high priority to furthering your education. The more varied and flexible your skills, the more attractive you will be to prospective employers.

Start an Emergency Fund

The uncertainty surrounding the world of work (witness the recent downsizing that swept through corporate Malaysia) will quite likely mean your working life may be punctuated by a series of job and career changes. If you need to go to school full-time to change career paths, you may have stretches of time without stable income. Building up an emergency fund (while fully employed) to cover three to six months of "bare bones" living expenses can help you control work-related transitions. This type of savings fund can also be used for opportunities such as starting your own business.

Save Early and Continuously for Retirement

If you aren't aware of it yet, welcome to the reality that saving for retirement is a responsibility that falls squarely on your shoulders. Even with EPF, it will not be enough for your retirement and the bulk of the funding will be left up to you.

While retirement may seem like a long way off, the key is to make time your ally. Remember, what you accumulate during your working years will be the primary source of your income for your retirement years. And, even if inflation stays low and averages just 3 percent annually far into the future, prices will still double about every 24 years, cutting the purchasing power of your retirement funds.

Let Retirement Funds Accumulate

It may be tempting to cash in the retirement account, especially if you have accumulated only a small amount. However, the greater concern is that you would also be cashing in part of your most important ally – time.

Use Credit Cards Wisely

Beginning in college, young adults are targeted by credit card companies. While credit cards are often a great convenience (it's virtually impossible to conduct some transactions such as airline ticket reservations without one), they have the potential to create debt problems. Because payments can be stretched out far into the future, over-spending on credit can create an illusion of wealth. Paying off the full balance each month (except for emergency situations) is the best way to control your use of credit.

Learn more on how to secure your financial freedom and sms/call Miera at 012 338 6033

Not The Time To Panic But Time For Wise Investments In Bursa

2008-10-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

The current sluggish momentum in the local bourse is not because of any fundamental weakness but more due to jittery investors sentiments.

The local market has already factored in the impact of the financial meltdown in the United States and Europe, it is also adjusting and taking into account the recession that is expected to take place in the United States.

Hence, it is not the time to "panic" but the time to make wise investment decisions as it has been proven that when the market goes down it will rebound and there will be gains to be made.

During the massive downturn, the local bourse did not take a nosedive like the other regional markets.

Malaysia's market fell far less then the neighbouring countries. If you see in the last two weeks, the local bourse fell between six and seven per cent versus the neighbouring countries, which fell 20-30 per cent. But, of course when the markets rally, we go up less.

For Malaysia, it is more of a "pot hole" and not a "bump."

Hold on for a while because the whole market is in chaos. So, explore the situation and be less panicky. Those with a clearer mind will profit compared with those who panic

Investors should also focus on a 3-5 years time horizon.It is just time to slowdown a bit, take a look around and when things are fine, move ahead.

Financial Planning Is Important For Everyone

2008-10-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Too many people have the idea that financial planning is a complicated process that only the very well-to-do need to worry about. To be sure, there are some practitioners in the financial planning industry itself who promote that notion. In point of fact, however, financial planning is something EVERYONE needs to do.

It's not for the well-to-do; it's how you become well-to-do. People who say they can't or won't do it really are saying they don't mind spending their golden years under the Golden Arches, because that's what will happen to them.

Strong words? No doubt, but the good news is, it's easy to do; the bad news is, there's no "magic bullet." In a nutshell, financial planning for "regular" folks boils down to two things; First, you have to save some money to invest; second, you have to learn how to invest it.

Neither is as hard as some people fear, but too many are doing a lousy job at both. At the same time, people are bombarded daily with financial and economic news that has little or no relevance to their lives. Stories about derivatives scandals, option puts and calls and the other arcane flotsam and jetsam of the financial world don't serve to educate most people; they just confuse them.

Financial planning takes on a critical role for everyone because most of us are responsible for setting up our own retirement plans. There are many ways to do this, ranging from the simplicity of using your EPF fund to a more complex defined financial plan. It's best to consult a professionally trained financial planning consultant to decide which type of plan will best meet your needs.

Whatever plan is chosen, financial planning is the key to making it work. Every person's goal is to be able to retire comfortably. You want your income in retirement to protect you against inflation and allow you to maintain your lifestyle.

That is what financial planning is all about. Certainly, there are financial interruptions for most people along the way - things such as buying a home, starting a business, paying for your children's education, taking care of elderly family members - and good financial planning makes it possible to meet those challenges. But those are all just practice for the big kahuna, which is retirement.

Boiled down to the nitty gritty, financial planning is about three things - wealth accumulation, wealth protection and wealth distribution.

There are only four legal ways to create wealth: marry it, inherit it, win the lottery or spend less than you earn. Obviously, only one of those options is realistic for most people.

The sooner you start to save, the better. The average person in his 50s would have to save more than half his yearly gross income to retire at age 65, whereas a 30-year-old who starts saving just 10% of his income will be so flush with cash at retirement he'll have trouble spending it all. The most important thing is to start saving, no matter what your age or how little you can afford.

Financial planning may seem like just another "chore" in an already busy life, but failing to do that chore could have unpleasant consequences down the road.

Retirement Planning

2008-10-24T22:00:00.001-07:00

Are you old enough to remember the good old days when a worker stayed with one employer and retired with a "nice pension"? Those days seem to be gone, maybe for good. Today, you need to take charge and plan for your own retirement security. Relying on EPF for the bulk of your retirement income is an iffy proposition at best. Also, many companies today don't have traditional pension plans.
How much income should you plan on needing when you retire? A financial planning rule of thumb is to figure on needing 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income. That income is the income you'll be earning at the time you retire, not the amount you're earning now.

In doing your projections, be sure to consider the dramatic effect inflation can have on earnings and expenses. Even at the relatively low 3% annual inflation we've been seeing in recent years, someone earning RM30,000 today may be earning RM40,000 in 10 years, RM54,000 in 20 years, and RM73,000 at retirement in 30 years if he or she receives nothing more than cost-of-living raises.

You can ask about the use the our Retirement Planning Calculator to estimate what your retirement income needs might be and how much money you should be investing now to be able to meet those needs when you retire.

Once you've determined your retirement income needs, you need to plan for meeting those needs. The most advantageous way to invest for retirement is to take advantage of various opportunities to defer or avoid federal income tax on retirement investment earnings.

For more info, please sms or call Miera 012 338 6033

Why Would You Want To Be A Unit Trust Consultant?

2008-10-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Because you deserve to have a well-paid and fullfilling career in an industry that is enjoying explosive growth in Malaysia.

Join a profession that offers you personal and financial freedom.

A multi-billion ringgit industry. Yet vast untapped potential in Malaysia compared to UK as shown in unit trusts equity penetration rate below. Grab the opportunity now. Don’t procrastinate.

Why the company?

If you are married and have a son or daughter in school. You may not say to your kid, “Son, go to school and get no. 6, 7 or 10 etc in class”. You will say “study smart and hard and get no. 1 in class”. Thus, why choose no. 2, 3, 4 etc when the no.1 is waiting and open for you.

Consistent performance and proven track record are there. If you want to buy durian, don’t choose the bad one. Choose the good one and you won’t regret. So don’t buy fund that are not performing*.

On top of that, we’ll support you with a suite of financial planning and sales tools as well as best-in-class training. The company will also subsidise you for pursuing Chartered Financial Planning (CFP) programme, if you meet certain sales target.

Bright Future

Your success as a unit trust consultant depends upon your desire to excel, not your qualification. Being a unit trust agent, it doesn't matter if you only have a SPM certificate or if you have a Diploma, you have equal chances to excel if you just put your heart and mind to it, unlike in the real working world, where high qualification and experience don't even guarantee a higher salary. To many, our college or university graduates find it difficult to get suitable jobs.

Fast track consultant can achieve the highest rank of an agent as Mutual Fund Group Agency Manager (MFGAM) in one year and three months. It took many years to become a General Manager or a CEO of a company.

I knew many companies out there, that many if not all of their management staff struggle to become a CEO of the company, but unfortunately the CEO would normally will be picked up from outside of the company. Very true right! Here you don’t have to worry on that. If you work smart enough, you will be the MFGAM. No one from nowhere will come and become your boss. For those who hate traffic jam, you can even have your office right in front of your house if you want. Other CEOs don’t have this privilege.

Furthermore, besides your sales commission, your staff (downline) performance will also contribute to your income directly. You will also get indirect commissions that consist of 5 levels i.e.

1. Year-end bonus
2. Breakway bonus
3. Equalisation bonus
4. Career benefits
5. Profit sharing.

So far, I knew only 2 levels of extra benefits that you will get if you work for company (in general) i.e. yearly bonus and Employee Share Option Scheme, if even any. So, don’t wait for too long.
There are more to come. You can qualify for a fully paid FREE vacation if your sales is more then a certain amount.

So hurry. The faster you become a consultant, the easier and longer period for you to achieve the sales target.

For more info, please sms or call Miera at 012 338 6033

Are You Ready for this downcycle? by OOI KOK HWA

2008-10-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

The five phases of stock market cycles and where we are now AS a result of the recent financial crisis in companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers as well as AIG, investors have been wondering whether there will be more companies affected by this crisis.

George Soros, in his book published in the early 2008 titled The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means, said that “ .... the current crisis is not merely the bursting of the housing bubble.

It is bigger than the periodic financial crises we have experienced in our lifetime.” According to him, we should expect the current situation to get worse before it can get better.

Hence, investors need to prepare themselves for this downturn. Even though nobody will know exactly when the market will recover again, we must be ready when the market moves.

In order to do that, we need to understand stock market cycles and where we are now. Stock market cycles can be divided into five phases €“ expansion, settlement, contraction, crisis and recovery.

During expansion, the overall stock market sentiment will be bullish with higher stock market volume and prices. In every market rally, there is always a main theme. For example, the bull market in 2007 was mainly attributed to positive sentiment in the plantation sector.

During this period, we should buy stocks in the sectors that benefit from the rally. If your portfolio owned a lot of plantation stocks last year, you would benefit from the overall market rally last year. Hence, we should pick stocks that follow the market theme. Then it will enter into settlement for some profit-taking activities.

If the overall market sentiment remains bullish, it will resume its uptrend. The bullish trend will reach a period where reality can no longer sustain the exaggerated expectations.

Then the market will enter into contraction where long-term investors get very uncomfortable with the market situation. In this period, we should sell poor fundamental stocks as well as stocks in sectors which will be seriously affected in a downtrending market.

There are still some short-term traders who may enter the market at this stage as they believe it may rebound later. However, when the market drops further, it will enter into crisis where long-term investors as well as short-term traders are selling stocks.

Our market is currently in this phase where long-term investors as well as short-term traders are not willing to commit themselves. This is given the unsettling of the US financial crisis in companies like Lehman Brothers and AIG.

Despite the US government’s plan to rescue banks, not many analysts or fund managers are convinced that we have seen the worst. Soros applied the theory of reflexivity to explain the current crisis. According to him, the market participants’ misjudgements and misconceptions affect the stock market prices. He said that later, these biased perceptions would affect both prices and the fundamentals that those prices are supposed to reflect.

When a market drops in prices, it creates fear. As a result of this fear factor, prices will drop further and later cause panic selling as the fundamentals will also be affected by lower prices. Then it will turn the investors’ perception into reality.

Soros called this a two-way reflexivity connection between perception and reality, which can give rise to initially self-reinforcing but later self-defeating.

Hence, in every stock market cycle, regardless of any stock market, while it may take a long time to reach its peak, when it drops, the drop will accelerate and be followed by panic selling.

At present, most investors will be eager to know when our market will enter into the recovery phase where the market will start to recover. It will be a mammoth job to predict the market bottom.

Nevertheless, we should consider buying some stocks whenever the market experiences panic selling like the recent global market crash on the fallout of Lehman Brothers and AIG.

According to Lauren C. Templeton and Scott Phillips in their book on Investing the Templeton Way, investors need to buy stocks whenever the market experiences panic selling. They that we should take advantage of problems that are exaggerated in the minds of sellers because of the sellers’ near-term focus.

Even though they agree that buying into crisis may affect your portfolio performance, you will gain in the long term. However, you need to make sure that you have enough cash to average down your purchases.

Ooi Kok Hwa is an investment adviser licensed by Securities Commission and managing partner of MRR Consulting.

Understanding Unit Trust

2008-10-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

What are Unit Trusts?
Unit Trusts are a form of collective investment that allows investors with similar investment objectives to pool their funds to be invested in a portfolio of securities or other assets.
The manager of the fund then invests the pooled money in a portfolio which may include the asset classes such as Cash, Bonds & Deposits, Shares, Property and Commodities.

Benefits Of Unit Trust
It is tough for an individual to maintain his own portfolio of investments, he needs to keep up to date with market information and sentiment.
By investing in unit trusts most of the necessary ‘know-how’ of investing are transferred to those best equipped to handle it i.e. the professional fund managers.

The advantages and benefits of investing in unit trusts are:
Diversification
A larger pool of funds allows the fund manager managing the unit trust to purchase a wider range of investments. Rather than concentrating an investment portfolio into one or two investments or shares, a portfolio of market securities can be held. The wider the spread of investments, the less volatile (i.e. variable) the investment returns will be. In simple terms, investment into unit trusts means diversification of risk: “not putting all your eggs in one basket.”

Liquidity
Most investors require that their investment be liquid. That is, they can easily buy and sell within a short period of time. Unit trusts provide this benefit, being bought and sold easily. An excellent return that cannot be “cashed-in” (i.e. sold) does not necessarily mean a good investment as poor liquidity constitutes an additional risk factor for the investor.

Professional Fund Management
The people making investment decisions for unit trust holders are professionals. Their training and background ensures that decision making is structured and according to basic investment principles. In the process, unit trust funds enjoy the depth of knowledge and experience that fund manager bring. In the long term, it is this expertise that should generate above average investment returns for unit trust investors.

Affordable and Investment Exposure
For the individual investor, it is sometimes difficult to gain exposure to a particular asset class. For instance, if an investor with USD3,000 wanted to gain exposure to the property market, global equity markets and bond market, it would be impossible to simultaneously hold a direct investment portfolio in all of these markets. With unit trust investments, it is possible to spread your money around to all of these asset classes at the same time, so that the investor can gain the investment exposure he requires.

Wholesale Investment Costs & Access to Investments
When making small investments, the investor faces costs and charges that are much higher. Unit trust funds are investing with large amounts, so that the economics of the transaction are more favorable i.e. the fees and charges/brokerage etc. per investment ringgit are likely to be less.
Also, because fund managers invest in larger amounts, they are able to get access to wholesale yields and products which are impossible for the individual investor to obtain.

Funds for All Type of People
There are many different types of funds that will suit to any level of risk to cater different type of people.

Safe and Secure
Unit Trusts only make investment and do not give out loans thus, the situation where liabilities more than assets will never arise.

More free time
Yes, we have to monitor our investment performance but since the fluctuation of the unit trust fund is not as frequent as stock market and that we have our Professional Fund Manager to look after the investment, we may keep track the fund on a weekly basis. More free time for us.

Attractive Returns
Unit Trust has proven that it is an excellence hedge against inflation. Unit Trust in some countries has shown a return of between 10% to 15%.

Be your own boss! Be a Unit Trust Consultant.

2008-10-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

You will enjoy the top 10 benefits as a Unit Trust Consultant as follows:
1. Unlimited income
2. One of the best commision structures in the industry
3. Passive income and flexible working hours
4. Overseas trips, public recognitions and awards
5. Sales contests, incentives and campaign
6. Professional sales and advanced IT tools support
7. Integrated training and coaching series
8. Be your own boss and lead your own sales agency opportunity
9. Incentives and subsidies for agency building and for Chartered Financial Planning (CFP) Exam
10. Fast track career promotions, bonuses, insurance coverage and much more…

Call/sms Miera at 012 338 6033 for more details