How to accumulate enough money for retirement

Personal Investing - By Ooi Kok Hwa

Wealth for retirement, How to earn 30-year investment returns with different savings amounts and rates

ON Jan 28, we have written an article on We all need to become millionaires. That article explained that we need to have cash reserves of about RM1mil to be able to maintain our current lifestyle 20 years after retirement.
Some readers responded and would like to know more on how to accumulate enough money for their retirement.

In this article, we will look into 30-year investment returns with different savings amounts and rate of returns. Our computation is based on the assumption that we start investing at the age of 25 and intend to retire at 55.

•Based on how much rate of returns you can achieve
The table shows that if we save RM100 per month and invest the money into fixed deposits (FD), assuming the FD can provide about 3% return over the next 30 years, our investment portfolio will reach RM58,274 when we reach 55.However, if we can generate 5%, 7% and 10% returns, our investment portfolio will achieve RM83,226, RM121,997 and RM226,049 respectively.

The EPF may be able to provide us about 5% whereas unit trust investments may be able to give us 7% to 10% returns over a very long-term period.Assuming that we treat the 3% FD return as our risk-free rate, any extra returns above this rate will be the risk premium for the additional risk that we are prepared to face.

Therefore, we need to understand our risk tolerance level before considering any type of risky investment.We should ask ourselves whether we are willing to accept the uncertainty of return that is inherent in those investments.Besides, we need to understand whether we can afford to have our savings tied up for a long period before we can achieve our investment targets.

•Based on how much you save and not how much you earn
We agree that when you earn more money, you should have more money for your investments. Unfortunately, some investors are unable to save even though they earn high salaries.


From the table, we can see that if we are able to save RM500 per month in FD, assuming a 3% return per annum, our investment portfolio will reach RM291,368 when we retire at age 55, five times higher than the savings of RM100 per month.Hence, if we can cut down on our expenses and live below our means, we should have more money to save.

We should always ask ourselves whether we want to spend money on unnecessary luxury items to keep up with the Jones or be more frugal and spend less to achieve financial freedom earlier.

The question on how to generate high returns is frequently asked by readers. Unfortunately, there is no straight-forward answer to this.We can equip ourselves with strong financial and investing knowledge which helps us in making better investment decision that will eventually translate into better returns.

To do so, we need to be interested in the economic and business activities around us.For those who are beginning to learn about investing, you can go to any bookstore to look for investment books that you can comprehend to build up the foundation.

Remember that there is no point in buying books written by top investment gurus in the world if you cannot understand what it is trying to tell.Once you have built up your knowledge, you should be able to digest the financial information and do your own research in investment.

When will our stock market recover?

Personal Investing
By OOI KOK HWA


THE world’s stock markets, including Malaysia’s, have recovered lately.
Some analysts have viewed this recovery as window dressing activities while others have called it bear market rallies.

And there are those who wonder whether we have seen the worst.
They are eager to know whether the current stock market level has reflected all the negative news, like the sharp drop in consumer spending, higher unemployment rates or lower sales and lower profits for most of the listed companies in the coming corporate result announcements.

Every investor wants to know when will the market recover.
Some investors may be excited about the current stock market level as a lot of good quality stocks have been hammered down to attractive levels, and are keen to start accumulating them.

However, if the stock market continues to dip for long periods, certain investors may run out of “bullets” to average down their purchasing prices. Then, they will start losing interest in the stock market as they do not have cash to purchase further and their earlier purchases also start to show losses. We need to prepare ourselves for the market turnaround.

However, we need to be patient and wait for the right time to invest.
In this article, we will look into the past two major downcycles: the 1998 crash and 2000 crash versus the current 2008 crash.

From the table, it can be seen that the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) tumbled by almost 80% in a period of 18 months during the 1998 crash versus a drop of 45% in a period of 13 months during the 2000 crash.

The percentage drop and duration of the 2000 crash were much less severe and shorter compared to the 1998 crash.For the current 2008 crash, our KLCI has plunged by 47% to its lowest level of 801 points on Oct 28.

If investors believe that the current crash is quite similar to the 2000 crash, then we may have seen the worst as the current percentage drop of 47% is near the 2000 crash of 45%.However, if the 2008 crash mirrors the 1998 crash, then we may have to wait until the KLCI touches about the 300-point level (assuming the same 79.4% drop in the 1998 crash) before we can see any real recovery.

Hence, we may have to wait for another nine months or until September 2009 (assuming the same duration of 18 months).We do not think the 2008 crash is similar to the 1998 crash.Our current economic situation, like central bank reserves, the health of the banking sector as well as economic fundamentals, are much better compared to 1998. However, as mentioned earlier, we need to prepare ourselves for the worst.

What to expect from here on?

Our market will try to absorb all the negative news.
As long as the market continues to drop as a result of negative news, we know we have not seen the bottom yet.We have to wait for the day when the stock market refuses to come down even when it is loaded with massive negative news; that should be the right time to buy.

Unfortunately, based on our past observations, by then most investors may not have any more cash to purchase or they will still worry about the economic situation. Investors need to understand that stock market cycles are always ahead of economic cycles.

Normally, when the stock market hits the bottom, the economic situation is uncertain or is still getting worse.

Is China Still Attractive After The Olympics?

The Beijing Olympics was a spectacular show. The opening ceremony impressed billions of viewers around the world. When it comes to China’s stock markets, however, the situation has been far from spectacular. They have been faring poorly, a few months, prior to the Olympics.

Economic growth measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) moderated to 10.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2008. This implies an economic slowdown (as compared with the GDP growth of 11.9% for the whole year 2007, and 10.6% for the first quarter of 2008).

Olympics: Boom and Bust?

Some investors observed there have been boom and bust cycles in Seoul, Sydney and Athens, before and after they organised the Olympic Games in 1988, 2000 and 2004 respectively. However, we do not expect to see such a cycle happening in Beijing. All the previous host cities contributed a large proportion to their nation’s economies. Beijing, on the other hand, contributes only around 4% to China’s GDP last year.

Beijing spent US$ 40.75 billion on urban infrastructure and US$ 1.89 billion on sport facilities, and those numbers add up to less than 1.1% of China’s fixed asset investments between 2005 and 2008 (source: People’s Daily). In terms of the equity market’s performance, although both the domestic A-shares and the Hong Kong-listed H-shares markets experienced a boom from 2006 to late 2007, they have not performed well this year, even during the Olympics. Hence, it is unlikely that there would be a post-Olympics bust.

China ’s economy has slowed down amidst the global economic gloom, but its GDP growth for 2008 may still be above the 8% target set by the Chinese government earlier this year. Inflation, on the other hand, which was at 8.7% year-on-year in February 2008, has been declining since May, to only 6.3% year-on-year in July 2008.

Conclusion

Despite weaker export growth, China’s economy may still grow by 8% or more in 2008. Domestic demand, based on retail sales, remains strong at over 20% year-on-year from March to July amidst the slump for A-shares. Infrastructure investment spurred by reconstruction needs after the natural disasters, will support economic growth, at least for the next two years. Inflation has lessen. Although market sentiment is negative in the short term, opportunities arise for mutual fund investors with medium- to long-term investment horizons.

China or Greater China equities seem attractive at their current valuation levels. However, they should be prepared for short-term volatility. China equity funds are single-market funds which may exhibit greater volatility than regional funds in the short term – we suggest investors place China or Greater China equity funds in the supplementary portion of their portfolio, which usually takes up no more than 20% of an overall portfolio. Nevertheless, the economic fundamentals, especially the Chinese market’s valuations, do indicate a good medium-term outlook.

source : ifast

Recession: What Does It Mean To Investors?

When the economy heads into a tailspin, you may hear news reports of dropping housing starts, increased jobless claims and shrinking economic output. How does this affect us as investors? What do house building and shrinking output have to do with your portfolio? As you'll discover, these indicators are part of a larger picture, which determines the strength of the economy and whether we are in a period of recession or expansion.

The Phases of the Business Cycle
In order to determine the current state of the economy, we first need to take a good look at the business cycle as a whole. Generally, the business cycle is made up of four different periods of activity extended over several years. These phases can differ substantially in duration, but are all closely intertwined in the overall economy.


Peak - This is not the beginning of the business cycle, but this is where we'll start. At its peak, the economy is running at full steam. Employment is at or near maximum levels, gross domestic product (GDP) output is at its upper limit (implying that there is very little waste occurring) and income levels are increasing. In this period, prices tend to increase due to inflation; however, most businesses and investors are having an enjoyable and prosperous time.

Recession - The old adage "what goes up must come down" applies perfectly here. After experiencing a great deal of growth and success, income and employment begin to decline. As our wages and the prices of goods in the economy are inflexible to change, they will most likely remain near the same level as in the peak period unless the recession is prolonged. The result of these factors is negative growth in the economy.

Trough - Also sometimes referred to as a depression, depending upon the duration of the trough, this is the section of the business cycle when output and employment bottom out and remain in waiting for the next phase of the cycle to begin.

Expansion/Recovery - In a recovery, the economy is growing once again and moving away from the bottoms experienced at the trough. Employment, production and income all undergo a period of growth and the overall economic climate is good.

Notice in the above diagram that the peak and trough are merely flat points on the business cycle at which there is no movement. They represent the maximum and minimum levels of economic strength. Recession and recovery are the areas of the business cycle that are more important to investors because they tell us the direction of the economy.

To further complicate matters, not all business cycles go through these four steps sequentially. For instance, during a double dip recession, the economy goes through a recession followed by a short recovery and another recession without ever peaking.

Recession Versus Expansion
Recession is loosely defined as two consecutive quarters of decline in GDP output. This definition can lead to situations where there are frequent switches between a recession and expansion and, as such, many different variations of this principle have been used in the hope of creating a universal method for calculation.

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is an organization that is seen as having the final word in determining whether the United States is in recession. It has a more extensive definition of recession, which deems the following four main factors as the most important for determining the state of the economy:

1. Employment
2. Personal income
3. Sales volume in manufacturing and retail sectors
4. Industrial production

By looking at these four indicators, economists at the NBER hope to gauge the overall health of the market and decide whether the economy is in recession or expansion.

The tricky part about trying to determine the state of the economy is that most indicators are either lagging or coincidental rather than leading. When an indicator is "lagging" it means that the indicator changes only after the fact. That is, a lagging indicator can confirm that an economy is in recession, but it doesn't help much in predicting what will happen in the future. (Learn more about this in Economic Indicators To Know.)

What Does this Mean for Investors?
Understanding the business cycle doesn't matter much unless it improves portfolio returns. What's an investor to do during recession? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. It really depends on your situation and what type of investor you are. (For some ideas, see Recession-Proof Your Portfolio.)

First, remember that a bear market does not mean there are no ways to make money. Some investors take advantage of falling markets by short selling stocks. Essentially, an investor who sells short profits when a stock declines in value. Problem is, this technique has many unique pitfalls and should be used only by more experienced investors. (If you want to learn more, see the tutorial Short Selling.)

Another breed of investor uses recession much like a sale at the local department store. Referred to as value investing, this technique involves looking at a fallen stock not as a failure, but as a bargain waiting to be scooped up. Knowing that better times will eventually return in the economy, value investors use bear markets as buying sprees, picking up high-quality companies that are selling for cheap.

There is yet another type of investor who barely flinches during recession. A follower of the long-term, buy-and-hold strategy knows that short-term problems will barely be a blip on the chart when taking a 20-30 year horizon. This investor merely continues dollar-cost averaging in a bad market the same way as he or she would in a good one.

Of course, many of us don't have the luxury of a 20-year horizon. At the same time, many investors don't have the stomach for riskier techniques like short selling or the time to analyze stocks like a value investor does. The key is to understand your situation and then pick a style that works for you. For example, if you are close to retirement, the long-term approach definitely is not for you. Instead of being at the mercy of the stock market, diversify into other assets such as bonds, the money market, real estate, etc.

Conclusion
The financial media often takes on a "sky is falling" mentality when it comes to recession. But the bottom line is that recession is a normal part of the business cycle. We can't say what the best course is for you - that's a personal decision. However, understanding both the business cycle and your individual investment style is key to surviving a recession.

Source: http://www.investopedia.com

Market Statistic

Stay calm during market turbulence

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 practice 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 June 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.

Public Mutual Funds

Public Aggressive Growth Fund (PAGF)
Public Asia Itikal Fund (PAIF)
Public Balanced Fund (PBF)
Public Bond Fund (PBOND)
Public China Ittikal Fund (PCIF)
Public China Select Fund (PCSF)
Public China Titans Fund (PCTF)
Public Dividend Select Fund (PDSF)
Public Enhanced Bond Fund (PEBF)
Public Equity Fund (PEF)
Public Far East Balanced Fund (PFEBF)
Public Far-East Consumer Themes Fund (PFECTF)
Public Far-East Dividend Fund (PFEDF)
Public Far-East Property & Resorts Fund (PFEPRF)
Public Far-East Select Fund (PFES)
Public Focus Select Fund (PFSF)
Public Global Balanced Fund (PGBF)
Public Global Select Fund (PGSF)
Public Growth Fund (PGF)
Public Index Fund (PIX)
Public Industry Fund (PIF)
Public Institutional Bond Fund (PINBOND)
Public Islamic Asia Balanced Fund (PIABF)
Public Islamic Asia Dividend Fund (PIADF)
Public Islamic Balanced Fund (PIBF)
Public Islamic Bond Fund (PIBOND)
Public Islamic Dividend Fund (PIDF)
Public Islamic Enhanced Bond Fund (PIEBF)
Public Islamic Equity Fund (PIEF)
Public Islamic Money Market Fund (PIMMF)
Public Islamic Opportunities Fund (PIOF)
Public Islamic Optimal Growth Fund (PIOGF)
Public Islamic Sector Select Fund (PISSF)
Public Islamic Select Bond Fund (PISBF)
Public Islamic Select Treasures Fund (PISTF)
Public Ittikal Fund (PITTIKAL)
Public Money Market Fund (PMMF)
Public Regional Sector Fund (PRSEC)
Public Regular Savings Fund (PRSF)
Public Savings Fund (PSF)
Public Sector Select Fund (PSSF)
Public Select Bond Fund (PSBF)
Public Smallcap Fund (PSMALLCAP)
Public South-East Asia Select Fund (PSEASF)

muka hadapan Utusan Malaysia - 21/05/08

Inflation

Inflation is a rise in the general level of prices over time. It may also refer to a rise in the prices of a specific set of goods or services. In either case, it is measured as the percentage rate of change of a price index.

Mainstream economists believe that high rates of inflation are caused by high rates of growth of the money supply. Views on the factors that determine moderate rates of inflation are more varied: changes in inflation are sometimes attributed to fluctuations in real demand for goods and services or in available supplies (i.e. changes in scarcity), and sometimes to changes in the supply or demand for money. In the mid-twentieth century, two camps disagreed strongly on the main causes of inflation at moderate rates: the "monetarists" argued that money supply dominated all other factors in determining inflation, while "Keynesians" argued that real demand was often more important than changes in the money supply.

There are many measures of inflation. For example, different price indices can be used to measure changes in prices that affect different people. Two widely known indices for which inflation rates are reported in many countries are the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures consumer prices, and the GDP deflator, which measures price variations associated with domestic production of goods and services.

Related definitions

Related economic concepts include: deflation, a general falling level of prices; , a decrease in the rate of inflation; hyperinflation, an out-of-control inflationary spiral; stagflation, a combination of inflation and rising unemployment; and reflation, which is an attempt to raise prices to counteract deflationary pressures.

In classical political economy, inflation meant increasing the money supply, while deflation meant decreasing it (see Monetary inflation). Economists from some schools of economic thought (including some Austrian economists) still retain this usage. In contemporary economic terminology, these would usually be referred to as expansionary and contractionary monetary policies.

Causes of inflation

In the long run inflation is generally believed to be a monetary phenomenon while in the short and medium term it is influenced by the relative elasticity of wages, prices and interest rates. The question of whether the short-term effects last long enough to be important is the central topic of debate between monetarist and Keynesian schools. In monetarism prices and wages adjust quickly enough to make other factors merely marginal behavior on a general trendline. In the Keynesian view, prices and wages adjust at different rates, and these differences have enough effects on real output to be "long term" in the view of people in an economy.

A great deal of economic literature concerns the question of what causes inflation and what effect it has. There are different schools of thought as to what causes inflation. Most can be divided into two broad areas: quality theories of inflation, and quantity theories of inflation. Many theories of inflation combine the two. The quality theory of inflation rests on the expectation of a seller accepting currency to be able to exchange that currency at a later time for goods that are desirable as a buyer. The quantity theory of inflation rests on the equation of the money supply, its velocity, and exchanges. Adam Smith and David Hume proposed a quantity theory of inflation for money, and a quality theory of inflation for production.

Keynesian economic theory proposes that money is transparent to real forces in the economy, and that visible inflation is the result of pressures in the economy expressing themselves in prices.

There are three major types of inflation, as part of what Robert J. Gordon calls the "triangle model":

# Demand-pull inflation: inflation caused by increases in aggregate demand due to increased private and government spending, etc.

# Cost-push inflation: presently termed "supply shock inflation," caused by drops in aggregate supply due to increased prices of inputs, for example. Take for instance a sudden decrease in the supply of oil, which would increase oil prices. Producers for whom oil is a part of their costs could then pass this on to consumers in the form of increased prices.

# Built-in inflation: induced by adaptive expectations, often linked to the "price/wage spiral" because it involves workers trying to keep their wages up (gross wages have to increase above the CPI rate to net to CPI after-tax) with prices and then employers passing higher costs on to consumers as higher prices as part of a "vicious circle." Built-in inflation reflects events in the past, and so might be seen as hangover inflation.

A major demand-pull theory centers on the supply of money: inflation may be caused by an increase in the quantity of money in circulation relative to the ability of the economy to supply (its potential output). This is most obvious when governments finance spending in a crisis, such as a civil war, by printing money excessively, often leading to hyperinflation, a condition where prices can double in a month or less. Another cause can be a rapid decline in the demand for money, as happened in Europe during the Black Plague.

The money supply is also thought to play a major role in determining moderate levels of inflation, although there are differences of opinion on how important it is. For example, Monetarist economists believe that the link is very strong; Keynesian economics, by contrast, typically emphasize the role of aggregate demand in the economy rather than the money supply in determining inflation. That is, for Keynesians the money supply is only one determinant of aggregate demand. Some economists consider this a 'hocus pocus' approach: They disagree with the notion that central banks control the money supply, arguing that central banks have little control because the money supply adapts to the demand for bank credit issued by commercial banks. This is the theory of endogenous money. Advocated strongly by post-Keynesians as far back as the 1960s, it has today become a central focus of Taylor rule advocates. But this position is not universally accepted. Banks create money by making loans. But the aggregate volume of these loans diminishes as real interest rates increase. Thus, it is quite likely that central banks influence the money supply by making money cheaper or more expensive, and thus increasing or decreasing its production.

A fundamental concept in Keynesian analysis is the relationship between inflation and unemployment, called the Phillips curve. This model suggests that there is a trade-off between price stability and employment. Therefore, some level of inflation could be considered desirable in order to minimize unemployment. The Philips curve model described the U.S. experience well in the 1960s but failed to describe the combination of rising inflation and economic stagnation (sometimes referred to as stagflation) experienced in the 1970s.

Thus, modern macroeconomics describes inflation using a Phillips curve that shifts (so the trade-off between inflation and unemployment changes) because of such matters as supply shocks and inflation becoming built into the normal workings of the economy. The former refers to such events as the oil shocks of the 1970s, while the latter refers to the price/wage spiral and inflationary expectations implying that the economy "normally" suffers from inflation. Thus, the Phillips curve represents only the demand-pull component of the triangle model.

Another Keynesian concept is the potential output (sometimes called the "natural gross domestic product"), a level of GDP, where the economy is at its optimal level of production given institutional and natural constraints. (This level of output corresponds to the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment, NAIRU, or the "natural" rate of unemployment or the full-employment unemployment rate.) If GDP exceeds its potential (and unemployment is below the NAIRU), the theory says that inflation will accelerate as suppliers increase their prices and built-in inflation worsens. If GDP falls below its potential level (and unemployment is above the NAIRU), inflation will decelerate as suppliers attempt to fill excess capacity, cutting prices and undermining built-in inflation.

However, one problem with this theory for policy-making purposes is that the exact level of potential output (and of the NAIRU) is generally unknown and tends to change over time. Inflation also seems to act in an asymmetric way, rising more quickly than it falls. Worse, it can change because of policy: for example, high unemployment under British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher might have led to a rise in the NAIRU (and a fall in potential) because many of the unemployed found themselves as structurally unemployed (also see unemployment), unable to find jobs that fit their skills. A rise in structural unemployment implies that a smaller percentage of the labor force can find jobs at the NAIRU, where the economy avoids crossing the threshold into the realm of accelerating inflation.

Rule of 72

In finance, the rule of 72, the rule of 71, the rule of 70 and the rule of 69.3 are methods for estimating an investment's doubling time or halving time. These rules apply to exponential growth and decay respectively, and are therefore used for compound interest as opposed to simple interest calculations.

The Eckart-McHale Rule (the E-M Rule) provides a multiplicative correction to these approximate results, while Felix's Corollary provides a method of estimating the future value of an annuity using the same principles.

Using the rule to estimate compounding periods

To estimate the number of periods required to double an original investment, divide the most convenient "rule-quantity" by the expected growth rate, expressed as a percentage.

# For instance, if you were to invest $100 with compounding interest at a rate of 9% per annum, the rule of 72 gives 72/9 = 8 years required for the investment to be worth $200; an exact calculation gives 8.0432 years.

Similarly, to determine the time it takes for the value of money to half at a given rate, divide the rule quantity by that rate.

# To determine the time for money's buying power to halve, financiers simply divide the rule-quantity by the inflation rate. Thus at 3.5% inflation using the rule of 70, it should take approximately 70/3.5 = 20 years for the value of a unit of currency to halve.

# To estimate the impact of additional fees on financial policies (eg. mutual fund fees and expenses, loading and expense charges on variable universal life insurance investment portfolios), divide 72 by the fee. For example, if the Universal Life policy charges a 3% fee over and above the cost of the underlying investment fund, then the total account value will be cut to 1/2 in 72 / 3 = 24 years, and then to just 1/4 the value in 48 years, compared to holding the exact same investment outside the policy.

Types of Mutual Funds

There are thousands of mutual funds or unit trusts in the market. They are not the same. Though the funds are sold by the same company. There are funds designated to outperform the index, mimicking the index, sectoral funds and others. Thus, it is very important for you to know your investment objective and also your risk profile.

Investing in mutual fund is not only about making 50% return per year. It is about matching your investment objective and risk profile, thus if you can gain even 5%-7% and it is consistent gain annually for 30 years, it is a good investment if you are a low risk investor.

But if you’re searching for 50% return in 2007 but a year later the fund only gives you -10%, and you’re not that savvy investor, I don’t think you have made a correct decision. To make the situation worse, the fund is for your retirement!

Here is a general types of mutual funds that are available in the market:

1. Equity Funds

The most common funds that will become the hottest in town when they are making 75% return in a year! Basically this type of fund will invest in stocks & equities but among the equity funds itself, they’re also differences. The risks are not the same. There are equity fund which invest for:

- Company dividends
- Company potential growth
- Small Capital company
- Value Investing
- Big capital company
- and many more.

2. Bond Funds

Invest largely in the bond market, particularly in the bond issued by the government and big corporations. Bond funds generally known as a conservative type of investment without the potential for growth and high returns.

3. Index Funds

Index funds are equity funds that allocate their assets in any index components, like the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index, Dow Jones, S&P and others. The strategy behind the funds is very simple, follow the particular index. Your investment won’t outperform the index nor do worse than the index.

4. Hybrid Funds

Balance. That is the keyword. The fund manager will allocate some amount of fund in the bond market for safety reason and invest the other parts in the equity. Among the strategies of hybrid funds is to put the money in the equity in the bull market and retreat to bond market when the market in bear situations.

5. Money Market Funds

Money market funds invest in money market securities which are sold by financial companies in a variety of denominations and by the government. The investment in money market securities is usually on for short periods. In other words, money market funds is like your savings account in the bank but it give you better return, but remember, money market funds is not insured like your savings account.

6. Industry / Sectoral Funds

The fund invest specifically in certain industry such as industries sector, banking, technology, consumer, energy, and others. If you’re working in one of the industries this fund may suitable for you.

7. Syariah Funds

In Malaysia, Syariah funds also have different types. Basically syariah funds can be categorized into funds which are invest largely in equity, bonds, index that has been approved as a halal investment.

Happy investing.


thanks to pakdi for this article

Rahsia bagaimana RM100 menjadi Jutawan

Hari ini saya akan dedahkan satu rahsia orang kaya yang mungkin anda sudah tahu tetapi tidak begitu ambil kisah.

Jadi sebelum anda mengigit jari 20-30 tahun akan datang, masanya untuk kita mengikut jejak jutawan bermula hari ini.

Apa rahsia tersebut?

Hampir semua jutawan tahu bagaimana mereka mengandakan wang mereka tanpa perlu berpeluh...

Melalui SIMPANAN!
Simpanan bermaksud anda menyimpan wang diinstitusi kewangan yang memberikan pulangan setiap bulan atau tahun! Ianya nampak biasa tetapi berapa ramai antara kita yang menyimpan wang secara tetap setiap bulan??

Tahukah anda masa adalah musuh utama kerana ianya bakal menentukan samada anda mampu bergelar jutawan atau tidak.

Katakan anda berumur 25 tahun sekarang,dan anda mahukan RM100,000 dibank ketika anda bersara kelak. Jika anda bermula menyimpan hari ini dengan hanya RM10.22 sebulan (hanya 33 sen sehari!) dengan kadar faedah 12 peratus,anda telah mempunyai RM100,000 dibank ketika anda berumur 65 tahun!

Tetapi jika anda leka dan telah berumur 55 tahun, anda perlu menyimpan RM447 sebulan untuk dapatkan RM100,000 ketika mencapai 65 tahun!

Ini bermakna anda terpaksa menyimpan 43 kali banyaknya disebabkan anda terlewat! Dan ini tentunya akan membuka mata anda:

Jika anda menyimpan RM100 sebulan dengan kadar faedah 12 peratus setahun:

- Mula menyimpan ketika berumur 25 tahun:
Anda menjana RM979,307 ketika 65 tahun!
(Hampir SEJUTA RINGGIT dibank!)

- Mula menyimpan ketika berumur 26 tahun:
Anda menjana RM873,241 ketika 65 tahun!
(Anda rugi RM106,066!)

- Mula menyimpan ketika berumur 30 tahun:
Anda menjana RM551,083 ketika 65 tahun!
(Anda rugi RM428,224!)

Jadi, tidak kira berapa umur anda sekarang, inilah masanya anda mula menyelitkan sedikit wang setiap bulan untuk simpanan dan menjejak langkah jutawan automatik!

Saya telah tunjukkan kepada anda bagaimana dengan hanya menyimpan RM100 sebulan, ianya mampu meledak sehingga RM979,307!

Jumpa lagi dengan rahsia kekayaan yang lain.

FAQ Unit Amanah

Apakah unit amanah?

Unit amanah merupakan skim pelaburan yang mengumpulkan wang daripada ramai pelabur yang berkongsi matlamat kewangan yang sama. Sebagai pertukaran kepada wang itu dana menerbitkan unit kepada pelabur yang dikenali sebagai pemegang unit. Dana tersebut akan diuruskan oleh sekumpulan pengurus professional yang akan melabur wang tersebut dalam pelbagai portfolio seperti ekuiti, sekuriti pendapatan tetap dan aset-aset lain. Pemegang unit boleh menjual semula (iaitu menebus) unit mereka kepada dana, atau membeli (dan menjual) unit seterusnya.

Apakah kelebihannya melabur dalam unit amanah?

Kepelbagaian Pelaburan

Pelabur dalam saham amanah selalunya dapat menyertai sekuriti yang lebih luas berbanding pelaburan secara perseorangan. Dengan modal yang sedikit pelabur dalam unit amanah berpeluang menyertai lebih banyak sektor berbanding yang dibuat secara persendirian.

Kepelbagaian pelaburan boleh mengurangkan risiko kepada pelabur-pelabur. Kerugian di beberapa kaunter boleh diimbangi oleh keuntungan diperolehi di kaunter lain. Sekiranya pelabur melabur dalam beberapa dana iaitu tidak terhad kepada satu dana sahaja, pelabur akan meminimumkan risikonya.

Pengurusan Profesional sepenuh masa

Anda akan mendapat faedah daripada pengurus pelaburan yang profesional dan berpengalaman untuk menguruskan pelaburan anda sepenuh masa berbanding pelabur perseorangan yang mungkin membuat pelaburan secara rambang. Pengurus dana akan sentiasa mengawasi prestasi pelaburan anda dan memastikan wang anda dilaburkan sebaik mungkin berdasarkan maklumat yang telah diselidiki.

Tahap kecairan yang tinggi

Urusniaga unit amanah lebih mudah berbanding melabur terus dalam sesebuah syarikat dimana harga dan peluang untuk membuat urus niaga bergantung kepada penawaran dan permintaan saham pada masa itu. Pelabur di unit amanah boleh menjual sebahagian atau kesemua saham mereka pada bila-bila masa.

Pertumbuhan modal

Pelaburan dalam unit amanah mempunyai potensi untuk memberikan para pelabur pulangan yang berpatutan secara berterusan dalam jangkamasa sederhana dan panjang menerusi pengagihan pendapatan (jika ada) dan kenaikan nilai modal.

Adakah saya ‘diberi jaminan’ akan menerima pengagihan pendapatan?

Pada umumnya pengagihan pendapatan adalah tertakluk kepada prestasi tabung tersebut. Pengagihan pendapatan yang dibayar kepada pemegang unit adalah berpunca dari pendapatan pelaburan dari semasa ke semasa mengikut pasaran. Jika tabung tersebut hanya memperoleh keuntungan yang sedikit atau tiada langsung keuntungan, pengagihan pendapatan tidak akan dibuat. Oleh itu, pengagihan tidak dijamin

Bagaimanakah menentukan jenis dana yang sesuai untuk saya?

Sebagai seorang pelabur, anda perlu mengambil kira faktor berikut :

Apakah objektif atau matlamat pelaburan anda
Beberapa matlamat biasa termasuk simpanan untuk pendidikan anak-anak, mengekalkan modal dan perolehan pendapatan buat masa kini.

Berapa lamakan anda bercadang untuk melabur?
Pada amnya, semakin lama tempoh pelaburan, semakin cerah peluang anda mendapat pulangan yang lebih baik.

Apakah jenis pulangan yang anda harapkan?
Melalui pengagihan pendapatan atau melalui kenaikan nilai modal.

Berapa tinggikah risiko yang sanggup anda terima ?
Lebih tinggi risiko lebih tinggi pulangan.

Apakah risiko-risiko melabur dalam unit amanah?

Semua pelaburan mempunyai risiko. Risiko melabur dalam unit amanah adalah seperti berikut :

Risiko Pasaran
Pada keseluruhannya pasaran saham adalah tertakluk kepada turun naik harga saham dan keadaan ini mempengaruhi harga unit-unit dana kerana sebahagian besar pelaburan Dana ini terdiri dari saham-saham yang diuruskan di BSKL.

Pulangan Pendapatan
Pulangan pendapatan sekiranya ada, yang dibayar kepada anda adalah berpunca dari pendapatan dari semasa ke semasa. Oleh yang demikian kadar pembayaran tidak dapat ditentukan lebih awal.

Risiko pembiayaan pinjaman
Jika anda mendapat kemudahan pinjaman untuk membeli unit, anda hendaklah faham bahawa:

Pembelian melalui pinjaman mungkin mendatangkan keuntungan atau kerugian
Sekirannya nilai pelaburan merosot di bawah sesuatu tahap tertentu, anda mungkin dikehendaki mengurangkan jumlah baki pinjaman di suatu tahap yang diperlukan oleh institusi kewangan yang memberi pinjaman.

Kemampuan anda membayar balik ansuran pinjaman mungkin akan terjejas di masa hadapan oleh perkara yang tidak diduga.

Di manakah boleh saya mendapatkan maklumat prestasi dan harga dana-dana unit amanah?

Anda boleh mendapatkan maklumat-maklumat tersebut di akhbar-akhbar utama (The Star, The New Straits Times dan Utusan Malaysia) atau majalah kewangan (Smart Investor, The Edge). Anda juga boleh mendapatkan maklumat dengan melayari laman web http://www.publicmutual.com.my

SAVING vs INVESTMENTS

It is important to understand the distinction between savings and investments. Savings relate to such instruments as fixed deposits and saving accounts in banks. Essentially, savings is generally adequate if the objective is to keep your money abreast with the rate of inflation. Unfortunately, it will not allow you the luxury of growing your assets above the rate of inflation.

Investments, on the other hand, will allow you to grow your wealth, sometimes way above the rate of inflation. For example, where savings will gather interest rates of around 5 - 6%, it is not uncommon to learn of rates of return of 12% or more when it comes to investments. For those who were fortunate to get into blue chip stocks when the KLCI was 260 points in 1998 and then sold their blue chip shares in 1999, their return was whopping 200% or more in 1999. However on hindsight, such windfalls cannot be planned and it is only possible when the investor has accepted the accompanying risk that comes with the investment.

Benarkah unit amanah satu pelaburan selamat?

Bagaimanakah untuk mendapatkan senarai saham ‘halal’?

Senarai saham halal bursa tempatan atau sekuriti yang diklasifikasikan sebagai sekuriti patuh syariah ada dikemaskini dari semasa-kesemasa oleh Majlis Penasihat Syariah Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia. Senarai lengkap tersebut boleh diakses di laman www. sc.com.my (cari di bahagian Islamic Capital Market). Terdapat 871 saham halal mengikut senarai tersebut yang bertarikh 28 April 2006, merangkumi 85 peratus daripada keseluruhan sekuriti yang didagangkan di Bursa Malaysia.

Adakah unit amanah satu bentuk pelaburan yang selamat?

Unit amanah adalah seperti pelaburan-pelaburan lain, di mana prestasi adalah ditentukan oleh keadaan pergerakan pasaran yang berubah-ubah. Bagi mengimbangi kesan kuasa dan ketidaktentuan pasaran, pengurus unit amanah selalunya mengamalkan kaedah meminimumkan risiko pelaburan dengan cara meluaskan tebaran risiko di mana komponen portfolio dana amanah adalah dipelbagaikan untuk meliputi serangkaian luas pelaburan aset dan corak pelaburan. Kepelbagaian kadang-kala meliputi campuran kelas- kelas aset seperti saham, bon-bon dan instrumen pasaran wang. Sekiranya terdapat sebarang kejatuhan aset tertentu, kenaikan harga dan nilai aset lain dapat menampung kerugian tersebut.

Patutkah saya menggunakan wang pinjaman dari institusi kewangan untuk menambah kuasa melabur?

Elok sekiranya kos meminjam adalah rendah. Namun ia boleh memberi masalah apabila kos meminjam meningkat berbanding pulangan dividen dan bonus yang diterima. Unit amanah sinonim sebagai satu skim tabungan jangka panjang, oleh itu tabungan yang konsisten secara bulanan atau suku tahunan adalah wajar, walaupun dalam jumlah yang kecil; “Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit”.

Boleh jelaskan penggunaan harga belian/jualan dan ‘NAB’ yang tertera di media.

Harga yang dipaparkan ialah harga beli/jual bagi pihak pengurus dana kepada pemegang unit/pelabur seperti anda. Oleh itu, harga belian yang tertera (bid) ialah harga yang anda gunakan untuk menjual unit, manakala harga jualan (offer) ialah harga di mana anda membeli unit.

Nilai Aset Bersih (NAB) ialah nilai kesemua aset dana ditolak keseluruhan tanggungan dana pada satu-satu masa penilaian , manakala NAB seunit pula ialah NAB dana itu yang dibahagi dengan jumlah bilangan unit dalam edaran pada masa penilaian. Angka ini penting kerana ia diguna sebagai panduan untuk menentukan harga belian dan jualan yang dikira setiap hari oleh Pengurus pada penutup hari perniagaan Bursa.

Apabila saya ingin menjual unit-unit pelaburan, adakah saya perlu menunggu sehingga wujud pelabur yang ingin membeli?

Tidak. Pengurus dana ialah pihak yang akan membeli semula unit-unit anda, mengikut terma dan syarat yang terkandung dalam prospektus sesuatu dana itu.

Apakah yang patut saya lakukan sekiranya pasaran saham menjunam?

Harga saham akan sentiasa turun atau naik kerana ini adalah lumrah pasaran, namun pada jangkamasa sederhana ke panjang ia akan naik. Anda tidak perlu lakukan apa-apa, harungi keadaan tersebut atau sekiranya berkemampuan tambah pelaburan sewaktu pasaran menampakkan kestabilan. Seperti yang sering disarankan, pelaburan unit amanah adalah untuk tempoh jangka sederhana/panjang.

Adakah dana bon Islam hanya pada nama? Saya berpendapat ia masih bersekongkol dengan riba’ kerana mendapat hasil coupon rate yang tetap.

Bon Islam ialah instrumen kategori sekuriti pendapatan tetap yang merujuk kepada pinjaman yang diberi oleh pembeli bon kepada pihak yang menerbitkannya. Konsep ini sama dengan operasi bon konvensional dimana peminjam akan mendapat bayaran berkala beserta keuntungan. Namun prinsip yang digunapakai ialah berlunaskan syariah dan kita mempunyai pelbagai pilihan cara terbitan seperti ‘Murabahah’, ‘Musyarakah’, ‘BBA Islamik’, ‘Bai Inah’, ‘Bai Al-Dayn’, ‘Sukuk Istisnaa’ ' dan ‘Sukuk Ijarah’.

Who want to be a millionaire

Dalam suasana aidilfitri nie saya berjumpa ramai kawan2 lama untuk saling bermaafan dan menziarahi.. mereka banyak berceritakan soal kerja, kereta, kawin lagi dan gosip2panas.. tapi apa yang menarik perhatian saya adalah cerita ataupun impian mereka tentang rumah besar, kereta besar, duit besar tapi bini jer yang nak solid..

oleh itu saya hanya bertanyakan kepada mereka 2 soalan iaitu:

1 - mahukah anda mempunyai sekurang-kurangnya RM1,000,000 (sejuta) dalam akaun anda pada suatu hari nanti dengan hanya menyimpan sebulan RM100??

2 - adakah anda ingin tahu bagaimana??

sekiranya kedua-dua jawapan untuk soalan diatas adalah YA, anda bersedia menjadi jutawan.. untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut boleh email/ym saya..

Selamat Hari Raya

Salam Raya dari Tuah Arbaein

Dollar Cost Averaging

An example of what dollar cost averaging can achieve.
With dollar cost averaging, you don't have to worry about where share prices or interest rates are headed. You simply invest a set amount of money on a regular basis over a long period of time.

Sound easy? You're absolutely right. Dollar cost averaging is a disciplined investment technique that can help turn the odds in your favour. The idea is that you buy less when the market is up, and more when it is down - automatically.

Let's look at an example which is fairly exaggerated, but illustrates how it works. Say you put $100 per month into a managed investment that initially had a unit price of $10. Over the next few months, the market falls (causing the unit price to drop) before recovering to its original value.

Month---Investment---Unit Price---Units Purchased
1-----------$100----------- $10--------------10.0
2-----------$100----------- $8---------------12.5
3-----------$100----------- $5---------------20.0
4-----------$100----------- $8---------------12.5
5-----------$100----------- $10--------------10.0
Total:------$500-----------$10-total units:65.0

At the end of the 5 months you have 65 units each worth $10, so you have $650. You have invested $500, so your profit is $150 even though the unit price is the same as when you first invested.

Of course, dollar cost averaging does not guarantee a profit. But with a sensible and long-term investment approach, dollar cost averaging can smooth out the market's ups and downs and reduce the risk of investing in volatile markets.

So when is the best time to invest? This month, next month…every month.

Advantages of managed funds

While there will always be a place for direct investments (for wealthy individuals, investors with special interest or ambition to self-manage, when there are special opportunities to take advantage of, and so on), managed funds make sense for most investors who are inexperienced and in any event, unable to access necessary research information or to analyse that information.

Other advantages of professionally managed funds over direct investments are as follows:

Professional management - Investors in a managed fund effectively employ professionals to act on their behalf. This is a 'hands free' investment from an investor point of view.

Cost efficiencies - due to the very enormous amounts Fund Managers deal with they effectively have a greater bargaining power than the individual investor relative to transaction costs. The costs include brokerage fees etc.; these reduced fees available to Fund Managers are passed back to the Client in the form of better returns.

Diversification - Investing in a Managed Fund allows diversification that would not otherwise be possible if investing directly. For example it would not be possible to invest $80,000 evenly over the property market and the equities market. This is simply because you would not be able to purchase a property market for $40,000. However you could achieve this allocation of funds via a Managed Fund.

Flexibility - Investing in a managed fund allows flexibility to alter your investment portfolio simply and without incurring new entry fees and brokerage cost

Liquidity - Depending on the underlying investment would determine how quickly the funds can be accessed. In most cases funds would be released within 14days. Investors can access a part of their funds or the whole amount as required.
Administration - Administration is simplified as the investor receives one cheque and one statement per managed fund instead of a number of cheques from property managers, company dividends etc.

Unit trust industry is booming...

THE unit trust industry expanded further during the first five months of the year with the launch of new funds and an increase in the number of units in circulation.

The growth was attributed to sustained investor interest in unit trusts as a viable investment instrument.

During the period, 45 new funds were launched to reach a total of 435 funds as at end-May (end-2006: 392 funds).

Units in circulation rose 8.7% to 167.4 billion (end-December, 2006: 10.5%; 154.1 billion). The Islamic unit trust segment continued to expand with 12 new funds bringing the total to 106 as at end-May 2007 (end-2006: 95 funds).

The net asset value (NAV) of the unit trust industry rose 18% to RM143.7bil and accounted for 13.5% of the market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia (end-2006: 23.6%; RM121.8bil; 14.4%).

The number of new unit trust funds launched that invested in foreign markets and funds already investing abroad reached 128 funds as of end-May, with investment totalling RM10.8bil.

There has been positive response to the Government's efforts to promote the development of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in the capital market. The first half of 2007 saw four new REITs listed on Bursa Malaysia bringing the total to 13 REITs.

Market capitalisation of REITs rose strongly by 73.5% to RM4.98bil as at end-June (end-2006: RM2.87bil), reflecting growing investor interest in REITs as an investment instrument to access the property market.