About Online Trading

The invention of the Internet has brought about many changes in the way that we conduct our lives and our personal business. We can pay our bills online, shop online, bank online, and even date online! We can even buy and sell stocks online. Traders love having the ability to look at their accounts whenever they want to, and brokers like having the ability to take orders over the Internet, as opposed to the telephone. Most brokers and brokerage houses now offer online trading to their clients. Another great thing about trading online is that fees and commissions are often lower. While online trading is great, there are some drawbacks. If you are new to investing, having the ability to actually speak with a broker can be quite beneficial. If you aren’t stock market savvy, online trading may be a dangerous thing for you. If this is the case, make sure that you learn as much as you can about trading stocks before you start trading online. You should also be aware that you don’t have a computer with Internet access attached to you. You won’t always have the ability to get online to make a trade. You need to be sure that you can call and speak with a broker if this is the case, using the online broker. This is true whether you are an advanced trader or a beginner. It is also a good idea to go with an online brokerage company that has been around for a while. You won’t find one that has been in business for fifty years of course, but you can find a company that has been in business that long and now offers online trading. Again, online trading is a beautiful thing – but it isn’t for everyone. Think carefully before you decide to do your trading online, and make sure that you really know what you are doing!

Credit Card Debt as a silent financial killer

Technology spoils people’s whims. It tends to cater to every human’s caprices. It feeds on the people’s undying thirst for easy, instant, and convenient. More often than not, it also causes them a lot of trouble—financial trouble through credit card debt—that is. Credit Card convenience vs. Credit Card debt We often see people pull out “plastic” to pay for everything they need. Why not? When all it takes is a quick swipe of the card through a little electronic box and a signature then, everything’s okay. You go home happy, content, and almost worry-free. On the other hand, not every one of these people realize that the convenience of using credit cards can lead to a false feeling of financial security. And this realization will strike them as soon as the bills arrive. In fact, studies show that credit card debt and personal bankruptcies have increases bank profits to the highest level in the last five years. It only shows that more and more credit card holders were unable to manage their finances that lead to credit card debt. If you are a cardholder and having some credit card debt troubles at this early stage, it’ now time to think over the possible outcomes of this minor glitch so that a more serious problem with credit card debt would cease to arise. Credit card gives people the feeling of invincibility. And it also gives them tons of uncertainty about their financial management capability when they encounter problems with their credit card debt. Although it is true that that credit cards solve financial matters especially when it comes to safety and convenience, credit cards also creates hassle especially when the person using it doesn’t know what you he or she’s getting into. Indeed, paying off credit card debt may take a long time especially if the person has high interest rates. But, it doesn’t mean that you can do nothing about efficient management of credit card debt. When you find yourself overwhelmed with credit card debt, don’t fall into a pit of depression. You can get through it with discipline and a change in spending patterns. Start eliminating problems with credit card debt by getting tips and techniques on how to pay off your balances easier, how to consolidate of frequently encountered problems, look for free debt consultation agencies that can help you, and try—inch by inch—to rediscover ways on how you can regain your financial freedom by reducing you credit card debt. The power to eliminate credit card debt People who are having problems managing their credit card debt or those who are near in bankruptcy often don’t realize that the power to eliminate their credit card debt troubles totally is in their hands. Today, more and more Malaysian need credit card debt help badly. The main problem is that these families are having difficult times paying high interest for credit card debt. And instead of lifting the burden of credit card debt, more people are paying much in interest every month than that of the actual expenditure. There are actually more lawful and moral ways to zero-out thousands of dollars in credit card debts. And if you only take the time to research and know your rights and how bankruptcy laws have changed, you will discover that there are valuable facts to eliminate credit card debt. Actually, the possibility of reducing or eliminating the high interest credit card debt is now more possible when a person takes action to get his or her finances back on track. Apart from knowing your weapon in terminating credit card debt, it is very important that you develop a sense of control and perseverance first. Since credit card debt elimination process requires organization, clarity, and commitment to your own growth, it is a must that you are ready for the responsibility and to stand free and independent. For those people who consider having a credit card indispensable but afraid of getting one because of the possibility of credit card debt nightmare, you must remember that credit card can be a powerful tool in managing your finances but there will always be glitches when not used properly. Of course, there are countless reasons why you should and shouldn’t get one depending on your needs. Whether you decide to get one or not, managing finances it still takes a sense of good budgeting, willingness to change spending habits, and the humility to avail low interest consolidation loans when you are already burdened by too much credit card debt.

The Budget – The Ultimate Financial Management Tool

A carpenter uses a set of house plans to build a house. If he didn’t the bathroom might get overlooked altogether. Rocket Scientists would never begin construction on a new booster rocket without a detailed set of design specifications. Yet most of us go blindly out into the world without an inkling of an idea about finances and without any plan at all. Not very smart of us, is it? A money plan is called a budget and it is crucial to get us to our desired financial goals. Without a plan we will drift without direction and end up marooned on a distant financial reef. If you have a spouse or a significant other, you should make this budget together. Sit down and figure out what your joint financial goals are…long term and short term. Then plan your route to get to those goals. Every journey begins with one step and the first step to attaining your goals is to make a realistic budget that both of you can live with. A budget should never be a financial starvation diet. That won’t work for the long haul. Make reasonable allocations for food, clothing, shelter, utilities and insurance and set aside a reasonable amount for entertainment and the occasional luxury item. Savings should always come first before any spending. Even a small amount saved will help you reach your long term and short term financial goals. You can find many budget forms on the internet. Just use any search engine you choose and type in “free budget forms”. You’ll get lots of hits. Print one out and work on it with your spouse or significant other. Both of you will need to be happy with the final result and feel like it’s something you can stick to.

What Is Your Investment Style?

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles – and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive. Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use. If you are saving for retirement in your early twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing – but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style. Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts. An interest earning savings account is very common for conservative investors. A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments. Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments. An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time. Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market. Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment. Never invest without having all of the facts!

Investing Basics

Investing Basics – What Are Your Investment Goals When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. Unfortunately, very few of those investors are successful. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing – there is the risk of losing your money! Before you jump right in, it is better to not only find out more about investing and how it all works, but also to determine what your goals are. What do you hope to achieve with your investments? Will you be funding a college education? Buying a home? Retiring? Before you invest a single penny, really think about what you hope to achieve with that investment. Knowing what your goal is will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way! Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible – but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time, and be used for retirement or a child’s education. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest. You should strongly consider talking to a financial planner before making any investments. Your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. He or she can give you realistic information as to what kind of returns you can expect and how long it will take to reach your specific goals. Again, remember that investing requires more than calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully.

Apa perlu lihat pada prospektus?

Faktor-faktor yang perlu diteliti bila kita nak melabur:

• Objektif pelaburan - ia perlu dinyatakan dengan jelas, jika tidak pengurus dana berpeluang untuk tidak melaksanakan apa yang anda kehendaki ketika memilih dana tersebut.
• Polisi pelaburan - jenis pelaburan dan strategi yang dibenarkan perlulah sama dengan yang anda yakini.
• Saiz dana dan aliran pertumbuhan.
• Sebarang sekatan pelaburan, seperti pelaburan minimum dikehendaki.
• Tahap risiko pelaburannya - unit amanah tidak terlepas daripada risiko sepenuhnya.
• Jenis dan jumlah yuran - fahami supaya anda tidak terkejut.
• Prestasi lepas jumlah pulangan tahunan, NAV (nilai aset bersih, iaitu nilai bagi setiap unit), nisbah belanja, dan terutama pembahagian pendapatan kepada pelabur, dan pertumbuhan aset - supaya anda boleh mengukur prestasi dana selama ini.
• Portfolio pelaburan terkini - supaya anda tahu peratusan pegangan bagi setiap jenis aset.
• Maklumat berkenaan Lembaga Pengarah dan kumpulan pengurusan utama (terutamanya pengurus dana, juruaudit dan pemegang amanah).

Macamana nak start invest dalam unit trust?

Ada empat cara utama untuk kita invest dalam unit trust:

• Lump-sum purchases: Contohnya kita ada RM100000.00 kemudian kita labur dalam unit trust untuk tujuan tertentu seperti untuk hari tua, pendidikan anak ke dll. Biasanya period duit dilaburkan adalah 3 - 20 tahun. Yang mana pelaburan tadi akan meningkat dari masa ke semasa ( accumulate over the period).
• Regular saving:Contohnya setiap bulan kita simpan RM100. Ini adalah merupakan kaedah pelaburan yang paling ideal. Kaedah ini juga di kenali sebagai dollar cost averaging.
• EPF transfer (KWSP): Syaratnya pencarum mesti ada dalam akaun 1 sebanyak RM55000 dan ada pengiraan tertentu terlibat. Syarat ini mungkin akan perubahan mengikut pengumuman dari pihak terbabit dari masa kesemasa.
• Pinjaman(Loan): Kaedah ini tidak digalakkan. Tetapi sekiranya pelabur ingin juga menggunakan kaedah ini adalah dinasihatkan mendapatkan nasihat dari penasihat kewangan yang bertauliah.

Ini adalah mengikut fahaman penulis dari apa yang dibaca. Sebarang komen adalah dialu-alukan.

Unit Trust

What is Unit Trust? Dana unit amanah ialah skim pelaburan yang dibentuk untuk membolehkan para pelabur menyertai pasaran wang, hutang, ekuiti dan derivatif. Pengurus pelaburan professional akan mengendalikan dana yang dikutip melalui skim ini untuk mencapai objektif pelaburan.Unit amanah adalah jentera pelaburan yang mampu dimiliki, mempunyai kecairan dan berisiko rendah. Oleh itu, skim ini sangat sesuai untuk perancangan kewangan individu dan syarikat. Unit trust funds are investment schemes structured to allow investors with similar investment objectives to participation in the money, debt, equity and derivative markets. Professional investment managers, who channel their efforts towards achieving investment objectives ranging from regular income to capital growth, will manage funds collected from the schemes. Unit trusts are excellent vehicles for individual and corporate financial planning due to their affordability, liquidity and relatively low risk nature. From: http://www.gov.my