Rule of 72

What is Rule of 72 ?

A rule stating that in order to find the number of years required to double your money at a given interest rate, you divide the compound return into 72. The result is the approximate number of years that it will take for your investment to double.

Example :

If you have RM 10000 at the age of 25 and deposited it into a FD account with 4% interest rate.

72 divided by 4 = 18

18 years later when you are 43 years old you will have RM 20000 and another 18 years when you are 61 years old you will have RM 40000.

If you are able to find an investment that can generate 8% per year

72 divided by 8 = 9

9 years later when you are 34 years old, you will have RM 20000, another 9 years when you are 43 years old, you will have RM 40000. When you reach 52 years old you will have RM 80000. At the age of 61, you will have RM 160000.

There is huge difference with a 4% and 8% investment tool.

With 4% you will have RM 40000 in the age of 61
With 8% you will have RM 160000 in the age of 61

This indicates the importance of knowing the Rule of 72 and the importance of start invest in your early year and you must try your best to invest in the investment products that can generate higher interest rate. Hope the Rule of 72 will enhance your financial knowledge.

Source:http://fortunesense.blogspot.com/2008/10/rule-of-72.html

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How to Stop Putting it Off - Say Goodbye to Procrastination For Good

Procrastination – probably the number one cause for people to be disorganised, for not achieving what they want, for not being the best they could be. What people don’t realise, however, you only need the right tools to conquer it.

Procrastination is a little bit like an addiction, once you suffer from it you have got to battle it and keep on top of it for the rest of your life. It is so easy to slip back. But also, like any other addiction, it can be overcome.

And now, let’s brush away the reasons why you might be procrastinating and we will basically leave you with no excuse to simply get on with it.

The Number One Reason:

"I haven't got the time right now."

This is the most popular excuse for procrastinators. The thing is you are probably right. You have not got the whole block of time it takes to tackle the spare room, or the whole of the ironing pile, or the complete reorganisation of the kitchen. BUT, and there's a good reason for the capital letters, you have got 10 minutes, or maybe even 20 or 30. And that is all it takes to make a start. Start by sorting through one box, ironing 10 or 20 items, tackling one single drawer. And if you do that every day, or maybe even twice a day if motivation strikes and time allows then you will realise that you are making slow but steady progress.

A Chinese proverb states: Even the longest journey starts with one single step. And this is exactly how you will be able to overcome the lurking monster that is procrastination.

If you find yourself still procrastinating, then there must be other, deeper rooted reasons behind that. These possible other reasons fall into two categories, ones concerning the project itself, the others your personality style.

First, let's look at the project itself. The project might be perceived as

1. Threatening
2. Too difficult
3. Boring
4. Impossible to finish
5. Waste of time

1. If a project or the outcome of the project is perceived as threatening, thoughts like "I'm in trouble if I get this wrong" might be going through your head. In this case a natural reaction is not to start the project at all or not to progress beyond a certain point so as to avoid failure. In cases like this make sure you have all the facts right.

Ask questions:

"What is the worst thing that could happen - realistically?" And how likely is this to happen? - You will probably realise that things are never as bad as they seem.

“What exactly do I need to do to get it right?” - Once you know exactly what to do and how to do it, you have already won.

“Have I got all the skills and abilities to do this project?” - If the question is yes, great! If it is no, then you should probably consider to get someone to help or delegate the task itself.

2. If you think a project is too difficult, you might never start it. Sit down and thing about what is difficult. Are you just unsure of how to start and how to break the project into smaller manageable chunks? Find an expert on the subject, someone who has done a similar project before and ask for help.

3. If you think a project is boring, try and make it more interesting, Set yourself a challenge. See how much you can achieve in a certain amount of time. And then for the next chunk, see if you can beat your previous record. Or put some of your favourite music on while you work. If the project allows (like a mountain of ironing, or shredding) watch TV while you work.

4. If you think a project is impossible to finish, there might be two reasons. Either it's the type of project that literally never ends (like housework) or it is a very large project. Again, breaking it up into smaller portions will help. Even Mount Everest can be climbed by doing one step at a time! Set yourself a daily target and you will be up and running in no time.

5. Finally, if you consider the project a waste of time, re-evaluate it. Does it really need to be done? If you are doing it to please someone else, and you see absolutely no sense in it, try to find out why it is so important for the other person. Or is it simply one of those jobs that need to be redone on a regular basis like tidying up or ironing. Use one of the solutions from number 4 to get the job done. Some jobs do seem to be a waste of time but we would sink into crud and chaos if we didn't do them at all.

The second set of reasons is to do with someone's personality. These could be

1. Perfectionism
2. Thriving on adrenaline
3. Lack of self confidence
4. Internalised negatives
5. Externalised positives

Let's look at these hurdles to getting things done in detail, see what they are about and how they manifest and what you can do about them.

1. A lot of people have a perfectionist trait; some more, some less. "I can't start this project until I have got everything I need and until the conditions are absolutely perfect." This kind of mindset is fine if that perfect condition is feasible and you have a good track record of starting and finishing your projects. If you don't, then your perfectionism is probably an excuse for not starting the project at all.

Turn it around and ask yourself, what is the minimum I need for this project? Once you've got that sorted, put a start date in your diary and get that project on the road.

2. "I work better under pressure." We all know people like that and we might have used that phrase ourselves. Again, there are two ways of dealing with this.

Number one, it's a good excuse not to start until the last possible moment, and it's simply a way to put things off. Make life easier for yourself; and divide your project into segments and do one each day until it's done.

Number two, if you literally work better under pressure, and some of us do, then make the project more challenging. Set mini-goals with a shorter deadline. This way you keep yourself on your toes but are still making timely progress towards your end goal.

Also, get a project buddy. Tell someone about your project, and the deadline. Make yourself accountable. And be sure that certain someone is a person who will check up on you, how well you are progressing and make a pact that you will be honest with them. Nothing gets the adrenaline flowing like knowing that someone is about to check up on you and you really don’t want to say that you have not even started.

3. If you suffer from a lack of self confidence and feel that you simply can't tackle the project try one of these options. Find out what the first thing is you need to do to start the project, the very first action that needs doing before anything else can be done. Do that, then find out the next step and so on. Also, divide the project into smaller chunks. Smaller bites are easier to digest, the same goes for project size. If you are unsure of how to do this, find someone who has done a similar project before and ask for advice. That way you get some expert help and you will soon be on the way to completing the once daunting task.

4. Internalising negatives means that you always look for faults within yourself. If you do this, you will quite easily come up with negative emotions, such as "I'm lazy that's why I don't get things done" or "I'm stupid that's why I don't know where to start". First of all, I can assure you that none of this is true. You are neither lazy nor stupid or anything else of that kind. You might lack motivation or not be an expert on a particular subject but you can easily do something about that.

Why don't you think of a treat that you reward yourself with, once you have completed the first part of the task and then keep rewarding yourself for every bit that you achieve until the project is completed. And just as with lack of self confidence, there is no shame in asking people for help and advice on how to tackle a particular project. We don't all have to reinvent the wheel and most people are very happy to share their skills and knowledge.

5. Externalised positives are usually the reverse side of the same coin as internalised negatives. It means that you attribute anything positive that you do to outside influences and not to your skills and abilities, such as "I was lucky last time and it was easy. I could never do that again." It is usually a sign of lack of self confidence.

Achieving something has most often nothing to do with luck. It is more likely to be the result of hard work and skill. Luck is good for gambling and that's about it. And when you found something easy then you had the skills and talent to do it and nothing less. Don't hide your light under a bush - as the saying goes and be proud of your achievements - especially when it comes to what you tell yourself. We are usually our own worst critics and forget to be our own strongest supporters.

Any more excuses? Or did we cover them all and showed you how to conquer them? So what’s stopping you now?
Author's Bio
Isi Dixon is a Professional Organiser and Motivational Speaker in the Nottingham area of Great Britain. She specializes in helping homes and small businesses make more of their time and space. If you would like to find out more, please visit her website www.wellorganised.org or her blog http://wellorganised.blogspot.com .

Sumber:http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/how_to_stop_putting_it_off_say_goodbye_to_procrastination_for_good

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Avoid 3 Expensive Errors In Property Investment -By Azizi Ali

Sumber:Azizi Ali
Property investment has been a long and experienced wealth builder. Folks had built fortunes throughout the centuries by owning real estate. If it was true then, it is even more so today.

Yet at the same time, there are far too many people who fall into financial difficulties because they invested in real estate. I personally know of one of my own colleague who is up to his neck with debts because of property investment. When you sit down to think about it, isn’t it odd? The same investment that is making some folks rich is sending others to their doom! Although there are obviously many reasons leading to this situation, one glaring point is that the people who are making money know something that the others don’t. Now, while one do not have to have a PhD in properties to make money from it, it is also obvious that the more you know about it, the more money you will have.

Properties are also straight forward. The more properties you own, the wealthier you will be. As to why this is so, the reason is simple: a person who has financial difficulties will never come to the situation of owning five or more properties; he has enough problems even to own one! For a guy to own five or more properties, he has to know what he is doing and should be a master of his finances already. While there are always exceptions, that is the rule of thumb when it comes to properties.

Now, the three common errors folks make in property investment are (1) buying in the wrong location, (2) buying the wrong type of property, and (3) making decisions based on what happened in recent history. Unfortunately, all three errors are very costly, very expensive and also very demoralizing.

Buying in the wrong location

This is the fatal and yet, the most common error. Folks keep on buying properties in the wrong locations (for their purpose). The solution to this is simple – if you are buying for your own use and intend to stay there forever (or close to forever), then you can buy a property in a location where you like. This may be in your own kampong, town or orchard. But if you are buying a property for investment purposes, you have to buy where ‘others’ like. And the ‘others’ here have to be in the thousands, not one or ten or twenty individuals. You realize that you may be buying in a place where even you do not personally like. But as ‘personally liking’ is not a criteria for making money here, it should not be in the equation at all.

Buying the wrong type of property

This is the second most common error – buying the wrong type of property. They want rental income but they buy houses. They want capital gain but they buy apartments. In this case, the answer is the opposite. For example, if you are buying for rental purpose, there is only one answer – apartments. If you are buying for capital gain, then the answer is houses. In other words, buy the right property for the right reason of investing.

Making decisions based on what happened in recent years

The third and most common mistake is making decisions based on what happened in recent years. A lot of people think: prices have increased in the last three years so the trend will continue for the next three. This is a very dangerous type of thinking, especially in the rapidly changing environment of this new decade. What happened in the past five, ten or even twenty years may not be repeated in this decade. So, anyone who had based their investment decisions on recent history may soon be licking their wounds. There is a very real threat of prices going down in the near future. Add the very real possibility of interest rates shooting up, and you can see that it is a whole new ball game altogether. These latest challenges call for new and innovative answers.

Now that you know the three common errors folks make in property investment, you will be happy to know that I will be conducting my popular and #1 property seminar in Malaysia where I will elaborate on more errors that investors make and of course, their solutions. Further, I will also share strategies that will protect you from possible downturns in the market so you will sail on through smoothly regardless of the economy. For those who are unprepared, naive or greedy, they will suffer much pain when the upheaval begins. A lot of people will be unable to repay their mortgages and many of them will lose their money and also properties. I will guide you on what to do to protect yourself and yes, on how you can benefit and make huge gains from the fall.

As mentioned earlier, the more you know about property investment, the higher are your chances of making money from the investment. You will increase your profits, reduce your work and more importantly, reduce your errors drastically. When you consider that the cheapest property in Malaysia now is RM100,000, isn’t it worth investing a little bit of money to learn how to do it right? Remember that the knowledge will stay with you for life!

If you have not attended the program before, log on to our web-site, sign up for the program NOW and take advantage of the early bird offer.

Copyright © Azizi Ali 2010

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Buying Cash or Taking Loan

Sumber:http://fortunesense.blogspot.com/2008/10/buying-cash-or-taking-loan.html
Imagine if you have cash to buy a property, will you buy it by cash or you will buy it using the banking property loan facility ?

Example: If you have RM 200000 cash on hand and is able to generate 4% return rate yearly, after 20 years you will have RM 438224.66.

If you take a loan with RM 200000 and loan interest rate is
- 7%, after 20 years the total payment is 372143.49,
- 8%, after 20 years the total payment is 401491.23
- 9%, after 20 years the total payment is 431868.46

From the calculation, it seems that it is wiser to put your cash in the investment tool that can generate 4% if your loan interest is 9% and below.

Updated section:

Part of the reader's comment,

If i have RM 200k Cash earning 4% a year, and i have to pay monthly installment of RM 1,550.60 for 20 years for my housing loan (which charges me 7% interest a year), how much will i have afte 20 years?
What if my monthly installment is RM 1672.88 instead (at 8% rate, 20 years) ?

Lastly, what if my monthly installment is RM 1,799.45 instead (at 9% rate, 20 years) ?

The answer for all 3 questions above, is that your money won't even last for 20 years!. Meaning, once your lump sum finishes, you still owe money to the bank!.

Conclusion: You'll be better off paying off the bank if your investment rate is lesser than the interest charged by your loan. Simple as that!.


COMMENTS

U Lian // June 20, 2009 10:00 AM
Is the amt of return of 4% taken into consideration of inflation? What is the actual value of the money after 20 years?

Fortune Sense // June 20, 2009 12:54 PM
The 4 percent return rate does not consider the inflation rate but the total amount of investment after 20 years do consider the compound interest factor.

For both the total amount of investment and the total payment to the bank in this calculation do not take into the inflation factor.

The conclusion is judged by the face value after 20 years.

Do share your opinion on this.

cheongpeng // August 19, 2009 7:22 PM
The calculation is just theoretical. In practical, when purchasing property, u need to pay lawyer fees, stamp duty, maintenance fees, repair fees and others. This is just a rough guide.

For the example, the interest u earn if put in 4% investment is used to pay for bank interest. So...u r still the same. Unless the property increase in value. What happen if u made the wrong decision?

Fortune Sense // August 19, 2009 11:07 PM
Thanks for the input.

The calculation method is based on the assumption that the interest earned is being reinvested back into the investment that can generate the same 4% interest.

If the property value decrease or increase at the end of the loan period, the total payment at the end and the total investment value should be still the same as the amount being calculated.

Welcome to share your opinion on this.

Peter Lim Cheng Teik and Tan Shu-Yin // October 23, 2009 1:28 AM
I disagree with the calculation. When you take a loan, you have to pay monthly installments.

The monthly installments that you paid lost its opportunity to earn interest.

Thus, when you use a comparison of "total" interest you paid over a certain period of time, you're assuming that there's no opportunity cost during this period.

Infact, whether cash or loan is better simply depends on your inveestment return vs the interest charged. If your investment return is 4%, and loan is charging you 9%, then you're better to pay off the loan.

Fortune Sense // October 24, 2009 1:23 AM
Hi Peter and Shu Yin

The calculation does not include the "opportunity cost" investment return rate :P.

It is good if a person is determined and self disciplined to invest consistently the amount as the housing loan installment amount into an investment product that can generate positive return rate for the housing loan period.

Another perspective is that with the cash on hand (example 200K in this case), when the "opportunity" comes the money could be invested into it in order to generate a better return rate.

Hopefully by knowing the risks associated with the strategy that we use and understanding what we are doing, it will minimize the probability of losing and increase the probability of winning in the investment strategy plan.

Welcome to share your opinion on this.

Peter Lim Cheng Teik and Tan Shu-Yin // October 27, 2009 12:19 AM
Let's make a fairer comparison by assuming that the person does not use other "savings" to pay for his monthly installments, since i'm sure nobody is so dumb not to earn interest with their money.

If that person pays cash for his purchase, he won't have a monthly installment. Fullstop!

However, if that person takes 200k loan, he have to pay monthly installment. Although he have RM 200k CASH in hand, how about the installments?.

Let's be fair, in this case, and assume that he withdraws his "lump sum" of RM 200k to pay for his installments monthly.

The loan interest at 7% (yearly) translates to an interest payment of RM 1,167 on the 1st month. However, the interest you earned on your RM 200k at 4%, is only RM 667 on the 1st month!. That translates to a deficit. As time goes by, the deficit will be more.

Of course, you could assume that the person have "money" elsewhere to pay for the monthly installments (thus leaving the RM 200k intact to earn 4% compounding). If that is so, we could also do some funny assumption, like:

Take RM 200k loan, for 1 year, at 100% interest (super Ah Long). With this assumption, the total payment is only RM 323,989.85.

This being the case, does it mean that the above loan is better than 7% for 20 years?.

If it is so, let's get "funnier" again.

This time, we'll take RM 200k loan, for 200 years, at 1% interest per year.

With such loan, the total payment (over 200 years) is RM 462,667.40, which is the more "expensive" than the above 100% interest at 1 year, or even 9% interest at 20 years.

Obviously something is flawed, which is "Time Value of Money".

Yet your calculation never factor in opportunity cost, which will lead this kind of "funny" decision making.

Fortune Sense // October 27, 2009 7:25 PM
Hi Peter and Shu Yin

Thanks for the input.

The calculation does not include the "opportunity cost" investment return rate :P.

The calculation method will be different if take into the consideration of the interest earned when use the monthly installment amount to invest.

Do take into the factors (time value of money, opportunity cost, consistent investment method, positive retun rate, risks and etc) that are relevant to the individual while making the decision in order for him/her to have the most benefit.

Happy Investing.

Peter Lim Cheng Teik and Tan Shu-Yin // October 27, 2009 11:46 PM
I think a better comparison is this:

If i have RM 200k Cash earning 4% a year, and i have to pay monthly installment of RM 1,550.60 for 20 years for my housing loan (which charges me 7% interest a year), how much will i have afte 20 years?

What if my monthly installment is RM 1672.88 instead (at 8% rate, 20 years) ?

Lastly, what if my monthly installment is RM 1,799.45 instead (at 9% rate, 20 years) ?

The answer for all 3 questions above, is that your money won't even last for 20 years!. Meaning, once your lump sum finishes, you still owe money to the bank!.

Conclusion: You'll be better off paying off the bank if your investment rate is lesser than the interest charged by your loan. Simple as that!.

People who knows a bit, try to complicate matters to the public. People who knows a lot, try to simplify the complicate stuff. Housing loan vs investment return is as simple as it can get.

I would appreciate if the matter is not to confuse or misleading people.

I believe many people read your blog, and from your "article", people might get a misleading conclusion.

While i truly advocate taking housing loan instead of paying cash, i'm very clear of the reason (which is OBVIOUSLY my investment return is better than the housing loan rate, by a wide margin!).

Fortune Sense // October 28, 2009 8:38 PM
Thanks for the input. :P

Agreed with investment return rate needs to be higher than the loan rate and keep it simple.

Glad to know that your investment return is better than the housing loan rate and by a wide margin.

Wish you achieved your financial goal as soon as possible. :P

Happy Investing!

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Keperluan Wasiat Menurut Undang-Undang Malaysia

.Apa perlunya wasiat sedangkan faraid telah ditetapkan oleh al-Quran. Adakah berdosa jika tidak mematuhi faraid. Ramai orang Islam yang mempunyai tanggapan sedemikian. Keadaan ini berlaku kerana kurangnya kesedaran dan pengetahuan orang ramai tentang keperluan dan kebaikan menulis wasiat.
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Wasiat bukan setakat merancang pembahagian harta pusaka kepada benefisiari tertentu malah ia lebih daripada itu. Dengan adanya wasiat anda boleh melantik seorang wasi yang anda yakin dan percaya untuk mentadbir harta pusaka anda setelah anda meninggal dunia, demi kemudahan orang-orang yang anda sayangi. Disamping itu bagi pewasiat lelaki anda boleh melantik penjaga bagi harta anak-anak anda dikalangan orang yang anda percaya.
Faraid telah menetapkan bahagian waris masing-masing. Tetapi di Malaysia undang-undang yang terpakai dalam urusan harta pusaka sam ada orang Islam atau bukan Islam tertakluk kepada Akta Probate dan Pentadbiran 1959 dan Akta Pusaka Kecil (Pembahagian 1955). Dengan kata lain walaupun waris anda telah berhak mewarisi harta si mati di bawah hukum Faraid atau pun sijil Faraid telah diperolehi daripada Mahkamah Syariah, tetapi harta tersebut hanya boleh diwarisi oleh waris setelah surat kuasa di keluarkan oleh mahkamah. Sementara itu Harta Pusaka si mati akan dibekukan sehinggalah surat kuasa tersebut di perolehi.
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Menurut Akta tersebut jika seseorang yang meninggal dunia dan meninggalkan wasiat yang lengkap dengan melantik wasi yang berwibawa untuk mentadbir hartanya, Probate akan dikeluarkan, manakala bagi kes seseorang meningal dunia tanpa meninggalkan wasiat Surat kuasa mentadbir akan dikeluarkan oleh makamah.
Apabila seseorang meninggal dunia tanpa meninggalkan Wasiat, maka seorang pentadbir yang bertanggungjawab diperlukan untuk memohon Surat kuasa mentadbir dari mahkamah dan menguruskan penyerahan harta kepada waris sehingga selesai. Pentadbir mestilah dipilih dikalangan waris. Ini akan menimbulkan kekecohan atau pertelingkahan sekiranya tiada kata sepakat dalam menentukan siapa yang layak untuk mentadbir (pentabdir adalah orang yang pertama sekali akan memegang harta simati). Tambahan pula dua orang penjamin yang mempunyai sekurang-kurangnya nilai harta yang sama dengan simati dikehendaki dalam proses mendapatkan surat kuasa mentadbir dari mahkamah. Penjamin ini diperlukan untuk menjamin Bon Pentadbiran (bagi nilaian harta RM50,000 dan ke bawah atau melantik syarikat amanah sebagai pentadbir terkecuali daripada syarat ini). Proses mendapatkan surat kuasa mentadbir adalah diantara 2-5 tahun. Kesukaran mendapatkan kata sepakat dalam memilih pentadbir serta mendapatkan penjamin melewatkan proses pengeluaran surat kuasa mentadbir. Sebaliknya bagi seseorang yang meninggal dunia dan meninggalkan Wasiat yang lengkap prosesnya adalah lebih cepat di antara 6 bulan-1 tahun sahaja kerana wasi telah sedia dipilih oleh si mati semasa hidup malah tidak perlu membayar bon pentadbiran jika wasi yang lantik berkemampuan melaksanakan tugas.
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Wasiat Menurut Islam

Orang Islam digalakkan menulis wasiat.
Diriwayatkan Talha bin Musharrif Saya bertanya Abdulah bin Abu Aufa, “adakah Rasulullah S.A.W membuat Wasiat? Dia menjawab tidak”, saya bertanya beliau “bagaimanakah umat Islam difardukan supaya berwasiat (atau diperintahkan supaya berwasiat? Ia menjawab: Raslullah berwasiat dengan kitab Allah (al-Quran).
.Dipetik daripada Sahih Al Bukhari (jilid IV m/s 1).
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Hukum menulis wasiat ke atas orang Islam adalah sunnat kerana terdapat hadis yag menyuruhnya serta perbuatan sahabat-sahabat besar yang hampir keseluruhanya meninggalkan wasiat. Ibn Umar meriwayatkan Rasullulah s.a.w bersabda bermaksud: “Tidak wajar kepada seseorang Islam apabila terdapat sesuatu yang hendak ia wasiatkan maka ia tidur dari dua malam melainksn wasiatnya itu tertulis disisinya (riwayat Muttafaq Alaih).
Hadis riwayat Jabir menerangkan kelebihan orang berwasiat di mana Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda: “sesiapa yang mati meninggalkan wasiat maka ia mati atas jalan Islam, mati dalam keadaan mengikuti sunnah, mati dalam ketaqwaan, mati dalam syahadah, dan matinya diampuni”(riwayat Ibn Majah).
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Sebagaimana dinyatakan, kebanyakkan para sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w berwasiat. Al Qurtubi menceritakan di dalam tafsirnya bahawa saidina Abu Bakar dan Saidina Ali mewasiatkan satu perlima dari hartanya, saidina Umar mewasiatkan satu perempat, manakala Sa’ad ibn Waqas mewasiatkan satu pertiga.Manakala Saidatina Aisyah pula mewasiat barangan rumahnya kepada bekas-bekas hambanya. Ibn Umar pula mewasiatkan kepada bekas-bekas isterinya setiap seorang 4,000 dirham. Contoh-contoh ini menunjukkan para sahabat faham berwasiat adalah satu kewajiban agama yang dituntut walaupun ia bukan sesuatu yang difardukan (diwajibkan).
Kadar harta yang boleh di wasiatkan adalah setakat satu pertiga dan kepada bukan waris.
Namun Islam membenarkan berwasiat lebih daripada satu pertiga atau kepada waris dengan syarat mestilah mendapat persetujuaan waris-waris lain selepas kematian pewasiat. Terdapat pengecualian di Selangor, menurut Seksyen Enakmen Wasiat Orang Islam (Selangor) 1999 dibenarkan berwasiat satu pertiga kepada waris tanpa perlu persetujuan waris lain.
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Faraid menjaga hak waris manakala wasiat pula memberi hak dan ruang kepada bukan waris untuk turut menikmati harta, seperti anak atau ibu bapa angkat, ahli keluarga bukan Islam, cucu atau ahli keluarga yang tidak mendapat bahagian dalam Faraid ataupun untuk apa-apa tujuan kebajikan.
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Kesedaran Tentang Faraid
Ramai yang salah faham tentang konsep Faraid. Sebenarnya harus difahami bahawa Faraid hanya menetapkan nilai saham atau bahagian yang khusus untuk waris-waris tertentu bukannya menentukan bentuk pembahagian. Pembahagian yang dibuat sewajarnya perlu munasabah mengikut kesesuaian dan mestilah mendatangkan keuntungan dari segi ekonomi dan mampu meningkatkan kualiti hidup dan pembangunan ekonomi waris. Salah tanggapan ini menyebabkan banyak kes yang berlaku dimana satu harta dikongsi oleh ramai waris dan ini tentunya mendatangkan kerugian dari segi ekonomi. Keadaan ini menyebabkan nilai komersial hilang dan hartanah sukar untuk dimajukan kerana pewaris gagal mendapat kata sepakat dalam usaha memajukan tanah tersebut. Contoh terdekat dapat dilihat di Kg. Baru satu lot tanah yang hanya seluas 1.8kaki persegi dikongsi seramai 90 orang. Walaupun waris berhak ke atas lot tanah tersebut tetapi dari segi nilai tiada harga. Malah untuk memajukannya juga banyak kekangan kerana perlukan persetujuan semua pihak terbabit.
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Kesimpulan
Dalam menangani masalah ini wasiat boleh memainkan peranan. Orang ramai digalakkan membuat wasiat dan melantik wasi untuk mentadbir hartanya apabila meninggal dunia. Dan di dalam Wasiat tersebut anda tetapkan bahawa pembahagian harta tersebut adalah mengikut Faraid dari segi saham/ bahagian tetapi anda boleh menentukan secara khusus harta –harta tertentu kepada waris-waris tertentu berdasarkan saham mereka menurut Faraid. Contohnya anak lelaki anda beri rumah A manakala tanah B anda beri kepada anak perempuan. Dengan berbuat demikian masalah perkongsian satu harta dengan ramai waris dapat dielakan. Sekiranya harta yang anda tinggalkan tidak banyak adalah lebih baik anda memberi kuasa kepada wasi untuk membahagikan harta menurut saham faraid dan pada masa yang sama memberi kuasa kepada wasi untuk bertindak dengan budi bicaranya membahagikan harta tersebut dengan mengambil kira aspek ekonomi.

Sumber:http://warisanharta.blogspot.com/2008/07/keperluan-wasiat-menurut-undang-undang.html

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3 Reasons Why You Should Never Co-Sign a Loan For Someone Else

If a family member, friend or spouse wants to take out a loan, you might assume that you’d be doing them a favor by agreeing to have your name on the loan as a co-signer. If you’re a parent whose child asks you to co-sign a loan for them, it can be difficult to refuse. It may be hard to say “no”, but you need to think about your own financial situation, because you could find yourself in a lot of trouble if the primary signer has trouble making the payments. Here are 3 reasons why agreeing to co-sign a loan is a bad idea.

1. It becomes your responsibility if repayments are’t kept up. When you co-sign a loan, you’re agreeing to pay the loan on primary signer’s behalf if they fall behind on payments. Having a co-signer wouldn’t be necessary in the first place if the primary signer was capable of getting a loan by themselves and this alone makes it likely that you’ll be the one who pays off the loan in the long term. Don’t be surprised if creditors come after you if they can’t get the payment from the primary signer, especially if your track record with credit is much better. If the debt goes to collection, you’ll be the target for repayments. They don’t care who comes up with the payments just as long as someone does. If you don’t want to be stuck paying for their debt, don’t even consider becoming a co-signer.
2. Your credit rating is affected. Even though it’s not your debt, missed or late payments are included on your credit report as though you’d missed them yourself. If the primary signer defaults on the loan, it could do untold damage to your credit rating.
3. It can stop you from getting future credit. You may not be the person who actually applied for the loan, but becoming a co-signer means that it is taken into account when you try to get credit of your own. This impacts how much you can borrow, which can vary significantly if you want to be approved for a mortgage further down the line.
It’s tempting to agree to co-sign for a loan if someone close to you is doing the asking, but before you jump in, think about the damage it could do to your finances. Remember that as a co-signer, you’d be agreeing to take on the full loan if the primary signer finds that it’s more than they can handle. This could happen out of the blue with little or no prior warning and it would then become your debt. Even if the primary signer is responsible with credit and money in general, financial troubles can suddenly occur due to things like unemployment and medical expenses and as a co-signer, you would have to be prepared to deal with the aftermath.
Even if the primary signer never actually passes the loan onto you, the very fact that you’ve co-signed can mean that you’re refused credit for yourself. Co-signing a loan is incredibly risky and it’s not something that we advocate at Money Crashers because of the potential to end up in big debt that you’ve not personally racked up and the emotional distress it can cause between you and your friend or family member.
What are your thoughts on co-signing a loan for someone else?

Sumber:http://www.moneycrashers.com/never-co-sign-loan-for-someone-else/

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Costs In Buying A Home Besides Your Mortgage

Sumber:http://freefrombroke.com/2010/04/costs-buying-home-mortgage.html
“What are these home costs?!?” you scream to yourself as you start your life in your new home. You went through your budget with a fine tooth comb, making sure you could afford the mortgage payments. You negotiated the house price and got a good interest rate on the mortgage. You know what your local taxes will be and you home insurance costs. You thought you were set. Then the OTHER costs rear their heads. You quickly realize that owning a home isn’t all about being able to pay the mortgage.

There are a number of other costs you need to consider before you buy a house:

Moving Expenses

Your stuff doesn’t get to the new house on it’s own! Do you hire a moving company? Maybe you try moving yourself, you may still need rent a truck. And how about packing materials? There are ways to cut down on box costs, such as checking out supermarkets for boxes, but you may still end up buying some. And don’t forget a tape gun and tape! Moving costs can easily cost you a couple of thousand depending on your situation.

Spackling and Painting

If you are fortunate, your new place will be all done up and have all the picture holes spackled and the rooms freshly painted. But many homes will still have minor dings here and there that need repair and fresh paint doesn’t mean you like the color. We all know its easier to paint when there’s no furniture in the room. So do you repair and re-paint? Do you hire people or do it yourself? DIY will still cost you and depending on how much work needs to be done your costs can easily rise.

Carpeting – Clean or Buy New?

Your new home may have nice wall-to-wall carpeting but when was the last time it was cleaned? Perhaps its not quite the color you want or its showing some wear and tear. You can go cheap with carpeting but sometimes you get what you pay for and this is your home.

Re-Finish Floors

Wood floors look beautiful! Were yours re-finished recently? Or will you need to sand and re-finish some of them? Again, ore costs in hiring people or renting equipment to do it yourself.

New Locks

You are going to want to hire a locksmith to change all of the locks in your new home. There’s no telling how many copies of keys are out there already!

Energy Costs

Make sure you understand what the various energy costs are before you buy. Check with the local utility companies for estimated costs for both winter and summer.

Alarm

Will you be getting an alarm? Will it be a monthly service? Here’s another cost that could be recurring monthly.

Gardening and Landscape Architecture

How much lawn do you have? How about shrubs and gardens? Can you handle the work? Will you need to buy or rent equipment, such as a mower? What does it cost to hire someone to handle the landscape? The previous owner may be able to give you an idea of the costs as well as refer you to the company they used. Find out if there are local ordinances about grass height and what you are allowed to grow as well as water usage for your lawn. [A recent realtor told me that young couples want more grass while older ones generally want more concrete. I can see why!]

Cable/Telephone/Internet Services

Will these services cost more than where you previously lived? Will you need any new equipment? Will you have it in more rooms in the new home (such as more cable boxes)?

Furniture

Odds are you are moving to a bigger home. Do you have the furniture you need (for example are you moving from and eat in kitchen to a home with a formal dining room)? You don’t have to buy this all at once but you may be tempted to fill in empty spaces.

Appliances

Do you have all of the appliances you need? Perhaps some need upgrading?

Additional Car

Are you moving somewhere that you will need another car for? Is public transportation or walking out of the question now? Think about your location and your needs when you are looking to move and figure out if you will need another car. If you do, remember you will also need additional car insurance and you will have more maintenance costs as well.

I don’t mean to scare you with all of these items, but they do need to be considered before you buy a new house. These may not all apply to you but you can see how quickly costs can run up! When preparing your budget for a new home make sure you take into consideration all of the other costs you may incur.

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Term VS Whole Life Insurance – What Do The Numbers Show?

Sumber:freefrombroke.com
Craig/FFB, just wrote a great article discussing the differences between Term and Permanent Life Insurance, and to my amazement he was very fair when it came to permanent life insurance. Most financial bloggers aren’t as partial, and spout (without ever running numbers) the standard “buy term and invest the difference” kool aid. So I asked FFB for the opportunity to actually run the numbers between term and permanent life insurance.

Since we need to start somewhere, lets start with our guy who needs life insurance:

Male
Born 7/1/1977 (Middle age between Craig and Myself)
Good Health – Rated Second highest (above standard but below
Superman)
Non-Smoker
$5,000/yr Budget
The illustration I am running is from a AAA Rated Company that is older than a lot States. Considering it is an industry leader, it is not the cheapest around. We are going to look at 20 Year Term + Investment Account Returning 4% net VS. Whole Life Product. [Craig: Remember we are considering that a lot of people say to buy a Term policy and invest the difference between the Term and Whole life product rather than buy the Whole life insurance policy.]

Buying 20 Year Term and Investing the Difference

Since the $5,000/year budget buys $495,495 of whole life insurance coverage (we will discuss those calculations below), we will buy that death benefit amount in 20 year term life insurance, and then invest the difference. To purchase that amount of term life insurance costs $450/yr and thus our difference is $4,500/yr.

Year End of Year Investments Death Benefit
1 $4,680 $495,595
5 $25,348 $495,595
10 $56,189 $495,595
15 $93,710 $495,595
20 $139,361 $495,595
Year Cash Value Death Benefit
1 $0 $495,595
5 $16,881 $50,049
10 $50,696 $511,955
15 $88,551 $530,006
20 $142,979 $573,411
So at year 20 you have a couple grand more, and your options
include:

Cashing out the policy – taking the cash and walking
Create a ‘paid up’ policy – Using the cash to buy some amount of
death benefit that where you won’t have to pay anymore premium
1035 (a tax free exchange) into an annuity
Use the Whole Life Policy as a personal Pension
What about a Higher Return? Different Gender? Different Insurance
Company?

A change in any of the variables will change the whole exercise. I just think people should actually run the numbers before quoting talking heads.

I will note that I only used a 4% return, because I consider the cash value in the policy safety money (the particular company I used to create the illustration has been well-established in the industry.) If however I were to use 8% Net the numbers would look very different. By Year 20 the End of Year investments would be worth about $220,000.

So you can see, choosing between a Term Life Insurance is not always the better option than a Whole Life Insurance policy. You need to run the numbers yourself for your particular goals.

This is a guest post by Evan author of the Blog My Journey to Millions. Evan is an attorney, admitted to practice in the State of New York and works as a Director of Financial Planning overseeing the firm’s high net worth gift and estate planning. My Journey to Millions covers topics ranging from Estate Planning, his personal financial situation to libertarian views and hatred for big government.

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The Lost Art of the Thank You Note: Give Honest, Sincere Appreciation

Sumber:http://blog.dalecarnegie.com/
Writing a sincere thank you note is one of the professional skills that can make a lasting favorable impression. People like being appreciated. One of Dale Carnegie’s fundamental human relation principles is “Give honest, sincere appreciation.” When writing a thank you note, use a plain, small card. However, the card is not as important as the effort, so if paper is all that is available, write the note anyway! Use this 6-step formula as a sure-fire method of expressing appreciation in a written note.

1. Greet the Giver: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith OR Dear Jamie. It seems like an obvious point, yet many people will begin a note with “Hi” or even omit the greeting.

2. Express Gratitude: Thank you so much for the book. The key is to keep it simple and specific. The point of writing the note is to create an expression of a heartfelt sentiment.

3. Discuss Use: I started to read the book immediately and have found many great ideas already. People like to know that you found their gesture or gift valuable. Sharing how you are using the item or idea makes their effort more meaningful.

4. Another Thank You: Thank them again for the gift. It’s not excessive to say thanks again.

5. Complimentary Close: Wrap it up with a close that expresses your final thought: Regards, All the Best, Sincerely, Gratefully, etc. Then sign your name.

6. Send It: Even if your colleagues and acquaintances are not of the note-writing variety, be the one who sets the precedent.

It is the mark of a true professional to become skilled at writing thank you notes in this age of email, voicemail, and text messaging.

Demonstrating business professionalism is not difficult; it just takes effort and focus. Applying simple aspects of business etiquette goes a long way in establishing our professionalism, which builds our confidence and comfort in business settings.

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Being Logical and Never Buy a House

Sumber:http://moneyning.com/housing/being-logical-and-never-buy-a-house/

My wife sent me a link to calculate the cost of renting vs buying a home the other day, which was basically a pitch from a home builder about why owning a home is so great. If you believe the calculations, buying the home with the prices we would consider is save us $1,075,638 after 30 years.

On the surface, it sounds like we’ve got to jump on this home buying bandwagon that everyone else is on. After all, who would turn down 1 million dollars of savings? Looking at it further though, and there are many flaws with this calculation.

First, although it has a box to put in a percentage for home value appreciation, it assumes that the property tax amount is the same for the entire 30 years. Unfortunately, this is just wrong. We will probably never get a new assessment of property tax every year, but we can bet that the property tax will increase with the home value over the long run.

Second, it assumes no cost associated with obtaining a loan. This is again incorrect. When a loan is made, there are upfront closing fees that just need to be paid. Some people end up taking a bigger loan to cover the closing costs but this is still money paid up front that could be earning interest in our saving accounts.

Third, buying a home usually accompanies a huge down payment. This is money that would otherwise be earning interest. This might sound like a small detail, but the down payment could more than double at 3% a year after 30 years.

Fourth and last (there are more, but let’s stop here since I think we see the point), it doesn’t say anything about the higher monthly payment that we have to come up with if we decide to buy. This situation stays the same for years before rent appreciates enough to surpass it. The extra cost of owning a home for the first many years could’ve been invested or saved, which would further cut into the perceived savings that the website is leading us to believe.

If we look at the calculation of owning vs renting more carefully, owning a house might actually be more expensive after 30 year if we include the extra cost of maintenance!! Hopefully, no one falls for the calculation in the link above thinking that they are saving a million bucks by buying a home now.

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Be Human and Buy a Home

Sumber:Moneyning.com
For an opposite point of view, check out the post titled Be Logical and Never Buy a Home.

Buying a home is one of those major events in life that everyone wants to experience. If we consider everyone we know, it will be apparent that people who own a house is usually living happier than people who don’t. There’s a sense of family and accomplish when we live in our own house. Here’s a couple more reasons why we all want to buy a house.

30 Years and We Are Done Paying for the Majority of the Expenses
Renting a house means that we will be paying rent for our entire lives, but getting a 30 year loan means that we will be done paying for our mortgages in 30 years. Once the 30 year hits, our expenses will go way down, which will give us more freedom to think about early retirement.

Leverage
Those who already own a house during the early part of the latest housing cycle saw their net worth grow tremendously. For example, I just saw a house on sale for $1.8 million today that was bought in 1998 for $700,000 and the original buyer bought the house with a 5% down payment. This meant that their original $35,000 investment in 1998 turned into more than $1 million dollars in profit 10 years later! There aren’t that many investments that can return such a high percentage increase, and the only way it is possible with a house is because of the degree that companies allow us to leverage when purchasing a home.

The buyer in our example only put down $35,000 for a $700,000 house. This means that they are borrowing $20 for every dollar that they put in. In the stock market, the most we can borrow is $4 for every dollar that we own.

It Forces Us to Save
There is no better way to get us to save than having a big mortgage payment. The good thing is that our mortgage payment is partly used to build our net worth over time as the money is put into our house. It’s the same theory as “pay yourself first” because bills usually take precedence over spending. Through time, the extra money that we saved will grow to tremendous amounts of money.

The Needed Pressure to Make More Money
With high bills actually comes pressure for us to work harder and make more money. It’s another psychological trick but it definitely works. If we don’t need the money, we wouldn’t really be working to earn it. I remember my boss once told me that having expensive tastes is a good sign for a sales person since it meant that it will drive them to work harder. Like they say, “if we need it, we will find a way” and having a big mortgage payment due every month definitely creates this “need”.

It is Not About The Money
Many people will echo this, because buying a house is not always about making money! The joy of owning a house, having a place we can call our own and giving our children a place to grow up cannot be measured in dollars. The uncertainty of renting and the need to move every few years because of unforeseen circumstances can only mean more energy wasted on something that can be avoided.

Conclusion
We can be logical all we want but all logical approaches have the flaw of needing the assumptions to all play out. If we are human, we should make sure that we will live a happier life and just buy a home.

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Frugality in Practice: Alternate Modes of Transportation

Sumber:http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/08/17/frugality-in-practice-alternate-modes-of-transportation/
I’ve always been a car guy. It’s not that I’m mechanically inclined or that I get into the latest makes and models — neither of these is anywhere close to the truth — but that a car has always been my primary mode of transportation.

When I was a boy, my family lived in rural Oregon, six miles from the nearest town. Automobiles were our only real option for getting around. Even when I went away to college, I relied on a car for most of my mobility. And so it’s been for forty years. As I say, I’ve always been a car guy.

This summer, though, I’ve had a sort of epiphany, one prompted by your comments and suggestions. I’ve learned that I can save money and improve my fitness by leaving my car at home — by exploring alternate modes of transportation.

The bus
After my small adventure riding the bus in April, I’ve begun to view it as a valid means for getting around town. I think it helps that our friends Chris and Jolie are huge bus advocates, and use it to travel to and from our house. If they can use the bus, so can I — right? Now, instead of seeing the bus as something other people use, I know it’s something that I can use as well.

For example, I’m hoping to take a French class at a local college when the fall term starts. (Kris and I are teaching ourselves French in preparation for our planned vacation to Paris next autumn.) If I do this, I intend to take the bus to school three mornings a week.

I still don’t use the bus often, but it’s now in my pool of options, especially if I don’t want to hassle with a car. Portland’s transit system has an awesome website, so it’s easy to find a route that works for me.

The bike
I love cycling, but I rarely hop on a bike anymore. For a couple of years during the late 1990s, I regularly rode my bike 5.8 miles to-and-from the box factory during the summer. I was biking over 1000 miles a year. I’ve biked occasionally here at our new house, but I’m older and fatter than I used to be, and my bike no longer really fits me.

I spent the better part of this summer avoiding a bike purchase — I just bought a car, for goodness sake — but two weeks ago, I finally realized that I was being foolish. I bought a city bike, one that actually fits, one that I actually use. Even though I could afford it, I felt apprehensive spending the money. (Still haven’t shaken all of the old mindsets.) But after a fortnight using my new vehicle, I’m pleased with the purchase.

A bicycle is handy not only for exercise, but also for handling middle-distance errands. If a destination is within 10-15 miles and it’s not raining (an important consideration here in Oregon), a bike is a viable option. Biking to my friend Andrew’s house takes about 25 minutes, for example; that’s only 10 minutes longer than it takes by car. And biking to the nearest grocery store barely takes any time at all.

Now that I have a bike that fits me — and one specifically designed for city cycling — I’m eager to make frequent use of it. It’s been over a decade since I had a 1000-mile year. It’d be great to ride that far again in 2010!

My feet
The bus and the bike are great, but the real revelation in alternate transportation this summer has come from my own two feet. I’ve been walking all over the place.

Kris and I don’t live in a very walkable neighborhood. Despite a “somewhat walkable” Walk Score of 68, there’s nothing much close by. (In calculating walkability for us, the Walk Score counts two minimarts as grocery stores and two bars as restaurants — including one with the dubious distinction of being named “the best dive bar in Portland”.)

After I developed another running injury in June, I decided that I’d have to get my exercise by walking. That meant jaunting five or six miles each day to get the same time on my feet that I’d spent running. It also meant learning to see the surrounding communities in new ways.

For example, I’ve always felt that the nearest city was too far to walk to. It’s 2-1/2 miles to the near side of town and three miles to the far side. But I recently made a deal with myself: Once per week, I allow myself to go to the comic book store and to eat at the cheap taco place — but only if I walk. Walking creates a barrier. By setting this requirement, I can’t just indulge myself on a whim.

It’s not just the comic book store and the taco stand, though. I walk three miles to the credit union. I walk a mile-and-a-half to the public library. I walk a mile to the grocery store. And once, I even walked two miles to the lawnmower repair shop, and then pushed my mower home.

I never thought I could make the time to walk five miles per day, but I was wrong.

And here’s something I’ve learned: Once you start walking five miles a day, your world gets bigger. I know this seems counter-intuitive — a car takes you further faster — but it’s true. You begin to realize that things are closer than you thought they were. Walking is a great way to save money, see your neighborhood, and have fun.

Other options
Although I may be new convert to alternate modes of transportation, many GRS readers have been working to reduce their car use for a long time, and for a variety of reasons. On Twitter last week, I asked people to share their stories:


Here are some of the replies:

@apricotrabbit wrote: “Between the bus & Zipcar, I don’t need a car in the city & I save tons of money. Plus, I can read while someone drives me around.”
@mrawdon wrote: “I’ve been biking to work twice a week this summer, for the exercise. Cuts down on gas consumption significantly, too.”
@grouchyladybug wrote: “i take the train & bus to work b/c it’s cheaper & more relaxing than driving”
@sarahperiwinkle wrote: “I take the commuter rail b/c its free with employer transit pass, w/in walking distance of home and work, and as fast as car.”
@jessemecham wrote: “is a sweet scooter alternate transportation? 70 mpg and I look good. (Yes, it was partially to save gas).”
It’s important to note that not everyone likes biking or taking the bus. I heard from some people who wish they could use a car more often, or who opt not to use other methods because they’re inconvenient.

Conclusion
Not all Americans have the luxury of being able to explore alternate means of transportation. For good or ill, we’re a car-centric nation that has built car-centric cities that encourage us to stay in our automobiles. But I suspect that there are a large number of people who could travel by bus, bike, or feet — if they only realized how easy it is. (That was certainly true in my case, anyhow.)

For some people, time is an issue, but I have intentionally created a lifestyle that allows me an opportunity to explore more leisurely modes of transportation.

All of this is well and good during the warm, dry months. But what happens when the Oregon rain returns in mid-October? I’m not sure. I suspect my bicycle will go into hibernation, I’ll only walk a couple of times each week, and I’ll really get to learn how Portland’s bus system works. And my spending on gas and car maintenance will continue to drop.

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Benefits of Using Prepaid Mobile Plan

Sumber:http://e-articles.info/e/a/title/Benefits-of-Using-Prepaid-Mobile-Plan/
Many have actually doubted the suggestion of changing from their common contract-based cell phone plan while only a few understood the reward of switching to prepaid plan. These could be due to more than a few reasons and from my delicate point of view, I can say that that they just do not have the idea on how great the plan is if used correctly; especially in terms of restricting your budget on cell phone usage. We will look into some points on how prepaid mobile plan can actually helps you to organize your spending habit as well as some other advantages.

One great benefits of switching to prepaid cell phone plan is the nature of the plan itself. When you say pre-paid, it means you have in fact paid for it before you even begin to use it. Contrary to standard contract-based plan, you will only be charged for what you had used only. You will not be charged if you don't use it at all. The cell phone service provider will never cease their service for you if you don't use the credit allocated for the sum you have paid. Even if they shelved the account, you will still get back the unused credit balance whenever you reload or recharge you cell phone. In short, you won't lose any money without your permission unlike using the standard plan where you will still be billed recurrently either you make calls or not.

When it comes to using pay-as-you-go cell phone plan, you don't have to worry about being bounded to any contract. You can always switch to another provider whenever you feel like it or whenever you feel that the current one is not providing the best service for you. There's no such thing as penalty or being fined for doing that. No cancellation fees or anything similar to that. In other words you are always the king (say yes to customers are king!) and you can terminate the prepaid service anytime you want.

As I mentioned before the prepaid cell phone plan is a plan where you have already paid for the service before you use the service and that also means that if you don't feel like extending the service, you can just leave it to expire on its own. There is nothing to be worry about and you do not have to worry about the consequences.

Using prepaid plan is definitely a good resort to restrain your budget in cell phone usage. There's a feeling you will get once you purchase the reload card; you will automatically know that you can only use up to that amount that you spent. For instance, if you purchased a $30 recharge card, you will know that the credit allotted for you is up to $30 and it is all up to you on how are you going to utilize it. You can use it for making calls or you can use the credit allocated to text people. If by all means you did not manage to use up all of it, the remaining balance can always be rolled over to the next month; as long as you reload the credit balance.

Most contract-based standard mobile plans require you to have a good credit background. If you don't like the hassle of going through all these processes (if you have credit issues), then perhaps the prepaid mobile plan works well enough for you. There will be no credit records questions and you can get yourself registered for the prepaid plan in no time. At present day you can get a nice deal on prepaid plan that comes with a great choice of cell phone for your convenience.

Another fact about why prepaid plan is gaining popularity is because you can obtain the cell phone without having a credit card. That's why it is very popular among teenagers since they are the biggest audience lack of credit card and at the same time the biggest audience that use cell phone. You can just purchase the cell phone from the market and the reload card can also be easily purchased by cash. Please keep in mind though that you have to make sure that first of all you need to have a cell phone that is compatible to be used for gaining access to prepaid plan.

I realize that prepaid cell phone plan is not that popular in the United States but I believe the trend towards it is becoming pandemic already. Moreover, the current unstable economy situation could be your primary reason to switch to using prepaid cell phone plan. In Australia however, prepaid plan is quite popular and one of the famous providers is Vodafone which has a range of Vodafone prepaid mobile plans.

Most parents also concern about cell phone usage by their children. Resorting to prepaid plan might be a good move since you can restrict the cell phone usage and it's easier to monitor your children's spending habit on cell phone usage. Furthermore, if they used up all the credit allotted to them, they can always buy on their own using their own pocket money. You could just create a rule on cell phone usage and tell them upfront. That will encourage them to minimize their usage on cell phone and indirectly they learn on how to restrain the budget and the same time if they want more, they just have to find ways to make money and reload the cell phone on their own.

As far as I am concerned the cell phones offered nowadays by cell phone service providers are good enough to be used for what a phone should be able to do; make calls and send text to other people. The prices are reasonable enough and I believe that most of the time the prices are way below the budget. If you prefer to have better cell phone that can do video calls (3G), there are some cell phones that suit that need. You just have to pay extra to get that but again if money is your concern, then you can just stick with normal 2G or 2.5G cell phones.

Those are just few reasons and advantages of using a prepaid cell phone plan. There are a lot of other good reason to switch from your usual standard mobile plan. Think wisely about it as switching from standard prepaid plan to prepaid phone plan would be a good start to save your money significantly as long as you understand the concept behind it. Please understand that all these are just my two cents though I can assure that these suggestions are widely agreed by others and therefore it is up to you to compare and make your own decision on choosing the prepaid cell phone plan.

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11 tricks to settle your credit card debt

Sumber:http://kclau.com/wealth-management/reduce-credit-card-debt/
Credit card debt is the most common consumer debt most people will have trouble with. Since it is so dangerous to carry around a few thousand ringgits when you do your shopping, credit card is the perfect solution in terms of convenience and safety. In other words, you are also bringing with you a huge amount of money to spend. If your credit limit is RM10,000 per card and you have three credit cards, it is like having RM30,000 spare money in your wallet to let you spend instantly.

That`s the reason why most people has trouble controlling their spending habits. If you are one of the victims of this modern financial creation, see if the below tricks are useful to you.

Earn More Money

It is not a bad thing to fall into debt. Look at the positive side, it actually urges you and motivates you to earn more. Your current income is simply not enough to cover your desired lifestyle or needs.

Why I say needs? Some people own money not because they like to spend a lot. For example, expensive medical fees demanded by hospital when your old parent is hospitalized may be the cause of maxing out your credit limit.

The most practical and encouraged solution: EARN MORE MONEY.
Take up a part time job.
Start a business!
Increase your productivity!


Just make more money. Period.

Turn Credit Card Debts into Term Loans

Call the banks to seek for alternative. Instead of keep paying the not-so-affordable minimum payment, you can ask to turn the debt into term loans with lower interest charges.

Shred the plastic

To avoid using the card and keep on spending more, cut the credit cards. When it is out of sight, it is out of mind.

Use Debit Cards

I know credit card gives you convenience and safety, especially at petrol station. You can always replace it with debit cards.

Overdraft (OD)

If you have a property, such as your house, you can apply Overdraft facility to settle your credit card debt. OD interest is lower. Moreover, you can always pay it off earlier ,unlike term loan or car loan.

“Relatives-financing”

Be honest. Talk to your relatives and close friends. They will lend you the money if it is not substantial. You can spread the amount to several friends and relatives. Instead of paying 18% credit card debt interest, you can pay them slightly higher interest compared to Fixed Deposit rate.

Cut Expenses

This is the obvious thing to do.

Pay more than the minimum payment required

This sounds simple. But most people won`t realize that they had increased the credit card debt until the day they can`t even afford the minimum payment.

Balance Transfer Program

You can apply new cards that offer you low interest or interest-free period when you transfer balance. Instead of paying many small debts, consolidate them and only focus to settle one debt.

Insurance policy loan

If you have paid insurance premium for a few years, you can take out policy loan to settle your high-interest-debts.

Seek help from AKPK

AKPK is debt counselling agency by the federal government to assist you. They may be able to help you negotiate with the banks and solve your problem earlier. Don`t be shy to call them.

Do you realize that when you don`t need money, banks keep calling you to lend you more?
But when you desperately need the money, they are somehow reluctant to hand you the cash.
This is the reality.

So, how do you settle your credit card debts?
Tell us your success stories. Or you can also warn us with a bad example.

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Frugality Doesn’t Mean You Have To Deprive Yourself

Sumber:http://freefrombroke.com/2010/04/frugal-doesnt-deprive.html
What is the first thing that pops into your head when I say the word frugal?

Do you see an image of grumpy, old Ebenezer Scrooge sitting alone at his desk counting his money? Or perhaps you imagine yourself shivering in the dark, afraid of wasting money on heat or electricity?

If that’s what you think frugality is like you’re way off!

According to the dictionary the definition of frugal is:

Avoiding unnecessary expenditure either of money or of anything else which is to be used or consumed; avoiding waste

Notice it doesn’t say anything about depriving yourself. Quite the contrary, living a frugal lifestyle is all about setting priorities and making smart decisions so you don’t have to deprive yourself of the things you enjoy.

Saving Money Is Like Dieting

Imagine two people who are both trying to lose weight. One decides to put herself on a starvation diet and eat nothing but rice cakes and water. The other plans out her meals carefully and eats a healthy amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains while keeping unhealthy snacks to a minimum.

Who do you think is more likely to be successful?

Well, in the short term the one on the rice cake and water diet will probably see quicker results. She may lose the first few pounds almost immediately and get off to a quick head start over the sensible dieter.

But how long can she maintain that kind of diet? How long before she splurges and devours two pizzas and a chocolate cheesecake all by herself?

Meanwhile the sensible dieter can plug along happily because she understands that by making smart diet choices, and eating healthy as a rule, she can occasionally treat herself to something naughty without the world coming to an end.

In financial terms, some people go too far in trying to cut their expenses and before long they feel like they are depriving themselves. It isn’t easy to live like that. I doubt most people can last very long if they constantly feel deprived.

You have to find a happy middle ground where you can make frugal decisions and save money without feeling as if you are depriving yourself of all fun and enjoyment.

For example, I love watching movies. When my wife and I were first dating we went to the movies all the time (and spent a small fortune doing so). But these days we only see maybe 2 or 3 movies in the theater each year. We have different priorities now and it’s just not in the budget anymore.

So instead of spending $200 or more each month at the movie theater, I spend on the movie package from my cable provider. I get a whole bunch of premium movie channels and with their OnDemand channels I can watch them whenever I want. [Craig: We like to use Netflix to catch up on movies and TV series.]

We also borrow movies from our local library for free and we occasionally swap DVD’s with our friends so we all get to watch something new without having to spend any money. I still get to enjoy the movies I love. I just do it in a smarter way that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg.

I don’t feel deprived at all…and that’s what makes it possible for me to stay the course and not give in to temptation.

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Common Homebuyer’s Mistakes

Sumber:1stophomefinance.wordpress.com
You know buying a home is your long-term biggest investment. Making a mistake over the purchase of a house may be difficult to correct because of all the cost involved and the legal binds once the deal (and papers) are signed.

Here are some tips, offered by the many people we encountered:

Do not rush into a purchase.
Buying properties requires careful consideration, with many variables to consider. Even if you think you found the perfect property, find all information you can get before deciding. This includes everything such as property value, access roads, public transportation, schools (if you have children), security public parks and other public infrastructure. Think 5 years down the road, if what the developers say tally with what you see. What is available will affect the value of your house in the future. If you are buying a second-hand property, a valuers report is worth investing for.

Do not get too excited.
Relax, and think clearly. The design of the house is not the main criteria for deciding to purchase a house. Insist on a full inspection and look at the fine details of the workmanship in the house; doors, windows, wiring, plumbing, faucet, woodwork (termites, water damages), renovation quality and roofing. All this will add up if you have to fix them later.

Do not make a lone decision.
Ask people about your intended purchase. Decide after talking with family and friends; wife, parents, friends, colleagues living in the area, and real-estate agents. Or go the distance by checking out property reports!.

Do not underestimate your credit score.
Before embarking on a house hunt, falling in love and putting down a down-payment for the house, re-evaluate your credit history. If there is a lax in some of your other credit payments (first house, credit card or car loan), maybe you need to ensure the payments are up-to-date before proceeding. Or, test out your “economic viability” by applying at a bank to see if you get approved.

Do not over-borrow.
As much as possible, try to borrow a little as possible from banks, putting up as much down payment as possible. Or have a combination on the housing loan by taking a small overdraft portion to cover future expenses (for fixing damages or renovation). Decide on how much you can afford and be sure your house is in the price range.

Do not rush signing with a bank.
Decide on the best mortgage package, and ensure the best deals by shopping around. Be careful of special offers as most of the time, there are catches to the offers. Consider and weigh them carefully. Understand the benefits of each package and choose the right one for you. Remember that banks are businesses and they will protect their interest as far as possible.

Do not become buddies with the home seller.
This opens up all kinds of emotional can of worms. Business is business, and the seller’s (whether real-estate agent or an individual seller) main interest is to make the sale. The tactics used will range from friendly to sympathy to manipulative. Do not show that you love a certain feature of the house, but highlight its weaknesses. Be firm, and demand all your wants from the seller. Negotiate as far as possible.

Do not ignore your neighbours.
They are you support system. Talk to your future neighbours for some insight of the neigbourhood, but more importantly, the neighbour themselves. They can help you in difficult times but if you cannot get along with the neighbours, future disagreements may occur, unless you are the loner, forgiving type.

Do not regret your decision to purchase, once you made it.
Just like going shopping, never regret when the shirt you just bought is on sale the next week. Move forward and make the purchase worthwhile by giving your property the attention it deserves.

Do not agree on anything without black and white.
Whatever you agree with the seller, write it down somewhere, or better still, have a written signed agreement. A housing transaction takes a long time to complete, and things get forgotten unless it’s written down. Check all the fine prints and understand them.

Understand that no house is 100% perfect, but by making as little mistakes as possible, your property will seem as the best value for your money, and most importantly your family and future purchasers of your house (if you decide to sell).

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Rules of 80/20 – Property VS Job

Sumber:http://investkk.com/rules-of-8020-property-vs-job/
Jobs are necessity for everyone. Any of you loves your job very much and satisfy with your paid? Your boss really asks you work from 8am to 5pm? Have you ever thought of looking for higher paid job? How much you can save from your salary per month after deduct your daily expenses and all compulsory expenses like car petrol, home loans, car installment, children expenses and etc? I strongly believe majority of the employees are not satisfied with their jobs especially when we talk about their salary. Your employer or even my employer will calculate every dollar they spend which will compute into your job descriptions. So nothing comes free nowadays. That mean you get will get paid for what you work for and of course the more the better just like sales target. It’s a norm that sales job required us to achieved our target every month and if can they will push you to achieve beyond your target. This also happen to me. Sometimes it’s really tiring and pressuring knowing no matter how good you done today it will zeroes by tomorrow morning. I believe you will have same feeling like me if you are in sales line. Looking at myself, when I entered banking industry as senior executive climbing up to assistant manager after 7 years and with total increment of salary around 50% @ 7% per annum really make me sick of receiving such salary.


The Rules of 80/20
The rules 80%/20% really happens to me. So far I have spent more than 80% of my 7 years working life earning 20% of the incomes which I think it’s a worst investment that I ever made. Luckily I have spent the rest of my 20% time earning the rest of my 80% wealth in property.

My wealth building only started end of 2004 when I successfully acquiring first pieces of vacant land. My property ownership continue to increase till today and I hope it will continue to rise as my personal target for this year also has been set. Giving myself a pressure to achieve what I need in life is much better than been pressure by my supervisor to achieve the overall company profit right? Just to share with all of you, few of my rental properties has appreciated so much which enable me to cash out some of them through refinancing and top-up additional loans. Even though I’m running at negative cash flow now, but it’s very marginal and manageable to me. The positive part is that, in total I have cash out more than RM 300K compare to my initial capital invested which is less than RM100K. Yes that more than 300% increase @ 50% per annum (divided by 6 years since 2004). This is excluding my monthly rental income that continues to come in despite economy downturn. I don’t think your employers will not pressure you more during the last economy crisis. Some of you might get pay cut and your hope of getting bonuses is virtually zero. I got mine bonuses every year from my property appreciation. In fact, my wealth grows every second but a bit shaky last week after I decided to sell off one of my condominium to finance my purchase of commercial unit. But at last, I decided to call off my disposal of my condominium as I know the value going to be more due to its location, environment, size, and surrounding development. The appreciation of this condominium is equivalent to more than a year working income for me. Yes more than 1 year working income but I get it without much effort after purchasing this property in 2006 for rental collection.

Dear friend, my job gives me 7% increment per annum while my property give me more than 50% increment per annum!! 20%/80% rules right? Bear in mind, the appreciation equity is only from my rental portfolio excluding my vacant land appreciation and my share investment. If I include in, I think I might as well resign from the banking and focusing more on my property acquisition. Needless to say more as the time will not wait for you. Please start somewhere somehow today and continue acquiring good location properties as time will prove how success you will be 3 years from now.

As I always say, if you purely depend on your working income to built your wealth, until the day you die also you WILL NOT MAKE IT. Please don’t try NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I TOLD YOU TODAY.


Who take care of your rise bowl?
It’s a fact in life we have to take care on our own rise bowl as your employers will definitely not going to take care of you leaving you a comfortable living. You will only realize the scary part after you reach 50 years old and your real nightmare only begin after golden ages of 55 years old. Wake up now knowing early birds will have more worms to eat. Happy Investing.

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Unlearn what you have “LEARN”

Sumber:http://investkk.com/unlearn-learn/
Our Malaysia education required us to learn as young as 4 years old till 20 years old. Yes on average every one of us has learn everything about life for about 14 years. Frankly what you have learned for the past 14 years? Are you really practicing it for good? For me, I learn more from street rather than in school. Street education taught me how to work smart and make profitable move rather than schools smart whose only awards me with highest mark if I done something right. I’m sure you will be surprise when your schoolmates who can’t even pass their SPM or PMR are earning better money than you who has higher education. One of my secondary schoolmates now is earning around RM20K per month running bird nest farming. She is married with 2 kids and for your information her highest education is only till form 6. So what happen to all of us who are highly educated? Some even spend few hundred thousand overseas? Are they really enjoying high paid jobs with satisfactory job environment? Maybe yes but I would say majority of the employees are dissatisfied with their current job. All the while we been ask to learn more hoping it will help in our daily activity especially wealth building.


We have learn too MUCH!!
But, today I’m going to ask you to UNLEARN what you have learned if you are seriously wanted to improve your wealth tremendously from now on. You have to unlearn….

1. Having good jobs is good as it will lead you to ultimate wealth. Purely dependent on the job to build your wealth is not good enough. Some people like me always believe that your bosses will never consistently treating you nicely in terms of monthly salary, yearly increment and expected yearly bonus. You must remember there is NOTHING certain in this world so protecting your own rice bowl is much better than helping you boss. Of course I’m not asking you to use company resources to build your own wealth. Please refer “http://investkk.com/rules-of-8020-property-vs-job/”.

2. Saving your money is a good investing. I never know anyone getting rich through savings. On normal circumstances working class people will save as much as 30% of their monthly income. With assumption you are earning RM5000 per month that means you are keeping RM1500 per month @ RM 18K per annum. If you continue doing this for the next 20 years, you saving will blow up to RM 360K. But what is the “REAL” value of your RM360K after 20 years? Virtually you won’t believe it if I tell you the “Real” value has drop to RM90K counting in 7% inflation rate. You better believe it. This show your hard earned money has been depreciated at least 75% over the next 20 years. Refer to “http://investkk.com/true-value-of-rm10000/” & “http://investkk.com/meaning-of-rm100000-00/”. So what you are waiting now? Start your investment wisely. Remember wait and see is the worst strategy.

3. Debt is bad. Good debts bringing more wealth into your portfolio while bad debts filter away your hard earn money. I remember there are people asking me, when are you going to pay-off your debt if you continue buying and borrowing? My answer is I will only stop when bank stop borrowing to me. For your information, good debts especially mortgages loan has tremendously increase my net worth for the past 8 years. I don’t keep bad debts. Bad debts here refer to credit card debts which charging more than 18% per annum. Please settled it soonest and if you have FD money, transfer and settled it. No point earning 3% in FD while bank charge you 18% on your credit cards debts. I always remember this quote “Penny wise, Pound foolish”. Read more on “http://investkk.com/leveraging-wealth-building/”.

4. Government, my employer, or someone else is responsible for my financial well-being I never trust them!! 90% of the people surrounding us have no choice but to accept the fact that “other” people going to take care of them when they are running out into financial problem. I have been working in banking for the past 8 years but I never believe that my boss going to take care of my lifetime financials. I always trust my own effort and ability to earn extra money outside my working time ie rental, capital appreciation and potential commission from my property deal. Earn Smart, Save Smart and Invest Smart. Refer to my previous articles “Employees Millionaires” where I share my life experience how you can remain employees while multimillionaires after working hours. Life is all about yourself, so please does something meaningful before you retire.

5. It takes money to make money It’s a common myth that hunted a lot of people to stop investing in properties. Does it really take money to make money in the properties? I doubt it. I strongly believe it takes “idea” to make money. How? Wake up everyday before 7am, subscribe our local newspaper ie Daily Express or The Star and eyeing on properties that sell “below market value”. This will give you the opportunity to get higher loan to cover the selling prices.

Example: Real Life story: Shoplot Ground Floor @ Sinsuran

Selling price : RM 620K

Sales & Purchase Agreement : RM 690K

Loan amount approved : RM 621K @ 90%

Above is one of the best deals that I help my client to close back in 2007. I earn RM6K from this deal but he is earning RM 250K (current market value RM 850K) @ 500% with assumption he use RM50k to paid all his legal fees and stamp duty. Not to forget, the return is excluded his rental income which he collect amounted to RM 162K @ RM4500 per month for 3 years. This is one of the most regretted deals that I missed out. So sometimes I also make mistake. But the point I would like to emphasize here is that it does not take money to make money. Sometimes “idea” does make you richer.

Unlearn all the above will definitely making you wiser and increasing your guts to explore more in building more solid wealth. Happy Investing.

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Top 5 Questions From Malaysia Income Tax Payers

Sumber:http://fortunesense.blogspot.com/

Do you know what are the top 5 questions being asked by the public when thay called up the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB) call center?

Here are the top 5 questions and see whether your questions have been answered.

Question 1
How do I register an Individual income tax reference number?

Answer 1
There are 2 methods of registering an income tax reference number:
1) You can register manually at the nearest IRBM branch by bringing along a copy of your identification document, remuneration statement and business registration for business cases or

2) You can register online through e-Daftar. Please visit http://ekl.hasil.gov.my/.

Question 2
When will the current year’s excess tax credit be refunded to me?

Answer 2
You will receive your refund within

i) 30 days from the date of submission if the submission is done within the due date through e-filing.
ii) 3 months from the date of submission if the submission is done manually, within the due date.

This is one of the advantages using the e-filing submission.

Question 3
Where can I make my Individual income tax payment ?

Answer 3
Individual income tax payment can be made at:
i) IRBM payment counter (Jalan Duta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching)
ii) Counter (CIMB Bank, Public Bank, Maybank,Eonbank, Pos Malaysia)
iii) E-payment. Please visit https://epayment.hasil.gov.my
iv) Internet banking (CIMB Bank, Public Bank, Maybank, Eonbank, Pos Malaysia)

Question 4
What are the conditions to claim deduction on housing loan interest?

Answer 4
Interest expended to finance purchase of residential property. Relief of up to RM10000 a year for three consecutive years from the first year the interest is paid.

Subject to the following conditions:
i. An individual who is a citizen and resident; (for the definition of resident do refer to Definition of Individual Residence in Malaysia)
ii. The purchase of the residential property is limited to only one unit;
iii. The Sale and Purchase Agreement (S&P) has been executed from 10th March 2009 to 31st December 2010; and
iv. The particular residential property must not be rented out.

Question 5
Do I have to register a company tax file if my company has not commenced operations?

Answer 5
A company tax file has to be registered only when the company has commenced operations/business.

If your have further questions, do contact IRB customer service number at 1-300-88-3010 or 603-4289 3500 (Overseas).

Believed that the call center will clear your doubt on the Malaysia income tax related issues.

Please take note that deadline for the submission of Year 2009 BE form is 30 April 2010.

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Cost of Selling Property Charged by Seller’s Lawyer in Malaysia 2010

Sumber:http://www.horlic.com/cost-of-selling-property-charged-by-seller’s-lawyer-in-malaysia-2010/
How much is the seller’s lawyer charges for selling a property in Malaysia? It’s important for seller to know about all the charges in order to calculate the cost of selling property precisely.
For easier understanding, I have requested an quotation from my lawyer on the legal fees and other charges of selling a condominium in PJ, freehold, bought direct from property developer, selling price at RM380,000, master title, and etc.. Example:
Legal Fees
(According to the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2006)
To our professional charges in the preparation of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, in taking your instructions in respect of the said matter, to all attendances, consultations, correspondences and miscellaneous work incidental thereto (Purchase Price of RM380,000)
1% for the first RM150,000 – [RM1,500]
0.7% for the next RM230,000 – [RM1,610]
Others:
Deed of Receipt and Reassignment – [RM400]
CKHT 1A per Vendor – [RM300]
5% Service Tax – [RM190.50]

Disbursements
Stamping of Receipt and Reassignment, RM10 @4 copies – [RM40]
Purchase of Deed of Receipt & Reassignment from CIMB – [RM200]
Registration of Receipt and Reassignment at the High Court of Malaya – [RM80]
Traveling (inclusive of trips to and from Stamp Office for stamping of documents, etc. and all hand deliveries to and from Developer’s Office and Financier for redemption process, Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri and Commissioner for Oaths and all hand deliveries and collection from third parties to expedite matters – [RM200]
Stationery and Printing – [RM100]
Facsimile, Telephone, Courier, Postage – [RM100]

Summary
Total: RM4,720.50
Discount: RM933.00
Net Total: RM3,787.50
I hope this costing example may help first time home seller here to have better and clearer picture on the charges from your lawyer when you are going to sell your house in future.

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Information & Documents Needed by Seller’s Lawyer for Selling a House in Malaysia

Sumber:http://www.horlic.com/information-documents-needed-by-seller’s-lawyer-for-selling-a-house-in-malaysia/
What are the procedures of selling a house in Malaysia? If this is your first time to sell a house, then you should appoint a lawyer representing you to handle and ensures all the proper selling property procedures are in order, accordingly.
It doesn’t make sense to save the few thousand legal fees and putting you into the risk of a deal involving easily hundred thousand, agree?
After you have appointed your own lawyer, prepare the following information and documents immediately for them to proceed the selling process:A copy of the “Offer to Purchase”
A complete set of your “Principal Sale and Purchase Agreement”
The copies of your current loan documentations (“Loan Agreement”, “Deed of Assignment” and “Power of Attorney”)
Your income tax number and serving branch
The latest “Assessment Receipt”
The latest statement of accounts from the Joint Management Body/the Developer
A clear copy of your NRIC
Your housing loan account number and the address of the branch
A latest statement on the housing loan account, revealing that the Redemption Sum does not exceed the balance 90% of the Purchase Price

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Don’t Invest Property in KL Top 10 Flood Prone Areas

Sumber:http://www.horlic.com/don%E2%80%99t-invest-property-in-kl-top-10-flood-prone-areas/
Is my property in a flood zone? It is a nightmare question to be raised in every home buyer’s mind regardless they bought it for investment or own staying purposes.

Recently, heavy rain in KL and PJ almost every day. Flood warning system is alarming. The State Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) are on high alert for flood monitoring in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur (KL). They have spotted Top 10 flood prone areas in KL as below:
Jalan Duta
Jalan Cheras (near Tesco)
Kampung Baru
Kampung Periok
Segambut Dalam
Segambut Bahagia
Kampung Kasipillay
Kampung Kolam Air
Jalan Kelang Lama (4th mile)
Jalan Travers
The areas named on above are now become my blacklisted property location for investment. Click here for other flood prone areas under Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) and Batu Caves.

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7 Attributes of the Truly Confident Person

Sumber:selfgrowth.com
- By Elaine Sihera
A lot of people might believe they are confident, depending on how they feel on any given day. But confidence is not a fleeting thing that is here today and takes a holiday tomorrow. Confidence is all pervasive. It shows itself in every aspect of our lives: the way we view ourselves, perceive our world, approach crises, the way we treat others, our readiness to exercise compassion and forgiveness, and, most important, the way we treat ourselves.

True confidence is an incredible feeling because it has a few key attributes embedded in it, seven of them, in fact, which are the hallmarks of the truly confident person. You cannot say you are confident unless you score highly on each of those seven aspects.
1. Self Love
This is the first crucial attribute. If you have no self-love, you have no confidence because this is at the heart of confidence: self-love and self-acceptance, which then decide our self-esteem. It is not possible to be happy and confident yet dislike our bodies or ourselves. Any lack of self-love is a prelude to misery and dissatisfaction with our lot. Happiness begins from within and when we love ourselves and do not seek the approval of anyone, we are half-way to real contentment and the next key attribute, self-belief.

2. Self-Belief
With self-love comes amazing self-belief in what is truly possible. The Universe is our limit, as we become unstoppable and fearless. People who think highly of themselves do not see barriers to achievements or obstacles in their paths. Anything which blocks their journey can be removed because confident people already believe they have the tools to remove those blocks. They can cope with crises too because they believe they can. That is the main difference between a confident and a fearful person: one believes they have the power to affect their life, whereas the other person looks to others to do it for them.

3. Comfort in Themselves
Confident people are happy in their own skin. They love who they are, they do not wish to be anyone else and they seek no one's approval to be whom they wish to be. That is a sure sign of a strong sense of belonging and personal security. Even when there is a setback, they know it is only temporary and they will be back in action again because they value themselves and their talents, regardless of what other people think. They tend to do what they please without following the fashion or being lemmings. Being natural leaders, they tend to set the pace for others and to inspire them.

4. Self-Awareness
Confident people know their limitations and their potential. That is because they do not sit and dwell on their weaknesses, like people of low esteem. They identify their strengths and nurture them while acknowledging their weaknesses as important to their personality. They are fully aware that the unique beings they are is the result of BOTH their strengths and weaknesses, so they do not dwell on the negative aspects of their personality. They know what makes them happy and sad. Being leaders and optimists, they are more assured in their direction and objectives because they understand who they are and what they want, which is the first key step to boosting achievement and personal development.

5. Fearlessness
Confident people tend to be pioneers, fearless in their approach and their actions. It is not that they do not have the usual fears of survival. What they don't have is the limiting and paralyzing fears regarding simply living their life to the utmost which plague insecure and non-confident people. Those with high self-esteem are keen to get on with it so they tend to act first and be afraid later! Willing to take risks and to make sacrifices, they have very little fear in living their life to the max.

6. Experiment
Really confident people love to experiment, to try out new situations, innovate and create, They are always pushing the boundaries of their talents because of their self-belief. Unlike people of low esteem, confident ones do not care about making mistakes, because they know that's how they learn and grow. They are not worried about being wrong, but at arriving at a solution or a different result, no matter how many times they have to change their approach. They recognize that mistakes are part and parcel of success on their personal journey. Failure is not in their vocabulary and so they will achieve their desires no matter how long it takes, because they have the tenacity, self-belief and determination to keep trying even when many others have given up.

7. Happiness
Confident people are truly happy with their life. It doesn't mean they are never sad. It means that if they are down it lasts very briefly and then they are back up again. They know they can always do something else and change the result. People of low esteem always blame themselves and reinforce that with even poorer thoughts of their abilities, so they stay in the doldrums much longer. They are not truly at peace so they take the knocks badly. Confident people know that setbacks are temporary and all they need to do is brush themselves off and start over again, while keeping their eye on their goals. Above all, being contented with themselves and their bodies, confident people tend to be truly happy, approachable, often cheerful and with a ready smile.

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