What Is The Best Way To Invest RM100,000

Source:http://www.alantanblog.com/investment/what-is-the-best-way-to-invest-rm100000.html#more-3791

I got a lot of e-mail asking about they have RM100,000 cash and not sure what to do with the money or where to invest the money i,e Unit trust, Stocks, Properties, Gold, Silvers, Starting a new small business etc.

Some of them are very excited as they managed to save up or get a big windfall(bonuses). They wish  to increase that number by investing but don’t know how to.

Congratulations!

One of the first step to Financial Freedom is by taking control of your financial life. You cannot depend on others i.e Government to take care of your financial well being.

Personally, I feel instead of asking “where” to invest, focus on  the "what", "how long", "does it", "can you", and “who”.

You will get a clearer ideas on how deal with your money after answering the 5 questions below

Ask and answer yourself these 5 questions:

1. What is the Objective and Goal of this Investment?

The plan for Retirement planning and Investment Planning are totally different as every one has an unique Investment risk Profile

2. How long is the investment Horizon before I can cash out the money?

The time horizon for properties generally  is much longer than compare to stocks due the limited liquidity.(Unless your properties were is in  a hot location)

3. Does it effect with my financial resources?

I am sure you don’t want to put all your money into just one basket of investment vehicle,right? The the next question is Do you have time to learn and monitor all the investments?  Assuming to chosen to invest stocks futures using technical and fundamental analysis, can emotionally  not attached to it and would not effect your current job and financial resources

4. Can I live with the risk involved?

Investment in stock and stocks futures have a high price movement  volatility. Can you stomach the risk involved?

5. Who will managed the Investment?

It’s good to let other to managed the Investment. However this may not be the best choice. Do speak to your financial planner to find out more.

Once you are able to answer the above 5 questions, do invest some time to learn about different investment alternatives. This is a journey as it’s not something you can learn from a few days or months.

The doctor takes more than 4 years of studies before able to prescribe a medicine. What makes you think after a month of studies, you can be expert in a particular investment?

It’s impossible to be successful until you understand the behavior, basic fundamental and what you’re investing in.

There are many financial magazines, books and web sites such as Personal Money, Bloomberg etc, that would gave a good start for understanding the basics of personal finance.

In conclusion, the key is always Educate yourself in investing!

Read more...

A new level of Frugality

Source:http://malaysiapersonalfinance.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-level-of-frugality.html
Frugality in Kuala Lumpur has just gone one level deeper.  A saving of about $550 monthly, a 2 hours exercise sessions for FREE and an opportunity to explore natures within the city has just been proven recently with just ONE simple ACT !  As everything goes, there is some trade off or 'risk' too ...

Its Cycling To Work !

Mathew was a guy who suffers from a terrible 24.3% inflation in 2009.  After he started to follow this blog, he has learned a trick or two to keep things going smoother.  Today he is working as a top executive in a public company but situation hasn't changed much.  He is still in middle level income group.  After his 5 figures income divided by the number of people he has to support, his actual cash-at-hand per person monthly is much less than average personal income ie. $1,500.

Many staffs who worked for Mathew always complains about how tough their lives are and demand a salary increment without extra performance to the company ( while their single income is about $1,500 as well).  Mathew thinks it was obvious his staffs weren't educated well enough in personal finance so he decided to role model to show a point - live frugally.

He used to drive about an hour to work, commute about 22 km and then spent about $10+ for parking fee.  Now instead of doing all that, now

He cycles to work

After the decision was made, he first bought a huge term insurance to cover this temporary needs.  After all, he doesn't want his teaching to his staff to affect his even more important loves to his families.

Once the insurance is approved, he started cycling to work.  It wasn't easy.  He first followed his driving route.  It was dangerous as cars and motorbikes are cruising fast by, ignoring his existence.  But the good thing about cycling . . . is that its both a pedestrian and a driver.  So very soon he found a much shorter and safer path, only 12.1km instead of driving 22 km away.

It took him about one hour to cycle to work.  ( Above 2.5 hours was for walking time )  So practically this doesn't affect any of his schedule at all.  As a matter of fact, this improve the stability of his schedule.  Even when there is an unexpected traffic jam which would cause a normal 1 hour driving to 2-3 hours, his cycling time remains the same as 1 hour.

Mathew also lost 6-8kgs since then, has a much tougher built body now.  He used to pay a lot joining fitness centers etc. but never got the time to actually exercise because he is a workaholic.  Now he HAS TO exercise 2 hours a day.

Mathew also started a health diet to eat more veggie and fruits even before this cycling idea.  Thanks to this cycling exercise, his cycling route passed by a local market at Chow Kit ( one of the oldest and largest wet market in Kuala Lumpur ), he now manages to buy 5 star fruits for only $1, which fuel his breakfast and lunch.

There are much more indirect benefits he received since he started cycling to work.  But as everything goes, there must be some Cons that comes with the Pros. Should one accident happens during his cycling commute, it would most probably cost him his life.  While he was well aware of the risk, he took action to insure against that rick and he also find ways to improve his own skills and awareness to maximize his own safety.

There are quite a lot of tips and tricks he has developed since he cycles to work.  If you were moved by this article and wanted to try this too . . . be warn ahead, there is some risks involved.  Do spend some time to buy me a cup of coffee so I can share with you whatever those tips and tricks are so that you can minimize your risk and maximize your return / saving / investment.

	Driving	Cycling
Time	1 hour	1 hour
Petrol	$10 per day	$0
Parking	$5 - $10 per day	$0

I am just glad living frugally in a city like Kuala Lumpur has just gone one level deeper.  With tons of other extra benefits and with only ONE major risk that a person who really cares can mitigate easily with skills and experience.

Have you managed to find any innovative ways to cut your expenditure or increase your saving by 25% !?

Read more...

2012 Budget highlights

2011/10/07


KUALA LUMPUR: Following are the highlights of the 2012 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Finance Minister, at the Dewan Rakyat today:

* Government will introduce other transformation programmes, culminating in the National Transformation Policy, effective 2011-2020.
* RM232.8 billion allocated to implement all government development plans, focusing on the well-being of the rakyat, with RM181.6 billion for operating expenditure and RM51.2 billion for development expenditure.

* RM13.6 billion allocated to the social sector, including education, training, health, welfare, housing and community development.

* Government will implement a special stimulus package through private financing initiative, through which total projects amounting RM6 billion will be carried out.
* 2012 announced as the year of National Innovation Movement, with a RM100 million allocation to implement several strategic initiatives.

* RM50.2 billion for the education sector, with a development allocation of RM1.9 billion for the Education Ministry to be spent on all types of schools.

* RM1 billion to be provided through a special fund for the construction, improvement and maintenance of schools, particularly to cater to their immediate needs.
* Abolition of RM24.50 and RM33.50 for co-curriculum, internal test papers, Malaysian Schools Sports Council fees and insurance premium involving students in primary and secondary schools respectively, beginning the 2012 school year.

* Financial contributions from companies and individuals to upgrade school facilities to be eligible for tax deductions, to encourage more charitable activities.

* Existing National Agrobusiness Terminal (TEMAN) in Wakaf Che Yeh (Kelantan) and Gopeng (Perak) will be developed as Rural Transformation Centres pilot projects, with four more RTCs to be developed in Kedah, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

* Establishment of Professional Services Fund to encourage professionals such as lawyers, doctors and accountants to set up firms in small towns, with BSN providing RM100 million for soft loans with an interest of 4 per cent.

* RM110 million for the implementation of the Rural Mega Leap Programme covering 6,500 hectares in 11 Agropolitan Projects nationwide for the cultivation of commodity and cash crops as well as cage fish culture.

* RM140 million to implement RISDA's new planting and rubber re-planting programmes benefiting 20,000 smallholders.

* RM5 billion proposed to strengthen the development of rural basic infrastructure in a more comprehensive manner.

* RM500 million to continue implementing projects to upgrade basic infrastructure under "Projek Penyelenggaraan Infrastruktur Awam" and "Projek Infrastruktur Asas", providing opportunities for 29,000 Class F contractors registered with the Contractor Service Sector.

* RM50 million to expand rainwater harvesting programme to Sabah.

* RM400 million to upgrade water supply infrastructure in selected Felda areas, besides RM50 million to connect the reticulation system in estates to the main pipes.

* RM150 million to be provided to the Public Transport Development Fund in the SME Bank to enhance bus services for the rural community.

* RM90 million for the provision of basic necessities which includes expanding the clean water supply project as well as income generating programmes for the Orang Asli community.

* Introduction of the New Civil Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) to replace the current scheme.

* Improving the salary of civil servants through a single-tier structure with additional increments to enable civil servants to continue receiving annual increments over a longer period.

* Annual increment of civil servants to be increased between RM80 and RM320 according to their grades, beginning 2012. Those who opt for the SBPA will receive an annual increment of between 7 per cent and 13 per cent.

* With the implementation of SBPA, more than 600,000 government pensioners will benefit from a pension adjustment involving an allocation of RM600 million.

* Effective 2013, the government will implement an annual pension increment of 2 per cent without having to wait for any review of the remuneration system or salary adjustments.

* Extension of compulsory retirement age from 58 to 60 years old to optimise civil servants' contribution.

* Additional bonus of half-month salary with a minimum payment of RM500 for civil servants and an assistance of RM500 for government pensioners, to be paid together with December 2011 salary.

* RM120 million to offer 5,000 Masters and 500 doctoral scholarships for eligible civil servants, including teachers.

* The government will offer 20,000 places for diploma teachers to pursue undergraduate studies.

* A special one-off payment of RM3,000 to 4,300 individuals who have completed their contracts with the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) and Social Development Department (KEMAS).

* RM442 million for the development expenditure of the Royal Malaysia Police, including for police housing quarters, purchase of communication and technical equipment as well as upgrading of headquarters, stations and training centres.

* RM500 million to upgrade and maintain army camps and quarters nationwide under the Army Care programme.

* RM50 million for the introduction of a special programme to enable army personnel who retired with less than 21 years of service and are not eligible for pension, to venture into businesses and obtain jobs in the public and private sectors.

* A one-off payment of RM3,000 to each ex-member as well as widows and widowers of special constable and auxiliary police who served in protecting the country during the emergency era.

* Agriculture sector development allocated RM1.1 billion.

* Expansion of the scope of the Commercial Agriculture Fund to include innovative agriculture projects with an allocation of RM300 million.

* The government to continue providing subsidy to households with electricity bill of RM20 per month or less, benefiting 1 million households.

* Over RM1 billion for the 1Malaysia Rakyat's Welfare Programme (KAR1SMA) to assist, among others, poor senior citizens, poor children, disabled people. 500,000 people to benefit from KAR1SMA.

* Opening of 85 more Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia with an allocation of RM40 million.

* Expansion of the My First Home Scheme with a proposal to increase the limit of house prices from a maximum of RM220,000 to RM400,000. Improved scheme will be available to housebuyers through joint loans of husband and wife beginning January 2012.

* RM443 million to build 8,000 units for sale and 7,000 units for rental under the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR).

* RM63 million to rehabilitate 1,270 abandoned houses. Another RM40 million to restore and maintain public and private low-cost housing.

* Establishment of the Special Housing Fund for Fishermen with an allocation of RM300 million.

* Health Ministry allocated RM15 billion for operating expenditure and RM1.8 billion for developing expenditure.

* Kuala Lumpur Hospital to be upgraded to be the country's premier hospital with an allocation of RM300 million, of which RM50 million to be spent for the construction of a new outpatient block.

* Budget taxi owners to be given 100 per cent excise duty and sales tax exemptions for the purchase of new locally-made taxis.

* Abolition of road tax on all individually owned budget taxis.

* Providing assistance of RM3,000 for the disposal of old taxis exceeding 7 years but less than 10 years, and RM1,000 for vehicles of 10 years and above.

* RM320 million to implement various activities involving young people.

* An additional 150 futsal courts to be built with an allocation of RM15 million to achieve the "One Court for One Mukim" target, as well as another RM50 million to build football fields with artificial turfs, equipped with flood lights, at 30 selected locations nationwide.

* From Jan 1, 2012, all senior citizens aged 60 and above to be exempted from paying outpatient registration fee at all government hospitals, health clinics including 1Malaysia clinics as well as government dental clinics. They will also be entitled to a 50 per cent discount on LRT and Monorail
fares.

* One-off cash assistance of RM500 to households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below to reflect the government's commitment to reducing the impact of the increasing cost of living on the low-income group. RM1.8 billion allocated for this purpose.

* Schooling assistance of RM100 for all primary and secondary students from Year 1 to Form 5 nationwide, as well book voucher worth RM200 to all Malaysian students in public and private local institutions of higher learning, matriculation and Form 6 students.

* Helping intending haj pilgrims to register early for the haj by ring-fencing RM1,300 from Account 2 of EPF contributors for registration purposes.

-- BERNAMA


Read more: 2012 Budget highlights http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2012Budgethighlights/Article/#ixzz1a6d8zfZI

Read more...

Tambahan bonus setengah bulan gaji untuk penjawat awam

Source: http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Tambahanbonussetengahbulangajiuntukpenjawatawam/Article

2011/10/07

KUALA LUMPUR: Kakitangan kerajaan akan mendapat tambahan bonus setengah bulan gaji manakala pesara kerajaan akan menerima bayaran bantuan RM500.

Perkara ini diumumkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, dalam pembentangan Belanjawan 2012 di Dewan Rakyat sebentar tadi.

Read more...

Life after graduation: Girl friend and the First Car

Source:http://kclau.com/wealth-management/life-after-graduation/


This is a personal story shared by a reader. Let’s call him Alex.

I graduated in 2000 and get a job at IT Support in an international Australian branch university. The salary of RM1650 (not net pay) was barely enough. My dad so called “help me” to buy a brand new Kancil 850. First month it was free and second month I have to pay for it. All I wanted that time was a 2nd-hand car or I don’t mind at all to use public transport.

If I use public transport, it would take me two buses before I actually reached at home. Office hour finished at 5pm and arrived at home around 7.30pm. The place was like the end of Miri Town (about 45min from town).

The monthly instalment was RM587 for 5 years. Plus fuel consumption would cost me around RM250/RM300. I filled RM30/RM40 tank and can use it for 4days before refuelling again. Owning a car has teach me how to DIY almost all the basic car maintenance from changing Engine Oil to changing Air Filter. I managed to spend around RM1K or RM2K to make the car beautiful (ICE and body-kits). My determination to get a Japanese rim was too strong that I saved RM300 every month to get it. At last I ordered a 2nd hand Japanese rim for RM1800 complete with tires. I even skip my lunch for few times in a month and even “tapau” food (packed food) from home.

At the same time I was paying credits card that I don’t use. Why?? My GF used it for her NOKIA 6680. I pay for it for the name of love. My mistake!! It accumulated to RM3.8K because my GF never pay the minimum amount required. Luckily she got her scholarship to pay for it but again my useless money handling took over. I never fully settled it and only pay half of the total amount. And I keep using it for online purchase such as plane tickets and so on.

I occasionally paid my “PTPTipu” study loan. Sometimes RM200, sometimes RM50 and most of the time none! And I never received any letter or payment acknowledgment from PTPTN that time. I assumed they had lost the students’ list names.

One thing I did right was to pay myself first (RM300/RM200) once I received my salary.

Notes from KCLau:

As normal young graduates, getting a car had become more of a necessity if you are living in Malaysia. Public transport is available but it is many times more troublesome if you had to travel quite a distance to your work place.

I do agree with most people that car as a necessity, we as Malaysians are forced to spend a big chunk of our income on owing a car that makes it seems like a luxury item.

For the case of Alex above, he had to spend RM900 out of RM1650, which is more than 50% of his gross pay. This is without considering the extra he spent on beautifying his Kancil with accessories. The sad news is that Kancil is like the smallest car and also the cheapest new car one can get in Malaysia. Some foreigner said that it looks more like a toy car, which we can’t deny about it.

Since you can’t do much to change the car price, what you can do is to reduce the spending on cars based on the budget you can afford.

What do you think about this story? What does it remind you of? What do you think Alex can do to improve his financial standing? Write something in the comment section below.

Here is the Part II of Alex’s story:

I left the company after 3 years plus to join new IT company to implement new project in Sarawak. The basic pay was actually smaller from previous one but i get do OT regularly due to project implementations. That include on call duty at night and weekend. I also entitled to claim milleage to do site visit and maintenances. Roughly i earned about RM2600-RM2800 per month. I still continued to pay my car installments(5 years loan tenure) but i hardly spent money on car modification anymore. I saved a lot on fuel consumption because the office is nearer to my house and milleage claims.

I finally settled my credit card installment about a year after i joined the company. The card actually expired but i didnt bother to renew it. Then i started to pay my study loan regularly. Instead of paying minimum of RM192, i paid RM200. I dont changed my handphone to latest one in the market. Instead i repaired my own handphone;updating firmware and hard reset. I used it untill it died or cost of repair more expensive than the phone itself.

Instead of buying expensive phone, i look for “ordinary” CSL handphone. It served me well untill i forgot to take it out when i am doing my laundry. I rushed to buy RM110 Nokia phone when it happen. I promised myself to upgrade later when the time is right.

Fast forward my story, i changed another job to an International company almost two years after that. I thanked GOD for HIS blessings. Then i started to buy and read financial planning books. It was KC LAU’s book(cant remember the name though) then followed by others.

Early this year, i bought a landed property RM230K(property in Miri is expensive compare to other place in Sarawak). My 850 kancil still with me minus the installments. I am still living with my dad(my mum passed away last year) ,brother and little sister. I planned to rent out my house when it completed next year and keep staying with my dad. Our family house is double storey terrace house.

I already bought an investment linked insusrance for myself. On top of it i also used my EPF account 2 to buy some unit trusts. I was lucky to have cousin working with bank industry. Now i am trying to save 50% of my salary every month instead of 10%.

My principle is easy “if you cant afford to buy things cash, you cant afford to buy that thing at all”. Example, i saved some money for two months to buy my FIRST laptop(RM2K), though i am IT guy i never owned a laptop. My advise is buy AMD based laptop instead of INTEL. It will save you around 20% of the price.

Recently i purchased a second hand DSLR to pursuit my interest in photography. I owned a Canon EOS 350(film) when i was in university but i have to sell it because i cant afford to pay for the films(i shoot a lot but only handful of photos useable). I hope my photography skills will help me to pay for some bills later.

The best is to get a good cheap second hand DLSR and try it. If you dont like it, you can always sell it. Instead of buying an expensive DSLR but later you found out that you prefer “auto” settings or compact digital camera. Some good place to look for cheap second hand DSLR are lowyat.net and free trade zone photograph

Read more...

9 things you didn’t know about the life of Steve Jobs

Source:http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/8-things-didn-t-know-life-steve-jobs-172130955.html
For all of his years in the spotlight at the helm of Apple, Steve Jobs in many ways remains an inscrutable figure — even in his death. Fiercely private, Jobs concealed most specifics about his personal life, from his curious family life to the details of his battle with pancreatic cancer — a disease that ultimately claimed him on Wednesday, at the age of 56.

While the CEO and co-founder of Apple steered most interviews away from the public fascination with his private life, there's plenty we know about Jobs the person, beyond the Mac and the iPhone. If anything, the obscure details of his interior life paint a subtler, more nuanced portrait of how one of the finest technology minds of our time grew into the dynamo that we remember him as today.

1. Early life and childhood
Jobs was born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955. He was adopted shortly after his birth and reared near Mountain View, California by a couple named Clara and Paul Jobs. His adoptive father — a term that Jobs openly objected to — was a machinist for a laser company and his mother worked as an accountant.

Later in life, Jobs discovered the identities of his estranged parents. His birth mother, Joanne Simpson, was a graduate student at the time and later a speech pathologist; his biological father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, was a Syrian Muslim who left the country at age 18 and reportedly now serves as the vice president of a Reno, Nevada casino. While Jobs reconnected with Simpson in later years, he and his biological father remained estranged.

Reed College

2. College dropout
The lead mind behind the most successful company on the planet never graduated from college, in fact, he didn't even get close. After graduating from high school in Cupertino, California — a town now synonymous with 1 Infinite Loop, Apple's headquarters — Jobs enrolled in Reed College in 1972. Jobs stayed at Reed (a liberal arts university in Portland, Oregon) for only one semester, dropping out quickly due to the financial burden the private school's steep tuition placed on his parents.

In his famous 2005 commencement speech to Stanford University, Jobs said of his time at Reed: "It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5 cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple."

Breakout for the Atari

3. Fibbed to his Apple co-founder about a job at Atari
Jobs is well known for his innovations in personal computing, mobile tech, and software, but he also helped create one of the best known video games of all-time. In 1975, Jobs was tapped by Atarito work on the Pong-like game Breakout.

He was reportedly offered $750 for his development work, with the possibility of an extra $100 for each chip eliminated from the game's final design. Jobs recruited Steve Wozniak (later one of Apple's other founders) to help him with the challenge. Wozniak managed to whittle the prototype's design down so much that Atari paid out a $5,000 bonus — but Jobs kept the bonus for himself, and paid his unsuspecting friend only $375, according to Wozniak's own autobiography.

4. The wife he leaves behind
Like the rest of his family life, Jobs kept his marriage out of the public eye. Thinking back on his legacy conjures images of him commanding the stage in his trademark black turtleneck and jeans, and those solo moments are his most iconic. But at home in Palo Alto, Jobs was raising a family with his wife, Laurene, an entrepreneur who attended the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton business school and later received her MBA at Stanford, where she first met her future husband.

For all of his single-minded dedication to the company he built from the ground up, Jobs actuallyskipped a meeting to take Laurene on their first date: "I was in the parking lot with the key in the car, and I thought to myself, 'If this is my last night on earth, would I rather spend it at a business meeting or with this woman?' I ran across the parking lot, asked her if she'd have dinner with me. She said yes, we walked into town and we've been together ever since."

In 1991, Jobs and Powell were married in the Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite National Park, and the marriage was officiated by Kobin Chino, a Zen Buddhist monk.

5. His sister is a famous author
Later in his life, Jobs crossed paths with his biological sister while seeking the identity of his birth parents. His sister, Mona Simpson (born Mona Jandali), is the well-known author of Anywhere But Here — a story about a mother and daughter that was later adapted into a film starring Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon.

After reuniting, Jobs and Simpson developed a close relationship. Of his sister, he told a New York Times interviewer: "We're family. She's one of my best friends in the world. I call her and talk to her every couple of days.'' Anywhere But Here is dedicated to "my brother Steve."

Joan Baez

6. Celebrity romances
In The Second Coming of Steve Jobs, an unauthorized biography, a friend from Reed reveals that Jobs had a brief fling with folk singer Joan Baez. Baez confirmed the the two were close "briefly," though her romantic connection with Bob Dylan is much better known (Dylan was the Apple icon's favorite musician). The biography also notes that Jobs went out with actress Diane Keaton briefly.

7. His first daughter
When he was 23, Jobs and his high school girlfriend Chris Ann Brennan conceived a daughter, Lisa Brennan Jobs. She was born in 1978, just as Apple began picking up steam in the tech world. He and Brennan never married, and Jobs reportedly denied paternity for some time, going as far as stating that he was sterile in court documents. He went on to father three more children with Laurene Powell. After later mending their relationship, Jobs paid for his first daughter's education at Harvard. She graduated in 2000 and now works as a magazine writer.

8. Alternative lifestyle
In a few interviews, Jobs hinted at his early experience with the psychedelic drug LSD. Of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Jobs said: "I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger."

The connection has enough weight that Albert Hofmann, the Swiss scientist who first synthesized (and took) LSD, appealed to Jobs for funding for research about the drug's therapeutic use.

In a book interview, Jobs called his experience with the drug "one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life." As Jobs himself has suggested, LSD may have contributed to the "think different" approach that still puts Apple's designs a head above the competition.

Jobs will forever be a visionary, and his personal life also reflects the forward-thinking, alternative approach that vaulted Apple to success. During a trip to India, Jobs visited a well-known ashram and returned to the U.S. as a Zen Buddhist.

Jobs was also a pescetarian who didn't consume most animal products, and didn't eat meat other than fish. A strong believer in Eastern medicine, he sought to treat his own cancer through alternative approaches and specialized diets before reluctantly seeking his first surgery for a cancerous tumor in 2004.

9. His fortune
As the CEO of the world's most valuable brand, Jobs pulled in a comically low annual salary of just $1. While the gesture isn't unheard of in the corporate world  — Google's Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt all pocketed the same 100 penny salary annually — Jobs has kept his salary at $1 since 1997, the year he became Apple's lead executive. Of his salary, Jobs joked in 2007: "I get 50 cents a year for showing up, and the other 50 cents is based on my performance."

In early 2011, Jobs owned 5.5 million shares of Apple. After his death, Apple shares were valued at $377.64 — a roughly 43-fold growth in valuation over the last 10 years that shows no signs of slowing down.

He may only have taken in a single dollar per year, but Jobs leaves behind a vast fortune. The largest chunk of that wealth is the roughly $7 billion from the sale of Pixar to Disney in 2006. In 2011, with an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion, he was the 110th richest person in the world, according toForbes. If Jobs hadn't sold his shares upon leaving Apple in 1985 (before returning to the company in 1996), he would be the world's fifth richest individual.

While there's no word yet on plans for his estate, Jobs leaves behind three children from his marriage to Laurene Jobs (Reed, Erin, and Eve), as well as his first daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs.

Read more...

KLCI

Read more...

KLCI falls to lowest level since Aug 2010

KLCI falls to lowest level since Aug 2010 Written by Surin Murugiah of theedgemalaysia.com Thursday, 22 September 2011 17:44 KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI fell 2.2% on Thursday, Sept 22 to its lowest level since August 19, 2010 in line with global markets spooked by the grim economic outlook for the US economy and slowing manufacturing output in China. The FBM KLCI lost 31.23 points to 1,387.81 as the broader market turned negative with losers pummeling gainers by 802 to 85, while 162 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 874.11 million shares valued at RM1.71 billion. Among the major decliners, Dutch Lady and Hong Leong Bank fell 62 sen each to RM18.88 and RM9.98, Petronas Dagangan 52 sen to RM16.40, Nestle and Genting 50 sen each to RM49 and RM8.80, MSM 43 sen to RM4.54, Parkson 40 sen to RM5.10, Aeon 38 sen to RM6.90 and Shell 33 sen to RM9.45. Petronas Chemicals was the most actively traded counter with 28 million shares done. The stock fell 27 sen to RM5.54. Other actives included Axiata, AirAsia, MRCB, UEM Land, Dialog, Genting and Timecom. Among the gainers, Proton added 26 sen to RM2.88, Aeon Credit 15 sen to RM4.70, Kawan Food 11.5 sen to 99.5 sen, Maypak 10 sen to 32 sen, UMS nine sen to RM1.64, while Ewein and Lafarge Malayan Cement added seven sen each to 88 sen and RM6.80. At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng tumbled 4.85% to 17,911.95, Taiwan’s Taiex lost 3.06% to 7,305.50, South Korea’s Kospi fell 2.90% to 1,800.55, the Shanghai Composite Index down 2.78% to 2,443.06, Singapore’s Straits Times Index lost 2.55% to 2,750.53 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 shed 2.07% to 8,560.26. Source:http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business/193337-klci-falls-to-lowest-level-since-aug-2010.html

Read more...

KLCI : 22 Sept 2011

Read more...

Best Procrastination Tip Ever

Source:http://zenhabits.net/tada/ Post written by Leo Babauta. Your first thought as you look at this article will be, “I’ll read this later.” But don’t. Let the urge to switch to a new task pass. Read this now. It’ll take you two minutes. It’ll save you countless hours. I’ve written the book on ending procrastination, but I’ve since come up with a very simple technique for beating everyone’s favorite nemesis. It is incredibly easy, but as with anything, it takes a little practice. Try it now: Identify the most important thing you have to do today. Decide to do just the first little part of it — just the first minute, or even 30 seconds of it. Getting started is the only thing in the world that matters. Clear away distractions. Turn everything off. Close all programs. There should just be you, and your task. Sit there, and focus on getting started. Not doing the whole task, just starting. Pay attention to your mind, as it starts to have urges to switch to another task. You will have urges to check email or Facebook or Twitter or your favorite website. You will want to play a game or make a call or do another task. Notice these urges. But don’t move. Notice the urges, but sit still, and let them pass. Urges build up in intensity, then pass, like a wave. Let each one pass. Notice also your mind trying to justify not doing the task. Also let these self-rationalizing thoughts pass. Now just take one small action to get started. As tiny a step as possible. Get started, and the rest will flow.

Read more...

minimalist FAQs

Source:http://mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs/

Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about minimalism and living the minimalist life, for those new to the concept.

Q: Why be a minimalist?

A: It’s a way to escape the excesses of the world around us — the excesses of consumerism, material possessions, clutter, having too much to do, too much debt, too many distractions, too much noise. But too little meaning. Minimalism is a way of eschewing the non-essential in order to focus on what’s truly important, what gives our lives meaning, what gives us joy and value.

Q: Isn’t minimalism boring or too sparse, with nothing in your life?

A: This is a misconception about minimalism — that it’s necessarily monk-like, empty, boring, sterile. Not at all. Well, it can be, if you go in that direction, but I don’t advocate that flavor of minimalism. Instead, we are clearing away all but the most essential things — to make room for that which gives us the most joy. Clear away the distractions so we can create something incredible. Clear away all the obligations so we can spend time with loved ones. Clear away the noise so we can concentrate on inner peace, on spirituality (if we wish), on our thinking. As a result, there is more happiness, peace, and joy, because we’ve made room for these things.

Q: What is minimalist living?

A: It’s simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.

Q: What are the benefits of minimalism?

A: There are many. It’s lower in stress. It’s less expensive and less debt. It’s less cleaning and maintaining. It’s more enjoyable. There’s more room for creating, for loved ones, for peace, for doing the things that give you joy. There’s more time for getting healthy. It’s more sustainable. It’s easier to organize. These are only the start.

Q: What does the schedule of a minimalist look like?

A: There’s no single answer to this question, but a minimalist would probably focus on doing less, on having a less cluttered schedule, but what’s on his or her schedule would be important. A minimalist might not actually keep a schedule or calendar, at one extreme, if he didn’t have much to do each day — he might instead live and work moment-by-moment, or just decide each morning to focus on one or two important things.

A minimalist would also save a lot of time because of having less clutter and fewer possessions. That means less time cleaning and maintaining, and less time searching for things. A minimalist who clears away distractions and single-tasks would also waste less time with those distractions and in switching back and forth between tasks (multi-tasking).

In general, all this results in more time for relaxing, for hobbies, for creating, for doing fun things.

Q: What rules do I need to follow to become minimalist?

A: There are no set rules. There’s no one way. What I suggest for living minimally isn’t what someone else would recommend, nor is it how you would live your minimalist life. In general, however, you want to live simply without too many unnecessary possessions, distractions, clutter, or waste. You want to live frugally, debt-free, sustainably, naturally.

Q: Do you need to be vegan or vegetarian to be minimalist?

A: No. While I believe the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is consistent with minimalism, you can eat simply as an omnivore as well. Again, there’s no one way. A minimalist would try to eat naturally, without too much processing, and not eat too much food (such as the ridiculous portions at most restaurants these days).

Q: I believe in simplifying, but why should I be so frugal — what wrong with a few REALLY nice things?

A: Frugality is simply a way of not spending on unnecessary things — sticking to the essentials. Is there anything wrong with a few really nice things? Not necessarily. If you need to buy something, it’s usually better to go for quality, rather than cheap, because it’s better made and will last longer. Minimalism is about quality over quantity.

However … it’s always good to examine whether it’s good to have an attachment to material things. This isn’t something I’ve completely succeeded with — I love my Mac, for example — but it’s something I’ve been working on. I am much less attached to possessions than I was just a few years ago, and I recommend that everyone examine their relationship with physical things, with products, and see if it’s really what they want.

Q: What about finding minimalism in America — where you need to have a car and a job?

A: This whole site is about finding minimalism within the American culture and society — as well as other industrialized nations — not on some remote desert island. The complexities and social expectations of the United States (and other industrialized countries) is exactly why minimalism is needed. All the advice I give on this site (and Zen Habits) is aimed at people in these modern societies.

Sure, I live on Guam, which is a tropical island, but what most people don’t realize is that Guam is in most respects just like the U.S. (and is a part of it) — we have the same technology, same restaurants (from McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Lone Star, Chilis, Hooters, etc), same malls and stores (including Home Depot, Kmart, Macys, et al), same kind of jobs, same reliance on cars, same health problems. We are online just as much as everyone else. We have busy schedules and need jobs and cars just as much as anyone in the U.S.

I face the same problems. Most people on Guam lead extremely complicated, cluttered lives and have the same attachment to their cars, jobs and possessions as everyone else in the U.S. I’ve just decided not to be a part of that, to the extent I can. And it is possible, not only here on Guam but anywhere in the world — you just need to make a conscious decision to change your life.

Do you need to be as minimalist as me, or someone living in the wilderness? Not at all. It’s not about that. It’s about finding simplicity and finding what’s important to you, and making choices, rather than adopting the consumerist mindset that most people have.

Q: Aren’t you being contradictory by claiming to be a minimalist and owning a Mac, or a house, or having six kids?

A: Again, there’s no one way. Everyone must find his own path, and mine is different than what someone else would consider minimalist. Also, I have never claimed to be perfect – I’m striving for minimalism, but I always have room for improvement. I have things that are inconsistent with minimalism, or at least by the definition of others. I’m working on it.

I should say a word or two about having six kids and minimalism. Having six children is inconsistent with my message of simplifying, frugality, downsizing, being green.

I don’t have a defense – but I do have an explanation for the inconsistency. I had my kids before (and during) my change in philosophy. In fact, my philosophy is evolving even now, so I can’t claim to have believed in the things I believe in now, for a very long time. Many things I believe in are only recent developments.

As an example – only recently, I made the decision to transition back into veganism (I was vegan once, but have been lacto-ovo veggie for over a year). But I own a pair of leather sandals – do I throw them out? Wouldn’t that be wasteful? Is it better to be wasteful but consistent with my beliefs? It’s hard to say.

However, I have decided it would be most unethical for me to throw out my children, just because I now believe in downsizing. It was a tough decision, but I’m sticking by it.

As a result of my simplifying, I am able to enjoy my time with my children, and I have to admit, they are the best thing to happen to me. I don’t regret having them one bit, even if they are inconsistent with my philosophy of downsizing.

On the good side, I believe that even with six kids, being vegan, buying less stuff, being energy conscious, owning only one car and rarely driving it, walking more for transportation – I actually use fewer resources than the average person in developed countries (and far less than the avg American) – this is according to online carbon footprint calculators. It’s not a justification for having six kids, but just a note that things aren’t as bad as they could be.

Q: Why don’t you have a comment button or comments on this site?

A: I purposely didn’t include comments on this site for a couple of reasons:

1. I already manage several other blogs, and get a ton of comments at Zen Habits, and having to manage another blog’s comments is too much for me. I just don’t have the time, and if I had to do it, I couldn’t do this blog.

2. I love dialog with readers — it’s what makes blogging such a joy — but commenting isn’t the only way. I encourage you to reply to me about any of these posts via Twitter or on your blog. The dialog then will be less local and more widespread.

3. I like the idea of keeping things simple on a blog about minimalism.

Q: How is mnmlist.com different than Zen Habits?

A: Well, Zen Habits is about simplicity, and mnmlist.com is about minimalism — can’t you see the difference?

Seriously, though, there will be a different focus here than at Zen Habits, which covers a wide range of topics besides simplicity, including productivity, changing habits, health & fitness, family, finances, happiness, and yes, simplicity.

This blog will focus pretty much exclusively on minimalism, a passion of mine. Not all Zen Habits readers are incredibly interested in minimalism, so I’m breaking off this blog for those who are.

Read more...

Info Bank Persatuan: Had tambahan sher baru RM20k

Source:http://www.carigold.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=146876&page=144

Antara info2 yang boleh buat pedoman:-

1. Dividen asalnya diputuskan Dlm mesyuarat perwakilan 7.5% tp bila masuk kelulusan skm hanya diluluskan 6.5%.

2. dividen walaupun dibayar setiap tahun Dlm bulan julai-September tidak bermaksud dividen dpt tempoh lebih setahun. Hanya permulaan jadi ahli saja rasa lama tp klu tiap2 tahun dpt di bln julai-September x ke jadi sama 12 bln jugak.

3.Bank Persatuan bukan x leh glamor cam bank2 lain tp kena balance dgn capabiliti yg ada.klu ikut sejarah bank Persatuan naik on their own susah senang dengan ahli-ahli yang faham hala tuju Demi kemajuan bank.

4.kaji balik sejarah bank yg sealiran dgn bank Persatuan, mereka pun Ada zaman kekurangan. Tp bank Persatuan boleh dikatakan pertumbuhan sejajar.

5.Jumlah pelaburan yg baru rm20k tu boleh ditambah selepas 25/8/11 x kira jumlah pelaburan sebelum ni. Cntoh sebelum ni Ada syer rm5k tp pas ni leh tmbah lagi rm20k so pelaburan jadi rm25k.

Ok tu je setakat ni.Wassalam

Read more...

Bayaran Dividen Tahun 2010 Bank Persatuan =6.5%

Source:http://www.bankpstn.com.my/cms/sub.do?a=2&b=69
23 Ogos 2011 14:40 PM

Perhatian Kepada Anggota-Anggota Bank Persatuan
Bayaran Dividen 2010

Kepada anggota-anggota individu (perseorangan) Bank Persatuan yang menpunyai syer keanggotaan sehinnga tempoh berakhir pada 31 Disember 2010, bayaran dividen tahun 2010 yang telah diluluskan oleh Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia sebanyak 6.50% adalah akan dibayar secara tunai di kaunter cawangan Bank Persatuan mulai pada 25 Ogos hingga 26 September 2011.
Bayaran dividen melebihi RM5,000.00 adalah akan dibayar secara cek.
Terima Kasih

Setiausaha Bank Persatuan

Read more...

KPF dijangka agih dividen 2010 sebanyak 14 peratus

Source:http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/KPFdijangkaagihdividen2010sebanyak14peratus/Article
KOPERASI Permodalan Felda Malaysia Bhd (KPF), dijangka mengagih dividen untuk 2010 melebihi jumlah dividen sebanyak 14 peratus pada tahun sebelumnya.

Pengerusinya Datuk Dzukifli Abd Wahab, berkata unjuran itu selaras dengan misi KPF untuk memaksimumkan pulangan pelaburan ahli dan meningkatkan nilai pelaburan dalam syarikat FELDA.
“KPF menyasarkan jumlah agihan dividen antara 12 peratus dan 16 peratus setiap tahun,” katanya selepas pertemuan dengan Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia di Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini.
Beliau berkata, dalam tempoh 10 tahun, KPF berupaya mengekalkan sasaran itu dengan jumlah agihan tertinggi dicatatkan pada 2007, iaitu 16.5 peratus.

Bagi 2010, jumlah keuntungan bersih KPF mencatatkan sedikit penurunan kepada RM256 juta berbanding RM328.72 juta pada tahun sebelumnya.

Ditubuhkan pada Julai 1981, KPF berperanan sebagai pusat simpanan dan pelaburan anggota FELDA dan memberi peluang secara adil kepada warga FELDA untuk turut serta memiliki ekuiti dalam syarikat kumpulan itu.

Objektif penubuhan koperasi ini adalah untuk menggiat dan menggalakkan penyimpanan wang oleh anggota FELDA serta menyediakan kemudahan simpanan dan aktiviti pelaburan yang diuruskan secara profesional.
KPF mencatatkan jumlah pelaburan sebanyak RM2.26 bilion sepanjang 2010, peningkatan sebanyak 12.94 peratus berbanding tempoh yang sama pada 2009 iaitu RM2 bilion.

Dzukifli berkata, pertumbuhan itu disebabkan oleh peningkatan aktiviti pembiayaan sebanyak 177.04 peratus dan penambahan simpanan dalam Amanah Raya Bhd sebanyak 138.75 peratus berbanding tahun sebelumnya.

“Pelaburan terbesar adalah di dalam segmen sekuriti pasaran (RM526.42 juta) dan deposit dan simpanan (RM437.94 juta),” kata beliau.

Dzulkifli berkata, KPF kini mengintai peluang pelaburan di rantau Asia dan mengadakan lawatan ke Myanmar baru-baru ini bagi tujuan itu.

“Bagaimanapun, keutamaan KPF masih kepada pelaburan dalam negara,” katanya.

Jumlah pelaburan hartanah KPF pada akhir 2010 sebanyak RM240.08 juta, pertumbuhan sebanyak 1.92 peratus berbanding RM235.55 juta yang dicatakan pada tahun sebelumnya.

“Penjualan ruang pejabat dan perniagaan di Solaris Dutamas, Blok D5, di Jalan Duta sudah mencatatkan keuntungan sebanyak RM4.54 juta dan sehingga akhir tahun lepas, hanya lima unit yang masih belum terjual,” kata Dzukifli.

Antara pelaburan hartanah terbaru yang diteroka KPF ialah pajakan bangunan Hotel Dar Um Hane di Mekah, Arab Saudi.

Dzukifli berkata, melalui pajakan ini, sebahagian daripada hotel yang mula beroperasi pada Februari 2011 itu akan disewakan kepada Felda Travel, manakala sebahagian lagi kepada agensi-agensi Umrah dan haji yang lain. – BERNAMA

Read more...

Do This For 10 (Easy) Minutes And Improve Your Entire Day

Source:http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/do-this-for-10-easy-minutes-and-improve-your-entire-day/
Our bodies weren’t designed for our modern lifestyle.

We were never meant to sit behind desks for half our waking hours, nor were we intended to spend more time in a car than on our feet.

Most of us don’t get enough fresh air, sunshine and exercise and it’s having a profound impact on our confidence, energy levels and health.

Worse, it’s a self perpetuating problem. The less you move, the less energy you have to get going. Even if you know from experience that a bit of exercise will make you feel immeasurably better, you probably have a difficult time managing that first step.

If you can find a way to incorporate as little as 10 minutes of active movement into your morning routine, you’ll find your days will run smoother and be less stressful. Plus, you’ll have more energy and a more positive mood.

Keep in mind, this can be as simple as taking a 10 minute walk or doing a short yoga or stretching routine. Just getting up and moving for 10 minutes can:

● Increase blood flow throughout your body, including to your brain.

● Release your body from any aches and pains you might have incurred during the night while sleeping.

● Reduce stress levels.

● Increase energy levels.

● Rev up your metabolism

If possible, it’s best to get this exercise. But even if you can’t, you’ll still reap the benefits. Here are some easy ideas for getting more movement into your morning routine. There is bound to be one that you’ll enjoy and can work into your day:

● Walk or bike to work.

● Take your dog for a short walk

● Walk or bike with your children to school.

● Take a short jog around the neighborhood.

● Turn on some music and dance!

● Yoga

● Other stretching exercises

● Jumping jacks

● Sit ups and push ups

● Some moderately heavy housework such as mopping and sweeping.

● A quick swim

● Pulling weeds

● Shoveling snow

● Going up and down the stairs

The idea isn’t to get a full body workout (although that’s certainly an option if you have the time!), it’s to start your day off right by getting your blood flowing and loosening up your muscles and joints.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when building a bridge between your old broken habits and your new ones; you’ll have to make it a point to do it every day until it becomes a normal part of your routine. You can help things along by:

● Choosing activities you genuinely enjoy. If you hate running, it will be far more difficult to stick with it than if you picked something you enjoy more, such as simple calisthenics.

● Try enlisting your spouse, roommates, children or friends to do it alongside you. It’s harder to cheat (or skip) when you know your walking buddy or yoga partner is waiting for you.

● Keep things as simple as possible. Your gym might have a wonderful pool, but if it’s inconvenient for you to use first thing in the morning, you’ll have difficulty developing a habit.

● Focus on how much better you feel. Keep a journal and note the many improvements in your life. Don’t feel as though only the big victories are worth noting. Even something as simple as having less stress and hostility while driving will make your life better in the long run.

Just 10 minutes of movement every morning is enough to help you gain energy, increase confidence, be more positive, manage stress and feel better physically. Once you get into the habit of incorporating movement into your morning routine, you’ll find the positive effects snowball and it will be easier to make good choices about eating, exercising and taking care of yourself in general.

Don’t put off getting started, this is something you can do tomorrow and start reaping the rewards right away.

Read more...