Do you have any unclaimed money ?

Starting end of 2010 onwards, you can perform an online search to see if you have any money with the Registrar of Unclaimed Moneys. The Unclaimed Moneys Act 1965 requires businesses to send to the goverment a report on any unclaimed money. It can be in a form of dormant bank account monies, life insurance policies, share dividends, unclaimed wages/salary and EPF contributions.

umaca.my allows free searches. All you need to do is key in your indentification number or full name. Based on record at Registrar of Unclaimed Moneys, approximately RM 1.5 billion of unclaimed money accumulated over the years, and millions ringgit added every years. the data in ucama.my covers records from 1998 onwards. New documents will be added from time to time once goverment releases new lists.

With this online information, you will save a lot of time and effort to claim your money. This system is free for individuals and fee will be charged for premium services to companies and professionals as well as INDIVIDUALS who seek their help to apply to the registrar to claim the money( go directly to registrar office in you dont want to pay..:p).

You can download the information pack from this website. If your money is less than RM500, you can download if for free. otherwise, 10 % of the value will be charged. this information pack includes a checklist and also a format of your application letter to the registrar.

what are you waiting for? click and check now!

http://www.umaca.my

Rebat pembelian terus insurans mulai 1 Julai 2009

Berita Baik untuk rakyat Malaysia...

BERKUAT kuasa 1 Julai ini mereka yang membeli polisi insurans am atau perlindungan tafakul am terus di syarikat insurans akan memperoleh rebat antara lima peratus hingga 25 peratus.

Menurut Bank Negara, langkah ini adalah pendekatan yang adil. Sebelum ini, jika pengguna membeli secara terus, sama ada mengunjungi syarikat insurans, menerusi internet, penghantaran terus melalui pos atau telepemasaran, maka bahagian 10 peratus komisen yang sepatutnya diberi kepada ejen akan diambil syarikat insurans. Penjimatan 10 peratus komisen itu diberi balik kepada pengguna kerana mereka bersusah-payah menguruskan pembelian itu sendiri.

Berkuat kuasa 1 Julai ini, pemilik kenderaan persendirian yang membeli perlindungan kenderaan secara langsung akan menerima rebat sebanyak lima peratus pada tahun pertama dan 10 peratus bagi pembaharuan pada tahun berikutnya.

Bagi pembeli perlindungan insurans dan takaful am lain seperti kebakaran, kemalangan dan marin pula, mereka akan menerima penjimatan antara lima peratus hingga 25 peratus, bergantung kepada jenis perlindungan.

Mengenai peranan ejen insurans yang dilihat bakal terhakis susulan langkah pemberian rebat itu, ia tidak sepatutnya berlaku kerana sebahagian pengguna akan terus memilih untuk berurus niaga menerusi ejen jika mereka mampu memberi perkhidmatan bernilai tambah.

SmArt PriVileges

The smart privileges of HSBC.


1) i've got two return ticket KL - Singapore..but i didnt use it as i still dont have passport until now..hehe..



2) received RM90 padini voucher.





3) And yesterday, i got RM 120 sushi king voucher from HSBC with my name printed on it. unfortunately, i'm not the die hard fan for japanese food. Any idea what to do with this voucher? anyone wanna buy for special discount price :p ? or i just treats my friends..a lot of janapese food lovers in my office...hmm..








in term of ROI; for the past two years, i spent RM2 * 24 months for interbank charge. now i get the rewards worth RM120 + RM 90 + return ticket KL - Singapore(unused and expired already..hehe)..how much the total? you do the math.. :)

Tips Belanjawan Harian

Tips 1 : Tentukan Matlamat Kewangan

Apa matlamat kewangan korang tahun ni? Beli Keta? kawin? Dah cukup duit ke? Kalau belum tu, azam dan usaha untuk kumpul duit bebanyak dulu. Zaman sekarang kalau nak kawin bukannya sekupang seposen. paling kurang kena ada Rm15000. (lebam nak kumpul)..Kena korban sikit kumpul duit bebanyak.

kalau ada matlamat, hidup pun jadi focus.. Jadikan matlamat atau target korang tu sebagai salah satu ikhtiar untuk korang lebih berjimat dan berusaha untuk menyimpan duit dengan lebih banyak.

Tips 2 : Tambahkan Wang Simpanan

Dalam sebulan berapa agak-agaknye korang simpan dan labur ke dalam akaun bank korang?5%?7%?10%?20%?30%?00%(wak lu, tak der langsung nih).

Jika sebelum ni korang simpan sebanyak 10% hasil dari pendapatan tahunan, jadi pada tahun baru ni apa kata korang kasi ‘UP’ 10% lagi menjadikan ia sebanyak 20% or 30 %. lagipun, tahun 2009 ni, ekonomi teruk.so, time ni la bleh berjimat skit..cut unneccessary spending.

Tips 3 : Elakkan Dari Berhutang

Memang ramai suka pakai kad kredit..lebih-lebih lagi kalau guna Gold or platinum Card..mau nye kembang hidung sepam time nak bayar tu.. Nikmat oo. Tambah lak, pakai lebih dari satu kad kredit. main swipe je, sambil tersenyum..Lepas tu, bila dah dapat bil kad kredit, mulalah nak check account bank. pastu, tak cukup duit nak byar..hmm..

Masuk tahun baru ni, cuba azam kurangkan penggunaan kad kredit. bykkan guna cash. Ingat! gunakan kad kredit sebagai method of payment(pemudahcara pembayaran) sahaja. Pastikan duit cukup dalam account bank untuk bayar kesemua hutang credit card bulanan anda!!beringat sebelum terkena..kalau dah kena, kopak la nak bayar!18 % setahun beb...

Tips 4 : Berbelanja Biarlah Berpada

Masuk je tahun baru, byk je bende nak fikir..macam2 nak tukar..kasut baru, beg baru, baju baru.hand phone baru..wak lu..stop dulu!!tenang sekejap..fikirkan betul2 apa yg perlu di"upgrade" tuk tahun 2009 nih..susah payah keje, tak kan nak buang duit cam tu je? survey baik2 barang yg nak dibeli tu.tgk dua tiga tempat..mana ada bleh dapat harga murah.

extra tips : jgn membeli belah ketika sedang lapar..sure nafsu membeli tinggi!

Tips 5 : Senaraikan Aliran Kewangan dan Perbelanjaan

Bila dapat duit gaji mesti terfikir nak bayar hutang, nak bayar bil telefon, astro, electrik, air, dll.. Duit untuk simpanan? Kalau ada lebih, bleh la simpan.if tak der, tunggu bonus jelah!!ceh, bleh blah..kalau selalu fikir cam ni, mmg "kais pagi makan pagi la jawabnye"..

Sebaik-baiknye utamakanlah duit simpanan tu dulu. Bila dapat gaji, asingkan terus bahagian untuk simpanan. lepas tu, untuk diri sendiri, allowance ibu bapa(if any). ketiga, baru fikir sal bayaran bil/hutang/loan. sesiapa yang pakai software like Quicken/Microsoft Money, make sure aliran tunai bulanan bukan merah!

paling malas pun, tulis kat buku..daily spending..macam housemate aku- Fakri.. :)

Tips 6 : Emergency Fund

Emergency fund ni pun penting gak. at least kena ada simpanan enam bulan gaji. untuk apa lak fund byk nih? untuk ketika darurat.mana tau, rumah terbakar ke, kereta kena curi ke, kene buang keje ke..so, kalau ada fund, tak la kelam kabut sgt. sempat la cari keje dalam masa 6 bulan tu. anak, isteri pun tak gelabah..

jgn jadikan kad kredit sebagai emergency fund.itu tips membunuh diri namanye!..kalau tak leh byar kad kredit tu, lebam la korang..

so, bila nak start simpan tuk emergency fund nih? bermula dari sekarang!buat permulaan, simpan dulu 5 % ke..

tuk isteri yg bekerja(jika pekerjaan suami stabil), bleh la simpan lebih skit, after tolak duit tuk diri sendiri, parents, etc. pompuan tak der tanggungjawab kewangan kepada keluarga(tapi, bleh atas dasar tolong suami).

**************************************************************************

if korang ni jenis malas nak buat bende2 ni semua, terima kasih jelah..hidup jelah ngan cara korang skrg..tak der maknanya berjela bg tips!kalau pompuan, senang je jawapan dia, "tak pelah , bg laki aku buat jelah"..huhuhu..

tak der siapa bleh ubah diri, selain diri kita sendiri! renung2kan dan selamat berjimat!!

Software Pengurusan Perbelanjaan Harian (FREE)

Adalah menjadi keutamaan untuk menyenaraikan/mencatatkan/menulis setiap perjalanan wang (bajet bulanan) kita dalam mengurus kewangan dan mengawal perbelanjaan, . Ini termasuklah mengambil kira faktor-faktor seperti pendapatan/gaji/pendapatan sampingan/fee dan setiap transaksi pengeluaran/perbelanjaan/pembayaran yang akan atau telah dibuat.

Menulis rancangan atau pelan perbelanjaan ini adalah penting untuk kita memantau atau menjejak setiap perjalanan wang kita. Seandainya kita mengabaikan perkara ini, bermaksud kita sebenarnya masih gagal di dalam mengurus kewangan kita.

Tahniah sekiranya kawan2 dapat mendisiplinkn diri dengan menyenaraikan setiap perjalanan (kredit dan debit) wang. Tak kisahlah sama ada korang menulis menggunakan buku lejar Microsoft Excel / Quicken / Microsoft Money, dll.

Di sini saya ingin berkongsikan sebuah perisian yang amat menarik untuk digunakan khususnya untuk kita mengawal setiap penjalanan wang kita. Jika sebelum ini kita merasa agak leceh dengan perisian Microsoft Excel, tapi melalui perisian ini buku lejar/akaun/simpan kira kita kelihatan lebih teratur, kemas dan rapi.

Perisian yang saya maksudkan itu ialah perisian Money Manager Ex yang dihasilkan oleh syarikat CodeLathe. Menariknya perisian pengurusan perbelanjaan ini adalah PERCUMA dan amat mudah untuk digunakan.

Ia turut menyediakan sebanyak 23 jenis bahasa termasuklah bahasa Melayu (Indonesia)bahasa Cina- Yii Hee Hung pun bleh pakai.:p. Jadi anda tidak punya masalah untuk memahami dan menggunakan. Bukan itu saja, anda boleh menyemak dengan lebih teliti perjalanan kewangan bulanan berdasarkan pada laporan dan carta kewangan bulanan anda. dan juga

Untuk memuat turun (download) perisian Money Manager Ex ini. Klik di sini.

http://www.codelathe.com/mmex/mmex_download.php

Pilih " Windows 2000/XP/2003 installer"

Cubalah dulu dan saya amat mengalu-alukan komen dari rakan-rakan setelah menggunakan perisian Money Manager Ex ini.

Saya pun masih baru dengan perisian ini..selama ni saya menggunakan perisian Quicken Premier untuk merekodkan semua transaksi harian - cash/online/bill payment/loan/credit card/investment (ASB and Intel Stock). saya masih menggunakan perisian ini so far. walau bagaimanapun, perisian ini agak complex kepada rakan-rakan yg masih baru dalam bidang pengurusan kewangan. so, saya syorkan guna perisian yg mudah dahulu. then, kemudian, boleh belajar perisian yg lebih complex seperti Microsoft Money and Quicken Premier.

Detail documentation for this software :

http://moneymanagerex.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/moneymanagerex/trunk/mmex/runtime/help/index.html

Dividen ASB 2008

Pihak Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) telah mengumumkan bahawa pulangan pelaburan bagi tahun kewangan yang berakhir pada 31 Disember 2008 ini adalah sebanyak 7.00 sen seunit (dividen/pendapatan) manakala 1.75 sen seunit untuk bonus.

Tahun ini (2008) :

Dividen/Pendapatan = 7.00 sen seunit.
Bonus = 1.75 sen seunit.

Prestasi Dari 1993 hingga 1997

• 1993: Dividend=9.00, Bonus=4.50*
• 1994: Dividend=9.00, Bonus=4.50*
• 1995: Dividend=10.0, Bonus=3.00*
• 1996: Dividend=10.25, Bonus=3.00*
• 1997: Dividend=10.25, Bonus=1.25*
• 1998: Dividend=8.00, Bonus=2.50*
• 1999: Dividend=10.5, Bonus=1.50*
• 2000: Dividend=9.75, Bonus=2.00*
• 2001: Dividend=7.00, Bonus=3.00*
• 2002: Dividend=7.00, Bonus=2.00**
• 2003: Dividend=7.25, Bonus=2.00**
• 2004: Dividend=7.25, Bonus=2.00**
• 2005: Dividend=7.25, Bonus=1.75**
• 2006: Dividend=7.30, Bonus=1.25**
• 2007: Dividend=8.00, Bonus=1.00**

berita mengenai pengagihan dividen untuk pelabur-pelabur ASB bagi 2008.

******

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Dis (Bernama) — Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB) hari ini mengisytiharkan agihan pendapatan 7.00 sen seunit bagi Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) untuk tahun kewangan berakhir 31 Dis, 2008.

Anak syarikat milik penuh Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) itu juga mengumumkan bonus sebanyak 1.75 sen seunit.

Pengerusi PNB Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid berkata bahagian agihan pendapatan itu akan membabitkan jumlah pembayaran sebanyak RM4.22 bilion, hampir sama dengan peruntukan yang dibuat bagi agihan pendapatan ASB tahun lepas.

Bahagian bonus itu akan membabitkan jumlah pembayaran sebanyak RM678.03 juta oleh PNB, kata beliau kepada pemberita pada pengumuman agihan pendapatan ASB di sini.

Menurut Ahmad Sarji, pembayaran itu akan memberi faedah kepada 6.56 juta pemegang unit yang kini memegang 62 bilion unit ASB.

Sehingga 10 Dis, 2008, ASB mencatatkan pendapatan kasar sebanyak RM5.14 bilion dan pendapatan dividen daripada syarikat penerima pelaburan yang menyumbangkan RM3.12 bilion atau 60.71 peratus daripada pendapatan kasar dan keuntungan daripada jualan saham pada RM1.58 bilion atau 30.75 peratus.

Selebihnya daripada pendapatan sebanyak 8.54 peratus atau RM439 juta diperoleh daripada pelaburan dalam instrumen jangka pendek dan pelaburan lain.

Agihan pendapatan dan bonus akan dikreditkan secara automatik ke dalam akaun pemegang unit masing-masing yang boleh mengemas kini akaun mereka mulai 2 Jan 2009.

Semua transaksi bagi ASB di ibu pejabatnya, pejabat dan ejen-ejen ASB akan digantung mulai 9 Dis hingga 1 Jan ini bagi mempermudah pengiraan agihan pendapatan dan bonus.

ASB ialah dana pendapatan ekuiti harga tetap, yang dibuka untuk Bumiputera berusia 12 tahun ke atas, yang bertujuan menjana pendapatan jangka pendek, pulangan yang konsisten dan kompetitif kepada pemegang unit sambil memastikan pengekalan pulangan pada paras toleransi risiko yang minimum.

Presiden dan ketua pegawai eksekutif PNB Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman berkata di bawah keadaan pasaran yang tidak stabil, rizab empat peratus dibawa ke tahun depan.

“PNB menyusun semula kedudukannya dengan kerap kerana kami adalah pengurus dana jangka panjang. Kami mahu mengekalkan prestasi dan portfolio kepada pulangan yang sentiasa memberikan pulangan yang kompetitif,” katanya.

Didik anak kepentingan pengurusan kewangan

DALAM keadaan ekonomi tidak menentu ini, pengurusan kewangan keluarga adalah sangat penting.

Konsep pengurusan kewangan ini bukan hanya untuk orang dewasa, malah perlu diterapkan di kalangan anak-anak kerana ia dapat membantu mengurangkan jumlah perbelanjaan bulanan anda.

Dengan kenaikan harga barang, anda sememangnya memerlukan bantuan daripada semua ahli keluarga dan anak-anak juga tidak terkecuali.

Malangnya, ramai ibu bapa yang gagal mendidik anak-anak mereka mengenai asas pengurusan kewangan.

Pengajaran paling penting untuk disampaikan kepada anak-anak ialah kepentingan menabung dan mengelakkan pembaziran kerana ia perlu demi kebaikan anda dan juga anak-anak.

Duit tidak turun dari langit

Mungkin ada anak zaman sekarang tidak menganggap mendapatkan duit itu satu perkara sukar.

Semuanya mereka anggap mudah. Cuba bayangkan senario ini - seorang anak kecil meminta ibunya membelikannya mainan baru tetapi ibunya tidak mempunyai cukup duit untuk membelinya, lalu dia berkata “Mak tak cukup duit nak belikan adik mainan ni”. Si anak pula dengan lurusnya menjawab “ATM ada. Mak keluar la duit dari mesin ATM tu”.

Inilah fikiran kanak-kanak zaman sekarang! Bagi mereka, wang dikeluarkan mesin ATM itu tidak ada kesudahannya.

Kanak-kanak akan melalui satu peringkat dalam hidup mereka yang mana mereka mahu memiliki pelbagai benda.

Mereka tidak sedar bahawa untuk mendapatkan wang, anda sebagai ibu bapa perlu bekerja keras.

Apabila anak-anak sudah sampai ke peringkat ini, sudah tiba masanya untuk anda memberikan mereka pendedahan mengenai pengurusan kewangan.

Mendisiplinkan anak mengenai wang

Antara pengajaran penting dalam mendidik anak mengenai pengurusan kewangan ialah mereka perlu mengetahui mereka perlu berdisiplin dalam berbelanja dan menguruskan wang.

Anak-anak perlu berdisiplin, sama ada dalam konteks menyimpan wang dalam akaun simpanan mahupun sekadar dalam tabung di rumah.

Ketika anak-anak mengenali perbezaan antara keperluan dan kehendak serta perlunya menabung, disiplin yang diperoleh dalam menabung dan mengawal diri daripada membazir akan menjadi pengajaran yang boleh digunakan dalam pelbagai aspek kehidupan kelak.

Mereka akan berusaha lebih gigih untuk berbelanja mengikut kemampuan diri dan meringankan beban anda.

Mengelakkan anak anda daripada menjadi Generasi Hutang

Ramai anak-anak kita yang masih menuntut di universiti sudah mempunyai hutang yang perlu dibayar apabila tamat pengajian.

Contohnya pinjaman pelajaran. Apa yang dikhuatiri ialah apabila memasuki alam pekerjaan, bukan saja pinjaman pelajaran perlu dibayar tetapi ditambah pula dengan hutan kad kredit, pinjaman peribadi dan sebagainya.

Jika hutang ini tidak dikawal, mereka mungkin akan dibelenggu hutang untuk tempoh lama dan mungkin juga akan melarat sehingga mereka sudah berkeluarga.



Menanamkan sifat pemurah dan dermawan pada anak-anak

Jika anak anda dapat menguruskan wang dengan baik, mereka akan dapat menabung dan melabur.

Di samping itu, wang lebihan itu boleh digunakan untuk menderma atau menolong kawan atau orang kesusahan.

Dengan menggalakkan sikap dermawan dalam diri anak pada usia muda, mereka akan membesar sebagai individu mempunyai sifat terpuji.



Nota: Artikel ini ditulis SIDC dan Ooi Kok Hwa, pemegang Lesen Wakil Perkhidmatan Pa-saran Modal untuk menjalan-kan urusan nasihat pela-buran di bawah Akta Pasaran Modal dan Perkhidmatan 2007. Mak-lumat dalam artikel ini ialah untuk tujuan pendidikan dan tidak boleh dianggap peng-ganti untuk nasihat perunda-ngan atau nasihat profesional.

Reducing EPF contribution - Does it really help your monthly commitment??

Some info to share with my readers.

Assuming your monthly basic salary is RM4000.

• If your monthly EPF contribution is 11% ( RM440 ), taxable income = RM3560, income tax payable = RM77.(

• If your monthly EPF contribution is 8% ( RM320 ), taxable income = RM3680, income tax payable = RM109.

Thus, if you choose to contribute 8%, you will end up paying more income tax to the government, which will make the government richer.

Finance Minister Najib Tun Razak said this measure is meant to boost up the slow-down market, but from this example wee see that the money does not go into the market. Instead the money goes direct into the government's pocket through the greater amount of income tax that we will have to pay. Obviously this measure does not help the market at all.

Any comment?

KWSP: Pengurangan 3% secara automatik mulai Januari 2009

Pengurangan caruman bulanan pekerja dalam Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) daripada 11 kepada lapan peratus akan dilaksanakan secara automatik mulai gaji Januari 2009 sehingga Disember 2010.

Bagaimanapun ahli yang ingin mengekalkan caruman pada kadar 11 peratus boleh berbuat demikian dengan mengisi borang KWSP 17A (AHL) dan dikemukakan kepada majikan masing-masing untuk diserahkan kepada KWSP.

Menurut Pengurus Kanan Perhubungan Awam KWSP, Nik Affendi Jaafar, KWSP akan mengeluarkan jadual caruman bulanan yang baru. Jadual dan borang tersebut boleh didapati di pejabat-pejabat cawangan KWSP atau memuat turun daripada laman web myEPF di www.kwsp.gov.my mulai 1 Disember ini.

BERTINDAK SEGERA!!! :)

Credit Counseling And Debt Management Agency : Free Service for Malaysian

Mr. Yii lost his brother when he collapsed one ill-fated Sunday morning due to sudden heart failure. Mr. Yii was a guarantor to a housing loan sign-on by his brother, he was liable for paying the monthly installments of RM 1,800 towards financing the home. Almost immediately the property was auctioned off by the bank, forcing Mr. Yii to incur a new debt of RM 120,000 the shortfall arriving from the sale.

Mr. Yii was fighting hard to stay afloat and was threatened with bancruptcy by creditors. Mr Yii was fearful that if he was declared bankrupt, he might lose his family home and other assets under his name. The stress prompted him to seek help from AKPK as his family’s well-being was now threatened.

The agency managed to get creditors approval for a full waiver on the penalty interest and other charges pertaining to the debt. Additionally the bank also waived 50% of the principal on the loss amounting to over RM 70,000 and agreed that the balance of the loss will be paid with monthly installments of RM 500 over a period of 8 years.

The above is one of the success stories published at Credit Counseling and Debt Management, or AKPK, stands for Agensi Kaunseling Dan Pengurusan Kredit.

AKPK is an agency set up by Bank Negara Malaysia in April 2006 to provide financial counseling and debt management to individuals as well as financial education to help individuals take control of their financial situation and gain peace of mind that comes from the wise use of credit.

Since it is not a profit-taking company, AKPK offers the following services, free of charge:

• Financial education on the responsible use of credit and basic money management skills
• Counselling and advice on financial management, including financial budgeting to manage expenses
• Debt management programme to assist financial consumers to regain financial control

AKPK also organizes regular public briefing session to help clients understand how APKP’s Debt Management Program at Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuching. The briefing is currently conducted in English & Malay language.

AKPK does not provide loans or financing. So don’t mistaken that it is just another banking institution whose main aim is to make profit. In order to engage their free service for debt management,

• You have a positive source of income after meeting your expenses
• Your total debt does not exceed RM2million
• You are not under advanced litigation process
• You are not a bankrupt

If you are having trouble with debt, why not give AKPK a call? Their toll free number is 1-800-88-2575.
Kuala Lumpur - 03-2698 8575 ext 201
Johor Bahru - 07-221 0533
Penang - 04-261 2246

COMPARISON BETWEEN CHARGE CARDS AND CREDIT CARDS

Both charge cards and credit cards allow you to conduct cashless transactions, there are differences between these two types of payment cards. The main difference between charge cards and credit cards is on the required amount that is payable by the payment due date.


For conventional charge cards, you must settle the outstanding balance in full by the payment due date and there will be no interest charged. However, a late payment charge
will be imposed if you fail to do so. The late payment charge is usually between 3.0%
to 3.5% per month (or 36% to 42% per annum) of the outstanding balance.


For Islamic charge cards, a compensation fee will be imposed up to a certain maximum
amount allowed, normally RM70 per month and NO COMPOUND INTEREST. Issuers will usually cancel your charge card if you have defaulted on such repayments for a few months (period varies depending on the issuer’s internal policy).


As for credit cards, you may settle your outstanding balance in full by the due date, or
pay at least the minimum monthly repayment, which is usually 5% of the total outstanding
balance. While credit cards offer you a flexible way of paying your credit card debt, it can be
costly.COMPOUND INTEREST APPLY.

Credit card issuers usually impose a finance charge of about 18% per annum for the balances
that are unpaid and a late payment charge is imposed if you fail to pay at least the minimum
monthly repayment by the due date.

Conventional Charge Card : AMEX, Diner's Club.

Islamic Charge Card : HSBC Amanah,Alrajhi, Bank Islam Charge Card. (www.hsbcmanah.com,www.alrajhibank.com.my and www.bankislam.com.my)

check for my previous posts about tips and trick to use Credit card/charge card.

It is the right time to save our electricity bill !

ecoVista Electricity Saver

The electrical system that supplies electricity to our homes and offices are NOT 100% efficient. When the system is not efficient, electricity would be WASTED. This means, we have been paying more than what we should.

The inefficiencies are due to many factors. Among the critically significant ones are :

• Irregular electricity loadings (especially in and around urban and industrialized areas)
• High frequency spikes (called electrical noise and harmonics distortion)
• Poor performing parts from cheap electrical components due to industry-wide manufacturing cost-cutting initiatives.
• Widespread use of reactive appliances (like most lightings, motors, TVs etc) that causes the Electricity Current to lag the Voltage, thus creating a phase shift and results in poorer Power generated (see diagram on the right).

Therefore, it is no surprise that your ordinary 36 Watts fluorescent light ACTUALLY consumes more than 70 Watts of Power to operate. That's about 100% WASTAGE! Something that we have been tolerating with over the years without even knowing it!

It's time to fight back with the latest micro-technology in auto-optimizing your entire household or office electrical system! Time to start saving some serious money by reducing or eliminating that wastage.

You have a choice to reduce your electricity bill by as much as 30% instantly with the ecoVista Electricity Optimizer. Choose to save now.

Do you know the consequences of not reacting to such wastage?
Right! You're wasting more electricity and thus wasting your hard-earned money. Secondly, thicker wires and better insulations are needed to withstand higher temperatures (because inefficiencies draw more electrical Current and more Current means higher wire temperature). Any compromise to this will cause serious potential FIRE HAZARD. Finally, electrical appliances' life-span would be dramatically reduced due to under or over powering of electrical devices.

With ecoVista Electricity Saver, we guarantee immediate savings to your electricity consumption.

Our electricity saver would reduce or eliminate electrical inefficiencies by auto sensing real-time the electricity waveform and reactance loads, then cleverly transforms (through our unique push-pull and filtration technology) and recycles "dirty" electricity into highly efficiency electricity.
The result : Immediate and Definite savings!

This is a propriety technology that was developed and perfected over the years that none could come close to matching its sterling performance.

Our Electricity Saver is tested and proven to deliver the guaranteed performance and safety by various international testing bodies. The internal components used are either UL or TUV certified and all of them carry the CE mark.

You get even more!

The Electricity Saver also comes with built-in rectifiers to stabilize the voltage and filters high frequency electrical noise, a powerful lightning arrestor and current surge protector. All these will give you a total peace of mind in protecting your household/office's sensitive electrical or electronic equipment. EcoVista Electricity Saver has proven on numerous occasions where it served as a vital second line of protection should your main circuit breaker in the distribution board failed to perform.

What this means is, if in an event where your circuit breakers failed to arrest a lightning strike or a power surge, then ecoVista Electricity Optimizer would immediately neutralize such threats and save the entire household/office electrical appliances. This feature alone could save you thousands of dollars and more importantly, all the hassle in managing the cataclysmic destruction.

The diagram above shows how ecoVista Electricity Optimizer instantly reduce electrical current consumption by 45%. By using a digital clamp meter, we can see that the household electrical current consumption is 8.2 Amps. Plug in the ecoVista Electricity Optimizer into any electrical socket and you'll see that the reading instantly reduces to only 4.5 Amps. That's an amazing 45% reduction!

This device is LEGAL to be used in all countries and is highly encouraged by most National Electricity Boards as it helps in reducing energy consumption and goes a long way in helping our environment.

worth to try??i think so. the price is RM 238. this company guarantees that you will be save by 30 % INSTANTLY when you use this device...hmm, sounds good, right?

take a look at this website : http://www.extramile.com.my

Malaysian New Subsidy Plan

Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced the new petrol, diesel and gasoline price effective June 5, 2008.

New Plan :

Petrol --> RM2.70 (from RM1.92)

Diesel --> RM2.58 (from RM1.58)

• RM625 annual cash rebate per vehicle, for owners of private vehicles with engine capacities of up to 2,000cc, as well as pickup trucks and jeeps with engine capacities of up to 2,500cc.

• Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities of up to 250cc will receive RM150.

• Payment will be made via Money Order upon renewal of road tax, from July 1.

• For owners of private vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2000cc, road tax will be reduced by RM200.

• Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities above 250 cc will get RM50 reduction in road tax.

electricity rates also increased by 18% for homes and 26% for business users. The usage below 200kWh will not impact home user. 59% of Malaysian populations would still pay the same amount if the usage is less than 200kWh.

How Much Home Can You Afford?

Find Out How Much Home You Can Afford With a Simple Calculation

When the time is right to purchase a home, the first question you need to be able to answer is how of a home you can afford. Knowing the answer to this question will allow you to focus your search on homes within the correct price range even before applying for a mortgage.

Debt-to-Income Ratio

The most important factor that lenders use as a rule of thumb for how much you can borrow is the debt-to-income ratio. This ratio takes into account a mortgage payment plus your other personal debt you are carrying such as car loans, credit card debt and student loans. The ratio is expressed in a percentage of how much of your income is being used to make debt payments.

The typical guideline used by most lenders is a ratio of 36% as the upper limit. Ratios above this may carry a higher interest rate or be denied altogether.

Lenders also like to see that generally no more than 28% be dedicated to all housing expenses.

Calculating Your Debt-to-Income Ratio

The first thing you need to do is determine your gross monthly income. This is the income before taxes and other expenses are taken out. If you are married and will be applying for the loan jointly you should add together both incomes. Then take this number and multiply it by 0.36. For example, if you and your spouse have a combined gross monthly income of $7,000:

$7,000 x 0.36 = $2,520

This means that your total monthly debt payments should be no more than $2,520, mortgage payment included.

The next step is to determine your total non-mortgage debt payments such as monthly credit card or car payments. For this example we will assume your monthly debt payments come to $950. Computing the maximum mortgage payment:

$2,520 - $950 = $1,570

From this example we have determined that the most home you can reasonably afford is one with a mortgage payment of $1,590 which would include property taxes, insurance and possibly private mortgage insurance.

Remember, This is Only a Rule of Thumb

It is important to remember that just because the bank will lend up to that amount doesn’t mean that is what you can truly afford. This is simply a guideline you can use when shopping for a home so you are concentrating on homes that are within your price range. In reality your specific situation will dictate what type of home and mortgage payment will be best for you.

- taken from financial planning (about.com)

Office boy --> millionaire

A jobless man applied for the position of Office Boy� at Microsoft.

The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a Test. “You are employed”,� he said.

“Give me your e-mail address and I will send you the application to fill in, as well as the date when you may start.”

The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, nor an email.”�

“I’m sorry”�, said the HR manager, “If you don’t have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist, cannot have the job.”

The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10Kg tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door-to-door round.

In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with $60. The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled everyday.

Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. 5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US . He started to plan his family’s future, and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email.

The man replied, “I don’t have an email.”

The broker answered curiously, You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?!!”�

The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”

Moral of the story:

1. Internet/email is not the only solution to your life.

2. If you don’t have internet/email but are willing to work hard, you can be a millionaire.

3. If you received this message by email, you are probably already an office boy/girl, and not any close to being a millionaire

Dont Spent The Money You Dont Have, To Buy The Thing You Dont Need, To Please The People You Dont Like

Do you find yourself spending more than you earn? Yet when you look back, you find that you actually spent that money on something that you could have done without. Worse still, you spent that money on someone you did not necessarily have to please.

How can you avoid spending the money that you do not have, thus reducing incidences of overspending? Read on to find out.

10 Examples how you can overspend unnecessarily

A fresh graduate decides to buy an imported Japanese car. As a result, he uses up 50% of his salary for the monthly installments, car maintenance and petrol. He is then left with another 50% for his other commitments and expenses.

1. A fresh graduate decides to buy an imported Japanese car. As a result, he uses up 50% of his salary for the monthly installments, car maintenance and petrol. He is then left with another 50% for his other commitments and expenses.

2. You impulsively swipe your credit card to pay for the latest Apple laptop you always had an eye on. At the end of the month, you find that you are unable to pay the amount due.

3. Your colleague just moved into a semi-detached house. You sold your entire investment portfolio and existing apartment, took up a bigger mortgage to buy the house next to his.

4. An office lady uses her entire month’s salary to buy the Louis Vuitton hand bag, just because her colleague shows off one to her.

5. You want your boy friend to propose only if he presents you with a Tiffany’s ring.

6. A father took up a personal loan of RM10,000 so that he can take his family for a vacation to Australia. Although he did not need to take this holiday given his financial situation, he did so because his neighbour just came back from New Zealand.

7. Have a breast implant to impress the man you are interested in although he is not interested.

8. You bought an expensive set of home theatre system. However, you rarely watch any DVD at home since you are too busy at work. It is just to impress your friends who visit your house.

9. Bought a Rolex watch during your trip to Switzerland just because your boss said that it was a great investment.

10. You spent lots of money on your wedding ceremony and serve the best food, although all your wife wanted was a honeymoon in Europe.

What is the money you don’t have?

• Credit card - If you can’t afford to pay it in full when the charges is due, it is the “future money”, not “current money” that you already have
• Mortgage - you use the bank’s money to buy a house and stay in it, as long as you are able to pay it back to the financier.
• Personal debt - getting a personal loan to spend on something is the stupidest thing to do.
• Loan shark - those who don’t have credit card, without proper documents to borrow from banks will look for “favours” from loan shark.
• Easy installment plan to purchase consumer product

What are the things that you don’t necessarily need?

Car, a plush house, gadgets and other things that do not fall within your budget. The rule of thumb is to spend less than one third of your income on these items.

Who are the people you don’t like?

• Friends, colleagues and relatives who like to show off,
• those who look down on you,
• those who slap you on the back.

You can have a thousand reasons to hate and dislike somebody, but you don’t have to hurt your wallet.

Have you ever done something like that?

We sometimes, unknowingly, spend money on instant gratification, only to regret much later. We sometimes also give in to our temptations to buy things that we don’t have much use for or things that are impractical.

The next time, before you decide to blow your cash on something, try to think about how many hours of toiling at work that money equates to. This does not mean you need to stinge on everything that you wish to buy. Only buy something if you really need it.

Although this may sound like easy advice, we always end up faltering. We spend more than that we can earn and in the end, find ourselves struggling to make ends meet.

-Credit to KCL.

Husband and Wife : Who should be The Financial Controller ?

It's said that 60-80% of failed marriages have money problems at their core. Especially for the newly-weds, some financial problem only surface after marriage. You might not know how deep in debt is your spouse, unless he or she told you before signing the marriage certificate. In this post, we are going to discuss about certain issues regarding combining finances for husband and wife. Topics include:

• Should married couples combine finances?
• Pros and cons of combining finances.
• Who should be the financial controller?

Should Married Couples Combine Finances

Money is the root of most evil (if not all). In the US, it is very common especially for wealthy people to have a Prenuptial Agreement before getting married.

Prenuptial Agreement
A contract between two potential marriage partners specifying how the property owned by each prior to marriage and owned individually or jointly during marriage will be divided should the couple divorce.

It is definitely a hard decision to make whether you should commit a long term financial commitment with your spouse. When we are thinking of combining finances between spouses, it has a lot to do with individual comfort and trust levels. Some separates their bills and saving even after years of marriage. For me, I combine and manage my whole household finances even before we get married. My wife trusts me with all her money. The same thing happened to my parents, but my mother is the one who control the finance.

In order to decide whether or not you should combine your finances with your spouse, take these issues into considerations:

• How much you trust each other with money?
• Who spend more money? You or your spouse? I suggest to let the more frugal one to be the “financial controller”
• What are your financial goals? Do you have the same financial goals? Short-list and prioritize them. You need to compromise to come out with a set of agreeable financial objectives.
• What is each person’s responsibility? (such as handling bills, credit card, parents’ allowances etc.)
• Discuss about the monthly cash flow, budget and net worth. Use this list of financial tools and application to help.
• Make a commitment to discuss about your money at least once a month if not more frequent.

Advantages of Combining Finances

Photo by shutupyourface

Love is about “us”
Try saving to your wife, “This is my money!” Most probably this will cause a major fight and hard to put off the fire for weeks. Combining accounts seems to be a major step to show that how much you care for each other. After getting married, my financial goals become “our” financial goals. My money becomes “our” money. If your spouse earn less or stay home to take care of your family, combining finances create a sense of security.

More efficient
When you are combining accounts, it is easier to manage. Either one can sign documents or withdraw cash during emergency. Besides that, you only need “one” instead of “a pair” of the material things. You only need one TV set, one audio set, one house to stay, one car (maybe). You only need to meet one really good financial planner to plan for both person assets.

Better Investment Opportunity
By combining your total income, your assets, you can better manage them. The more money you have, the more opportunity you are exposed to. Some investment such as buying properties, or investing in hedge fund overseas require larger initial lump sum. You will be able to invest in those larger investments which are not available to you before.

Better Tax Planning
This is even better for those who has business income. You can plan your account and distribute your income more evenly, so that your income won’t be at the highest tax bracket. For both working spouses, you can opt for separate tax

Share the load
You will get to make financial decision together, usually through thorough discussions which will enhance bonding between spouses. You’ll share you opinion, before committing a whole life insurance plan. You’ll educate each other on money matters. assessment and claim for many relief. Ask your tax agent for advice.

No more “I owe you”
When you are short of cash and ask your husband to pay for the meal, do you pay him back later? It’s ridiculous right? If you have combined your finances, you will by default, know that whenever you spend and save, the money is yours together. It was added or deducted from your “joint account”.

Who Should Control the Finances?

Usually, one person of a couple acts as the family accountant or “financial controller”. He/She will be responsible for managing investment, tracking expenses, budgeting, and making other financial decisions. If you are one of those couple who opt to combine finances, it won’t be hard to appoint the person responsible. Use these criteria as a guide:

• Who is more frugal?
• Who is better in accounting?
• Who is better in personal finance knowledge?
• Who is better in investment skills?
• Who is more convenient to handle the accounts - attends seminar, meets financial planners, goes to the bank etc.?
• Who is more dominant?

Do you combine your finances with your spouse?

I do combine our finances. My wife trusts me with all our money and assets. We both know that I am more frugal and smarter in financial planning. I make most of the financial decisions.

However, I still get consent from my wife to make major financial decisions, such as buying another house, or vehicle. My wife still has the freedom to spend, within the budget.

-KC LAU.