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Having spent the past four days wandering the neighborhoods of Washington DC, it is clear that this city is a prosperous, booming area.  Wonder what business enterprises are sparking this growth?  Big government. Years ago, when I was a newbie intern for the US Treasury, walking a couple of blocks from One Washington Circle (where I lived back when it was an apartment complex) was a dangerous undertaking.  No More.  For miles around, there are now leafy suburbs with casually dressed joggers and dog walkers.  The homes are well maintained and coiffed and the comfortable residents seems at ease with their plush surroundings. Who lives here?  The new "protected" class. These are the people that work for the federal government or the numerous so-called private businesses that devote their endeavors to providing services to government or lobbying to gain a share of government largesse.  These are the folks that view people outside the beltway as moroni...

Fancy getting rich?  Here are the rich man’s habits. Seminars, webinars, Social events/ gatherings, book launches... These right here are some of the main events circled on the rich people’s calendars! Ever wonder why? At one of the many book launches I have been to I had a chance to chat up the local best-selling author Azizi Ali, brilliant mind I must say. He told me that the number of books published in a country mutually relates to the wealth of the citizens.His explanation therefore was the more publications per annum, the more the development countrywide hence increase in the wealth of the individuals. Not so long ago while I was at a luncheon with this brilliant friend of mine, he mentioned that “rich people seldom eat alone”. I was quite ecstatic because this is a habit that I unknowingly practiced for quite a while now. What he said is totally true come to think about it. Its quite funny that there is an entire book dedicated to this subject “ Never Eat Alone ”. If you rea...

I carry no brief for people that break laws, but, in the securities industry, indictments destroy businesses and innocent shareholders are usually left picking up the tab.  That was the result when Drexel Burnham was indicted in 1988.  Many of Drexel employees who trudged silently in the back office found their retirement hopes and dreams destroyed when Rudolph Guliani's over-zealous indictment caused Drexel to go bankrupt overnight -- long before anyone produced any evidence to a judge or jury to peruse.  Most of the folks who lost their life savings by the indictment of Drexel were innocent and had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.  That's what happens when you indict corporations, as opposed to individuals. This same theme plays out in the litigation and settlement arena.  Pension funds who trumpet their lawsuits against corporations are really only suing themselves and enriching the legal profession.  The wrongdoers go unscathed, while innocent shareholde...

After the two series of article on Financial Planning and Financial Planner . Some of you may asked: "Is it difficult to become a Financial Planner? What's the requirement needed?" Hmmm... Good news is it is not difficult, but the bad news is it's not easy either and the requirements for sure will be raised in the future. So, how? In Malaysia, those who practice as Financial Planner must pass any one of below examinations: Registered Financial Planners ( RFP ) issued by Malaysia Financial Planning Council (MFPC) Certified Financial Planners ( CFP ) issued by Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM) After you have passed the said examination, it doesn't mean that you're a Licensed Financial Planner straight away. Why? It's just serves you an entry passport only. Once you have accredited the qualification, you must apply the required licenses with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and Securities Commission (SC) before you can carry out financial planning...

After merging with ING Funds Berhad, Kenanga Investors Berhad launched its first new fund of the enlarged family. In this uncertain global economic environment, how much return can a fund generated was the main concern for many investors. Want to get higher return? Then, we cannot runaway from higher volatility! Are there any balance in between? Yes. To cater for such investors, this new fund aims to provide a compounded rate of return of at least 10% per annum over market cycle (5 years) by investing in a diversified portfolio of Asia Pacific equities . 3 Reasons WHY it benefits you: Well... Unlike others, this fund DO NOT has any benchmark constraint. This allows flexibility in identifying and implementing the most optimum investment strategy. Picture below shows the differences between Absolute and Relative return: Still not yet convinced? How about the proven track record? Click here to download prospectus Source: Kenanga Investors Bhd

For those who have never been exposed to the concept of “refinancing”,  home loan refinancing  may seem like a baffling notion.  After all, what good could possibly come from getting a new home loan… just to pay off your old one? Wouldn't you just go back to square one after the whole process? These could be some of the questions you’re asking yourselves, and understandably so. In reality, home loan refinancing is a widely-adopted practice with many potential benefits. Home buyers far and wide undertake it in order to lower the interest they’re paying on their home loans, reduce their monthly loan repayment amounts, and generally alter their loan terms to better suit their financial needs.  In fact, some even refinance to free up cash riding on the inherent values of their properties! Want to refinance your home loan in Malaysia? Click here to compare different rates by different banks. Courtesy of: iMoney.my

So what is the New York Times offering up this morning. First, European sovereign debt continues to skyrocket to new levels -- both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP.  Guess the bailout is working, if more debt is the goal.  Meanwhile the long running recession in the Eurozone continues unabated with no end in sight. What about the US?  Economists are now busily reloading their economic forecasts, according to the NY Times this morning, to accommodate much slower economic growth in the US than they anticipated previously.  The latest consensus forecast -- 1.5 percent.  That's barely a pulse. Meanwhile the same article puzzles over why this is such a jobless recovery.  They should be reading my blog. Here's what they are missing:  employers do the hiring.  The Times (and the Obama Administration) don't seem to get that.  Along with their main cheerleader, Paul Krugman, the Times believes that government borrowing and spending is all...