Saturday, October 29, 2011
Toy upgrade
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Adakah ini tanda2 golongan pertengahan semakin menyusut?
(Sumber : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2011%2F10%2F25%2Fnation%2F9768085&sec=nation)
Twice as many millionaires in Malaysia over last 18 months
Citing a report released this week by international financial firm Credit Suisse Group, WSJ wrote that since early 2010, Malaysia added 19,000 new millionaires, bringing its total to 39,000.
Comparatively, the number in Indonesia increased by 52,000 to 112,000, while the number of Singaporeans worth over US$1mil (RM3.15mil) is 183,000, triple what it was a year ago.
The growth spurt of the nouveau riche has been attributed to the weakening US dollar and stingy pockets.
Compared with the Credit Suisse numbers from early last year, these three countries alone have produced close to 190,000 new millionaires since the beginning of 2010.
However, this figure still fell short of the 212,000 new millionaires in China.
“Much of the rise is just a reflection of the weakening dollar, which makes the Singapore dollar- and rupiah-denominated riches look more impressive when translated into US dollars,” WSJ reported.
“Otherwise, it can be attributed to growing savings, stock and property prices.”
Credit Suisse defines wealth as a person's financial and real estate assets minus their debt.
The report also said that the average Singaporean was wealthier in comparison to the rest of the world, with the average household wealth at US$285,000 (RM897,000).
This makes them the fifth wealthiest people in the world after Switzerland, Australia, Norway and France.
Average household wealth in Indonesia, on the other hand, hovered at only around US$12,000 (RM37,771).
“Strong currencies, rising property prices, climbing commodity prices and healthy stock markets have helped the region but the real secret to Southeast Asia's success may be how stingy money makers are here,”WSJ noted.
“Average household debt, which offsets much of savings and investments in Western countries, is very low in the region.
“It is only 13% of total assets in Singapore and 2.5% of total assets in Indonesia.”
My Opinion : Yang makin kaya memang la double...tapi yang makin miskin rasanya lagi ramai kot...saya masih kekal dengan formula yang sama... banyakkan beli "harta" dan elakkan beli "beban"...Iallah akan tiba masanya anda juga boleh tergolong dalam golongan yang dinyatakan di atas...
Financial Planning
Friday, October 21, 2011
Had Kelayakan Skim Rumah Pertama Dinaikkan
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said the ministry was awaiting feedback from designated banks.
“The eligibility limit is now RM3,500 and we are looking at around the region of RM6,000 to RM7,000,” he said when contacted by the New Straits Times.
Lim said the review was in line with the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the 2012 Budget, which raised the loan limit under the scheme from RM200,000 to RM400,000.
“We have to ask the bankers to give us the figures that they are comfortable with if one needs to borrow more money (under the new scheme),” he said.
National House Buyers Association (HBA) secretary-general Chang Kim Loong, in lauding the move, said generally, banks practised a rule of thumb whereby any single loan repayment should not exceed one-third of the borrower’s gross pay.
The government should also push for the building of more affordable properties, which are within the RM220,000 to RM300,000 price range, he said.
“This lies within the capability of the middle-income group,” he said.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu, in welcoming the review, said more people would be able to buy houses if the limit was increased.
In March, the prime minister had announced the My First Home Scheme to enable young working adults to buy houses costing between RM100,000 and RM220,000 with a repayment period of up to 30 years.
Those earning less than RM3,000 a month can obtain up to 100 per cent financing to buy their first home.
The scheme sees the participation of 25 conventional and Islamic financial institutions, including major banks like AmBank, CIMB, Hong Leong, Maybank, Public Bank, RHB and Standard Chartered.
To qualify for the scheme, which is for both houses under construction and completed properties, house buyers must be those working in the private sector and are confirmed employees with a minimum of six months in the job.
The self-employed do not qualify for the scheme, while joint applications are allowed, provided that both are in the private sector and are family members, such as siblings or spouses.
The monthly financing repayment sum must also not be more than one-third of the applicants’ monthly gross income.
However, this sum can go up to 50 per cent of their income if additional credit is permitted under the banks’ underwriting policy.
The Government, through Cagamas Berhad — a national mortgage corporation — will bear the costs of the initial 10 per cent deposit for the house while normal interest or profit rates for Islamic banks apply under the scheme.
My Point of View :