Mobile phone is back!

After two days, the Maxis line here has returned to normal coverage connection. I should ask for compensation?

What is your capital for UTS? [Method 1 - Lump Sum]

This is just an example I made to show how compounded interest would help make your investment grow larger in time with a lump sum of RM10,000. This simply means that you invest with a capital of a certain amount, and you do not make any additional purchase into the fund during the period of your investment. (click the thumbnail to enlarge and zoom image)














*coming soon! benefit of compounding effect for RM100/monthly contribution instead of lump sums.

Contact me for your financial planning and recommendation of a fund that suits you today! Knowledge is power! :)

Classifications of UTS funds

• Equity Fund
• Most common UTS in Malaysia. The major portion of equity UTS portfolios are shares of listed companies.
• Popular as they provide investors with exposure to companies listed on Bursa Malaysia (and some overseas share markets). The performance of most equity UTS is therefore closely linked to the performance of Bursa Malaysia. A rising share market will normally result in an increase in the value of units in equity UTS, and vice-versa.
• There is a wide array of equity UTS available in the market, ranging from UTS with higher risk-higher return characteristics to those with lower risk-lower returns. For example, the objective of the an aggressive growth fund is "to seek high capital growth over the medium to long-term period through investment in situation and high grow stocks". On the other hand, a savings fund's objective is "to achieve long-term capital appreciation while at the same time producing a reasonable level of income".
• Another type of equity UTS is the 'index' UTS. These UTS invest in a range of companies that closely match (or 'track') companies comprising a particular Index, for example the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI). Investors who participate in this type of UTS will expect to generate investment returns that closely resemble the KLCI, both in terms of risk and return.

• Fixed Income Fund
• There trusts invest mainly in Malaysian Government Securities, corporate bonds, and money market instruments such as bankers acceptances and fixed deposits. The objective of a fixed income (or bond) UTS is usually to provide regular income, with less emphasis on producing capital growth for investors. It is possible, however, for fixed income UTS to generate both capital gains and losses during periods of volatile interest rates.
• Often, fixed income UTS are held by an investor as part of his or her investment portfolio as these UTS can provide diversification to reduce the risk level of the portfolio. This is because investment returns from fixed income securities can have a negative correlation with those of equities, i.e. when returns from investing in share markets are falling, the returns from fixed income securities may be more positive. This negative correlation can be a useful tool in the management of risk in an investor's portfolio.

• Money Market Fund 
• One of the most popular types of UTS overseas is the money market (or 'cash managment') UTS. In the US, the amount invested in money market mutual fund now exceed that saved through the banking system. (Malaysia's former Prime Minister's blog post titled Four Trillion Dollars is interesting to read regarding this matter)
• Money market UTS operate in a similar way to a bank account - the unit price is normally set at a fixed amount, say RM1.00, and there are no entry or exit charges levied. Money market UTS invest in low risk money market instrument that are, in effect, short-term deposits (loans) to banks and other - low risk - financial institutions, and in short-term government securities.
• The weighted average maturity of money market UTS (average time before such loans are repaid to the trustee) is normally no more than, say, 90 days and usually much less. the money market UTS is therefore highly liquid and ideal for use as a short-term 'parking place' for investors' savings, or for longer periods. Income distributions are paid regularly and frequently, and reflect the generally higher interest rates available to institutional investors in the money markets.
• In Malaysia, money market UTS are currently not common.

• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT)
•  Invests in real property, usually prominent commercial (office) properties, and provide the investor with an opportunity to participate in the property market in a way which is normally impossible for the smaller investor (An investor with, say, RM1,000 who wants to invest in commercial property would find it impossible). By acquiring units in a listed REIT, however, it is possible to invest small amounts to gain exposure to the property market.
• Returns from property comprise net rental income plus or minus any change in the value of the property over the period. The prices at which units in REIT trade on Bursa Malaysia will reflect these returns. A unitholder in listed REIT receives a distribution paid from the net rental income and can make a profit or loss on selling units. The price of units in a listed REIT should approximately reflect the market's assessment of the value of the real property held by the UTS.
• Of course, real property valuations reflect a number of factors including rental and vacancy rates, management expenses, location and physical attributes of the property. These factors, therefore, also need to be taken into account when investing in REIT.
• Because of the illiquidity (opposite of liquidity!) and indivisibility of property, most REIT are closed-end, and the units are listed on a stock exchange. Units in listed REIT can be bought and sold through stockbrokers, and PDUT would not normally arrange to buy or sell units for an investor.

• Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)
• ETF is like a listed index UTS whose investment objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. It will primarily invest in all of the securities or a representative sample of the securities that are included in a selected market index.
• ETF often have low expense ratios and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day through a stockbroker, on an exchange like listed shares. Unlike traditional UTS, through, unit prices of the ETF are set throughout the day by the laws of supply and demand.

• Balanced Fund
• Some investors may wish to have an investment in all the major asset classes to reduce the risk of investing in a single asset class. There are two ways to achieve this - either invest directly in a range of single asset class funds (e.g. equity UTs and a fixed income UTS and REIT); or invest in a single UTS that invests in several asset classes. A balanced (or 'diversified') UTS generally has a portfolio comprising equities, fixed income securities, cash and property - although property exposure may be obtained through holding units of listed REIT and shares of real estate or construction companies. Direct property will not normally be held as it is illiquid.
• Balanced UTS exhibit lower volatility that most single asset class UTS (except money market UTS) but offer some prospect of returns higher than those available from money market UTS, savings accounts and fixed deposits. Some balanced UTS have a higher component of growth assets (principally equities) and to appeal to investors comfortable with some risk, whereas lower risk investors may prefer to invest in balanced UTS that invest a higher proportion of the portfolio in more defensive assets (i.e. fixed income securities and cash). A more defensively invested balanced UTS may produce a higher level of distribution, but produce lower capital growth.

• Syariah Fund (Islamic Fund)
• The main objective of Syariah (Islamic) UTS is to provide an alternative avenue for investors sensitive to Syariah requirements. The utmost task of Syariah UTS is to always invest in a portfolio of halal companies, Islamic Debt Securities and bonds or other securities in accordance with Syariah principles. Halal companies will exclude those companies involved in activities, products or services related to conventional banking, insurance and financial services, gambling, alcoholic beverages and non-halal food products.
• The returns of Syariah UTS will also avoid the incidence of riba or usury interest through a unique systematic process of cleansing or purification in removing the amounts representing all non-Syariah permissible elements. Such amounts are normally donated to charities.

• Government-Sponsored Fund
• The modern era of the unit trust industry in Malaysia started in 1981 with the launching of the Skim Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN), a government-sponsored UTS managed by the Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB). The UTS was launched to mobilize the savings of the Bumiputra and to invest in Malaysian companies under the then New Economic Policy. Such was the success of the ASN that PNB has since promoted several other UTS and state governments, too, have launched UTS with similar objectives.
• Government-sponsored UTS represent the bulk of UTS (by value) managed by the unit trust industry in Malaysia. They generally invest on a balanced basis although equity-invested UTS are also available. Equity invested government-sponsored UTS may have a fluctuating or variable unit price while those UTS investing in more balanced portfolios normally have a fixed RM1.00 unit price and operate on an account basis, i.e an 'earnings' rate (representing the total returns of the investment portfolio UTS for the year) is credited annually to each investor's account balance.

Contact me for your financial planning and recommendation of a fund that suits you today! Knowledge is power! :)

Ways To Start Investing in UTS

• Lump Sum <= Click for more info!
• With a lump sum purchase, there is no further commitment to add to the initial investment in a Unit Trust Scheme (UTS). Over a period of time, it is expected that the initial investment in most UTS will grow as investment income and capital gains are earned by UTS. When the investor ultimately disposes of his or her units, the repurchase price of a unit will reflect the accumulation and compounding of investment returns over the period since purchase. It is the compounding of investment returns over time that makes investments (in this case, UTS) so attractive to investors. For example, you inherited a sum of money and would like to invest in UTS, where it will be held for an extended period for specific purposes such as to afford children's education, retirement planning, house purchase, etc.

• Reinvestment of Income <= Click for more info!
• By reinvesting distributions from UTS, an investor can acquire, on a regular basis, small numbers of additional units that, over time, can add significantly to total returns from investing in UTS. Often, small amounts of distributions from investing in UTS are dissipated rather than saved by investors. Reinvestment of distributions is therefore a simple and easy way to increase an investment in UTS. In simple terms, benefit more by not withdrawing the returns/dividends and let it become compounded for it to grow larger in time.

• Regular Saving (Recommended choice!) <= Click for more info!
• A series of smaller lump sum investments(contributions) are not contractual and can be stopped at any time without penalty. This is a disciplined, useful and flexible way for investors to accumulate capital for a future need. By making regular contributions over a period of time, the sum (including investment returns) accumulated at the end of the period may be expected to be significant compared to the amount of each regular contribution.
• Attractive to smaller investors because they can participate with a capital outlay of typically as low as RM100.

•  Borrowing To Invest In UTS (Not recommended!)
• An investor can obtain a loan from a financial institution for the purpose of investing in UTS. However, the question is should an investor borrow to invest in UTS? Each investor's position is unique, so generalizations are difficult to make. Prospective investors must carefully consider the implications of investing with borrowed funds before committing themselves to a loan. If the investors doesn't understand UTS and the financing arrangement, then borrowing should be avoided.
• Here is a list of risks involved in borrowing to invest in UTS:
• Interest Rate Fluctuations - Usually in variable rates (e.g Base Lending Rate). The total cost of financing an investment in UTS cannot therefore be predicted. This increases the uncertainty of the expected profits.
• Default in Repayment of Loan - When there is a default, the lender is entitled to liquidate the investment in UTS. Action may be taken with or without the consent of the borrower. Units may be sold by the lender at a time that is determined by the lender (borrower loses control over selling units decision). Any shortfall between the proceeds from disposal of units and the amount of the loan has to be paid by the investor.
• Premature Repayment of Loan - Borrowing for investment in UTS is a long-term commitment, whereby the loan period may be up to 10 years. Due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. loss of employment), the borrower may wish to repay the loan before the agreed repayment date, despite affordability.
• Margin Call - The value of UTS may vary from time to time, thus lenders may find that the value of units in UTS are held as security (collateral) for the loan provides them with insufficient margin over the amount of the outstanding loan. Failure to pay additional amounts on top of your normal installments can cause the lender to sell units in UTS to reduce the amount owed.

Contact me for your financial planning and recommendation of a fund that suits you today! Knowledge is power! :)

Mobile Phone Down

Not sure why, woke up this morning and found out my mobile phone is not getting any signal.
Might be broken. Looks like I have to go sit on Santa Claus' lap this year.
If anyone need to contact me, please go to the other channels as stated in Contact Me section.
Thank you!

Unit Trust Management Company (UTMC)

For an updated list of available Unit Trust Management Company (UTMC) in Malaysia, click here
It is recommended to choose Public Mutual as your fund manager. Click here as one of the reason why.

Six Types of Investments

1. Savings Accounts
• PROS
• Easy to open and maintain.
• Minimum requirements. Very reasonable.
• Flexible access to cash.
• CONS
• Ease of cash withdrawal can disrupt your savings programme.
• Relatively low interest rate.
2. Fixed Deposits
• PROS
• Higher interest rate than savings account.
• Money cannot be spent on impulse purchases.
• CONS
• Interest may at times be outpaced by inflation.
• Withdrawal less flexible.
3. Property
• PROS
• A good "forced-savings" plan.
• A good hedge against inflation.
• Can bring good returns in "boom" economy.
• CONS
• As a starting point for savings, it is difficult; high "start-up" down payment, and you must qualify for a bank loan.
• Long-term, inflexible mortage repayment scheme.
• Not readily converted to cash.
4. Life Insurance
• PROS
• A useful saving-cum-protection vehicle
• As many policies have a penalty for premature break, it acts as a mechanism to promote savings
• Proven as an effective "forced savings" plan.
• CONS
• Relatively lower returns compared with other long-term investment vehicles.
• Lack of flexibility.
5. Share Market
• PROS
• More exciting than operating a current account.
• Can bring spectacular returns when timing is right.
• CONS
• You need a lump sum to get into the share market.
• Not for the regular saver investing a couple of hundred ringgit per month.
• You need vast amounts of market information, time and luck in order to manage your investments successfully.
6. Unit Trusts (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)
• PROS
• The perfect investment vehicle for regular savers.
• Starting amounts are not as small as for savings accounts, but are reasonable.
• Investments are easy to build up on a regular basis.
• Benefit derived from ringgit-cost averaging.
• Unit trusts give a well-balanced investment portfolio that you do not need to manage yourself.
• You can sell your units when the price is right at any time.
• CONS
• Affected by ups and downs of share market or other markets that the funds invested in.

Source of information :
- Dealing in Unit Trusts handbook by FMUTM (Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers, also knowns as FIMM, Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia)

Why Unit Trust Scheme (UTS) investment?

Unit trust is a form of collective investment that allows investors with similar investment objectives to pool their funds to be invested by professional fund manager in a portfolio of securities. Benefits of investing in unit trust are as follows:

• Professional Fund Management
• Unit trusts are managed by the approved professional fund manager, ensuring that decision making is structured and based on sound investment principles.
• Diversification
• Unit trusts help you diversify your investments in a portfolio of securities to minimize risk and volatility.
• Capital appreciation / income stream
• Unit trusts provide you with the opportunity to reap the capital growth and/or income stream as return on investment.
• Investment Exposure
• Unit trusts make it possible to spread your investments and gain exposure to various asset classes and/or countries
• Liquidity
• Unit trusts allow you to easily buy or sell your investments with minimum hassle. Investors will receive their redemption proceeds within 10 days.
• Flexibility & Affordability
• You can start your investment with as low as RM1,000 and top it up with a minimum of only RM100.
• Comfort of Regulatory
• Unit trusts are regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia to protect the interest of investors.
• Advantages of Compounding
• Unit trusts allow you to reinvest the income/distribution to accumulate growth.

Welcome!

Its still under construction, so please bear patience with me & come back again soon, thank you!