你是否经常关注报章上一些有关“如何致富”的广告？这些计划可能值得参加，以累积一些心得；不过，你的收入改善与否，有赖於你掌控收入的能力。
我们都晓得树上不会长满金钱，那么从哪里生钱来？实质上，提供你每日花费的收入来自你所付出的劳力，或是之前投资累积下来的资金。
如果拥有来自投资累积的资金较多，是令人嚮往的事，不过，在累积资本之前，必须要付出劳力。
今天，我们为金钱努力工作，最终，金钱將为我们服务。
以下是一些可以参考的意见：
1.设定財务目標
设定目標是成功的关键，掌管你的財务原理也是一样，假如你晓得你的財务定位，以及设定抵达財务目標的期限，你可以设定抵达目的地的版图。
你可能会问，那是怎样的版图？其中一个主要的关键是：通过个人预算来达到这些目標。
有关的预算必须每年检討，而且在每月的收支方面应用有关的预算，你可以和实际数据做比较，然后进行调整，以迎合现实的情况。
2.保存个人財务纪录
你有保存財务纪录，才有可能设定目標，你会发现个人的预算、倾向於跟隨个人的方式，对於那些財务上不文盲者，不必担心，你不需要是一名会计师，以跟进自己的现金流转方式，以及资產负债情况，市场上有不少你可以购买的货幣管理或財务软件配套。
3.削减或偿清你的债务
对任何人来说，偿清债务是爭取更理想收入的关键，当你每月可能因为要偿还债务面对更大的支出，就没有必要每月储蓄，最好还是儘量偿还债务。
另外，信用卡管理的失策，可能影响你的財务健全性，两个使用信用卡便利的重点是：第一，使用信用卡是方便自己，不是融资的来源；第二，即时偿付未偿清的债务，以便不需承担额外开销。
假如你的结存显示要偿付费用很高，最好是减少每月的结存，而不是將现金存入储蓄账户，每个月的信用卡结存数额高，每年会造成你的支出多了好几百令吉。
4.让金钱为你服务
一个让金钱为你服务的方式是投资，一个可以带来稳定回酬的投资是：收入为主的来源，要有好的投资组合，多元化你的资產这点很重要，譬如由股票、债券、產业组成的组合投资，以便你的组合投资在风险与机会这两方面可以均衡，而且你不会受到某个財务领域的打击，如果你不清楚，可以寻求专业人士的协助。
如果你应用“平衡货幣成本”原理，就是每月定期投资，可以看到附加利益，长远来说，你可能通过定期投资的方式取得更大收益，儘管市场有起有落。
5.先给自己付费
每个月在偿付账单之前，至少拨出收入的15%到你的储蓄账户，以便它可以不断增值，单位信託、储蓄／存款都可以。
假如你在就业的岁月里，已有公积金账户，这15%应该是你本身额外的储蓄，如此一来，你是正面、积极的在改善你的收入来源。
儘早开始储蓄计划，在年纪开始慢慢老去之前，领取累积储蓄的利益。
6.保障你的资產
假如在人生过程中有发生一些变化，寿险是各个阶段保障你人生及家人財务的其中一个途径，市场上有很多各类型的保单，有助於保障你的资產。
7.以分期付款购买房屋
如果你现在是租房屋，也许是考虑购买本身產业的时候，你每月所付的租金，对你来说是一项开销，至於每月的分期付款则是投资，是一项可以增值的资產。
8.在你的预算內花费
本占明法朗林曾经说过：“每一分钱的储存，就是多赚一分钱。”问问你自己，假如购买一台平面荧幕电视，是你家人的必需品，或只是要和你的姐夫竞爭，最好是在你的预算內生活，投资其余未使用的结存。
9.要当一名精明的购物者
每个人时不时会出去消费、购物，这是一个不爭的事实，不过，你可以精明消费，现在你有个预算，列出要购买的东西，维持你的预算，不妨留意促销或季节性优惠购物，如果一些物品是家人常用到的，可以一次过购买。
这听起来似乎陈腔滥调，不过，“时间”就是“金钱”，这一点也没有错，我们每个人每一天有24小时的时间，这24小时是用来赚取收入、花费、赚额外收入或挥霍，儘早投资，以確保你的资產可以增值，用保单提供保障。
金钱为你服务的原理是，假如时间获充份使用，你可以从收入中获取终生股息。星洲日报／投资致富／逆境理债‧2009.04.06
4 Key habits of successful investors
Four key habits an investor might want to adopt are:
i) Preserve capital and minimise risk taking;
ii) do homework before investing;
iii) have an investment philosophy and system; and,
iv) be patient.
IT IS a fact that the local market condition is very hard to predict since it is affected by both global and local factors. As an investor, it may not be possible to predict what is going to happen next, but there are certainly ways to learn from people who have succeeded in riding the waves of good and bad times throughout the years.
In the book "The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros", Mark Tier listed out 23 winning habits based on the habits of these two of the world's richest and most successful investors. Summarised below, are four main key habits that you might want to adopt as the fundamentals to successful investing.
Successful investor habit 1: Preserve your capital and minimise risk taking
All successful investors preserve their capital as a foundation and they do this through risk minimisation. Most investors have the perception that in order to make profits in the market, there is a need to take high risks and it is right to say that risk and return come hand in hand.
However, in order to ensure a long-term success, you should not just simply take any risks, but only calculated risks. This requires you to analyse the situation thoroughly as to be confident that the chances of having a good result on your side is high.
With that in mind, you would only end up investing in what Warren Buffett calls "high probability events", where the risk of loss is at the lowest and you are almost certain to make money. Always remember Warren Buffett's 'Investing Rules: "Rule No. 1: Never Lose Money! Rule No. 2: Never Forget Rule No. 1".
Successful investor habit 2: Do your homework before you invest
There are nearly one thousand companies listed in our stock market. Which one should you invest in? Having Habit No.1 as the foundation, you will know that the safest companies to invest in should be companies or industries that you are most familiar with, as you can only make good judgments if you have in-depth knowledge and understanding. This means that you will have to do your own homework and research through all available sources, such as company annual reports, industry reports or public announcements, in order to obtain the facts on the industry, the company of your interest and its competitors. This is necessary to ensure that you can draw good conclusions on the company's performance and future prospects. Therefore, time and hard work are the two essential elements in turning yourself into an informed and knowledgeable investor. In practicing this, you will also need to be selective and focused on certain industries in which you have the most interest and experience.
Successful investor habit 3: Have your own investment philosophy and system
What is an investment philosophy? An investment philosophy is a set of beliefs that you use as the foundation in developing your personal investment system for buying and selling investments. This will make sure you are fully aware of the reasons behind every investment decision you make. As a beginner in the investing world, you could probably start by following the investment philosophies and systems of some of the great investors that come closest to your heart. However, along the way, you should tailor your investment system to suit your personality, goals and unique circumstances so that you can practice this entire system without stress and worries. If you have the discipline to practice the right system religiously, you will not be easily influenced by the voices or rumours in the market and will not be tempted to simply follow the crowd. Hence, the chances of your making the wrong decisions will be minimised.
Successful investor habit 4: Be patient!
There is a Spanish proverb that says "The secret of patience is doing something else in the meantime". If you somehow managed to inculcate the above 3 habits, you will know exactly what you are looking for and as such, will be well equipped with the patience to wait for the right moment to buy or sell your stocks. Both Buffett and Soros stressed the fact that the secret of their success is having the patience to wait. Use your free time to explore and strategise other new opportunities as there are so many companies listed in the market. Always remember that identifying the right candidates does require time and patience.
On a last note, try to adopt the above habits now! Remember, good strategies will only be successful when executed with the right mindset!
This article was written by Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) to educate investors on smart investing. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal or other professional advice.
SIDC, the leading capital markets education, training and information resource provider in Asean, is the training and development arm of the Securities Commission, Malaysia. It was established in 1994 and incorporated in 2007.
http://www.btimes.com.my/
i) Preserve capital and minimise risk taking;
ii) do homework before investing;
iii) have an investment philosophy and system; and,
iv) be patient.
IT IS a fact that the local market condition is very hard to predict since it is affected by both global and local factors. As an investor, it may not be possible to predict what is going to happen next, but there are certainly ways to learn from people who have succeeded in riding the waves of good and bad times throughout the years.
In the book "The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros", Mark Tier listed out 23 winning habits based on the habits of these two of the world's richest and most successful investors. Summarised below, are four main key habits that you might want to adopt as the fundamentals to successful investing.
Successful investor habit 1: Preserve your capital and minimise risk taking
All successful investors preserve their capital as a foundation and they do this through risk minimisation. Most investors have the perception that in order to make profits in the market, there is a need to take high risks and it is right to say that risk and return come hand in hand.
However, in order to ensure a long-term success, you should not just simply take any risks, but only calculated risks. This requires you to analyse the situation thoroughly as to be confident that the chances of having a good result on your side is high.
With that in mind, you would only end up investing in what Warren Buffett calls "high probability events", where the risk of loss is at the lowest and you are almost certain to make money. Always remember Warren Buffett's 'Investing Rules: "Rule No. 1: Never Lose Money! Rule No. 2: Never Forget Rule No. 1".
Successful investor habit 2: Do your homework before you invest
There are nearly one thousand companies listed in our stock market. Which one should you invest in? Having Habit No.1 as the foundation, you will know that the safest companies to invest in should be companies or industries that you are most familiar with, as you can only make good judgments if you have in-depth knowledge and understanding. This means that you will have to do your own homework and research through all available sources, such as company annual reports, industry reports or public announcements, in order to obtain the facts on the industry, the company of your interest and its competitors. This is necessary to ensure that you can draw good conclusions on the company's performance and future prospects. Therefore, time and hard work are the two essential elements in turning yourself into an informed and knowledgeable investor. In practicing this, you will also need to be selective and focused on certain industries in which you have the most interest and experience.
Successful investor habit 3: Have your own investment philosophy and system
What is an investment philosophy? An investment philosophy is a set of beliefs that you use as the foundation in developing your personal investment system for buying and selling investments. This will make sure you are fully aware of the reasons behind every investment decision you make. As a beginner in the investing world, you could probably start by following the investment philosophies and systems of some of the great investors that come closest to your heart. However, along the way, you should tailor your investment system to suit your personality, goals and unique circumstances so that you can practice this entire system without stress and worries. If you have the discipline to practice the right system religiously, you will not be easily influenced by the voices or rumours in the market and will not be tempted to simply follow the crowd. Hence, the chances of your making the wrong decisions will be minimised.
Successful investor habit 4: Be patient!
There is a Spanish proverb that says "The secret of patience is doing something else in the meantime". If you somehow managed to inculcate the above 3 habits, you will know exactly what you are looking for and as such, will be well equipped with the patience to wait for the right moment to buy or sell your stocks. Both Buffett and Soros stressed the fact that the secret of their success is having the patience to wait. Use your free time to explore and strategise other new opportunities as there are so many companies listed in the market. Always remember that identifying the right candidates does require time and patience.
On a last note, try to adopt the above habits now! Remember, good strategies will only be successful when executed with the right mindset!
This article was written by Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) to educate investors on smart investing. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal or other professional advice.
SIDC, the leading capital markets education, training and information resource provider in Asean, is the training and development arm of the Securities Commission, Malaysia. It was established in 1994 and incorporated in 2007.
http://www.btimes.com.my/
BUILD SOUND FINANCIAL HABITS EARLY
Build sound financial habits early
Too few youths in Singapore are educated on the importance of being financially literate, says CHELSEA ONG
IT IS important for all youths to be financially literate because the consequences of financial illiteracy affect not only the individual but society as well.
Personally, I feel that not many youths between the ages of 13 and 20 in Singapore are given the necessary exposure or education with regard to financial matters.
Educating youths early will help them build good financial habits.
Financial illiteracy causes people to build up bad financial habits and stumble through their lives by trial and error. It also causes people to fail to manage their credit such as credit cards and loans.
Thirteen-year-olds can be taught and would be able to understand issues such as budgeting, debt, savings and credit cards.
Financial literacy is not just a business skill but a personal lifelong skill that one must pick up as all of us will need to make financial decisions at many different points in our lives.
As they become older, they can be taught more complicated concepts such as time value of money, inflation, risk and returns. We can also start teaching them about financial products such as bonds and equities.
At the Singapore Polytechnic, I teach financial management, which includes the topics mentioned above, to second-year students in the School of Business. Most of these 18-year-olds are able to grasp the concepts and apply them.
Financial literacy is not just a business skill but a personal lifelong skill that one must pick up as all of us will need to make financial decisions at many different points in our lives.
Budgeting
Someone as young as 13 can be taught the basics such as budgeting, which is making a plan of how one will spend his money. Many youths and even adults do not like to establish a budget as they view it as a step towards skimping, therefore depriving themselves of purchases and the fun things in life.
Youths need to understand that establishing a budget helps them to see how they can make the most of their money. In other words, a budget helps a person to get more, not less out of their money.
Although a budget can be amended when one's needs change, youths need to develop the discipline to stick to a budget once it is established.
Savings
Youths should be introduced to the magical concept of compounding in savings when they start this habit at an early age. They can then understand that as they regularly save, not only do they earn interest on what they have just saved, they also earn interest on all their previous savings.
The earlier one starts to save money, the greater the effect compounding would have on their future wealth.
Debt
With regard to debt, they must be taught to borrow only what they need. A lot of people fail to differentiate between needs and desires, and often borrow to buy what they want, not what they need.
Youths must also understand that when they borrow money, they pay twice over, that is, the cost of financing the loan as well as not being able to earn interest on the money. It is also important to realise that when they borrow, they are actually spending away their future earnings.
Credit card
Youths must be made aware that the card issuers' main objective is to try to persuade more of their customers to keep high monthly balances on their books as long as possible.
This is done via very low minimum monthly payments. The smartest users of credit cards are those who pay off their balance in full each month as this way, the user gets a free card and a float on their money before they pay off the balance.
The credit card issuers are then forced to make money from those who keep a balance each month.
In conclusion, not looking after one's money doesn't just lead to financial problems. We also end up burdened with unnecessary debt, and have to work harder and longer to finance our loans instead of building up a retirement fund, lost opportunities to make our money work harder for us, and potential relationship problems.
A good starting point for youths to learn how to manage their money is to learn how to manage their allowances and bank accounts.
I would encourage parents who have gone through some form of financial education to give their children more freedom in managing their money. It is better for youths to make mistakes when they are younger on smaller amounts of money and learn from them.
The writer is a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's School of Business.
www.businesstimes.com.sg
Too few youths in Singapore are educated on the importance of being financially literate, says CHELSEA ONG
IT IS important for all youths to be financially literate because the consequences of financial illiteracy affect not only the individual but society as well.
Personally, I feel that not many youths between the ages of 13 and 20 in Singapore are given the necessary exposure or education with regard to financial matters.
Educating youths early will help them build good financial habits.
Financial illiteracy causes people to build up bad financial habits and stumble through their lives by trial and error. It also causes people to fail to manage their credit such as credit cards and loans.
Thirteen-year-olds can be taught and would be able to understand issues such as budgeting, debt, savings and credit cards.
Financial literacy is not just a business skill but a personal lifelong skill that one must pick up as all of us will need to make financial decisions at many different points in our lives.
As they become older, they can be taught more complicated concepts such as time value of money, inflation, risk and returns. We can also start teaching them about financial products such as bonds and equities.
At the Singapore Polytechnic, I teach financial management, which includes the topics mentioned above, to second-year students in the School of Business. Most of these 18-year-olds are able to grasp the concepts and apply them.
Financial literacy is not just a business skill but a personal lifelong skill that one must pick up as all of us will need to make financial decisions at many different points in our lives.
Budgeting
Someone as young as 13 can be taught the basics such as budgeting, which is making a plan of how one will spend his money. Many youths and even adults do not like to establish a budget as they view it as a step towards skimping, therefore depriving themselves of purchases and the fun things in life.
Youths need to understand that establishing a budget helps them to see how they can make the most of their money. In other words, a budget helps a person to get more, not less out of their money.
Although a budget can be amended when one's needs change, youths need to develop the discipline to stick to a budget once it is established.
Savings
Youths should be introduced to the magical concept of compounding in savings when they start this habit at an early age. They can then understand that as they regularly save, not only do they earn interest on what they have just saved, they also earn interest on all their previous savings.
The earlier one starts to save money, the greater the effect compounding would have on their future wealth.
Debt
With regard to debt, they must be taught to borrow only what they need. A lot of people fail to differentiate between needs and desires, and often borrow to buy what they want, not what they need.
Youths must also understand that when they borrow money, they pay twice over, that is, the cost of financing the loan as well as not being able to earn interest on the money. It is also important to realise that when they borrow, they are actually spending away their future earnings.
Credit card
Youths must be made aware that the card issuers' main objective is to try to persuade more of their customers to keep high monthly balances on their books as long as possible.
This is done via very low minimum monthly payments. The smartest users of credit cards are those who pay off their balance in full each month as this way, the user gets a free card and a float on their money before they pay off the balance.
The credit card issuers are then forced to make money from those who keep a balance each month.
In conclusion, not looking after one's money doesn't just lead to financial problems. We also end up burdened with unnecessary debt, and have to work harder and longer to finance our loans instead of building up a retirement fund, lost opportunities to make our money work harder for us, and potential relationship problems.
A good starting point for youths to learn how to manage their money is to learn how to manage their allowances and bank accounts.
I would encourage parents who have gone through some form of financial education to give their children more freedom in managing their money. It is better for youths to make mistakes when they are younger on smaller amounts of money and learn from them.
The writer is a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's School of Business.
www.businesstimes.com.sg
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