SYARIAH PRINCIPLES

My dear followers and friends..It's been a while since my laaaassst update..i've been pretty busy for the last two years..Here's my latest sharing with you...

SYARIAH PRINCIPLES

Qard
A regular loan in which the client undertakes to repay the principal at a future date. Generall, no interest is charged. However- a service fee is permissible in some jurisdictions as long as such fee is based on the actual cost of administering the loan.

Mudharabah
An arrangement or agreement between the bank, or a capital provider, and an entrepreneur, whereby the entrepreneur can mobilize the funds of the former for its business activity. The entrepreneur provides expertise, labor and management. Profits made are shared between the bank and the entrepreneur according to predetermined ratio. In case of loss, the bank loses the capital, while the entrepreneur loses his provision of labor. It is this financial risk, according to the Shariah, that justifies the bank's claim to part of the profit. The profit-sharing continues until the loan is repaid. The bank is compensated for the time value of its money in the form of a floating rate that is pegged to the debtor's profits.

Comodity Murabahah
This concept refers to the sale of goods at a price, which includes a profit margin agreed to by both parties. The purchase and selling price, other costs, and the profit margin must be clearly stated at the time of the sale agreement. The bank is compensated for the time value of its money in the form of the profit margin. This is a fixed-income loan for the purchase of a real asset (such as real estate or a vehicle), with a fixed rate of profit determined by the profit margin. The bank is not compensated for the time value of money outside of the contracted term (i.e., the bank cannot charge additional profit on late payments); However, the asset remains as a mortgage with the bank until the Murabahah is paid in full.

Bai' Bithaman Ajil (Deferred Payment Sale)
This concept refers to the sale of goods on a deferred payment basis at a price, which includes a profit margin agreed to by both parties. This is similar to Murabahah, except that the debtor makes only a single installment on the maturity date of the loan. By the application of a discount rate, an Islamic bank can collect the market rate of interest.

Ijarah
Ijarah means lease, rent or wage. Generally, Ijarah concept means selling benefit or use or service for a fixed price or wage. Under this concept, the Bank makes available to the customer the use of service of assets / equipments such as plant, office automation, motor vehicle for a fixed period and price.

Sarf
A contract of buying and selling of currencies.

Ujrah
A payment for manfa’ah i.e. usufruct on the use of another’s property. Another term related to ujrah is ajr (plural ujur), which refers to payment for a service. It is also applied to salary, wage, pay, fee(s), charge, enrolment, honorarium, remuneration, reward, etc.

Ijarah and Ijarah 'ala al 'Amal
A contract whereby a lessor (owner of an asset) leases out an asset to a customer/ lessee at an agreed rental payment and pre-determined lease period upon the 'aqd (contract). The ownership of the property remains with the lessor while the lessee only owns the right of the use of the property.

Dhamanah
A contract where a person underwrites claims or obligations that should be fulfilled by a debtor, supplier or contractor. In the event that the debtor, supplier or contractor fails to fulfil his obligations, the guarantor is responsible to fulfil such obligations.

Zakat
A religious obligation of alms-giving on a Muslim to pay a certain amount of his wealth annually to one of the eight categories of needy Muslims (asnaf). The objective is to take away a part of the wealth of the well-to-do to be distributed among the asnaf. According to the Shari’ah, zakat purities wealth and souls.

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Using Cash to Keep Spending Under Control

If you are struggling to stay within your budget or seem to spend more money than you should, it might be a good idea to go back to using cash for daily purchases.

It is no surprise that most of us are beginning to move away from cash for everyday spending; the convenience of debit and credit cards is very tempting. Some cards actually offer rewards or cash back that makes the use of cash even less appealing.

The problem with this convenience is that you can begin to forget the true value of the money you are spending and end up having trouble staying within your limits.

How Cash is Different

This is where using cash can help. When your everyday transactions are done by swiping a card you don’t physically see the money change hands. I’m sure everyone knows what spending RM2.00 on a cup of coffee feels like but the fact you only see this number in the form of a receipt or on the cash register display doesn’t have the same effect has reaching into your wallet or purse and physically handing the money to someone else.

The problem lies within the way we think about money in each scenario. When you use an electronic form of payment you are only restricted by the amount of money in the bank or the available credit on the card. So throughout the week when you are spending money on groceries, gas, the morning coffee or lunch out with co-workers you don’t realize how much each small purchase is adding up unless you are balancing your checkbook immediately after each purchase.

On the other hand if you were to use cash for these same purchases you would have a clear idea of the consequences of this spending without even thinking about it. If you started the week with RM40 in your wallet and began to use that for all of your purchases you would see this RM40 turn into RM35, RM25, RM10 and so on. You are reminded of how much you have spent and how much money you have left every time you look in your wallet. This alone can make you think twice before making a purchase.



Try it for Yourself

I encourage you to take a week or two and give this a try to see what effect it has on your everyday spending. Before your regular routine on Monday create a budget for how much money you will need throughout the week. If you regularly buy lunch out, count that, or if you stop for coffee on the way to work be sure to include that as well.

Once you have a pretty good idea of how much money you will spend throughout the week you should have that much cash on you at the start of the week. Whether this is $20 or $100, only have the amount of cash that you have budgeted with you and use this cash for all of those everyday expenses.

After one week how did you do? Did you find that you had money left over or did you have to pack a sack lunch on Friday because you spent your last dollar on Thursday? Regardless of the outcome you have a very real sense of where your money is going throughout the week and because of this you can now put together a realistic and meaningful budget. Convenience can be costly but cash can help you regain control of spending.

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Investment Return - Using the Rule of 72

Compound interest is an amazing thing, and the Rule of 72 is a simple way to quickly estimate how long it will take your investment to double. The only piece of information you need for this calculation is the annual rate of return. While most investments don’t have a fixed rate of return over a long period of time, you can use an average estimate to get a pretty good idea.

How to Use the Rule of 72

To estimate how long it takes for your money to double, simply divide 72 by the interest rate. The result is how many years it will take for your money to double at that rate. For example, let’s assume you can earn a 6% rate of return. How long will it take $1,000 to grow into $2,000?
--> 72 / 6 percent = 12 years

In this example, if you invested $1,000 into an account that earned a flat 6% annual rate of return, after 12 years, your investment would be worth around $2,000. To save a little time, here are some interest rates and the corresponding amount of time to double:

1% - 72 years
2% - 36 years
3% - 24 years
4% - 18 years
5% - 14 years
6% - 12 years
7% - 10.3 years
8% - 9.0 years
9% - 8.0 years
10% - 7.2 years
11% - 6.5 years
12% - 6.0 years

Remember, It’s Just an Estimate

Keep in mind that this is just a quick estimate. Depending on changes in the rate of return over time, what you’re invested in, how you invest it, how interest is applied, and possible tax implications, the actual amount of time needed to double your money will vary. Even so, the rule of 72 can be helpful when you quickly want to compare the rate of growth of two investments.

The rule of 72 also works in reverse and can be helpful in understanding the power of inflation. If you consider the average long-term rate of inflation is between 3 and 4 percent, you’ll notice that something worth $100 today will cost $200 in about 20 years. This can help illustrate the power of inflation and the importance of realizing a rate of return over time that can not only overcome inflation, but also taxes.

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Warning Signs of Too Much Debt

Do you have debt that is bogging you down and keeping you from reaching your financial goals?

Using credit and debt can be a powerful tool that allows you to buy a home, a vehicle, send children to college, and even provide leverage for other purchases, but when you accumulate too much debt, it can pose a serious problem.

Keeping up with your debt payments is only part of the problem. Just because you can afford to fit these payments into your budget, you’re still putting added strain on your finances. Money that is used towards paying down debt can’t be used elsewhere. That means if you’re spending money each month on credit card or other unnecessary debt, you’re taking money away from other areas of your budget that can be used to build wealth and plan for the future.

It can be difficult to actually realize when you’ve reached a critical point with your debt situation, but there are some warning signs that can help you identify the problem before it becomes too serious to address. Here are a series of statements to compare to your situation. If any of these apply to you, it is time to stop and take action to remedy the problem.


10 Warning Signs of too Much Debt

1. You don’t have any savings.

2. You only make the minimum payment on your credit cards each month.

3. You continue to make more purchases on your credit cards while trying to pay it off.

4. You have at least one credit card that is near, at, or over the credit limit.

5. You are occasionally late in making payments on bills, credit cards, or other expenses.

6. You don’t even know how much total debt you actually have.

7. You use cash advances from your credit cards to pay other bills.

8. You bounce checks or overdraw your bank accounts.

9. You’ve been denied credit.

10. You lie to friends or family about your spending and debt.

Take Action Now

Sometimes we know deep down inside that we have a debt problem, but it is easier to deny the problem than to address it. It can be painful and require hard work, but the sooner you realize that you are in over your head, you can begin to make positive changes.

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Increase Your Financial IQ

(True or ) Your house is your greatest asset
For over 10 years I've been telling people that true assets put money in your pocket. For most everyone I know, their house takes money out of their pockets every month. The recent spike in foreclosures in the US only further proves that your house is not an asset.

( or False) Mutual funds are one of the easiest ways to save money
The reason people love mutual funds is because they are so easy. In my opinion they are also one of the worst ways to get rich because they require little or no financial intelligence. The results they provide enrich the fund more than they do you.

( or False) The US dollar is worthless
Since the US abandoned the gold standard in 1971, the US dollar has consistently been able to buy less and less. It is definitely worth less. This is why savers are losers-their dollars lose value every year. To get ahead, you need to be an investor, not a saver.

( and ) Real Estate and Gold are risky investments
Always remember that you can make or lose money in anything. Ultimately, it is not gold, stocks, real estate, or any investment that makes you rich-it is what you know about gold, stocks, real estate, and money that makes you rich. Ultimately, it is your financial intelligence, your financial IQ that makes you rich.

By : Robert Kiyosaki

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How To Create a Budget

Creating a budget may not sound like the most exciting thing in the world to do, but it is vital in keeping your financial house in order. Before you begin to create your budget it is important to realize that in order to be successful you have to provide as much detailed information as possible.

Ultimately, the end result will be able to show where your money is coming from, how much is there and where it is all going.

Here's How:

Gather every financial statement you can. This includes bank statements, investment accounts, recent utility bills and any information regarding a source of income or expense. The key for this process is to create a monthly average so the more information you can dig up the better.

Record all of your sources of income. If you are self-employed or have any outside sources of income be sure to record these as well. If your income is in the form of a regular paycheck where taxes are automatically deducted then using the net income, or take home pay, amount is fine. Record this total income as a monthly amount.

Create a list of monthly expenses. Write down a list of all the expected expenses you plan on incurring over the course of a month. This includes a mortgage payment, car payments, auto insurance, groceries, utilities, entertainment, dry cleaning, auto insurance, retirement or college savings and essentially everything you spend money on.

Break expenses into two categories: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are those that stay relatively the same each month and are required parts of your way of living. They included expenses such as your mortgage or rent, car payments, cable and/or internet service, trash pickup, credit card payments and so on.
These expenses for the most part are essential yet not likely to change in the budget.
Variable expenses are the type that will change from month to month and include items such as groceries, gasoline, entertainment, eating out and gifts to name a few. This category will be important when making adjustments.

Total your monthly income and monthly expenses. If your end result shows more income than expenses you are off to a good start. This means you can prioritize this excess to areas of your budget such as retirement savings or paying more on credit cards to eliminate that debt faster. If you are showing a higher expense column than income it means some changes will have to be made.


Make adjustments to expenses. If you have accurately identified and listed all of your expenses the ultimate goal would be to have your income and expense columns to be equal. This means all of your income is accounted for and budgeted for a specific expense.

If you are in a situation where expenses are higher than income you should look at your variable expenses to find areas to cut. Since these expenses are typically essential it should be easy to shave a few dollars in a few areas to bring you closer to your income.


Review your budget monthly. It is important to review your budget on a regular basis to make sure you are staying on track. After the first month take a minute to sit down and compare the actual expenses versus what you had created in the budget. This will show you where you did well and where you may need to improve.

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What Is Your BEST Investment ?

What is the best investment for us? Many of us would answer stock, properties, unit trust, takaful, investment-linked, and so on.

But in fact the best investment would be to invest in ourself. We can get so focused on investing in other things - our possessions, our financial investments, our properties, our businesses, etc. - that we can forget to invest in our greatest long-term asset, ourselves. My point here is to educate ourself. We invest in ourself because we live the life of continuous education.

This self-investment could be reading books, e-books, magazines, listening to audio books, attending workshops, surfing info blogs & websites or any number of possibilities that focus on improving yourself in every way. The reality is, the more you can invest in yourself, the more you will contribute to your own future. We can also guide ourself to differentiate which is good or bad, and which is halal or haram for us, when we educate ourself.

And this is the best investment that we can ever make in our life.

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Understanding Mudarabah

Mudarabah is a contract between a capital provider and an entrepeneur, in a partnership contract. The capital provider or known as Rabb al Mal will provide the full amount of capital upfront to the entrepeneur (Mudarib). And the resultants profit will be shared according to a pre-determined profit sharing ratio by both parties.

Generally there are 2 types of Mudarabah, that is restricted (Muqayyadah), and unrestricted (Mutlaqah).

In restricted Mudarabah, the capital provider imposes certain restrictions as to where, how and for what purpose his funds are to be invested. As for unrestricted Mudarabah, the capital provider authorizes the Mudarib to use or to invest the fund in a manner which he deems appropriate without laying down any restrictions as to where, how and for what purpose the funds should be invested.

GIA (General Investment Account) is one of the example of Mudarabah partnership you can find nowadays. Most of Islamic bank in Malaysia providing this General Investment Account for its customer. In GIA, the account holder will be capital provider, and the Islamic bank as a Mudarib.

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Examine the Roots of Overspending

To build wealth and reach financial independence, you simply need to spend less than you earn. It is an easy concept to understand, but why is it so difficult? To answer this question, you need to examine the roots of overspending. When you know what factors drive your spending, you can fight back and save money so that you can spend less than you earn.

Easy Access to Credit

For most people, this is the biggest reason for overspending. Just take a look in your mailbox and you’ll quickly see why. People are flooded with credit card, mortgage, auto loan, and refinancing offers on a daily basis. Oftentimes, simply filling out the short form or jumping on their website will be all it takes to obtain a new line of credit.

It can almost feel like free money. They send you a card with a $2,000 limit, so it is easy to think that you now have access to more money. While you do have access to this additional credit, the real problems start when you’re charging things that you don’t have the cash to pay for. It is all too easy to think about the small monthly payments instead of the total purchase price.

Easy Access to Cash

Remember the days when you had to get a paper check from your employer, make a trip to the bank to deposit it, and then keep cash on hand or write checks? Those days are long gone, and most people have access to their bank account 24 hours a day. This can be dangerous.

When you had to rely on keeping enough cash on hand or carefully balance your checkbook each day, the act of spending money meant you had to do a little planning and some simple math. Now, all you have to do is swipe your debit card like you would a credit card and the funds are electronically whisked out of your account. When you aren’t physically handing someone money or a check for a purchase, it can almost feel as if you aren’t spending money at all. Try using cash to get your spending under control.

Misusing Credit Cards

Credit cards can be a great tool when used properly. In the early days, these cards typically required that you paid the balance in full each month. This came in handy as you could make purchases without using your own cash and then repay it all at the end of the month. Effectively, this is an interest free short-term loan. When used as intended, this can be a powerful financial tool.

The problem is when you begin to let the balance carry over from month to month. If you make a $200 purchase on your credit card and find out that at the end of the month you can’t afford to repay the full amount, you’ve started down a slippery slope. It may start with good intentions while you promise yourself that you’ll have enough next month, but more often than not, that doesn’t happen.

This is when the high interest rates on the cards really begin to hurt you. The card company makes the minimum payment due a very small amount, which means that you can afford to make the payment, but if you continue to just pay the minimum, you’ll end up spending the next 20 years paying off that original purchase and spend more on interest than the cost of the original item. That is no way to build wealth.

Giving in to Temptation

Have you ever had a friend or co-worker come up to you and suggest a fun activity? Everyone loves going out and having a good time, but you have to make sure that it is in your best financial interest. We all need to enjoy life, but it is important to know when to decline. It can be easy to simply go out to eat or to the movies and just pay for the evening with your credit card, which if you don’t pay off in full each month means you’ll be paying for that evening for a long time.

Don’t squander your financial future for a few guilty pleasures today if it isn’t in your budget. If you know that you can’t afford an activity, don’t cave in. Instead, invite your friends over for a dinner party, game night, or some other activity where you can still enjoy time together, but without breaking your budget.

Spending to Feel Good

Let’s face it—buying yourself something feels good. Whether it is a new pair of shoes, the hottest new video game, or even a good book—we all enjoy getting something new. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, as long as you don’t go overboard.

This is where it can pay to set aside a little “fun money” in your budget. Take a few dollars out of each paycheck and tuck it away for times like these. You’ll feel good about your purchase whether you make it with cash or by credit card, but you’ll feel even better when you don’t have to spend the next two years trying to pay it off with 20% interest.

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An Opportunity to Invest in Gold

For months now I've been wanting to invest in gold. Since end of last year, analysts have highlighted the prospects of gold and there are many forecasts about how high the price of gold will escalate to in 2009 itself.

I've enquired from banks and goldsmiths about the price of gold coins. It's not that cheap so though I am an interested investor, I hesitated. The resale value should be a lot higher if I were to sell it back into the market in the future but I can't be sure if they would fetch the returns I expect. So I sit and wait and continue to ponder if I should actually buy the physical gold or search for other alternatives.

You can't imagine my excitement when I came across an advertisement in the papers yesterday from Public Bank. The bank is now offering a Gold Investment Account which allows the investor to buy and sell gold without having to keep the physical gold. How it works is that you put in an order to buy the gold by grams at the prevailing selling rate of the bank. You will be given a passbook that captures your every order. When you want to sell it, you can do so at the prevailing buying rate and you get your cash back. Alternatively, you can also request to have the physical gold when you sell, but there are additional charges involved in insurance, etc.

But you have to bear in mind that this investment account does not pay interest during your holding period. You make your returns merely by trading gold with the bank. If the price of gold rises as it is expected to, then this is a good long term investment to get into. You just need to be careful that you take into account the spread of the buying and selling rates so that you do not sell out at a losing rate.

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A Blog Post by Singapore's Youngest Millionaire

Some of you may already know that I travel around the region pretty frequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia , Indonesia , Thailand and Suzhou ( China ). I am in the airport almost every other week so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminars or have read my books.

Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, 'How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?' My reply was, 'That's why I am a millionaire.' He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book 'Secrets of Self Made Millionaires'). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.



When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur's Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worths well over $5m, travelled economy class and some even drove Toyota 's and Nissans (not Audis, Mercs, BMWs).

I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers' and tycoons' sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Thank God my rich dad (oh no! I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, 'What is the point in making so much money if you don't enjoy it?' The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

Instead, what make ME happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see by companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. What makes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how this BLOG is inspiring you. This happiness makes me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life's work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaningless..

By Adam Khoo In Money

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Basic Principles of a Smarter Negotiator

The way that you conduct yourself in a negotiation can dramatically change the outcome. I've been teaching negotiating to business leaders throughout North America since 1982 and I've distilled this down to five essential principles. These principles are always at work for you and will help you smoothly get what you want:

Get the Other Side to Commit First

Power Negotiators know that you're usually better off if you can get the other side to commit to a position first. Several reasons are obvious:
• Their first offer may be much better than you expected.
• It gives you information about them before you have to tell them anything.
• It enables you to bracket their proposal.

If they state a price first, you can bracket them, so if you end up splitting the difference, you'll get what you want. If they can get you to commit first, they can then bracket your proposal. Then if you end up splitting the difference, they get what they wanted.


The less you know about the other side or the proposition that you're negotiating, the more important the principle of not going first becomes. If the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein had understood this principle he could have made the Fab Four millions more on their first movie. United Artists wanted to cash in on the popularity of the singing group but was reluctant to go out on a limb because United Artists didn't know how long the Beatles would stay popular. They could have been a fleeting success that fizzled out long before their movie hit the screens. So they planned it as an inexpensively made exploitation movie and budgeted only $300,000 to make it. This was clearly not enough to pay the Beatles a high salary. So United Artists planned to offer the Beatles as much as 25 percent of the profits. The Beatles were such a worldwide sensation in 1963 that the producer was very reluctant to ask them to name their price first, but he had the courage to stay with the rule. He offered Epstein $25,000 up front and asked him what percentage of the profits he thought would be fair.

Brian Epstein didn't know the movie business and should have been smart enough to play Reluctant Buyer and use Good Guy/Bad Guy. He should have said, "I don't think they'd be interested in taking the time to make a movie, but if you'll give me your very best offer, I'll take it to them and see what I can do for you with them." Instead, his ego wouldn't let him play dumb, so he assertively stated that they would have to get 7.5 percent of the profits or they wouldn't do it. This slight tactical error cost the group millions when the director Richard Lester, to every one's surprise, created a brilliantly humorous portrait of a day in the group's life that became a worldwide success.

If both sides have learned that they shouldn't go first, you can't sit there forever with both sides refusing to put a number on the table, but as a rule you should always find out what the other side wants to do first.

Act Dumb, Not Smart
To Power Negotiators, smart is dumb and dumb is smart. When you are negotiating, you're better off acting as if you know less than everybody else does, not more. The dumber you act, the better off you are unless your apparent I.Q. sinks to a point where you lack any credibility.

There is a good reason for this. With a few rare exceptions, human beings tend to help people that they see as less intelligent or informed, rather than taking advantage of them. Of course there are a few ruthless people out there who will try to take advantage of weak people, but most people want to compete with people they see as brighter and help people they see as less bright. So, the reason for acting dumb is that it diffuses the competitive spirit of the other side. How can you fight with someone who is asking you to help them negotiate with you? How can you carry on any type of competitive banter with a person who says, "I don't know, what do you think?" Most people, when faced with this situation, feel sorry for the other person and go out of their way to help him or her.

Do you remember the TV show Columbo? Peter Falk played a detective who walked around in an old raincoat and a mental fog, chewing on an old cigar butt. He constantly wore an expression that suggested he had just misplaced something and couldn't remember what it was, let alone where he had left it. In fact, his success was directly attributable to how smart he was-by acting dumb. His demeanor was so disarming that the murderers came close to wanting him to solve his cases because he appeared to be so helpless.

The negotiators who let their egos take control of them and come across as a sharp, sophisticated negotiator commit to several things that work against them in a negotiation. These include being the following:

A fast decision-maker who doesn't need time to think things over.
• Someone who would not have to check with anyone else before going ahead.
• Someone who doesn't have to consult with experts before committing.
• Someone who would never stoop to pleading for a concession.
• Someone who would never be overridden by a supervisor.
• Someone who doesn't have to keep extensive notes about the progress of the negotiation and refer to them frequently.

The Power Negotiator who understands the importance of acting dumb retains these options:
Requesting time to think it over so that he or she can thoroughly think through the dangers of accepting or the opportunities that making additional demands might bring.
• Deferring a decision while he or she checks with a committee or board of directors.
• Asking for time to let legal or technical experts review the proposal.
• Pleading for additional concessions.
• Using Good Guy/Bad Guy to put pressure on the other side without confrontation.
• Taking time to think under the guise of reviewing notes about the negotiation.

I act dumb by asking for the definitions of words. If the other side says to me, "Roger, there are some ambiguities in this contract," I respond with, "Ambiguities . . .ambiguities . . . hmmm, you know I've heard that word before, but I'm not quite sure what it means. Would you mind explaining it to me?" Or I might say, "Do you mind going over those figures one more time? I know you've done it a couple of times already, but for some reason, I'm not getting it. Do you mind?" This makes them think: What a klutz I've got on my hands this time. In this way, I lay to rest the competitive spirit that could have made a compromise very difficult for me to accomplish. Now the other side stops fighting me and starts trying to help me.
Be careful that you're not acting dumb in your area of expertise. If you're a heart surgeon, don't say, "I'm not sure if you need a triple by-pass or if a double by-pass will do." If you're an architect, don't say, "I don't know if this building will stand up or not."

Win-win negotiating depends on the willingness of each side to be truly empathetic to the other side's position. That's not going to happen if both sides continue to compete with each other. Power Negotiators know that acting dumb diffuses that competitive spirit and opens the door to win-win solutions.

Think in Real Money Terms but Talk Funny Money
There are all kinds of ways of describing the price of something. If you went to the Boeing Aircraft Company and asked them what it costs to fly a 747 coast to coast, they wouldn't tell you "Fifty-two thousand dollars." They would tell you eleven cents per passenger mile.

Sales-people call that breaking it down to the ridiculous. Haven't we all had a real estate salesperson say to us at one time or another, "Do you realize you're talking 35¢ a day here? You're not going to let 35¢ a day stand between you and your dream home are you?" It probably didn't occur to you that 35¢ a day over the 30-year life of a real estate mortgage is more than $7,000. Power Negotiators think in real money terms.

When that supplier tells you about a 5¢ increase on an item, it may not seem important enough to spend much time on. Until you start thinking of how many of those items you buy during a year. Then you find that there's enough money sitting on the table to make it well worth your while to do some Power Negotiating.
I once dated a woman who had very expensive taste. One day she took me to a linen store in Newport Beach because she wanted us to buy a new set of sheets. They were beautiful sheets, but when I found out that they were $1,400, I was astonished and told the sales clerk that it was the kind of opulence that caused the peasants to storm the palace gates.

She calmly looked at me and said, "Sir, I don't think you understand. A fine set of sheets like this will last you at least 5 years, so you're really talking about only $280 a year." Then she whipped out a pocket calculator and frantically started punching in numbers. "That's only $5.38 a week. That's not much for what is probably the finest set of sheets in the world."
I said, "That's ridiculous."
Without cracking a smile, she said, "I'm not through. With a fine set of sheets like this, you obviously would never sleep alone, so we're really talking only 38 cents per day, per person." Now that's really breaking it down to the ridiculous.
Here are some other examples of funny money:
• Interest rates expressed as a percentage rather than a dollar amount.
• The amount of the monthly payments being emphasized rather than the true cost of the item.
• Cost per brick, tile, or square foot rather than the total cost of materials.
• An hourly increase in pay per person rather than the annual cost of the increase to the company.
• Insurance premiums as a monthly amount rather than an annual cost.
• The price of land expressed as the monthly payment.

Businesses know that if you're not having to pull real money out of your purse or pocket, you're inclined to spend more. It's why casinos the world over have you convert your real money to gaming chips. It's why restaurants are happy to let you use a credit card although they have to pay a percentage to the credit card company. When I worked for a department store chain, we were constantly pushing our clerks to sign up customers for one of our credit cards because we knew that credit card customers will spend more and they will also buy better quality merchandise than a cash customer. Our motivation wasn't entirely financial in pushing credit cards. We also knew that because credit card customers would buy better quality merchandise, it would satisfy them more, and they would be more pleased with their purchases.
So, when you're negotiating break the investment down to the ridiculous because it does sound like less money, but learn to think in real money terms. Don't let people use the Funny Money Gambit on you.

Concentrate on the Issues
Power Negotiators know that they should always concentrate on the issues and not be distracted by the actions of the other negotiators. Have you ever watched tennis on television and seen a highly emotional star like John McEnroe jumping up and down at the other end of the court. You wonder to yourself, "How on Earth can anybody play tennis against somebody like that? It's such a game of concentration, it doesn't seem fair."

The answer is that good tennis players understand that only one thing affects the outcome of the game of tennis. That's the movement of the ball across the net. What the other player is doing doesn't affect the outcome of the game at all, as long as you know what the ball is doing. So in that way, tennis players learn to concentrate on the ball, not on the other person.

When you're negotiating, the ball is the movement of the goal concessions across the negotiating table. It's the only thing that affects the outcome of the game; but it's so easy to be thrown off by what the other people are doing, isn't it?
I remember once wanting to buy a large real estate project in Signal Hill, California that comprised eighteen four-unit buildings. I knew that I had to get the price far below the $1.8 million that the sellers were asking for the property, which was owned free and clear by a large group of real estate investors. A real estate agent had brought it to my attention, so I felt obligated to let him present the first offer, reserving the right to go back and negotiate directly with the sellers if he wasn't able to get my $1.2 million offer accepted.

The last thing in the world the agent wanted to do was present an offer at $1.2 million-$600,000 below the asking price-but finally I convinced him to try it and off he went to present the offer. By doing that, he made a tactical error. He shouldn't have gone to them; he should have had them come to him. You always have more control when you're negotiating in your power base than if you go to their power base.
He came back a few hours later, and I asked him, "How did it go?"

"It was awful, just awful. I'm so embarrassed." He told me. "I got into this large conference room, and all of the principals had come in for the reading of the offer. They brought with them their attorney, their CPA, and their real estate broker. I was planning to do the silent close on them." (Which is to read the offer and then be quiet. The next person who talks loses in the negotiations.) "The problem was, there wasn't any silence. I got down to the $1.2 million and they said, 'Wait a minute. You're coming in $600,000 low? We're insulted." Then they all got up and stormed out of the room.

I said, "Nothing else happened?"
He said, "Well, a couple of the principals stopped in the doorway on their way out, and they said: 'We're not gonna come down to a penny less than $1.5 million.' It was just awful. Please don't ever ask me to present an offer that low again."
I said, "Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that, in five minutes, you got them to come down $300,000, and you feel bad about the way the negotiations went?"
See how easy it is to be thrown off by what the other people are doing, rather than concentrating on the issues in a negotiation. It's inconceivable that a full-time professional negotiator, say an international negotiator, would walk out of negotiations because he doesn't think the other people are fair. He may walk out, but it's a specific negotiating tactic, not because he's upset.

Can you imagine a top arms negotiator showing up in the White House, and the President saying, "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Geneva negotiating with the Russians."
"Well, yes, I was, Mr. President, but those guys are so unfair. You can't trust them and they never keep their commitments. I got so upset, I just walked out." Power Negotiators don't do that. They concentrate on the issues, not on the personalities. You should always be thinking, "Where are we now, compared to where we were an hour ago or yesterday or last week?"

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said, "It's okay to get upset when you're negotiating, as long as you're in control, and you're doing it as a specific negotiating tactic." It's when you're upset and out of control that you always lose.
That's why salespeople will have this happen to them. They lose an account. They take it into their sales manager, and they say, "Well, we lost this one. Don't waste any time trying to save it. I did everything I could. If anybody could have saved it, I would have saved it."

So, the sales manager says, "Well, just as a public relations gesture, let me give the other side a call anyway." The sales manager can hold it together, not necessarily because he's any brighter or sharper than the salesperson, but because he hasn't become emotionally involved with the people the way the salesperson has. Don't do that. Learn to concentrate on the issues.


Always Congratulate The Other Side

When you're through negotiating, you should always congratulate the other side. However poorly you think the other person may have done in the negotiations, congratulate them. Say, "Wow-did you do a fantastic job negotiating that. I realize that I didn't get as good a deal as I could have done, but frankly, it was worth it because I learned so much about negotiating. You were brilliant." You want the other person to feel that he or she won in the negotiations.

One of my clients is a large magazine publishing company that has me teach Power Negotiating to its sales force. When I was telling the salespeople how they should never gloat in a negotiation, the founder of the company jumped to his feet and said, "I want to tell you a story about that." Very agitated, he went on to tell the group, "My first magazine was about sailing, and I sold it to a huge New York magazine publisher. I flew up there to sign the final contract, and the moment I signed it and thanked them, they said to me, 'If you'd have been a better negotiator, we would have paid you a lot more.' That was 25 years ago and it still burns me up when I think about it today. I told them that if they had been better negotiators, I would have taken less." Let me ask you something. If that magazine publisher wanted to buy another one of his magazines, would he start by raising the price on them? Of course he would. However harmless it may seem, be sensitive to how you're reacting to the deal.

Never gloat and always congratulate.
When I published my first book on negotiating a newspaper reviewed it and took exception to my saying that you should always congratulate, saying that it was manipulative to congratulate the other side when you didn't really think that they had won. I disagree. I look upon it as the ultimate in courtesy for the conqueror to congratulate the vanquished. When the British army and navy went down the Atlantic to recapture the Falkland Islands from the Argentineans, it was quite a rout. Within a few days, the Argentine navy lost most of its ships and the victory for the English was absolute. The evening after the Argentinean admiral surrendered, the English admiral invited him on board to dine with his officers and congratulated him on a splendid campaign.

Power Negotiators always want the other parties thinking that they won in the negotiations. It starts by asking for more than you expect to get. It continues through all of the other Gambits that are designed to service the perception that they're winning. It ends with congratulating the other side.
If you let these five principles guide your conduct when you're negotiating, they will serve you well and help you become a Power Negotiator.

This article is excerpted in part from Roger Dawson's new book-Secrets of Power Negotiating, published by Career Press and on sale in bookstores everywhere for $24.99.

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Credit Card Balance Transfer

WHAT IS CREDIT CARD BALANCE TRANSFER

Opening a new credit card may seem like the last smart thing to do when faced with mounting credit card debt. In one case, however, this may make sense and wind up saving you a lot of money as well. This special exception is a credit card balance transfer, and is oftentimes available to anyone with a mailbox and social security number.


Credit cards are a big business today, with many companies making a fortune off finance charges. The average annual percentage rate is about 18% on most credit cards. With that kind of interest, it's tough to pay down a credit card, because it is consistently charging interest and adding to the principle. Even hot stocks are pressed to grow at 18% a year. Luckily, companies are so anxious for your business the balance transfer was invented.


In an effort to lure consumers to their credit card, many companies offer free balance transfers from your old credit card. Once the money is safely owed to the new company, they will often provide a grace period where they charge far less on the transferred balance. Finding two, one, or even zero percent interest is possible. Oftentimes this introductory rate lasts for around six months to a year after the balance transfer takes place.


For a savvy consumer, this can be an excellent method of reducing credit card debt. It leaves the person free to pay down the balance on a credit card without incurring interest charges. Using this strategy, a person could potentially open a new account that offers a balance transfer when the old one expires. Then transfer all of the balance to the new card to begin a new grace period of low or non-existent finance charges. If you plan to do a balance transfer, be sure to close your old account immediately; having more than two credit card accounts open may damage credit scores.
Making a balance transfer work for you is an excellent practice, but diligence is required. Sometimes there is fine print attached with hidden charges. Some banks may charge a transfer fee that can be a percentage of the balance transferred. Be sure that there is a cap on the amount, like fifty or seventy-five dollars, or else a balance transfer in the thousands may end up costing a couple hundred dollars. Also, be sure the bank doesn't charge a high annual fee, or joining fee. The credit card companies are already getting your business, so don't let them take the upper hand in a balance transfer.

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Pebezaan Takaful dan Insurans

PENGENALAN TAKAFUL

TAKAFUL berasal daripada perkataan Arab yang bermaksud ‘saling menjamin’ atau joint guarantee. Ia boleh digambarkan sebagai satu perjanjian antara sekumpulan peserta yang bersetuju untuk saling menjamin mana-mana ahli dalam kumpulan itu yang ditimpa kerugian tertentu.

Konsep takaful ini sudah pun wujud pada asasnya sejak sebelum zaman Islam lagi. Pada masa itu, ia dikenali sebagai sistem ‘aqila’ (tanggungjawab bersama) yang dipelopori oleh kaum-kaum Arab pada waktu itu.

Takaful yang dikenali sekarang beroperasi sebagai satu jenis perniagaan (tijari), dan ia berlandaskan prinsip Syariah, iaitu tiada unsur riba, perjudian atau ketidakpastian dalam kontrak dan pengendalian perniagaan takaful itu.

Dalam kontrak takaful, peserta bersetuju untuk menderma sebahagian daripada caruman mereka untuk membantu peserta-peserta lain yang menghadapi kesulitan/kerugian tertentu (ini di kenali sebagai tabarru’). Ia merangkumi unsur perkongsian tanggungjawab, saling menjamin dan melindung sesama mereka. Ini merupakan teras kepada sistem takaful yang menjadikan unsur ketidaktentuan dibenarkan dalam kontrak takaful.

APA YANG MEMBEZAKAN ANTARA TAKAFUL DAN INSURANS

Pada kacamata seseorang yang bukan dari bidang ini, dia akan melihat tiada perbezaan antara kedua-dua sistem tersebut. Selepas diteliti, pada asasnya perbezaannya hanyalah satu, iaitu sistem takaful berlandaskan prinsip Syariah. Akan tetapi, jika diselidiki lebih mendalam, ternyata ada banyak perbezaan antara dua sistem ini. Perbezaan-perbezaan ini boleh dikategorikan seperti berikut:

1. KONTRAK YANG DIGUNAPAKAI:

Dalam sistem takaful, kontrak yang digunapakai ialah gabungan kontrak tabarru’ (derma) dan agensi (wakalah) atau kontrak berkongsi keuntungan (mudharabah). Kontrak dalam insurans pula ialah kontrak pertukaran (jual dan beli) antara penanggung insurans dengan pelanggan (pihak yang diinsuranskan).

2. TANGGUNGJAWAB PEMEGANG

POLISI:

Peserta takaful membuat caruman ke dalam skim dan saling menjamin sesama sendiri dalam skim ini. Di bawah sistem insurans, pemegang polisi membayar premium kepada penanggung insurans.

3.LIABILITI PENGENDALI TAKAFUL / PENANGGGUNG INSURANS:

Pengendali takaful bertindak sebagai pentadbir skim dan membayar manfaat daripada kumpulan wang para peserta. Risiko tidak berpindah dari peserta kepada pengendali takaful. Walau bagaimana pun, sekiranya berlaku kekurangan dalam kumpulan wang para peserta tersebut, pengendali takaful diwajibkan oleh Bank Negara Malaysia memberi pinjaman (tanpa faedah) untuk menampung kekurangan berkenaan. Manakala insurans, penanggung insurans bertanggungjawab membayar manfaat insurans seperti dijanjikan dan ini akan dibayar kepada pelanggan dari wang asetnya.

4. PELABURAN KUMPULAN WANG:

Caruman yang diterima akan hanya dilaburkan dalam instrumen yang memenuhi kehendak Syariah. Bagi syarikat insurans, tiada sebarang sekatan dalam jenis pelaburan yang dibolehkan, selain sekatan yang dikenakan untuk tujuan kehematan.

Di Malaysia, industri takaful bermula sejak tahun 1985 lagi, dengan tertubuhnya Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd. Ia adalah anak syarikat Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. Sehingga kini, terdapat sembilan syarikat pengendali takaful yang sudah diberi lesen oleh Bank Negara Malaysia. Pada tahun 2005, penembusan pasaran atau market penetration industri takaful di Malaysia hanyalah 5.6 peratus, berbanding 38.7 peratus untuk industri insurans. Ini menunjukkan bahawa industri takaful mempunyai potensi yang amat luas yang perlu diterokai.

Perlu diingatkan bahawa ada perbezaan business model yang digunapakai oleh pengendali takaful di Malaysia kini. Dua model yang dikenali ialah ‘Model Mudharabah’ atau profit/surplus sharing dan ‘Model Wakalah’ atau agency. Pengendali yang menggunakan model mudharabah tidak memerlukan perkhidmatan ejen atau wakil untuk menjual produknya, tetapi menggunakan kakitangan syarikat untuk memasarkan produk-produknya. Model wakalah menggunakan perkhidmatan ejen atau wakil takaful untuk memasarkan produk-produknya. Terpulanglah kepada pelanggan untuk memilih produk atau syarikat yang disenangi.

source : UTUSAN MALAYSIA

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Kesan Inflasi

Inflasi berlaku apabila, ‘kuasa beli’ yang semakin berkurangan, berbanding dengan harga barang/perkhidmatan yang semakin meningkat.

Kita ambil contoh mudah:
Pada tahun 1981, Razak tamat pengajian sebagai seorang graduan dan berjaya mendapat kerja di KL dengan gaji RM1,600 sebulan. Selepas beberapa bulan kemudian Razak membeli sebuah kereta import Mazda pada harga RM17,000 dan kemudiannya mendapatkan pembiayaan membeli rumah teres setingkat berharga RM78,000.

Hari ini, (iaitu 25 tahun kemudian), anak Razak, iaitu Alidin telah pun tamat pengajian di universiti. Gaji permulaannya adalah RM1,800, hanya lebih sedikit daripada ayahnya pada 25 tahun dahulu.

Tapi keadaan kini adalah berbeza dengan 25 tahun dahulu, kereta import rata-rata mencecah RM100,000 ke atas. Oleh itu Alidin memilih untuk membeli kereta nasional pada harga RM45,000 (lebih dua kali ganda daripada apa yang dibayar oleh ayahnya 25 tahun dahulu!). Bilamana ayahnya mampu membeli rumah setelah beberapa bulan bekerja, Alidin terpaksa mengumpul wang terlebih dahulu, memandangkan kos membeli rumah di KL memerlukan sekurang-kurangnya RM200,000.

Inilah yang kita boleh simpulkan sebagai inflasi, kuasa beli berkurangan, dan dijangka ianya akan berterusan. Di kawasan bandar, inflasi mampu mencapai sehingga 6% setahun. Disebabkan oleh kenaikan harga petrol dan diesel yang diumumkan oleh kerajaan baru-baru ini, inflasi boleh melonjak lebih tinggi lagi.

Dan apabila anda tidak membuat perancangan seawal mungkin untuk persediaan bersara, sememangnya anda bakal menemui masalah apabila bersara kelak, memandangkan kos sara hidup semakin meningkat disebabkan inflasi. Menurut kajian rata-rata wang KWSP habis dibelanjakan dalam masa 3 tahun sahaja selepas kita bersara. Dan faktanya, kebanyakan daripada kita tidak akan mampu bersara dan terpaksa bekerja kembali jika tidak mempunyai simpanan tambahan.

Seharusnya kita mempunyai persediaan secukupnya untuk persaraan, lebih-lebih lagi dengan inflasi yang semakin meningkat untuk 10 - 20 tahun yang akan datang. Mungkin kita boleh membuat simpanan di dalam amanah saham (yang Islamik) untuk jangka masa “medium to long term”, mahupun membuat pelaburan hartanah yang dapat memberi pulangan dari segi kutipan sewa (cash flow). “Price appreciaition” dari pelaburan hartanah juga mampu mengatasi dan mengekang inflasi.


*Ilustrasi yang menunjukkan sepinggan hidangan berharga RM20 pada masa sekarang akan meningkat sehingga RM64 pada 20 tahun akan datang.

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Rekod Dividen dan Bonus ASB 1990 - 2007

Berikut adalah rekod agihan dividen dan bonus sejak 1990 hingga yg terbaru tahun 2007.

Tahun Dividen + Bonus
2007 8.00 + 1.00
2006 7.30 + 1.25
2005 7.25 + 1.75
2004 7.25 + 2.00
2003 7.25 + 2.00
2002 7.00 + 2.00
2001 7.00 + 3.00
2000 9.75 + 2.0
1999 8.5 + 1.5 + 2 (2% adalah bonus istimewa)
1998 8.00 + 2.50
1997 10.25 + 1.25
1996 10.25 + 3.0
1995 10.0 + 3.00
1994 9.50 + 4.50
1993 9.00 + 4.50
1992 7.50 + 5.00
1991 8.50 + 4.00
1990 8.00 + 6.00

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Apakah Nilai Sebenar RM100 ?

Apakah nilai sebenar RM100?

Pernahkah anda terfikir, setiap RM100 yang anda belanjakan hari ini sebenarnya memusnahkan peluang pendapatan pasif sebanyak RM300 pada masa depan.

Ini kerana, wang sebanyak RM100 akan menjadi RM400 selepas 20 tahun. Dengan anggaran kadar pulangan 8 peratus setiap setahun melalui simpanan dalam ASB.

Jadi, apabila berbelanja anda kenalah berpada-pada kerana setiap ringgit yang dibelanjakan hari ini sebenarnya mempunyai potensi meningkat 3 kali ganda pada masa depan.

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Hidup Melebihi Kemampuan

Hidup Melebihi Kemampuan (oleh RUSINAH SIRON)

SECARA rasionalnya, perspektif permikiran kita dalam melihat sikap golongan muda yang suka berbelanja dan bergaya lagak yang di luar kemampuan mereka ini bukanlah sesuatu yang baru dan menghairankan kerana ia seolah-olah sudah menjadi gaya hidup yang diterima oleh golongan muda khususnya dan masyarakat Malaysia amnya yang memang suka berhutang dan memberi hutang dengan mempunyai pelbagai maksud dan tujuan hidup.


Kita ambil satu contoh mudah dengan melihat senario graduan yang telah tamat belajar dari universiti atau kolej. Dengan usaha, pengetahuan dan tuah badan, kita andaikan graduan yang telah tamat belajar tersebut terus diterima bekerja dengan purata gaji RM2,000 (contoh ini tidak termasuk bagi graduan yang kurang bernasib baik yang mendapat gaji yang tidak setimpal dengan kelulusan yang mereka capai iaitu RM800 - RM1,000).

Dengan gaji RM2,000, maka bermulalah kerjaya graduan tersebut sebagai eksekutif muda yang bekerja di bandar atau di kawasan pinggir bandar di mana mereka ditempatkan. Dengan semangat yang berkobar-kobar berserta dengan iringan doa dan kata-kata rangsangan ibu bapa, maka bekerjalah eksekutif muda tersebut dengan azam untuk membangunkan diri ke arah masa depan yang gemilang dan membantu ibu bapa dan keluarga yang telah banyak berkorban untuknya.

Tetapi setelah mengharungi hidup sebagai eksekutif muda dan terdedah dengan persekitaran kerja yang mencabar mental dan fizikal, perubahan demi perubahan yang positif dan negatif telah banyak mengubah hidup eksekutif muda sehingga perubahan tersebut telah menjerat diri dan kehidupan mereka sebagai individu, pekerja dan sebagai anak dalam keluarga iaitu hutang.

Bagaimana eksekutif muda ini boleh terdedah dengan hutang dan akhirnya hidup dikelilingi hutang?

Mengapa

Marilah kita bersama-sama melihat situasi ini dengan spesifik dan telus, mengapa eksekutif muda ini berhutang:

* Gaji bulanan, RM2,000

* Sewa rumah bilik, RM200 (berkongsi rumah dengan rakan).

* Ansuran kereta, RM300 (bergantung jenis kereta, kalau mahal harga keretanya, mahallah ansuran bulanannya).

* Duit minyak dan tol, RM450 (anggaran perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja, tidak termasuk perjalanan lain).

* Makan dan minum RM500 (hanya tanggung makan sendiri dan tidak termasuk belanja rakan dan teman wanita atau belanja keluarga, kebiasaannya jarang belanja keluarga kerana belanja diri sendiripun terlepas.

* Sosial dan riadah, RM300 (urusan sosial bersama rakan dan hal peribadi, meraikan hari jadi rakan, tonton wayang, hari kasih sayanglah dan pelbagai aktiviti rehat minda bagi orang-orang muda, kononnya).

* Bayar bil, RM200 (bil api, air, telefon, bil pelbagai).

* Bayar kredit barangan RM300 (hutang set hi-fi, TV, peti sejuk, dapur masak dan pelbagai barangan elektrik).

* Barangan peribadi, RM200 (top-up kad prabayar, barangan kesihatan dan kecantikan, pakaian, kasut, aksesori diri bagi wanita, aksesori kereta dan pelbagai barangan kesukaan diri sendiri).

* Hal-hal kecemasan, RM100 (sakit, beri pinjam kawan, kereta rosak dan sebagainya).

* Simpanan RM100 (kerana memikirkan hendak kahwin, simpan sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit).

Ini tidak termasuk lagi dengan arahan “perintah bayar” daripada pinjaman pelajaran mereka di universiti yang sering eksekutif muda ini saja-saja buat lupa tapi tidak pernah lupa untuk bayar perbelanjaan yang berkaitan dengan urusan peribadi mereka. Katakan eksekutif yang memaksa diri untuk bayar pinjaman secara minimum RM100, berapa gaji bulanan mereka yang tinggal?

* Pendapatan daripada gaji, RM2,000

* Perbelanjaan daripada gaji, RM2,750

* Baki gaji, RM - 750

Daripada contoh di atas, kita lihat tiada langsung baki daripada gaji bulanan eksekutif tersebut malah menunjukkan ketidakcukupan gaji setiap bulan iaitu sebanyak RM750. Ini andaian bagi gaya hidup eksekutif yang paling minimum dengan kos hidup semasa.

Cubalah bayangkan jika eksekutif tersebut mengamalkan gaya hidup mewah yang langsung tidak sepadan dengan gaji bulanan yang diterima. Berapalah agaknya kurangan gaji yang perlu mereka hadapi setiap bulan. Itu tidak lagi termasuk jika kita mempersoalkan duit yang perlu diberi kepada ibu bapa yang tidak berhenti-henti berdoa agar anak mereka mampu menghantar wang untuk membantu meringgankan perbelanjaan keluarga.

Tapi apa yang nyata, harapan tinggal harapan yang tidak kesampaian. Tambah menyedihkan lagi, anak yang diharapkan membantu keluarga setelah bekerja, malah meminta wang lagi pada ibu bapa dengan alasan kos hidup tinggi dan baki gaji bulanan memang tidak cukup.

Bagi eksekutif muda yang sering tidak cukup wang kerana wang memang tidak akan pernah cukup bagi mereka kerana gaya hidup mereka itu akan mula memikirkan alternatif untuk mendapatkan wang tanpa perlu meminjam duit ibu bapa atau rakan-rakan kerana malu akan dicop muka subsidi akan menjadikan kad kredit sebagai “abang long” mereka.

Dengan pelbagai promosi yang menonjolkan gaya dan aura kad kredit sebagai satu gaya hidup bagi eksekutif muda masa kini, maka terpesona dan terpanalah eksekutif yang sering putus wang ini untuk menggunakan kad kredit sebagai sumber kewangan alternatif mereka. Tanpa mereka sedari atau dengan sengaja tidak sedar diri, kad kredit itulah yang menjadikan mereka terus berhutang dan akhirnya menjadi hutang melilit pinggang.

Mengapa eksekutif muda ini berhutang? Persoalan ini bukannya susah untuk difahami tetapi tidak mudah untuk dicari penyelesaiannya. Jawapannya terletak kepada lima P:

1. Personaliti - peribadi dan sikap seseorang yang sememangnya suka berhutang kerana sudah menjadi satu kebiasaan kepada dirinya melihat ibu bapa, adik beradik dan saudara maranya yang memang suka berhutang untuk memenuhi kehendak dan keperluan diri. Ibu dan kakaknya suka berhutang beli perabot, hutang kain, hutang pinggan mangkuk, hutang langsir sehinggalah beli alat solek pun hutang. Jadi budaya berbelanja lebih dari pendapatan yang ada dan berhutang sudah jadi amalan biasa pada dirinya, malah mendapat sokongan padu daripada keluarga.

2. Pengaruh Persekitaran - hidup mereka sentiasa di kelilingi oleh mereka-mereka yang menjadikan hutang itu sebagai gaya hidup malah rakan-rakan sendiri memberi galakan untuk berhutang bagi membeli kereta yang kononnya setaraf dengan kerjaya sebagai eksekutif. Malah ada yang beri nasihat songsang pada rakan dengan mengatakan shopping and spending is a part of happiness, so go for it!. Pengaruh negatif inilah yang menjadikan seseorang itu terus lena dibuai mimpi indah di atas tilam dan sofa yang juga dibeli secara hutang di kedai perabot!

3. Promosi - institusi kewangan dan yang berkaitan dengan kad kredit ini memang menyasarkan golongan muda dan berkerjaya sebagai pelanggan berpotensi dengan membuat promosi besar-besaran dan habis-habisan untuk menarik eksekutif muda ini menggunakan kad kredit. Pelbagai iklan dan mesej yang digunakan untuk memaksa eksekutif ini menggunakan kad kredit. Kehadiran jurujual yang tidak pernah penat senyum dan ketuk pintu pejabat memang menjadikan taktik-taktik promosi ini sebagai strategi untuk menarik golongan muda ini menggunakan kad kredit.

4. Pujian dan Perasan- sebagai eksekutif muda, banyak puji-pujian dan dorongan agar mereka ini terus kelihatan anggun, cantik dan bergaya selaras dengan umur yang masih muda dan kerjaya yang disandang. Kerana terlena dan perasan dengan pujian tersebut, maka berlumba-lumbalah eksekutif muda wanita dan lelaki ini membeli-belah barangan berjenama yang bukan murah harganya, falsafah mereka biar papa asal bergaya menjadikan mereka akhirnya papa dan merana kerana muflis. Siapa yang perlu dipersalahkan jika keadaan ini berlaku? Tepuk dada tanyalah selera!

5. Kehabisan - selalu pokai atau tidak cukup duit kerana gaya hidup mewah inilah yang menjadi fokus utama mengapa golongan muda banyak berhutang. Mari kita lihat gaya hidup mewah yang menyebabkan golongan muda ini terperangkap dengan dunia yang mereka cipta sendiri dan bandingkan dengan gaya hidup ala kadar yang boleh membantu mereka berjimat cermat dalam menjalani kehidupan seharian mereka.

Bagi golongan muda khususnya, tidak salah memilih apa juga gaya hidup yang anda kehendaki tapi ukurlah baju di badan sendiri, jalan mana yang hendak anda lalui, jalan menuju kebahagiaan atau kesengsaraan, andalah yang menentukannya. Jika hidup dikelilingi hutang, banyak tekanan secara mental dan fizikal yang perlu anda hadapi. Tekanan fizikal seperti sukar tidur malam, keresahan, gangguan fikiran, panas badan, pening kepala, kekeruhan air muka, kelesuan, kemarahan dan pelbagai simptom fizikal yang akhirnya menjejaskan kreativiti, prestasi dan produktiviti pekerjaan anda sebagai eksekutif yang baru hendak mencipta nama dalam bidang yang anda ceburi. Tekanan mental pula menjurus kepada gangguan jiwa sehingga menjadikan seseorang itu murung, beremosi yang tidak terkawal, sensitif, mengurung diri, takut pada bayang-bayang diri dan akhirnya boleh menjadi gila kerana tekanan jiwa yang dihadapi kesan daripada hutang tersebut. Jadikan diri anda debt free dan hiduplah secara ala kadar mengikut kemampuan diri.
i

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Wang Fiat vs Dinar Emas

Apakah Wang Fiat?

Wang Fiat adalah wang kertas yang dihasilkan tanpa sandaran kepada emas, dan juga wang perakaunan seperti cek dan duit elektronik. Dengan sistem ini maka wujudlah “money creation“, di mana bank boleh memberikan pinjaman dengan jumlah yang berganda-ganda melebihi simpanan yang ada.

Wang fiat yang digunakan sekarang hanyalah bersandarkan kepada kepercayaan masyarakat dunia kepada ekonomi besar dunia seperti US, Switzerland, England dan sebagainya. Disebabkan wang fiat ini tidak bersandaran kepada "precious metal" seperti emas, maka ianya banyak terdedah kepada kelemahan seperti inflasi, "interest", krisis kredit yang melampau dan sebagainya.

Dinar Emas adalah antara alternatif untuk kita menggantikan sistem wang kertas (wang fiat) yang banyak menjurus kepada riba. Idea penggunaan Dinar Emas pernah diketengahkan oleh Tun Mahathir sebagai matawang antarabangsa bagi negara-negara Islam, bagi mengelakkan pergantungan kepada USD (Dollar Amerika) yang kerapkali tidak stabil dan menyebabkan krisis ekonomi. Namun idea ini terhenti begitu saja setelah beliau tidak lagi berkhidmat sebagai Perdana Menteri.

Kelebihan Dinar Emas

Antara kelebihan Dinar Emas adalah emas tidak terkesan dengan inflasi, nilai yang stabil, dan ada nilai intrisik tersendiri. Untuk menghasilkan Dinar Emas ini emas perlu dilombong dan ditempa terlebih dahulu.

Wang kertas fiat pula sebenarnya bernilai sifar, ianya hanya dibezakan angka-angka yang tercetak di atasnya. Bank-bank central di dunia mengaut keuntungan besar kerana kos mencetak wang kertas yang amat minima berbanding nilai yang tertulis di atas wang tersebut.

Masalah Dinar Emas

Buat masa ini penggunaan Dinar Emas sebagai matawang adalah agak sukar dilaksanakan disebabkan perundangan antarabangsa yang melarang sebarang urusan perdagangan menggunakan emas (sebagai “legal tender“).

Dinar Emas di Malaysia

Pada 20 September 2006, negeri Kelantan telah melancarkan Dinar Emasnya sendiri yang dikenali sebagai Dinar Kelantan. Terdapat 3 dominasi iaitu 1/4, 1/2, dan juga 1 dinar. Walaupun tidak dapat dijadikan matawang, namun Dinar Kelantan ini masih boleh digunakan sebagai mas kahwin, hadiah, pembayaran zakat, harta cagaran, simpanan pelaburan dan juga urusniaga persendirian, di mana terdapat sesetengah kedai-kedai dan hotel di Kelantan yang menerima dinar ini. Selain itu Bank Negara Malaysia juga ada mengeluarkan syiling emas yang dikenali sebagai Kijang Emas. Syling emas Kijang Emas ini juga boleh didapati di Maybank dan CIMB. Selain dari syiling emas, penggunaan Gold Savings Passbook Account yang ditawarkan oleh Maybank juga boleh digunakan sebagai alternatif pelaburan melibatkan emas.

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Ubah Gaya Hidup

Seringkali kita terdengar orang merungut tentang harga barang yang kian menaik, harga petrol dan diesel yang meningkat dari tahun ke tahun (tahun ni tak tahu le macammana..)

Secara peribadi, rungutan saja tidak akan dapat mengubah kehidupan seseorang. Kita seharusnya bijak menangani perkara seperti ini sekiranya kita mempunyai kesedaran yang awal tentang betapa pentingnya savings, asset accumulation dan investment wise. Cuba bayangkan dengan hanya duit gaji tiap-tiap bulan yang kita dapat pun kadang-kadang agak payah untuk menampung perbelanjaan bulanan,apatah lagi nak menghadapi situasi kenaikan harga barang dan minyak??..

Oleh itu adalah penting untuk mengubah gaya hidup supaya tidak berada ditahap "HIDUP MELEBIHI KEMAMPUAN" yang mana jika berlarutan akan menyebabkan kita akan terus terperangkap dengan HUTANG (jangan sesekali pinjam dengan ALONG!!!)

Hari ini saya nak berkongsi klip video dari youtube yang berkaitan dengan gaya hidup.
Anyway, enjoy this video clips... :)

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