SAVERS ARE LOSERS

Dear Readers and Visitors,

Lots of people providing financial advice usually tell people to “save their money” to get ahead. This have proven very true in the past, prior to changes in 1971. However, the question arises whether this is still true in today's context. Before we discuss further, it may be  appropriate for us to touch on the significant events in 1971, where economic measures taken by U.S. President Richard Nixon in unilaterally canceling the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold that essentially ended the existing Bretton Woods system of international financial exchange. Due to the above changes, some financial advisers advocate that Savers are Losers. Though it might sound radical, however does it really not make sense to save your money in today's economy? The answer is yes and no. Why we say that the answer to the question is in the affirmative. This is because some of you may be aware that the inflation rate is very much higher than the savings rate you earn from fixed deposit. As a result, it does not make sense to save in the form of deposit except for your contingency and emergency purposes. This is crucial for those who do not have insurance policy for their needs. With this in mind, of course it makes more sense to hold securities in other forms than hard cash. Consequently, people became more incline to invest in commodities, real estate, shares and bonds as  their hedging and investment tools which they believe to generate higher yields. This is true to some extent, if you enter and exit at the right timing. Timing is always the issue in any form of investment. You don't need a genius to figure it out for you. However, when there is heavy speculation, then the price will go up. Those who entered the market much earlier will make some profit. That is the game. The question that arises is when will the price reach its peak level. To have a better guage of the situation, you  need to have relevant information that has an impact on those commodities. Your entry and exit point of your investment is crucial. The difference will give rise to the return of your investment. This will be the mechanism you ought to know. However, you also need to know that if these prices keep on increasing, the appropriate  authority will have to step in so as to reflect that they are tackling the issue. As a result, you may see the reversal trend appears on the market. Such an unhealthy trend so called to be curbed by the policy  makers by imposing a much higher saving rate so as to reduce its impact to the society. If this issue is not well addressed, then this will add unnecessary burden to the lower income group especially, salary earners. If left unchecked, it will cause chaos to society at the end of the day. As such, If these trends for the long term are in the upward trend, then it makes more sense to invest on the above instruments rather than savings. As the market is flooded with liquidity, the investors have to  turn them into other forms of instrument other than cash. Then the above argument holds water. However, at the accumulation stage of wealth, you may need to save by cutting down unnecessary expenses so long as you spend on the area where it can give you a better return in terms of health, enhance your productivity or assets value. Here, you must be cautious of spending on those areas that really can generate a higher yield to you.  Every cent you save must be well spent to enhance those values so that you are either able to reduce your expenses substantially now or in the near future. Then you are actually added value to your net worth at the end of the day. By now, we hope we have given you a good insight of accuracy of the above statement so as to enhance your wealth management skills at the end of the day. This is crucial so as to reduce your unnecessary  worries so as to lift you up in this critical aspect of life. No doubts money will bring you unnecessary misery, but lack of it will also give you tremendous misery as well. Of course, the former is much better than the latter, we believe. Please don't forget to share with us your views, both good and bad. Thank for your time to read this article. Wishing you a great success.

WEALTH ACCUMULATION; HOW TO

Dear Folks,

When we talk about wealth, it is always appropriate to begin with inner wealth as a strong footing to build and accumulate wealth. However, it is very sad to say this critical and fundamental principle is always ignored even by those who claimed to be so called wealth grandmasters.

Then the million dollars' question is what is meant by "inner wealth" in this context. My definition is more incline to attain inner peace, joy and harmony where you can stay focus on the bigger picture than just solely focus on deals with money issues. Here, this approach is more inclined to a holistic and systematic manner of attaining wealth so that the individual can live his life to its fullest, while achieving his/her pre-set goals. This approach is also not the normal method of comparing and competing with others to achieve his/her goals, as commonly seen in the city environment, or so called rat race competition. He / she choses to leverage on other's resources to achieve their mutual goals. In other words, they chose to share and pool their own resources for their mutual objectives so as to bring enhancement and betterment to the people - in a bigger picture. Here, they cooperate to maximise use of the resources for the masses of the population, rather than individual goals.

Hence, healthy living, in term of physical, mental and spiritual health is always its underlying principle to address this wealth. They allocated some funds for nurturing and building up a strong foundation in these areas regularly or on daily basis by reading healthy stuff which enter into every major components of their minds and souls. As such, they are always full of energy to undertake such noble venture with confidence and passion without any doubt.  

No doubt they are constantly exercising their efforts to attain their goals. However, they remain content with whatever they achieved. They know from their hearts that by doing so, they are able to live to their fullest by stretching themselves to the maximum, but without feeling much pain. Contradictory to common misconception, they enjoy every moment of their walk as they have their missions and passions to press on toward their individual pre-set destination. Now, you can see the great difference between these two approaches.  

In this connection, they stay much healthier than the former. Indirectly, they keep their medical bills at bay despite working for long hours. On the other hand, their productivity is very much higher as a result of the good and healthy stuff they feed on in a  regular basis. They are less disrupted and distracted by those negative incidents. Hence they are very more focused on the big picture rather than indulge in those petty issues.

1.0 Real Estate

Having such mindset and approach, they are also able to see much clearer on how to allocate their funds to generate much higher yields from their investment in real estate besides having to curb the inflation rate which makes their wealth deteriorate. This provides passive income without requiring much labour. With rental and appreciation of their real estate, the gain they made through the investment will put them in a much better position than the return from fixed deposit in the bank. However, you may argue that it is very much depend on the location of their real estate investment. At the same time, they usually will do their homework well prior to such a heavy investment. In short, such a wise move will reduce their risks of getting their investment burned. The beauty of this type of investment is that it is always has some residue value compared to shares. 

2.0 Investing

To double your wealth, another avenue which you can look into is to invest in the potentially high-performing sectors shares which you believe can give a much higher yield in term of probability such as commodities, bonds or quoted shares other than real estate. You must be aware that the latter is less liquid and not easy to turn into hard cash, compare to the former, whenever you need it. As such, you need to formulate certain percentage of your wealth which is more suitable to your circumstances and needs. Hence, this will not only reduce your risk exposure, but also enhance your gain potential. 

3.0 Starting a Business

The old saying is that it takes more money to generate more money. To accelerate extra cash you may chose to venture into business, it makes more sensible opportunity for you to make unlimited wealth when compared to salary earner. However, you need certain skills to make your business venture profitable and able to grow by tapping into its own niche market depending on your product or service you are involved in.

Thanks to the internet world, which offers more viable business opportunity, which was not available in the past. For instance eBay or Web site or Blog. Now it is much easier to monetize your brilliant thoughts via a Web site or blog. Advertisers do embrace blogs as another way to advertise to target their own niche markets. Programs like Google Adsense also place relevant advertisements on your site in return for a cut of the proceeds. Here, you can write about your hobbies just like our http://teaartblog.blogspot.com, scribble reviews occasionally like what we have done on our blog at http://liftyouup.blogspot.com or any other works if you write with authority.  Certain topics pay much better than others. To get a rough sense of the relative value of your topic, you may use the "View Bids" tool at Searchmarketing.Yahoo.com.

Of course, you don't need your own website to generate extra money. But you can also offer your service offline such as offering tuition services or any other service which you are good at.

4.0 To trim down your spending especially those which does not offer you any added value

To accelerate your wealth, you have to use your money wisely. Reviewing your major expenditures regularly is another wise move. In this connection, you will be surprised to see how you can reduce them substantially without any compromise to your lifestyle. Such a good example not only cuts down unnecessary expenditures, but also cultivates good habit of proper budgeting and planning. You may also make use of to do list to assist your work in a more organised and efficient manner. Thus saving you money and time. More over you may use the time saved for other healthy activities which will boost your income further. Killing two birds with one stone.

For more ways to cut costs on daily spending decisions, click here.

Thank for your time and hope that the above article gives you a better yield than before.

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

PURPOSE OF LIFE

To all my dearest readers and visitors,

Today, we write to share with you the bamboo slip, as shown below, which was hanging on my wall for many years.

This bamboo slip had been hanging at a junction between my living and dining hall since many years ago. If I am not mistaken, I bought it from one of the shops in Malacca for my younger sibling who faced several blows in his studies. However, he passed it back to me when he moved out from my previous house. I find the poem reflected in it is so meaningful and have a great impact to my life. I use it as my guiding principle in my walk towards my destiny literally means "The destination of a human being". However, you can also prescribe as a success formula.

The stain in this banner is very old and the stain suggests that it had been hanging for too long. However, due to its rich content, I find it difficult to cast it away. 

Perhaps it is good for me to brief you in detail as what is its meaning so that you may appreciate it as I do. It tells us not to talk about the past failures, and don't be fascinated about our dreams. Instead grab hold of present opportunities and move towards our pre-set goals. Then you shall be rewarded with Success. It can be called a SUCCESS FORMULA.

Do you agree with it? If not, please voice out your views.

As far as I am concern, four important points are being raised here:-

1. Do not let your past failures hold you back. 

As it may not a failure as you deemed it to be, but rather a turning point as it should be. If you have recalled my previous article, you should know by now that lots of successful people have managed to eliminate the wrong paths before they found their success. 

2. Never be fascinated about your dreams. 

It encourages us to put it into action. Dream is good, though it cannot guarantee you success. But every success begins with a dream. So, you decide which to choose. Here, I confess that I always prescribe to the former that led me to achieve some success.

3.  Stay focus on your purpose. 

This is a very useful fundamental guiding principle. Stay focus and never distract your attention to any other thing if success is your ultimate goal. This is not easy because we use to walk by sight and the circumstances may be overwhelming and swing your heart away from your pre-set goal. That is why successful people form a small percentage of the whole population. 

4. Moving forward.

Let us acknowledge the fact that we can't change the past. The most we can do about it is to review and learnt from it so as to avoid making similar mistakes. Having said that, we have to keep on moving forward and progress with it. That's makes our life meaningful and useful. In this regard, we have to make our pre-set goals materialised for the betterment of the world which will benefit from our contribution. Thus,  leaving behind a good and sound legacy.

With the above briefing, we hope you have a good grasp of understanding life and its main purpose. Who knows, you may get one and hang it at your wall so as to remind you when you need it. Practise it daily until it becomes part of your behavior.

Thanks for your precious time in reading this article.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh
Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

IRON - CONVENTIONAL AND CHARCOAL TYPE

Dear friends, Today, I spotted my charcoal iron which has been  displayed at one of the dining corner for many years.  This iron has served my family for more than two  decades before my mother retired it and kept it for  many years before she passed it to me for custody  and safekeeping.  Here, I rather let the photos do the talking.  Notice the hinged lid and the air holes to allow the  charcoal to keep smoldering. These are sometimes  called ironing boxes, or charcoal box irons, and may come with their own stand. However, in my case I  only have the iron box and searching for its own  stand (the iron ring and a piece of flat square hard wood). It is very much heavier compared to the electric  iron. To add more colour to this article. we also  extracted the history of ironing and some information  on box and charcoal iron for your reading pleasure. History of ironing No-one can say exactly when people  started trying to press cloth smoothly,  but we know that the Chinese were  using hot metal for ironing before  anyone else.   Pans filled with hot  coals were pressed over stretched  cloth as illustrated in the drawing to  the right. A thousand years ago this  method was already well-established. Meanwhile people in Northern Europe  were using stones, glass and wood for  smoothing. These continued to be use  for "ironing" in some places into the  mid-19th century, long after Western  blacksmiths started to forge smoothing  irons in the late Middle Ages. Box irons, charcoal irons If you make the base of your iron into a  container you can put glowing coals inside it and keep it hot a bit longer. This is a  charcoal iron, and the photograph (right)  shows one being used in India, where it's  not unusual to have your ironing done by a  "press wallah" at a stall with a brazier nearby.  Notice the hinged lid and the air holes to  allow the charcoal to keep smouldering. These  are sometimes called ironing boxes, or charcoal  box irons, and may come with their own stand. For centuries charcoal irons have been used  in many different countries. When they have  a funnel to keep smoky smells away from the cloth, they may be called chimney irons.  Antique charcoal irons are attractive to many  collectors, while modern charcoal irons  manufactured in Asia are also used in much of  Africa. Some of these are sold to Westerners  as reproductions or replica "antiques". Some irons had shallower boxes and had fitted  "slugs" or "heaters" - slabs of metal - which were  heated in the fire and inserted into the base  instead of charcoal. It was easier to keep the  ironing surface spotlessly clean, away from the  fuel, than with flatirons or charcoal irons. Brick  inserts could be used for a longer-lasting, less  intense heat. These are generally called box irons,  although they used to be known as ironing boxes  too. Late 19th century iron designs experimented with  heat-retaining fillings. Designs of this period  became more and more ingenious and complicated,  with   reversible bases, gas jets and other  innovations. See some inventive US models here.  By 1900 there were electric irons in use on both  sides of the Atlantic. Hope you find the above discussion of assistance  to you. We are look forward to seeing you again. Your Chief Servant, James Oh Founder and Group CEO Skype me at james.oh18 http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

HOW TO UPHOLD CONSUMERS' RIGHTS

Dear Readers and Visitors,

Lately I noticed that my passport is expiring soon and decided to renew it for another 5 years. I also noticed that our immigration department has improved. This time they served me with renewal notice in advance of the expiry date, which I had not experience in the past. Well done and keep it up.

I went to the Damansara Town Centre branch as it is nearest to my house and more convenient as I can make use of the highway to the place. Their office is in that old building, easily more than 20 years old and its building is very run down the way I see it. Its basement car park is dark and narrow with lots of motorcycles parking along the sides of the basement.

It took me half a day to get it renewed and I managed to get the new passport on the same day. Very much faster than the past. Thanks to the new administration.

Although the air-conditioning was not running to the required notch, the department had several wall fans running so as to keep the place cosy. Thanks again for your kind usage of public funds.

Once I obtained my new passport, I paid RM 6.70 for my parking fee at the auto pay machine, G Block. However, I suddenly realized that I cannot locate my parking ticket, after driving a certain distance. At first, I thought I have not pull out the ticket and decided to go back to check at the auto pay machine after I failed to find it at my wallet and my laptop bag.

However, I also cannot find the ticket there and decided to go to the Metro Parking office to sort out the matter. After asking around, I finally managed to locate their site office.

After my explanation to the supervisor, they decided to impose RM 30.00 as fine for loss of ticket. They explained to me that the fine is not refundable even if I located the ticket. Knowing that I was rushing off the place, they pressed me to locate the ticket first which I did not have any idea where I placed it. I told them that I rather pay the fine and will only claim back if I can find the ticket. However such arrangement was not accepted by the supervisor, named En. Saiful. He was not friendly at all and told me verbally that this is his company's policy and refused to put it down in writing, which I insisted and finally he put it in writing. I found him ridiculous. However, I still paid the fine before going back to my car. Once I opened my door, I immediately saw the paid ticket at the coins holder just below the driver's window. Thanks God and I decided to go back to claim back my fine as I did not lose the ticket.

The same supervisor rejected my argument and I demanded to see his manager. His manager, En. Rosli finally came out from his office and decided to pay me back the penalty fee after hearing my explanation.

Thank God again for His kindness that touch the manager who refund me the fine in full.

From the above incidents, I decided to share with you that we, the consumers, should raise out our voices to the appropriate authority should they impose any unreasonable fine against their customers.

No doubts they may have some grounds such as to avoid abuse by certain unscrupulous customers. However they should carry out proper investigation in order to avoid any misunderstanding.

Thanks for your time and hope the above is useful to you.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18
http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

BANDAR UTAMA - FRUIT TREE COMPETITION

Happy day to you,

Lately, I decided to take a walk and brought my newly bought camera with me. Initially I took a few photos of my nearby electricity pole and slowly extended to cover other poles of the whole street and  another pole which is parallel to it. 

My discoveries are so fruitful and we like to share with you. We are so amazed with the creativity of our residents' work that drives me to take photos of these fruit trees that they planted outside their compound. After serious thought, I may use some of their ideas and plant these fruit trees at the idle land of my backyard.

See the photo above where the owner comes out with his own unique idea of planting banana trees. See the bananas are hanging at the tree. I began to wonder how nice if I have some of these trees are at my backyard. These not only greens the environment, but can also help me cut down some of my fruits consumption bill. Moreover, banana is also one of the most nutritious fruit you can find in this region. 

This is another amazing photo - look at the coconut tree planted just outside the compound of the house. Not only do they provide shade to the vehicle, the owners, but also offers free coconuts. See the coconut is in light gold colour. Can anyone tell me whether the fruit is ripe or not? I was made to understand by one of the owners, a few units away from this unit that these fruits are very sweet. Hope I have the chance to taste it and I will revert to you with my feedback. 

Wow, look at the photo above - the papaya tree is standing shyly behind the pole. Judging the size of the tree, it is still has a long way to bear fruit and also provided the tree is of "female" gender which can bear fruit. Here, we need to pray for this owner that it be a "female" tree.

In my case, for those who have read my preceding article on greening with fruit trees, you should know that I planted two pomegranate trees; one just outside my main entrance and the other at my backyard. How wonderful, blessed with some fruits while greening the environment. Killing two birds with one stone. See my trees in the photos below. Big thanks to my mother who brought this idea to me. I used to pluck some, if available, for her whenever I visited her. She loves the fruit from this tree as I used natural fertilisers such as dried leaves and used tea leaves.

For those who wish to plant the pomegranate, please contact me.

Please indicate to us the highest score you give for this competition.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you,

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.co

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A CAR

Happy day to you,

Buying a car involves a major financial decision and it deserves careful consideration. It is quite easy to be scammed if you are not careful especially if you are the first time car buyer. Therefore, to reduce your chances of getting an undesired deal, you need to know precisely what factors to consider.

1.0 RESEARCH

Thanks to internet which serves an excellent resource for gathering information on the cars of your choice. Conducting research is a must if you intend not to pay too much for your dream car, which may be far out from its range of market price. By comparing  the prices, you will be able to reduce your chances of paying unreasonable high price. Thereafter, you can embark to shop around with different dealers so as to obtain the best price for yourself.

As such, you need to do some research before going to a dealer. Even if you were to buy from a private party, these information serve as a good guide for you. Needless to say, you need to have prepared questionnaire that will enable you to get appropriate information so as to derive an informed and smart decision. Information such as finding reasons for offering the car for sale may provide some insight into the problems that may be present.

2.0 RELIABILITY

The reliability of the car is of greater concern. You may go to the relevant websites such as auto check.com and carfax.com to determine how reliable the car really is. However, you may raise questions about the cars' reliability if you are purchasing from a private party. Getting a reliable mechanic to inspect the vehicle for you may be another wise move. Here, the reliability of the car is determined by its history and knowing its past performance is essential.

3.0 PETROLEUM consumption /MILEAGE

This is very crucial especially you do not intend to spend big money on maintaining and operating the car. Usually the bigger the car, the higher the petrol consumption especially when you drive in cities where heavy traffic is involved. Let us face the reality, are we going to bear extra costs for your fuel bill? Do not forget that the fuel price is on an upward trend. Nowadays many people I know prefer to purchase User friendly vehicles as these vehicles give you better mileage with less petrol consumption.

4.0 TEST-DRIVE

When taking the car on a test run, makes sure you are comfortably seated and happy with its performance such as the pick up power. Adjust the seat levers to your comfort. If you still don’t feel comfortable, then reconsidering your choice seems to be a better move.

5.0 IN DEMAND VEHICLES

Read about the cars you have in mind before you go ahead with the purchase. Alternatively, you may check with your friends, neighbors or family for their preferred and reliable car types.

6.0 SAFETY

This is a main concern especially if you travel with younger children frequently. Avoid buying those cars which are not up to standard. Read the safety features from the brochures or check with someone who you trust and have experience in this area.

7.0 AUTO INSURANCE

You may obtain the insurance rates and the policy that is appropriate to you. It is important to compare rates before choosing an insurance policy. Here, you must be aware that the insurance premium is usually proportionate to the age of the vehicle as certain loading will be added if the car is of certain age, apart from the type of profession you are in.

8.0 AUTO FINANCING

You may buy in cash or you may opt for a financing package. The interest rate is usually l proportionate to your loan tenure and the age of the vehicle. In my country, people usually buy through hire purchase where fixed interest rate is determined prior to the loan drawdown. In those advanced countries, leasing or other type of loans are used.

If you have considered all the above factors, you will be able to make a more informed decision when you buy a car.

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh

Founder and Group CEO

Skype me at james.oh18

http://liftyouup.blogspot.com