Sunday, December 13, 2009

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Thursday, September 10, 2009

It is Between U & God..

Funds to Get You Going

Funds to Get You Going


provided by
wsjlogo.gif

For twentysomethings new to 401(k) plans, target-date funds, which allocate investments and their corresponding risk according to your retirement date, have been an easy, hands-off choice.

But with many target-date funds taking a beating during the market collapse, some younger investors may be reconsidering the set-it-and-forget-it attitude and looking to take a more hands-on approach with their 401(k) plans.



"Not everybody can jump into a target-date fund and expect it to be what they need it to be," says DaRayl Davis, an investment adviser in Washington, D.C. "A target-date fund will only look at a certain time horizon, but it doesn't look at our risk tolerance in general."

For younger investors looking for more investment options, here are some alternative funds to consider.


Index funds. These low-cost funds seek to produce the same return you would get owning all the stocks in a particular stock index.

Mr. Davis says broad stock-market index funds -- which mimic, say, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index or the Dow Jones Industrial Average -- are a good option for younger workers investing long term because, over the long haul, the market as a whole is likely to outperform any one individual stock or mutual fund.

And as market indexes recover from the steep slides of last year, index funds will gain value along with them.

You can diversify your risk by dividing contributions among index funds that follow riskier emerging markets or other more stable markets.

Balanced funds. These funds, which generally split investments 60/40 between stocks and bonds, may appeal to young investors who want to reduce the risk exposure in their 401(k)s. The goal of balanced funds is to avoid the sudden highs and lows of the markets and maintain steady growth. You might not be able to cash in on a hot new sector, but you won't be hit as hard if the market plummets.

"There's a danger with being too conservative, and there's a danger to being too aggressive," says Nancy L. Anderson, a financial planner in Sacramento, Calif.

Lifestyle funds. Rather than adjusting your portfolio to your estimated retirement date, lifestyle funds are built to match your risk tolerance by dividing money accordingly between stocks, bonds and money-market funds.

You should be able to choose from funds that are labeled as conservative, moderate or aggressive -- with the conservative funds more focused on bonds and the aggressive funds heavy in stocks. Some companies offer additional options like very aggressive and very conservative.

Some general wisdom. Regardless of your allocations, you should keep a close eye on your 401(k) and review statements each quarter to learn more about how the market works and what is happening to your money.

But try to rebalance no more than once a year -- and avoid drastic changes in response to a big market drop or rally.

"One of the mistakes people make in their 401(k)s is to continuously change their investments around," says Larry Rosenthal, a financial planner in the Washington, D.C. area.

It may help to sit down with a financial adviser to develop a long-term investment plan.

Write to Jonnelle Marte at jonnelle.marte@wsj.com

Saturday, September 5, 2009

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR COUPLES IN A NUTSHELL.


Sharing perspective about money can help couples resolve financial issues that doom many marriages. The following are some tips on how you and your spouse can secure a stable financial future together.

1) Be aware of and comfortable with each other's money personalities

Understanding your spouse's background and values can help avert many financial problems down the road.


2) Discuss your short- and long term-term financial goals with one another

Setting financial goals helps you develop priorities and define the type of lifestyle you and your spouse will lead.


3) Be well versed in personal finance

Work together to develop your financial knowledge and build confidence by taking a course, meeting with a financial planner, or reading up on financial planning books.


4) Decide how to divide the money management tasks

Decide who will be responsible for balancing the cheque book, filing taxes, and tracking investments, or better yet, set up a plan for rotating these and other financial tasks.


5) Understands the importance of establishing a realistic budget

A valuable budget helps you save regularly, utilise income wisely, and avoid misunderstands about how money is spent.


6) Know how much debt your spouse is bringing into the relationship

Couples must enter marriage knowing how much debt they each carry and how it will be paid.


7) Make a commitment to discuss money regularly

Handling differences in opinion regarding monetary issues is important to your marriage.


Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Thursday, August 13, 2009

RETIRED AT 38 - FANTASY-VS-REALITY

You may think you have enough money saved for retirement, but the younger you call it quits, the bigger stash you'll need. Here are a few things to consider first.

Question: I'm single, 38 years old and have about $900,000 saved up. I'm tired of the stress of the corporate world and am wondering: If I live a very simple life, can I afford to retire and not have to worry about going through all my money? —Don H., Marietta, Georgia

Answer: I'm sure that almost all of us, at some point in our lives, have considered such a fantasy. I know I have. There are days when you just feel overloaded for any number of reasons — pressure on the job, demands from the home front, perhaps a growing sense that you're on a treadmill moving ever faster making it harder and harder to keep up.

So I can relate to your impulse to drop out and live a simpler, slower-paced life, sort of the modern-day equivalent of Henry David Thoreau's move to Walden Pond.

But if you think it through, I believe you'll find what you're contemplating is really more a fantasy than a realistic plan, at least from a financial point of view.

I know that $900,000 sounds like a lot of money. And it is. At age 38, however, you need to plan on living at least another 40 to 50 years, so your savings are going to have to carry you a long, long way.

Making Your Money Last

As a practical matter that means you must be very careful with withdrawals if you want to be sure you don't run through your stash. Advisers typically recommend that 65-year-old retirees limit themselves to an initial draw of 4% of their portfolio, and then adjust that dollar amount for inflation each year. By doing that, they have roughly an 80% to 90% chance that their savings will last at least 30 years.

So if you apply that standard, you would begin with an initial withdrawal of about $36,000, which you would then increase annually by the inflation rate to maintain your purchasing power.

But you need to be sure your money will last a lot longer than 30 years. So to be on the safe side you may want to withdraw even less initially, which would bring your income down.

Even then there's no assurance you won't go through your money. A lot will depend on how you invest your 900 grand. You could play it safe by keeping most of it in cash and bonds. But that would make it more difficult for you to maintain your draws should inflation rise in the future.

Devoting some of your savings to equities would give you a better shot at long-term growth that could keep your income growing as fast, or even faster than, inflation. If you hold withdrawals down and the markets perform well, your portfolio could even balloon in value. But the more stocks you own, the more you would be vulnerable to downturns in the market.

Downgrading Your Lifestyle

Even if you were confident that the 4% approach would allow your money to last the rest of your life, there are other reasons you might want to reconsider whether going ahead with your plan makes sense. One is whether you can actually live off an inflation-adjusted $36,000 or less a year.

As recent census figures show, many people obviously do. In fact, many get by on smaller amounts. But you won't have much margin for setbacks or room for frills. And if you've been making enough money to allow you to set aside $900,000 by your mid 30s, it's likely that you've been earning a lot more than $36,000 a year, in which case you may have quite a lifestyle adjustment to make.

Even if you're okay with that, you've also got to consider that, in real life, things happen that may prevent you from living within your budget. Cars break down. Unexpected medical bills pop up. You want to splurge once in a while.

So I think it's reasonable to assume there will be years when you've got to pull more than you anticipate from your savings. In some years it could be a lot more. And those extra draws could significantly raise your odds of running out of money sooner than you expect.

I'm not saying that it's impossible for you pull this off. But do you really want to? Retiring at your age strikes me as, well, a tad extreme.

Emotional Satisfaction

Even beyond the financial issues I've raised, I have to wonder whether dropping out of the workforce at your age would lead to a very satisfying life. For most people, work is more than just a way to generate income to pay for life's necessities. It's also a way to stay socially connected, to interact with people. That's why so many retirees like to keep a hand in the job market even aside from financial reasons. A job can also create a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of fulfillment. Work, dare I say it, can even be fun.

If you're stressed out, there may be other ways to deal with the strain. Perhaps an extended vacation that allows you to recharge would help. Or maybe you should consider switching to a new career, or moving to another part of the country.

Or instead of dropping out completely, you could work fewer hours or even move in and out of the workforce (although moving back in when the unemployment rate is as high as it is today could be difficult).

My advice would be to try a scaled-down version of the simple life and see how it goes. This would give you a taste for a slower pace of life and more free time without requiring you to live solely off your savings.

Ultimately, this is a personal decision. If you're willing to deal with the financial challenge of living off your savings for the next four decades or longer, maybe you'll be able to fashion a very fulfilling life for yourself.

But the mere fact that you've asked the question indicates that you have at least some concerns about financial security.

I may be wrong, but my guess is that retiring at 38 and living off your 900 large will require a much bigger lifestyle adjustment — and be less satisfying — than you think. After all, even Thoreau's experiment with bare-bones living lasted only a little over two years.

Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.

If it's OK with U........

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

You Were Created To Go Beyond...


Did you know that God wants to take you beyond where you are right now? He loves and cares for you so much, and He wants you to experience life where anything is possible.

It's the life that Jesus lived, and it's the life He desires for you as you hear His voice and obey His Word. God didn't create you in the hope that you would just get by or settle for the ordinary.

God has a unique, just for you purpose!

So often we limit ourselves or allow others to put limits on us that keep us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. Many times, we don't even realize this is happening until we read God's Word and discover the real truth He has for us. If we, as believers, hold on to the things that limit us, they will keep us from the incredible life God has for us.

Doing it God's way isn't always easy. Trust doesn't come naturally to us; neither do forgiveness, patience or having a good attitude through difficult seasons in life.

If you want to go beyond where you are today, to get to the place God's calling you, you have to live God's way.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

PUBLIC SAVINGS FUND - SIMPLY THE BEST!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaHKsqg

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Thursday, July 30, 2009

3 Stages of Life.....


Teen age:

Have Time + Energy …but No Money




Working Age:

Have Money + Energy …but No Time

Old age:

Have Time + Money …but no Energy

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Never Compare your wife with your mom.....

Memoirs of IMH (International Mental Hospital)


Record I

Patient A: "So how.. this book not bad ya?"

Patient B: "Excellent! Astounding work. No nonsense shit, sharp and
concise to the point. But there's a major flaw in this piece of art
too many character names to remember!!!"

Nurse: "Hey! Can the two of you..put the telephone book back to the
original place?"



Record II

One doctor asked a patient: "If I were to cut one of your ear off, what will happen to you?" Patient: "Then I will not be able to hear..." Doctor: "Hmm.. that's normal...So if I were to cut your other ear off, what will happen to you?" Patient: "Then I will not be able to see..."
The doctor became nervous and asked: "Why would you not see then???" Patient: "Because my spectacles will drop down.
.."


Record III


IMH has an old lady who wears black everyday, carries a black umbrella and squats @ the entrance to the IMH everyday without fail, rain or shine. The doctor wanted to administer treatment for her and decided to start by understanding her behaviour. So, the doctor also wear black and carries a black umbrella; squatted outside together just next to her, rain or shine, everyday without fail. So...days goes by...the two of them squatted side-by-side w/o a single exchange of words..for one solid month... One fine day..the old lady finally broke the silence and asked the doctor: "Err...Excuse me! Are you also a mushroom?"


Record IV (the best)

A nurse saw a patient writing a letter.. She got curious and went to take a peek.. But the patient didn't wanna let her see. Nurse (unable to contain her curiosity): "Who are you writing to?" Patient : "I'm writing a letter to myself..." Her curiosity grew and she thought to herself (Why would someone write a letter to himself?)

So she asked again: "So...what's written inside?" Patient (got impatient): "You crazy ah? I haven't receive the letter, how would I know??"



Record V


Two patients escape from the IMH. They climbed up a tree and one of
them fell from the tree and started rolling on the ground.

After a while, the patient rolling shouted to the top: "Hey! How come
you are not coming down yet?"

The patient on top replied: "No..no...I can't...I'm not ripe yet"



Record VI

One patient visited the doctor: "Doc...how? I think I'm a chicken
since I was born..."

Doctor: "Woah! that's very serious...Why do you only come and seek
treatment now?"

Patient: "Because my family needs me to hatch the eggs..."




Record VII (Perfect)


One truck driver was doing his usual delivery to IMH. He discovered a flat tyre when he was about to go home after unloading the stuff. He jacked up the truck and took the flat tyre down. When he was about to fix on the new tyre, he accidentally dropped all the bolts into the drain. The truck driver was very sad as he can't fished the bolts up; started to panic.


Coincidentally, one patient walk past and asked the driver what happened. The driver thought to himself, since there's nothing much he can do, he told the patient the whole incident. The patient non chantly replied: "can't even fix such a simple problem...no wonder you are destined to be a truck driver..." he goes on explaining: "You just have to take one bolt each from the other 3 tyres and fix it onto this tyre. Drive to the nearest workshop and replace the missing ones" The driver was very impressed and asked "You're so smart but why do you stay in IMH?" Patient replied: "I'm here because I'm crazy not STUPID!"


Saturday, July 25, 2009

Spread Your Wings....


When you appreciate the countless blessings from God, you will free yourself from all "Knots" of life.
Why I say "knots", knots is like a rope that cannot get out free. Stuck with problems and unnecessary of worries. Hard to breath and tied down. You are in control not the"obstacles". Never compare yourself with others and you will get on better. Move on with what inspires you and follow your passions. Do what you do best and focus.

Love yourself and you will love others without doubt. Trust in God and He will guide you in your path of life. Thank Him for all His blessings and you will be bless even more than good.


Believe in God and yourself, have faith & you will fly like an eagle.......so spread your wings! =))

Saturday, July 18, 2009

True Kolo Mee stories from me...





Well something strike up and hope this will make u laugh!

Kolo Mee Story 10 years ago......

One evening I've decided to have kolo mee for dinner from Hui Sing Garden stalls. So I drove with my kids along to the desired place. When we reached there, I wanted to try Dan & Joel to tapau themselves and learn to speak simple mandarin to the hawker stall. This is their first time task to order for tapau and I repeated this to Dan and Joel in simple mandarin before they go forward and this is how it goes "Tapau liang pau kolo mian"(takeaway 2 packets of kolo mee) for Dan to say and to Joel, "Fang char sau yue"(put char siew sauce). Asked them to repeated it a few times , seems ok and they went....

I waited patiently in the car and when they came back, Joel was so excited, he said: Mom! I'm so good! I talked fluently to the lady in mandarin while Dan was still trying to murmured his " Ta......pau......liang.......pau......kolo......mian....slowly after I spoke my line faster than him. Well. it was suppose to be Dan to say it first tho...The auntie asked us in english how many packet do we want to buy and put char siew sauce is it? Dan said, Hai ya!!! Mom, The auntie can speak english one! Why want us to speak mandarin so hard!! I couldn't stop laughing in the car! Picturing my kids trying to speaking mandarin like a"kwai lo" to the hawker stall woman who spoke english to them instead of mandarin. Still laugh at it whenever I think of it again....Hehehehe.. This is much better when I tell u the story with expression! Hahaha.....



Kolo Mee Story This Morning.....

Joel got very excited and craving for the kolo mee which he read on Kenny Sia's blog. He said, it was promoted as the "best kolo mee in town". A must try local food and so we went. The coffee shop is at Jalan Sekama and the name of the shop is........Some lubricant name! Guess u must know where it is and what name it is.....Hahaha

The 2 towkays are also very fluent in english too. =) Love their green vinegar chilies! Me & Joel finished the whole container....Yum!




Kolo Mee Story in The Early Evening

Today after my girl finished her dancing lesson, she was very hungry. It was before 5 and we went to RH Plaza Expert food Corner. Most of the stalls are not open yet. She was craving for kolo mee and went to the Kolo mee stall which was empty....she saw 2 guys sitting there. She asked: "Do u have kolo mee now? "They replied," Belum buka lagi, masih awal". She came back to me while I was waiting in the coffee shop. I told her..."Next time, when u see an empty stall, no kolo mee yet, pls be smarter a bit." Don't ask for it if the stall is obviously empty...Haiyah, she is so hungry & blurr till like that.....Hehehe..Knowing how silly she looked , she changed the topic by saying maybe they can bring it out..


Can u imagine the picture? *_*

Mwah hahaha......

Monday, June 29, 2009

Saturday, June 27, 2009