Sempena bulan Ramadhan dan Syawal yang bakal menjelang tiba (termasuklah hari-hari perayaan yang akan turut tiba pada hujung tahun) ramai daripada kita tentunya sibuk dengan persediaan untuk perayaan yang dinanti-nantikan. Seelok-eloknya kita tidak usah terlebih belanja di musim ini memandangkan kita perlu juga menabung untuk situasi yang tidak diduga seperti kecemasan.

Di sini AKPK menyediakan beberapa tip asas untuk membantu anda menghindari tabiat boros berbelanja pada musim menarik ini.

1) Sediakan senarai bajet yang anda harus patuhi

Penyediaan bajet sebelum keluar membeli-belah sememangnya berguna. Suatu senarai beli belah boleh membantu anda berbelanja mengikut peruntukan wang yang anda tetapkan. Apabila membuat bajet, pastikan ia realistik. Memandangkan sumber kewangan anda terhad, kenalpasti perbelanjaan yang paling perlu terlebih dahulu.

2) Opsyen balik kampung

Sekiranya anda perlu berjalan jauh untuk balik ke kampung halaman, rancanglah dengan sempurna awal-awal lagi. Lazimnya pada musim Hari Raya, kesesakan trafik tidak dapat dielakkan. Pastikan anda servis kenderaan anda sebelum membuat perjalanan untuk mengelakkan kejadian tidak diingini, termasuk apa-apa kesulitan yang akan memerlukan wang. Jika anda menggunakan kenderaan awam untuk balik kampung, cubalah dapatkan tiket anda seawal mungkin atau pada waktu jualan murah. Tabiat merancang awal tentunya akan menguntungkan anda.

3) Jadilah pembeli bijaksana

Selalu tinjau harga barangan dan perkhidmatan dan buatlah perbandingan harga. Adakah perlu untuk membeli barangan berjenama mahal? Apa salahnya membeli alternatif keluaran umum yang lebih murah dan tidak kurang kualitinya? Tulis dan bawa dengan anda senarai barangan yang perlu dibeli. Terdapat pelbagai pusat beli belah yang mengadakan jualan murah apabila musim perayaan tiba. Akan tetapi janganlah terlalu ghairah pada waktu ini untuk mengelakkan terlebih belanja. Wang berlebihan yang disimpan boleh digunakan untuk tabungan ataupun keperluan lain.

4) Amalkan tabiat kitar semula 

Mengguna semula hiasan Raya seperti langsir, alas kusyen dan butiran kecil seperti hiasan perayaan boleh membuka kreativiti dan inovasi anda serta keluarga. Cara ini turut membolehkan anda menjimatkan wang. Jangan lupa menabung walaupun tibanya masa untuk beraya!

5) Buatlah persediaan sendiri

Rekodkan segala perbelanjaan anda. Kenalpasti perbelanjaan tetap dan berubah serta perbelanjaan budi bicara anda. Sekiranya anda dapati diri anda berbelanja lebih, cuba hadkan perbelanjaan kepada apa yang perlu sahaja.

6) Baju baru – berapa set sebenarnya?

Mempunyai baju raya dan kasut baru untuk hari pertama Syawal adalah suatu kebiasaan. Apa kata anda membeli baju yang anda tahu anda akan pakai semula di masa kelak. Adakah perlu membeli jenama mahal dan berbaloikah untuk nilai wang anda? Adakah anda akan mengguna semula pakaian tersebut dengan kerap?

7) Beli apa yang anda perlu, bukan apa yang anda mahu

Perubahan gaya hidup akan memanfaatkan situasi kewangan anda. Pastikan anda membayar penuh bil kad kredit anda sekiranya anda ingin menggunakan kad tersebut. Ini kerana baki hutang kad kredit yang dibawa ke bulan seterusnya akan dikenakan faedah kompaun, walaupun anda membayar bayaran minimum. Belanjalah untuk keperluan, bukan untuk barangan mewah.

8) Jangan lupakan kewajipan anda

Memang menjadi kebiasaan untuk bergembira di musim perayaan. Menabung terlebih dahulu dan seperti biasa, pastikan sekurang-kurangnya 10% daripada gaji bersih anda ditabungkan. Cuma beli apa yang perlu mengikut bajet yang ditetapkan. Sekiranya anda perlu membeli barangan mahal, pastikan ia dilihat sebagai suatu pelaburan yang baik, iaitu untuk jangkamasa panjang. Hidup secara sederhana dan praktikkan tangguhan kepuasan sehingga anda benar-benar mampu berbelanja. Ambillah beberapa hari untuk memastikan sama ada anda boleh hidup tanpa barangan atau perkhidmatan tersebut.

9) Berseronoklah secara sederhana

Berdisiplin dan jadikan tabiat menabung gaya hidup anda tidak kira peristiwa atau waktu. Anda cuma memerlukan sedikit kreativiti dan rancangan. Kita boleh beraya secara sederhana. Lagipun, yang paling penting ialah pertalian silaturrahim antara keluarga dan rakan-rakan. 

Dengan ini, AKPK berharap anda akan bijak membuat keputusan apabila perasaan musim perayaan menjelma. Dari AKPK, kami dengan awalnya mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Ingat, sentiasalah amalkan pengurusan kewangan berhemat sebagai budaya hidup. 

As we go through the holy month of Ramadhan and eventually Syawal where Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be celebrated nationwide, many households are busy preparing for the festive season. This excitement often tempts us to overspend. However, if we manage our funds wisely, we need not necessarily be in a financially burdened position with Hari Raya celebrations and this applies to other festive seasons as well.

Below is a quick guide to avoid getting carried away with our spending:

1) Prepare a budget

As is your monthly practise, prepare a budget of your expenses for festive seasons. Add in an allocation for the unexpected expenses that come with celebrations. Remember that you need to prepare a realistic budget and stick to it. Ensure that you do not overindulge with food purchases during Ramadhan as well, it’s bad for your wallet as well as your health.

2) Make a checklist

Before you leave home for a shopping spree, be sure to make a realistic checklist of all the things you need to buy. Most importantly, stick to the list! A shopping checklist will help you focus only on things you ‘need’ and not the things you ‘want’. With all the sales and promotions in festive seasons, it is easy to spend on ‘wants’ as well. Ensure the value of the items in your checklist correlates the budget prepared earlier.

Before making any purchase, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I need this?
• Can I afford it?
• Is there a cheaper alternative to my purchase?

3) Be a smart shopper

Keep a tab on discounts, what shops are selling and at what price. By no means does this mean that you overspend because it is cheap. Shop around for the best prices and promotions on offer. The Internet also serves as a platform for being a smart shopper. You can compare prices of different stores and also check if an online purchase is available and cheaper for the same product.

4) Not everything needs to be new

Though it is the festive season, not everything in the house need be new. The decorations can be recycled and there will be no need to buy new ones every year. This applies to clothes, furniture, crockery and accessories too.

5) Taking cash advances

Many employers offer salary in advance of pay date and bonuses during festive periods. One’s attitude and spending habits are important here. It is imperative that one is responsible with these salary advances and bonuses and it will be deducted from the monthly salary in future.

We urge Malaysians to be frugal during festive period so that their monthly expenses are not jeopardized following festivities. We advise Malaysians to prepare a budget and to live within their means during the Hari Raya celebration.

6) Cash vs credit

Only buy things using cash to avoid being financially burdened post-festive season. This way you will be able to limit your purchases while sticking to the budget prepared. If you are making a credit card purchase, ensure that you will be able to pay for it in full so the arrears do not accumulate interest.

7) Make travelling plans in advance

Plan your balik kampung trip in advance. If you are driving home, ensure that you send your vehicle for a thorough service before the trip. Should you choose to travel by bus, ensure that you have purchased your bus tickets in advance to avoid paying a hefty price for a ticket and to avoid disappointments in case the tickets are all sold out due to the increased demand. If you are flying home, then look for promotions in airline companies in advance. Where possible, travel with budget airlines to get value for money and when tickets are purchased ahead of travel date, the price is lower than normal prices.

8) Allocate for current monthly expenditure and pay your bills before the festive season

Ensure that you have allocated a portion of your salary to pay your current monthly expenditure and that all your monthly commitments have been paid off. The allocated funds should not be mixed with the funds you intend to spend shopping in preparation for the celebration and the funds you intend to spend during Hari Raya. By allocating this money, you will not be in a financially tight spot after Hari Raya.

9) Do not forget to save

Though additional expenses are expected during festive seasons, one must not neglect to put savings aside. It is recommended that we put aside at least 10% of our monthly income as savings for a rainy day, festive months should be no exceptions.

Festive seasons are an annual celebration and therefore give us plenty of time to save in advance for the festivity. This habit will give you a peace of mind when the celebration arrives as you have already allocated additional funds (saved over a period) and the expenses will not throw you off-budget.

Remember, the only essential must have for Hari Raya is family, there is no celebration without your loved ones around you to make the day grander.

AKPK would like to take this opportunity to wish Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin to all our Muslim friends and hope this Raya will be filled with many pleasant memories for all Malaysians.

Raising a child is expensive in Malaysia, particularly in urban areas with high cost of living. Parents need to keep any eye on their family spending, to ensure there are planned savings for expected and unexpected financial expenses, and to maintain a stable financial household.

The below are some best practices and valuable tips for parents to ponder on cutting expenditures and to cultivate saving culture.

• Saving Habit

Embrace a saving culture at a young age and teach your children how to invest their pocket money. Explain to them what is the growth of principal investment and the returns earned from their savings. Open today a saving bank account for your child and pay a fraction of the pocket money to be deposited into a bank account. With a minimum deposit of RM1.00 to open an account, you can motivate your child to save money. There are junior saving accounts offered by local banks, compliments with insurance coverage for your child, an added advantage to protect your child. Encourage them to save up for something meaningful & worthwhile, that the child would like to purchase at a later date.  Teach children the financial responsibility and empower them with financial skills in money management. This will help parents to avoid unnecessary purchases and compulsive spending that eat up their budget. The goal is for your children to appreciate the value of money and understand their parents work hard to earn money. The proactive financial actions help to enhance the financial health and the well being of your family in the long run.

• Tertiary Education

It’s imperative to save money for your children’s education, from the time when a child is born. Prudent education investment move, will protect parents against inflation and be financially prepared, to pay for their children’s higher education fee. Essential factors need to be well thought-out; local or abroad tertiary education and the field of studies to be pursued. Tertiary education in Malaysia costs between RM30,000 to RM200,000  (public & private institutions) and  studying abroad in countries like the US , UK and Australia, the estimated cost  ranges from RM300,000 –RM800,000; the figure inclusive of college fees, accommodation, food and transportation. When a child embarks on his/her journey to college, education costs money and the cost of financial ignorance leads to financial stress. Financial aid is available for education but it does not guarantees loan offer or able to support the cost of the preferred study and the selected university of your child’s choice. It is good to speak to a financial adviser, for a best education planning and investment option for your family.  

• Clothing

It is advisable not to spend huge money on clothing; children will grow out of them very quickly.  A branded children’s cloth item costs RM80 –RM150, too expensive for many middle class Malaysian families to afford.  There are quality and reasonable priced clothing available in moderate range children stores. Sales clearance is the best time to buy your child’s clothing and there are several sales season throughout the year. Night market is a good place to buy economical clothing for a big family. Parents with more than a child need not have to spend lots of money on clothing; the clothes can be passed down in the family. In Malaysia, pre loved clothes are usually donated to homes but today there are several online sites, which sell pre loved clothes for children. Some of these clothing items are expensive boutique brands and the clothes are fairly in good condition, which parents are able to purchase at a reasonable price. The younger generation parents prefer purchasing children clothes with online shopping, which is comparatively cheaper to a shopping complex children store.

• Food

Eating out frequently is lavish expenditure and does not provide the best value for your money.  A decent meal in a restaurant will cost RM100 –RM150 for a family of three members. Food prices at restaurants are three to five times more expensive than your grocery items. Children love to eat at their favorite fast food restaurants, which is very unhealthy. We don’t want to feed our children with processed food; a damaging eating lifestyle we want to discard. The food cooked at home is more nutritious compared to a restaurant which uses lots of fat, salt and sugar. Learning to cook at home saves a big fraction of your money and provides a well balanced diet for your family and you will be definitely satisfied with the food you are serving your children.  The food prepared at home is assured of quality & safety, and what's more, you get a better value for the money spent.

• Holiday

The depreciation of ringgit against major currencies in the world makes holiday destinations too expensive or impossible for many Malaysian families to travel abroad.  Local destinations offer a better economic deal for Malaysians due to the currency disadvantage. Parents have also  an option to plan family trips at a very minimal cost, activities such as jungle trekking, hiking adventure to local attraction places like Broga Hill, Cameron Highland and cycling activity in Taman Cahaya & Putrajaya, just to name a few, promotes a healthy and quality family lifestyle. It contributes a huge saving opportunity for parents and to channel the money to other crucial priorities and debt reductions plan.

• Pay Cash

Cultivate the habit of paying cash when you purchase groceries and other shopping items. The rising goods and services prices, increases the household debt of many parents with credit card utilization. Never use the banks’ money, to pay for your current expenses. If you prefer to use the credit card for convenience, ensure your card is paid in full every month by the due date. Using the bank’s money to satisfy your family’s current needs, creates financial volatile; the income earned will be insufficient to pay your debts. You will end up paying more to your creditors with continuous interest charged to your credit card balance monthly. Credit card is the most expensive financial product; abuse of credit cards will destroy your family’s financial future and hurt your credit score. Keep credit cards for emergency needs and most importantly avoid compulsive spending behavior.

• Stop Buying Waste Items

To curb your financial spending, avoid purchasing unwanted shopping items; compulsive spending behavior is damaging to your family’s financial expense. Window shopping and online shopping are very tempting and bad decisions made will diminish your bank balance in a matter of time. Take a step further; ask yourself do you really need the item? Any of your family members will be utilizing the item?  The item you intend to purchase, will it be sitting in your closet for months or taking up the storage space in your house?  These questions will assist you to deduce whether the item is necessity expenditure in your current budget.

• Parties

Children parties are luxury trend statement in urban areas, to have big expensive birthday parties in kids entertainment outlets, exclusive restaurants, zoo and water recreational parks, just to name a few.  Exquisite birthday cakes with 3D design, tier cup cakes, extravagant candy bar buffet, all acquired at exorbitant prices to keep up with your child’s expectations and peer pressure demands. These types of birthday parties make parents incredibly stressed with an estimated party cost of RM5, 000- RM8, 000, an excessive expense in your balance sheet. Young children will always be overwhelmed with birthday parties whether it’s a big or small party. Plan a birthday that takes into account your bank balance and budget. With thoughtful planning, you can give your child a memorable and fun party.

Saving is an essence of financial security and making the financial budget to control your expenditures puts you in a good position to administer your cash flow effectively. Save wisely and invest your money for future financial growth, to generate a potential financial ability to support the needs of your family.

Pasaran untuk pinjaman perumahan adalah amat kompetitif dan institusi kewangan kini menawarkan pelbagai jenis pinjaman untuk menarik pelanggan. Ada juga pinjaman yang menawarkan hadiah-hadiah percuma untuk dipakejkan bersama pinjaman perumahan.

Buatlah perbandingan dan dapatkan sebanyak mungkin maklumat seperti kadar faedah yang ditawarkan sebelum menentukan pinjaman yang sesuai bagi anda.

Seperti produk pinjaman lain, anda boleh memilih antara pinjaman perumahan konvensional atau perbankan Islam.

Pinjaman perumahan merupakan suatu komitmen kewangan yang sangat besar serta memakan masa yang panjang untuk dijelaskan. Pertimbangkan dengan teliti semua aspek pinjaman sebelum membuat sebarang keputusan. Antara faktor pertimbangan:

• Adakahpinjaman tersebut untuk membeli rumah yang telah siap atau yang masih dalambinaan? Adakah anda akan membeli tanah untuk membina rumah?
• Berapakah nilai rumah atau tanah yang ingin anda beli? Berapakah ansuran yang mampu anda bayar setiap bulan, bergantung kepada aliran tunai bulanan anda?
• Adakah anda mempunyai cukup wang untuk membuat bayaran pendahuluan dan aliran tunai yang memadai untuk bayaran ansuran seterusnya?
• Apakah fee atau yuran berkaitan atau kos lain yang perlu dibayar? Contohnya duti setem dan yuran guaman, pemprosesan atau pembayaran.
• Adakah kadar faedah tetap atau kadar faedah berubah selaras dengan perubahan pada kadar asas (BR – Base Rates)?
• Adakah bayaran pinjaman anda fleksibel? Terdapat beberapa jenis skim pembayaran fleksibel yang ditawarkan. Buat semakan.
• Adakah dikenakan apa-apa penalti sekiranya anda membuat bayaran balik keseluruhan pinjaman lebih awal daripada tempoh yang dipersetujui? Institusi kewangan biasanya mengenakan penalti sebegini kerana mereka telah menawarkan pakej yang menarik bagi pinjaman perumahan anda.
• Adakah kadar faedah yang tetap ataupun yang berubah-ubah lebih baik bagi pinjaman anda?

Dengan kadar pinjaman tetap, faedahnya tetap dan anda sedia maklum tentang jumlah ansuran yang perlu dibayar. Manakala bagi kadar yang berubahubah, faedahnya berubah mengikut perubahan pada kadar pemberian pinjaman asas (BLR).

Jika kadar tersebut meningkat, maka kadar faedah yang dikenakan akan meningkat dan begitu juga dengan bayaran ansuran bulanan anda.

Bagaimanapun, sekiranya kadar pemberian pinjaman asas (BLR) menurun, maka anda akan menikmati manfaatnya kerana bayaran bulanan anda juga akan menurun. 

Ada juga kadar pinjaman faedah yang berubah-ubah tetapi bayaran ansuran bulanannya adalah tetap. Sekiranya berlaku perubahan pada kadar faedah, maka yang berubah hanyalah tempoh masa pembayaran pinjaman sama ada mengurang ataupun bertambah.

Pinjaman perumahan boleh dibayar melalui cara-cara berikut:

1. Skim bayaran berperingkat:
   Kaedah ini membolehkan anda mengurangkan beban pembayaran pada peringkat awal pinjaman. Bayaran ansuran meningkat apabila kemampuan peminjam meningkat.
   Kaedah ini berguna apabila anda baru sahaja mendapatkan pekerjaan dan gaji anda dijangka meningkat dari tahun ke tahun.
2. Pembayaran awal pinjaman:
   Anda boleh memendekkan tempoh pinjaman dengan membuat pembayaran awal bagi sebahagian daripada baki pinjaman melalui lebihan wang tabungan atau bonus tahunan.
   Jika dibuat pada tahun-tahun awal pinjaman, anda dapat mengurangkan caj faedah yang dikenakan. Walau bagaimanapun, sesetengah institusi kewanganmenghadkan jumlah yang boleh dibuat bagi pembayaran awal.

Jumlah pokok sesuatu pinjaman akan berkurangan setiap kali bayaran ansuran dibuat. Sebagai peminjam, anda hendaklah:

• Membaca dan memahami keseluruhan terma dan syarat pinjaman.
• Sentiasa mematuhi terma dan syarat yang telah ditetapkan.
• Bertanya mengenai semua aspek pinjaman sehingga anda berpuas hati.
• Membuat bayaran ansuran mengikut jadual.
• Pastikan anda mendapat maklumat yang tepat mengenai pinjaman anda.

Sepertimana pinjaman yang lain, sekiranya anda gagal membuat bayaran, institusi kewangan berkenaan berhak mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap anda agar mendapatkan semula pinjaman berkenaan.

Courtesy of Berita Harian

Kenal pasti jenis pinjaman perumahan sesuai, anjal elak beban

Selepas mengetahui kemampuan dalam menggunakan kewangan, sekarang anda perlu membuat perbandingan pakej pinjaman paling sesuai dalam pembelian rumah.

Antara jenis pinjaman perumahan yang ditawarkan di pasaran termasuk pinjaman konvensional atau pembiayaan Islam; pinjaman kadar tetap atau kadar terapung; pinjaman bertempoh atau pinjaman fleksibel dan bayaran tetap atau bayaran berperingkat.

Pada mulanya, diakui semua pakej ini tampak rumit dan mengelirukan jika kita lihat bermacam-macam jenis pinjaman yang ditawarkan. Sekiranya anda meluangkan sedikit masa dan mengkajinya dengan mendalam, anda berupaya membuat pilihan tepat.

Bagaimanapun, kebanyakan pinjaman perumahan yang ditawarkan di pasaran adalah bersandarkan kepada Kadar Asas (KA).

Ada pelbagai institusi kewangan yang menawarkan pinjaman pada kadar yang menarik (di bawah KA). Namun anda perlu berhati-hati kerana kadar tersebut mempunyai tempoh ‘lock-in’ (lazimnya lima tahun).

Jika anda ingin menebus pinjaman anda di dalam tempoh tersebut, mungkin perlu membayar penalti.

KA ialah kadar faedah dikira institusi kewangan berdasarkan formula yang mengambil kira kos dana dan lain-lain kos pentadbiran.

Sebarang perubahan terhadap KA akan menaik atau menurunkan bayaran ansuran bulanan dan memanjangkan atau memendekkan tempoh pinjaman.

Kadar tetap atau kadar terapung?

Bagi pinjaman kadar tetap, faedahnya tidak berubah. Sehubungan itu, ansuran bulanannya juga sama sepanjang tempoh pinjaman. Manakala pinjaman kadar terapung, kadar faedahnya bersandar kepada KA.

Jika KA naik, maka kadar faedah yang dikenakan akan meningkat, begitu juga dengan ansuran bulanannya. Sebaliknya, jika KA menurun, anda akan mendapat manfaatnya kerana ansuran bulanan anda juga menurun. 

Pinjaman dengan kadar terapung juga ditawarkan dengan skim bayaran bulanan tetap. Sekiranya berlaku perubahan pada kadar faedah, maka yang berubah hanyalah tempoh masa pembayaran pinjaman.

Patuhi komitmen anda

Selepas mengetahui kemampuan anda dan jika jawapan kepada soalan berikut adalah ‘ya’, maka anda sudah pun bersedia untuk membeli rumah:

• Adakah bersedia untuk komitmen jangka panjang?

• Bolehkah saya membayar ansurannya dengan selesa?

• Sekiranya membeli rumah sebagai pelaburan, mampukah saya terus membayar ansuran walaupun tanpa pendapatan sewa?

Jika gagal membuat bayaran ansuran pinjaman perumahan, anda boleh kehilangan rumah serta semua wang yang sudah dibayar kepada pihak institusi kewangan.

Jika wang yang diperoleh selepas lelongan tidak mencukupi untuk menjelaskan baki pinjaman, pihak institusi kewangan berhak menuntut baki pinjaman serta kos daripada anda.

Courtesy of Berita Harian

At this point of our lives, the question of how we’d like to be remembered may have crossed our minds. Most of us are not celebrities like P. Ramlee, Sudirman or Bruce Lee who are fondly remembered for their songs and action-packed movies. Neither are we national leaders or business tycoons who are admired for their outstanding contributions and achievements. In spite of that, there’s a desire within each and every one of us that we’d be remembered, at least, by our family members and loved ones for something good, hopefully. 

There’s a Chinese proverb that says wealth seldom passes through to more than three generations. Normally, the first generation would work very hard to earn a living and saved a lot for the next generation. The second generation will also work very hard… at spending all the money their parents left behind! When it comes to the third generation, it’s back to square one – having to work very hard again to rebuild their wealth. Thus, there’s a need for us to plan carefully should we intend to leave something behind for our next generation and this is where Estate Planning comes into effect.

Estate Planning is really the process of managing and administrating one’s assets through proper accumulation, conservation and distribution of his/ her assets in the most effective and efficient manner. By effective, we mean the degree to which the wishes of the estate owner are attained through the process of estate planning. By efficient, we mean to achieve those wishes at the lowest possible cost. Therefore, the whole purpose of estate planning is to ensure that when the time has come for a person to return to his Creator, his assets are sufficient to meet all his wishes and the beneficiaries will receive the assets in the proportion and manner desired. In addition, it aims to minimize assets depleting expenses like taxes and that the estate is sufficiently liquid to pay for all the costs of transfer like legal fees and stamp duties.

Most of us would be thinking of how best to organize our estate to ensure that everything can proceed smoothly after our demise. We would like to leave the family home to our spouse until such time when he or she departs, the home will be passed on to our children. We would also like to leave something behind for our grandchildren as some sort of legacy for them to remember their grandparents. To achieve these objectives, there can be more than one way to realize them and we’d now look at some of the common estate planning instruments.

Basically, a Will is a written instrument by which an individual signifies his wishes as to the distribution of his estate after his demise. Since it takes effect only after death, a Will, by its very nature, is revocable and can be modified at any time before the Will-maker dies. It is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to organize one’s estate and there are various ways in which you may get a Will written. You may engage a lawyer who is well-versed with estate laws to write a Will (especially if you have loads of assets and dozens of family members!) or you may seek the help of a professional Will-writer. There’s also Amanah Raya Berhad, a quasi-governmental body that specializes in estate administration, offering Will-writing services as well as estate administration and trust services. Of course, you may also Do-It-Yourself by searching for sample Wills in the internet or books, provided your Will is a straight-forward one. Muslims are also able to write their Wills to cater to their needs who want to adhere to the syariah principles in estate administration.

Apart from the Will, there is another instrument which is a Trust. Essentially, a Trust is a legal arrangement or relationship whereby an individual transfers assets to a third party called a trustee (who may be an individual, a professional advisor or a corporation) who are bound to follow a set of directives, rules and regulations for the benefit of others known as the beneficiary or distribute. A Trust creates an equitable obligation, either expressly undertaken or strictly imposed by the court of law. The trustee is duty bound to handle the trust property for the benefit of the beneficiaries. In this regard, Muslims may also create a Trust and it is a very important and useful instrument for estate planning purposes. For example, if we decide to create a Trust whereby each of our grandchildren will receive RM100 a month until they reach 21 years old, upon which they stand to get a lump sum of RM10,000 each as a graduation gift. All these payments will be ongoing even when we are not around. 

Last but not least, you may also create a Life Insurance Trust by purchasing an insurance policy on your own life and nominating your spouse, children or parents as your nominees. Upon your death, the sum assured plus whatever bonuses, if any, will be payable to your appointed nominees and they will be able to receive the money as beneficiaries. The advantage of this method is that there’s no need for probate and thus your family members will be able to receive the money sooner with less hassle. However this is not applicable for Muslims as their appointed nominees will receive the money as trustees rather than beneficiaries and they should distribute it according to the faraid law of distribution.

So, how would you like to be remembered? You need not be a superstar or a world leader to be able to leave a legacy. And what better legacy to leave behind than the positive values that you sow within the hearts and minds of our children and our grandchildren. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you’d feed him for a lifetime!” This is similar to financial management and we should not just leave behind a large estate for our children without teaching them how to manage. This may be one legacy worth leaving behind…

Labur Jangan Sampai Lebur

Mengapakah anda perlu melabur? Setiap orang mempunyai sebab masing-masing yang mendorong mereka untuk melabur. Ada yang melabur kerana ingin mencapai matlamat hidup yang khusus, contohnya untuk mencapai kebebasan kewangan dan menikmati hidup tanpa hutang. Ada juga yang melabur kerana ingin menjana pendapatan tambahan bagi menampung kos sara hidup harian yang kian meningkat dalam keadaan ekonomi semasa yang semakin mendesak ini.  Ada pula yang melabur kerana ingin mengatasi kadar inflasi yang naik saban tahun.  Walau apa jua tujuan anda melabur, kenali dahulu jenis pelaburan yang sedia ada serta potensi pulangannya. Buatlah keputusan pelaburan dengan bijak supaya pelaburan anda tidak lebur begitu sahaja.

Apakah jenis pelaburan yang ada?

Terdapat pelbagai jenis pelaburan berkaitan produk perbankan dan sekuriti yang diluluskan atau di bawah kawal selia oleh pihak berkuasa seperti Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) dan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia (SC). Setiap pelaburan mempunyai potensi pulangan dan risikonya yang tersendiri. Anda juga harus tahu bahawa semakin tinggi potensi pulangan sesuatu pelaburan itu, bermakna semakin tinggi jugalah risikonya. 

Namun berhati-hatilah, kerana terdapat juga pelbagai jenis pelaburan di luar sana yang tidak diiktiraf atau diluluskan oleh pihak berkuasa. Pastikan anda memilih saluran pelaburan yang diyakini selamat untuk menjamin kemungkinan pulangan pelaburan yang baik. 

Skim Cepat Kaya

Antara jenis pelaburan yang tidak mendapat kelulusan ialah skim-skim pelaburan yang menjanjikan menjanjikan pulangan yang cukup tinggi dalam jangka masa yang sangat singkat sehingga mampu menarik minat ramai orang untuk menyertainya. Pelabur-pelabur malang yang terjebak dalam skim pelaburan cepat kaya sebegini akhirnya akan kehilangan segala-galanya. Kaya yang diimpikan hanya bakal mengundang mimpi ngeri.

Dengan jaminan risiko yang sangat rendah atau hampir tiada risiko, pengendali skim-skim cepat kaya ini bijak bermain kata-kata untuk memancing perhatian mangsa dengan jaminan pulangan yang tinggi dalam masa yang singkat. Mereka pandai meyakinkan anda untuk melabur wang anda dalam skim mereka dan akhirnya pelaburan anda akan hilang begitu sahaja. Meskipun banyak skim seperti ini yang telah dikenal pasti oleh pihak berkuasa dan ada antara pengendalinya dapat ditangkap dan didakwa di mahkamah, mereka tidak pernah serik untuk menubuhkan skim-skim baharu untuk terus memerangkap mangsa baharu. Mereka sentiasa memperbaiki sistem skim penipuan lama dengan memperkenalkan ciri-ciri yang kononnya berbeza untuk mengelakkan daripada dikesan dan ditangkap oleh pihak berkuasa. Pelbagai ciri unik ditambah atau diolah untuk mengaburi kesedaran dan menarik pelabur-pelabur baharu.

Jenis-jenis Skim Pelaburan Haram

1. Skim Dagangan Mata Wang Asing Haram – Skim ini melibatkan aktiviti pelaburan dalam mata wang asing dengan tujuan untuk mendapat pulangan yang tinggi daripada pergerakan kadar tukaran mata wang asing. Pelabur lazimnya mudah tertarik dengan pulangan lumayan yang dijanjikan serta kemudahan akses pelaburan yang kini kebanyakannya boleh dilakukan dengan mudah secara dalam talian. Pelabur diumpan dengan undangan untuk menghadiri seminar dan bengkel percuma yang menerangkan betapa lumayannya pulangan yang bakal mereka perolehi. Pelabur kemudiannya diminta membuka akaun dagangan mata wang asing dengan sesebuah syarikat yang didakwa mempunyai dagangan mata wang lesen yang sah. Setelah mendepositkan sejumlah wang ke dalam akaun tersebut, pelabur akan sentiasa diminta untuk menambahkan pelaburan dengan alasan kekurangan margin pelaburan awal dan untuk mengelakkan kehilangan modal.
   Tahukah anda bahawa skim-skim ini kini cenderung menggunakan siswazah atau graduan baharu dari institusi pengajian tinggi untuk mempromosikan sistem pelaburan mereka? Bukan sahaja golongan ini sering tampil kemas dan berpengetahuan tinggi dalam membicarakan mengenai pasaran mata wang dunia, malah mereka juga lebih mudah untuk mempengaruhi ahli keluarga serta rakan-rakan untuk menyertai skim pelaburan ini. Akta Kawalan Pertukaran Asing 1953 (ECA) jelas menyatakan bahawa adalah menjadi satu kesalahan bagi seseorang untuk membeli atau menjual mata wang asing, atau terlibat atau mempunyai kaitan atau membuat persediaan di dalam sebarang perbuatan membeli atau menjual mata wang asing dengan mana-mana individu atau syarikat yang tidak mendapat kebenaran daripada pihak berkuasa untuk menjalankan aktiviti sedemikian. Oleh itu, jika anda diajak untuk melabur wang anda dalam skim pelaburan mata wang asing oleh pihak selain daripada peniaga mata wang yang sah, anda mungkin akan menjadi mangsa seterusnya sindiket dagangan haram mata wang asing.  
2. Skim Pelaburan Internet – Skim ini lebih terkenal dengan generasi celik IT yang tegar menggunakan internet dan media sosial untuk mendapatkan maklumat serta menggunakan kemudahan dalam talian untuk berurusan. Pelaburan ini membayangkan pulangan, faedah atau keuntungan yang besar, kebiasaannya pada kadar yang lebih tinggi daripada yang ditawarkan oleh institusi kewangan berlesen yang lain. Mereka juga meyakinkan pelabur bahawa risiko pelaburan dalam skim mereka adalah sangat rendah, bahkan sesetengah pengendali skim berani menjanjikan pulangan tanpa sebarang risiko pelaburan. Melalui laman web atau e-mel, pelabur didekati oleh pengendali skim ini dengan tawaran khidmat nasihat kewangan percuma serta pujukan untuk melabur dengan mereka. Namun individu atau syarikat pengendali skim pelaburan ini sebenarnya tidak pernah dilesenkan sebagai penerima deposit dan tidak mendapat kebenaran oleh pihak BNM. Mereka juga tidak memperoleh lesen atau kelulusan daripada pihak SC untuk memberikan nasihat pelaburan yang berkaitan dengan aktiviti sekuriti atau niaga hadapan, apatah lagi untuk menjalankan aktiviti pengurusan dana di Malaysia. 
3. Pengambilan deposit secara haram – Deposit yang dilaburkan di bawah skim ini turut dijanjikan dengan pulangan yang tinggi, meskipun pengendali skim ini tidak mempunyai kuasa atau kebenaran untuk mengambil deposit daripada mana-mana pihak. BNM hanya memberikan lesen kepada pihak bank atau syarikat tertentu sahaja untuk menerima deposit daripada orang awam. Pengendali skim ini bijak beroperasi dengan meyakinkan pelabur melalui pulangan awal yang diberikan hasil kutipan daripada pelabur-pelabur baharu yang lain. Pelabur kemudiannya dipujuk untuk melabur semula dengan jumlah yang lebih besar untuk menikmati pulangan yang lebih lumayan pada kadar yang tinggi. Pelabur juga mungkin digalakkan untuk mempromosi dan mengajak rakan-rakan menyertai skim ini.Walau bagaimanapun, tiada jaminan yang pengendali ini mampu untuk terus membayar pulangan seperti yang dijanjikan jika mereka atau anda sendiri gagal mendapatkan pelabur-pelabur baharu. Akhirnya, skim ini akan gagal dan pelabur menghadapi kerugian apabila pengendali menghilangkan diri bersama-sama wang pelaburan yang terkumpul. 
4. Penipuan melalui sistem pesanan ringkas (SMS), e-mel dan phishing – Satu lagi trend penipuan pelaburan alaf baharu adalah dengan menggunakan perantaraan SMS dan e-mel untuk menjalankan aktiviti memancing data peribadi atau dikenali sebagai phishing. SMS dihantar secara rawak untuk menawarkan hadiah-hadiah menarik serta ganjaran hebat sama ada wang tunai atau barangan mewah. Penerima yang bertuah akan dikehendaki menghubungi mereka semula untuk memberikan butiran lanjut supaya pemberian hadiah-hadiah dapat dilakukan. E-mel yang dihantar pula kononnya mengandungi notis makluman penting daripada pihak bank yang memerlukan pengguna untuk memberikan maklumat peribadi mereka seperti nombor kad pengenalan, nombor akaun bank serta kata laluan akaun bank. Jika pengguna menjawab e-mel tersebut, maklumat peribadi pengguna akaun akan dapat digunakan oleh pengendali skim untuk mengakses dan memindahkan wang simpanan yang terdapat di dalam akaun bank pengguna. Meskipun penghantaran SMS dan e-mel ini sering dilakukan tanpa mengambil kira sama ada pengguna tersebut benar-benar mempunyai akaun di bank yang disebutkan, tetapi masih ada mangsa yang terpedaya dengan helah sedemikian. Berhati-hatilah dengan sebarang tawaran melalui SMS atau e-mel yang anda terima dan pastikan dahulu bahawa sumbernya adalah daripada pihak yang sah. Anda juga dinasihatkan supaya tidak mengklik pautan yang mencurigakan, terutamanya apabila melakukan transaksi perbankan atas talian.
   

Melaburlah Dengan Selamat

Untuk memastikan anda tidak terjerat dengan skim pelaburan haram yang semakin agresif mencari pelabur baharu, anda dinasihati supaya tidak membuat sebarang deposit atau pelaburan dengan individu atau entiti yang tidak dikawal selia oleh pihak berkuasa di bawah undang-undang yang berkaitan. Sebelum anda membuat sebarang keputusan berkaitan pelaburan, semak terlebih dahulu dengan pihak berkuasa yang berkaitan sekiranya anda meragui sebarang skim yang ditawarkan oleh pihak yang tidak dikenali. Anda juga dinasihatkan untuk merujuk pada Investor Alert dan maklumat mengenai tindakan penguatkuasaan yang dikeluarkan oleh BNM dan SC melalui pautan berikut:

http://www.bnm.gov.my/documents/2016/20160627_FCA_BM.pdf

http://www.sc.com.my/enforcement/investor-alerts/sc-investor-alerts/

Setiap pelabur mestilah mengetahui tujuan utama mereka melabur. Dorongan dan keperluan masing-masing mungkin berbeza. Inilah yang sebenarnya mempengaruhi cara mereka membuat keputusan dalam melakukan pelaburan. Walau apapun tujuan pelaburan anda, semaklah dahulu kesahihan skim yang ditawarkan agar pelaburan anda tidak lebur. 

Thinking of buying a decent home for your family? Are you looking for an investment opportunity for financial growth? Is your aspiration of owning an affordable dream home and the anticipation on future investment returns are shattered by the ever appreciating property values in KL? Not forgetting the pressing cost of living in Klang Valley, which is driving many residents in KL with uncertainties.

Buying a home is the biggest investment for many and buying the right house is a challenge in terms of financial affordability and commitment. The financial institutions taking a very cautious approach on borrowings, contributed by slow economy with loan margin tightened and reduction in loan approvals; these measures taken by the banks to minimize their risk exposure. Moreover, with huge mortgage and higher loan repayment, many house buyers are stressed to make the long term financial decision.

Smaller towns surrounding KL city are developing progressively with many modern housing projects to cater for the growing Malaysian population from all segments of income groups.  Kuala Selangor, Banting, Nilai, Semenyih, Rawang, Sungai Buloh and Seremban are some of the fast growing residential towns, which are becoming increasingly widespread with new housing projects. The continuous improvement on transportation system of train, public buses and highways built, makes the accessibility to KL faster and more convenient. Many embrace smaller towns as their home place and work in KL to make a living for themselves. Homes that are far from the city center are said to much cheaper. But is it really true?

A model comparison case analysis conducted with KL and Seremban properties to provide a general overview on cost and saving factors.  The example we are looking at is buying a property in Puchong and Seremban. The travelling road distance from Seremban to KL is about 50kms; it takes approximately an hour drive to KL city. From Puchong it takes about only about 20km to KL. The property market price in Seremban for a landed double storey link house type, is priced at an average RM450,000 in comparison to a similar property type in Puchong KL, which is fetching at an exorbitant price value of RM750,000. Taking the calculated cost factors on travel distance, petrol consumption and car maintenance, you will be able to save an estimated amount of RM176,500 with a property purchased in Seremban.  Thus, the money saved will help you on your retirement days and will benefit for your children’s future education.

The below illustration shows the estimated saving at present value (PV) for a property purchased in Seremban, in comparison to Puchong location: -

Assumption: -
Distance Seremban-Puchong KL = 50KM
Petrol Consumption 1KM = RM0.15
Working Days in a year =260 Days
Working Life = 25 Years
Vehicle Services 5000KM Mileage =RM200

Whichever property you decide to buy, the decision should be made base on a long term view. Besides the money, there are also other vital factors to consider when contemplating to purchase a house in the developing towns or neighboring cities. House buyers need to weigh the time spent on travelling, availability of public amenities, good schools and the value of the property in future.

Financial planning is crucial for house buyers to ensure there is no financial mistake made, you must have the income ability to repay your mortgage.  It must be a sustainable mortgage with less worry for house buyers.