Gold's Bull: Reality or Myth?

Someone I know told me yesterday how one of her colleague laugh at her when she told her that gold price has risen around 30 percent a year. Now from my understanding this is a misinformation and strangely many people is still not aware of profit potential from gold, or silver, or palladium for that matter. Ladies and gentlemen, for the last 10 years, gold has not risen 30 percent every year. In fact, gold has risen around 400 percent in the last ten years or 40 percent per year! Wow. Is this real? If you look at the chart below, you can see the price of gold ten years ago at around USD280 and the latest price today hovering at almost USD1,400. 

Not only that, lately, it's been super rise for gold, up 55 percent since April 2009, and in recent weeks, it rose as high as 17 percent a week! I'm not sure if ASB, property, stocks, mutual trust or bond can give you that much.

So, you see, to those people who laugh when we suggest to them to invest in gold, especially in times of economic uncertainty, well, let them be. Time will tell, and I'm quite sure, after the stock, property, bond and monetary market bubble burst, gold and silver will be the only asset that is still standing.

Gold Member

Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of gold as an investment. I must confess, prior to that, I never would have thought of gold as an income generating asset. Yes, I know it is desirable, and people from all sorts of life have sought it as a measure of wealth since thousand of years ago. Well, I gave it some thought and after that I did some research on the subject matter, and I'm really impressed by what I read. 

Gold is not only used as a jewelery, it can also be traded like a commodity, and before the introduction of paper money (or FIAT money) gold is used as a currency and most importantly gold acts as a store of value, like a hedge fund against inflation, or like an insurance policy that can help you in the event of paper money collapsing or severe economic depression. It is widely predicted that when the stock market, mutual funds, bonds, forex market or even  property markets fails, it is always towards gold that people sought refuge to. Hence, gold's value as an investment and asset is very important. Some analyst suggest we save 10 - 15 percent of our income in gold, well I say we must at least save 25 percent of our income in gold, or silver for that matter because of its versatility and stability.

Gold's bull run started in 2001 and since then, the price of gold has quadrupled to almost USD1350 today. I can't remember any other types of investment that gives that much return. But, as in any other types of investment, gold has its shortfall as well. In short term, gold is exposed to market volatility like any other commodity. It can go up and down, so those who seek to make short term gain usually fails to do so without proper guidance, knowledge and experience. However, in medium and long term return, nothing beats gold, period.

For those who want to invest in physical gold,  the principle that should be used is Buy-Hold-Sell routine, it is as simple as that. The first part is straight forward. You buy gold. Usually in the form of gold coin, or gold bar. There are many types and brands of gold coins and bars out there. The second part however, requires you to plan ahead. In order to plan, you must set a target for yourself. At what price level you are willing to let go of your gold. Then you can calculate roughly how much profit you can make. The third part comes easily once you set your target of gold price appreciation, all you have to do is sit back, and wait for the price of gold met your target, and you can sell your gold afterwords. It is that simple.

 

It's Time To Relocate - Says A Self Help Guru ...

For some season, I will be relocated maybe starting next month or so. Meaning, I'm moving. If there is one thing that is very tiring for me in  this planet, it would be packing and unpacking, especially if the things that need packing is from as large as a 2 door fridge to tens of boxes of shirts and clothes. That and also the time that it took to  do all those makes moving / transferring (pick your word) such a hassle. I think people around the world would regard this issue the same. If I do a quick check on the internet, Googling 'moving house' or 'moving out' return roughly about half a million results.

I thought about doing garage sale / yard sale (as usual, pick your word), but you see, the value of all those junk stored in my house are either have no value at all or just not the type you would expect people would buy even if there is a 99% discount on the tag. Further, I think this type of sale is not THE type of sale us Malaysians use to experience. This is simply not our culture. We generally prefer new and shiny products bought preferably in air conditioned branded store instead avoid used, old and dusty junk from someone we barely know. So, doing sale is certainly out of the question.

So, it looks like I still have to pack all of our things / belongings / junks (you know the drill). There are a few self help guru out there teaching various topics about moving such as how to pack it properly, what is the recommended checklist and even this one site recommending what to do from as far as week 8 to the D Day! Hey, that is a comprehensive one. There is even  this one guy giving 101 moving tips. Hello, do you think I have time to read all that? But you see, the problem with all this self help guru is that, no matter what they are recommending, when reading this type stuff, at the back of our mind, we must make sure that we are aware of our own situation, it's probably not the same and among the 101 tips that was included, maybe one or two can be carried out but the rest, well is just not suitable, at least for me that is. 

Looking at it from different angle, that is the beauty of this age. You can learn everything and buy anything from the internet. Anything that cross your mind, anything, if you try to Google it, chances are, someone has already written something about it. As of now, the net has trillions of pages, stored in millions of servers, read by billions of people. Now we can be someone who had just heard about something today and become an expert about it tomorrow. People can't live by without internet anymore. With the explosion of social media economy right now, it is set to change (if not already) and  expand social interaction to a whole new level. It is the same with the way we read, it is slowly changing how we read, for example, more and more people are buying and reading ebooks. I admit, here in our country, it still has limited penetration, meaning, it still has not threaten the paper based book industry, (and I don't think it will ever do) but the demand is there, the players still are looking and building their niche and there are this whole audience and potential to tap to.

And all this mumbling makes me think. Instead of other people giving tips on how to do this and that and selling ebooks, telling and teaching people on how to improve your life et cetera, maybe I could jump on the bandwagon and sell an ebook myself. I could write down my incoherent mumblings, make people buy it and make millions out of it. How's that sound for a retirement fund?

   

Target, Target, Target ...

Lately I came to realized how much I have taken for granted the importance of setting a goal and more importantly, doing what it takes to achieve the goal. You know, setting ourselves a target like we used to when we were in school or university. Like setting a deadline for completing a assignment or setting how many books we would read in a year. I kinda missed that part of  my life.  The last time I set something for myself to achieve was ages ago, I even can't remember when,  it is that long.

In life, we usually set a target for almost everything. In our work life, our organization  usually set a target in a Pelan Strategik or whatever it is called, then this plan is broken into the long term, medium term and short term target. Then we take the portion of the short, medium and long term plan that relates to us and start doing tasks that hopefully will achieve the goals set.  Similarly, our personal life also require a target. Something clear, specific and achievable. It also should be time bound to make it easier to keep track. After that can we start doing whatever activities or tasks that collectively will achieve that. Be it collecting stamps or just winning the hardest level on that Star Craft 2 game. But people often forget, on a spiritual level, we also must set a target for ourselves. It is a major mistake if we failed to do so. For Muslims, the target is very clear and very specific. But sadly, the effort poured into achieving it sadly lacking, and that includes me. For the effort should be the same if not more towards achieving spiritual goal compared to what we devote towards achieving those first two aspects of life, and not less.  

Nonetheless, the inner satisfaction of achieving something, sometimes just can't be described by words alone. A sense of achievement that can only be felt after clearing that obstacle, or challenge, or hurdle, be it big or small. It's will also led to personal discovery, discovering what our self is worth, what our strength and weaknesses are, what is our limit and capability, what we are made of, knowing ourselves. It all makes it worthwhile. But the most important thing is that, by knowing ourselves, we a step closer towards knowing our Creator...

Wassalam...

Selamat menjalani ibadah puasa di bulan Ramadan yang mulia ini ....

Green Contribution.

Lately almost every car manufacturer jump on the green bandwagon. What I mean by green is, green technology that is. The most popular route is producing hybrid car, by adding electric motor to the conventional petrol combustion engine, manufacturers claim that is can seriously reduce consumer's fuel bill plus reducing our overall carbon footprint. Case in point is Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. Others take the diesel route, claiming that diesel is the more practical solution because of the ready made infrastructure. Those makes from Germany especially Mercedez, BMW and Volkswagen have already showcased their respective vehicles using the latest super efficient diesel engine. There are also others who championed electric vehicle, a car that totally depend on electric and not depend on fossil fuels to run. Even supercar manufacturer like Porsche are planning to release their very own EV.

But you see, the reality in Malaysia is, the prices of those cars here is quite out of reach of us, mere mortals. The average Joe like me just does not have the fund to do our part in reducing pollution. Nevertheless, what we can start to do is drive smart so that at least we can lessen our carbon footprint by reducing our fuel usage. In our situation right now, that's the least we can do ...

Travelling In China

Today I would like to write some more about traveling in China. Well, if you are planning on shopping in China, there are three golden rules that you have to follow when buying something over there. If for some reason you think there are additional rules, you are welcomed to add them in the comment section, but here are my golden rules:

1. Ask for at least 50% discount on the tag price when you start bargaining. If you think that the price that are displayed is cheap enough, well don't be afraid to ask discount as well. Work your way around from that price upwards until you and the seller reached middle ground. If you still think that the price is not cheap enough, well you can politely declined the  offer and search another shop to buy the thing. Chances are you can still find that item in another shop. Bargaining in China is like a sport in China, you have to be very diligent and smart when you want to buy something, especially if you are a foreigner, or you would end up paying more than you should for the item.

2. Don't ask for a price that you really does not or can not afford to buy. To be fair to the shopkeeper, this will anger them, so if you and the seller have agreed on a certain price, at at the last moment you back away from the deal, then you will only get trouble from there.

3. Don't look the interested in something if you want to buy it. Chances are that the shopkeeper has seen thousands of customers and they are expert in reading your intention. So, if they they see you interested in one particular item, you won't get the discounted price and they won't budge the second they see you desperate to buy. The more you want to buy it, the more uninterested you should look.

And don't forget to keep a steady head, shop within your budget and always check the items that you buy or ordered before you leave the shop. Happy hunting!

Visiting China

I went to China with my wife last May. I visited 3 cities, namely Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing while my wife joined me the latter 2 cities.  Among other things that strike me there is the speed and efficiency of their public transport. Well, considering their population is well beyond our number, I think it is safe to assume that they need that kind of service for their citizens. If, not it will be absolute chaos and total disaster. The Metro line to me is the most impressive compared to our country though the tight security check before boarding is such a hassle that you have to scan your belongings before each and every time you are entering the coach.

While there, I got the chance to sample various types of public transport; bus from Shanghai Pudong Airport to hotel, taxi in Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing, Metro in Shanghai and Beijing and sleeper train from Shanghai to Beijing. I also got the opportunity to ride the tourist train from Badaling Station to Great Wall of China. All the traveling inside a train is quite a memorable experience especially the sleeper train which is quite modern and cosy as well. The taxi on the other hand is not quite a pleasant experience to us. There is this one time when we are talking about directions to a taxi driver, suddenly, out of nowhere, a couple just flew inside the taxi, talk something to the taxi driver (all this while we are still talking to the driver) and the driver just conveniently ignore us and sped away.

But mostly traveling in China using public transport is an eye opener and if there is an opportunity for us to come back, we will definitely going to....

Fuel Hike...

It’s official! Brace yourself guys... The anticipated fuel hike is here, and from what we heard it is not going to stop here. Further hike will be implemented but for now, the government decided that the most suitable rate we can afford to pay is like this:

* RON95 petrol price will increase by RM0.05 to RM1.85.

* RON97 petrol will be put on a 'controlled float' but for this month most likely will be sold at RM2.10, up by RM0.05.

* Diesel will go up by RM0.05 as well, which means the diesel price that we will be getting at the pump will be RM1.75 per liter.

* LPG Natural Gas will go up by RM0.10 to RM1.85 per kg.

and also, though, this is the only produce that does not related to fuel is that sugar will go up by RM0.25 per kg to RM1.75.

Roughly calculated, the price will reflect in an increase of RM2.50 for a full refill of 50 liter tank. Which translates for me, around RM20 increase per month...

Zam-Zam alakazam!

Today I would like to sidetrack a little from my usual theme.

Here's a promotion;

Air zam-zam untuk dijual. Pek 10 liter yang di seal rapi. Harga: RM140 per pack. Free delivery within Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. Other states within Peninsular Malaysia, RM10, and as of now we don't send to Sabah and Sarawak.

Email me at ayienmai@gmail.com if you are interested.

Thank you.

To Buy Or Not...

This year our country has seen a slew of new or existing cars being introduced or facelifted. We got the new Tucson, Sonata and upgraded i10 from Hyundai, Forte from Kia, 3008 from Peugeot, Cruze from Chevrolet, facelifted Honda Accord and Cr-V. We Malaysians right now are spoilt for choice! There are so many cars in every category to choose from. Hey, at one point, I almost thought I want a new car just because this manufacturer market their car so delicously it is quite difficult to resist the temptation to dip into my pocket and buy it. But you see, that is the whole point of marketing. Those guys at the marketing department are so good at what they are doing, they know what the customer want to hear and see and what button to push in their marketing drive that make the masses salivating over their product and of course buy it as well. Thats why some people dump their 1 year old car which is still in a good condition for a new one.

But before you want to buy something like a car in Malaysia, take a step back and think for a second first. Car is a big investment (which depreciates in value, by the way). It is usually the second biggest purchase the our life. But some people splash their hard earned cash, just thinking if they can afford the monthly payments, then they could afford it. Hey, the car need fuel, toll charges to pay, repair and maintenance bill every now and then, and the yearly road tax and insurance payment right? And did I mentioned that it is an asset that depreciates in value?

But the most important aspect to judge before you buy a new car is if you really NEED that car or not? Is your old car is nothing but a crumbling heap of thrash or is it still in good working condition? Do you want to buy the car because your neighbor just bought that Polo GTi you dream every night? Do you intend to use it as work or family car? So many questions you have to answer before you make your decision. If you really need one, then in my opinion, you should go for the most desirable car which suit your budget as well.

My point is, if you want to buy a car, think for a second if you really need the car and also if you really can afford it. But at the end of the day, it is your choice to make. My hope is that you make your choice wisely...

Free, Free Plus Cash From Mitsubishi

There is this new ad that has been running from a few days ago in our local English and Bahasa Malaysia daily. This one is by Mitsubishi. It says here you could get a free Mitsubishi merchandise for every Mitsubishi vehicles test drove. But wait, there is also freebies thrown in. For every new Mitsubishi vehicles bought, you could get a brand new 40" or 32" Sony Bravia LCD TV plus cash bonus. Now the latter only applies to Trition 2.5 Auto / Manual / Standard, Triton Lite and Pajero Sport models.

Now I'm quite curious how much this cash bonus is. Also is it a cash back scheme or you could deduct the initial price of the vehicle with this cash making your purchase cheaper. However, back in January, I remember Mitsubishi also offering a 40" Sony Bravia LCD TV on their promotion. Is this some extension to that promo or the TVs are leftover from that promotion.

New iPod Touch

I'm getting myself a brand new iPod Touch from Apple Store Malaysia. Just ordered a couple of days ago. I ordered it complete with external hard casing and screen protective film. Set my wallet back for around RM18++. Should arrive a my doorstep next week. I'm looking forward to own this gadget. And I am currently this close to migrate my PC / Computer / Gadget / Phone experience from Dell / Windows / Nokia to Apple / Mac / iPod / iPhone. They say when u buy an Apple product, actually what is rewarding is not just the product but the whole 'ecosystem' that comes with it. No wonder from what I read, Apple users are the most loyal customers and have the most cult followers around the world. Let's see how it goes with the iPod Touch and where it takes me from there ...

Another One From Suzuki

It looks like Suzuki Malaysia is very keen on giving promotion for Suzuki Swift. Given the effort they invest to move sales is quite interesting. If you remember I've posted before iPhone 3Gs giveaway for every Swift bought. Here's another one. Buy a Swift now and get a HP Mini 5101 Netbook free plus enjoy 2.5% interest rate. I don't know which bank provide the financing although the last time a was at their showroom, the salesman was promoting EON Bank as their preferred financier.

Oh, by the way, this promotion ends 28 February 2010. Let's see what promotion are they offering next after this to move this quite old model from their yard.

Ford Promo

I've come across last week's ad. It says here, drive away with a brand new Ford (I suppose any model) and get 'state of the art' Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc Player worth RM1888. It doesn't state here when will the promotion ends.

Currently Ford line up here in Malaysia boasts some of the most interesting vehicles, given the lack of models on display in malaysia. The latest one is Ford Mondeo, Camry / Accord competitor that undercuts both in terms of price and goodies equipped. Other notable models in their line up like Everest is an old model even though recently given facelift.

Zzzzz

Quite a quiet week for me. This week I totally dedicated myself to spend more time with my family. Cut off my mind from work and other things that required my attention. Yeah, you can also say I am recharging my battery for a very busy schedule in future. Every day, I just spend my time either watching TV, play games, plus eat and sleep as much as I can. Thats what my doctor want me to do anyway. Get plenty of rest.

Mostly what I miss is writing here in my blog. As far as I looked back a couple of weeks before, there are no new promotion that I can recall. Funny, right now we are very near the Lunar New Year holidays but to me there seem to be a certain lack of promotion this time around compared to last year. Maybe this is the sign for things to come this year? A beginning of a trend perhaps? No more freebies, discounts etc?

Another Promotion From Mitsubishi

Wow. Those guys at Mitsubishi sure are working hard this festive month. If you recall, those who buy Mitsubishi vehicles are eligible to various freebies as I posted earlier. Well looks like Mitsubishi is honoring not just its potential customers but also its existing one as well.

For those Mitsubishi vehicle owners, you are treated to a free 30 point vehicle inspection, 20% discount on parts and labour plus free mystery gift I you fill out the survey forms when you send your car to Mitsubishi authorized service center. Promotion is valid from 1 Feb 2010 to 15 March 2010.

GREAT Bio - Fuel Enhancer

Those of you who would like to try GREAT Bio - Fuel Enhancer can order now. Sold in box containing 5 bottles, enough to mix with 500 liter of fuel usage. You just have to pour in GBFE inside fuel tank with 1:1000 ratio. That 1ml GBFE to 1 liter of fuel! Price is RM75 plus FREE shipping for Peninsular Malaysia, RM3 for Sarawak and RM 5 for Sabah. Depending on the type and condition of your vehicle, you could get up to 40% saving on fuel. Try one, now!

Latest BMW CNY Promotion

Those of you with deep pockets would have heard of the Beemer CNY promotion. I would not elaborate this because it is promoted quite extensively on the net.

You guys can get more info here, here and here.

Peugeot 308VTi Promo

Yet another 42" HD LCD TV giveaway! When you purchase a Peugeot 308 VTi, this superb LG HD TV would be yours for free! Hurry, this promotion valid until 28 February 2010 only.

Come to think of it, even without the freebie now on offer, this car still represents great value for money. The first conti car for masses. Sub 100k price, 1.6 Prince engine, Tiptronic Porche transmission, you got a winner right there. Voted Best Local Assembly Compact Car by Asian Auto VCA Auto Industry Awards and the winner in Mid Size Sedan / Hatchback Category in Autocar Asean Awards 2009.

Special Festive Deal from Mitsubishi

More goodies are coming your way this festive month. In conjunction with this year Chinese Lunar New Year, for every purchase of Mitsubishi Triton 2.5MT or Triton Lite, Mitsu will be giving away 40" Sony Bravia LCD TV. Or if you opt for Lancer, Grandis, Pajero Sport or Triton 2.5AT, you will get a free Sony Cyber Shot TX-1. However this promotion is not applicable for purchase of Lancer GT with white solid colour, Lancer GTS or the new Triton 2.5 Standard.

Mitsubishi is a builder of exiting cars but unfortunately Sony is not the electronic brand that I prefer. But I think I it is a very good deal nonetheless.

Free iPhone for every Swift

I read today's newspaper and I saw this ad about Suzuki Swift. It says that for every purchase of Suzuki Swift at 2.5%, the buyer get free iPhone 3GS. I've always like Swift form the moment it launched. I even considered buying one before I decided to aquire my ride now. But now they have thrown in free iPhone 3GS into the deal too. That should be interesting.

And also it should be noted that the Swift is quite an old model. Suzuki has the newer SX4 in their stable, perhaps in view of replacing Swift in the future?

If you always wanted Swift and the coveted iPhone 3GS, now is the time. But if you want a newer and perhaps better model, then go for Suzuki SX4 Crossover which my wife has tested and say is a better car.