http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/pri...3D-00212803FAD6
Asia Markets

Aug. 1, 2011, 10:31 p.m. EDT
Asia stocks retreat as exporters fall
By Sarah Turner, MarketWatch
SYDNEY (MarketWatch) — Asian stocks dropped on Tuesday, with exporters broadly pressured after fresh indications that U.S. manufacturing is slowing, and with Japanese companies straining under the weight of a strong yen.

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average (TYO:JP:NIK) fell 1.3% in the morning session, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX:AU:XJO) lost 1.3% ahead of an interest-rate decision, and South Korea’s Kospi (KRX:KR:0100) fell 1.5%.

The Hang Seng Index (HSI:HK:HSI) declined 0.7%, while the Shanghai Composite index (SHA:CN:000001) lost 1.3%.

heheh
News.. sometimes it just doesnt pay to follow

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 2 2011, 11:54 AM

Your agent is correct.

If U sell/redeem your equity funds, then buy back in later, it'll cost U the 3% service charge later
If U switch, U pay only $25 no matter the $ of switched + if you're a Mutual Gold or better, may also be 0 (depending on how many times U've switched over the year).


FYI - your agent is also getting something out of it. As long as U keep your "loaded" units, your agent gets 0.2% or so yearly from ALL her customers' "loaded" units portfolio.

"Loaded" units = units that U've paid more than 0.25% service charge.

Each vehicle has its own pros & cons lor.

Use a spreadsheet and do a head to head calc
eg.
Stocks - to & fro transaction cost is about 1%+
Mutual funds - buying is about 3.6%+ + switching $25

However, simulate it for a few times and increasing quantity of $

U may notice, depending on how much U transact for stocks, that mutual funds may be "cheaper" in the long run. Remember, the equity service charge is once-off. IF U switch it to bonds/MM to lock in profits, and back to equities when equities are low, it's only $25 or free (depending on mutual gold or etc.). Imagine moving $500K using $25 switching fee or $0. Heck, imagine moving $1M or more using $25. How many percent is that ar? Do that a few times and see the transactions' cost difference between stocks and mutual funds


Next, mgt fees, trustee fees, etc.
Say U have $5K to invest
If U put into stocks, cost effectively U can only buy into 1 or max 2 stocks
If U put into equity funds, it straight away diversifies yr $ into 10 or more stocks.

Mind U, i aint saying that mutual funds are silver bullets but it has it's uses, especially for the extreme lower investments (cost effective - try buying stocks directly with $100, see how much the commission, etc. is as a % of the value of the stocks U bought) and extreme higher amount of investments (switching at $0 or $25).

Note - i use both vehicles myself AND to lower my own cost (thus increasing probability of profits), i'm my own agent

Since i had time to kill inbetween meetings, see the attached.
6 transactions/reinvestments using stocks (0.55% per buy/sell assumed) and equity mutual funds (5.5% and $25), at 3 amount of investable $ - $5K, $10K and $50K, assuming 20% net profits each round.


This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 3 2011, 02:53 PM

Firstly, no crystal balls here ar
Secondly, yup - i'm into PSSF and PAGF and will continue for at least 3 years, via EPF A/C1 --> Mutual Funds.

Reason:
I'm leveraging on their volatility and general growth - as i'm using value averaging to invest my EPF A/C1, not dollar cost averaging.

I've also done so for PIX when i started PSSF (same time and same methodology - value averaging), and i've noticed that my returns were about 10% more for PSSF vs PIX.
Eg. PIX transaction date 1 year ago makes me (paper profit) 20% but PSSF on the same transaction date makes me 22%+. Checkout the snapshot attached - the second column = buy dates.
Note that i've 2 buys on a same date for each fund due to different "investment programs"/allocation running

Your mileage may vary depending on why U investing (time horizon, flux, etc.) and how you're investing (dca, lump sum, value averaging, trend) - thus i said no crystal balls here



This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 3 2011, 02:25 PM

hehheh Bro Gark, you're spot on.

i not so detailed as U lor coz one year the fund low turn over, next year can be higher, same or lower. Too much details to bother me in the long run. yes yes, i'm a lazy optimizer.

Salute!

Short answer = not too smart way to change agent. If U do that, you're literally losing 5.5% again lump sum. If your new agent is your new partner / hot agent + your old agent has become your nemesis, i may understand lar

Long answer
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1299169/+1968
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1299169/+1982

---

Added on August 4, 2011, 6:55 amDont worry bro, we've got at LEAST another 30 to 40 years ahead of us if we keep living right . I've just hit my 40s - it's never too late to learn + if U dont learn & do, time will still pass.. and then what are U going to do?

Please do ignore trolls in LYN - i bet you them trolls have not thought about "oh oh.. i've not enough $ to last me another 5 years.. better commit suicide ar?" when they asked U to spend spend spend.

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 4 2011, 09:23 AM

File a formal written complain to PubMutual pls. It's ppl like her that needs to be weeded out. Er.. U do know why she did what she did right? it's about $ in her pockets!

This aint a small case bro - it's a breach of trust and conduct.

Your surname ke or U mis-spelt mine?

Wrong what are sis? i dont think fellow forumers here are mind readers and crystal balls aint working well

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 4 2011, 01:49 PM

Good good - at least she made amends. I'd think she blur rather than purposefully earlier OR she knows what kinda hell U can give her via PubMut, especially if her rice bowl = 100% PubMut

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 4 2011, 02:18 PM

Another idea IF one is just doing purely asset allocation from EPF to Mutual Fund - why not put into just Equity Fund coz $ in EPF is near similar returns and stability to Bond Funds

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 5 2011, 07:13 AM

where whwre 20% down!!?! which market? which vehicles?!

If our market - ceh.. good enuf to pickup a REIT or two only lar

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 5 2011, 12:52 PM

our market (KLCI) will auto-short circuit at 10% down leh. no way 20%
remember last erection when Bursa closed for trading due to 10% drop, triggering auto-short circuit? damn good day to buy PIX (end of day price used mar)

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 5 2011, 01:10 PM

Before age 55, any redemption (ie. sell, instead of switch) will go back into your EPF A/C1
Note that ppl do not usually redeem but switch to/fro Equity funds and Bond funds to save on the re-entry cost IF they redeem now, then later get back in (another 3% charge)

U can let yr $ run past 55 in the mutual funds that U invested via EPF. No issues and when U redeem, it'll go into your PB a/c or they'll send U a cheque.

Personally - i'm leaving it in there AND more worried about how to manage the lump sum coming out of EPF at 50 & 55 ie. worried how to get them into Mutual Funds (equity & bond funds), Stocks, REITs, etc. without screwing up my lump sum risks.

Just an idea - it's not just the selection of fund to ride BUT also HOW U ride them .
eg. lump sum VS DCA VS VCA VS combination of DCA & VCA (google TwinVest) etc.
your entry & exit rules / methodology

Heheh - too much details for me to type here. I've put in some comparisons before and written about these in another thread/topic which U can dig from the link below. Of course, do read also fellow forumers' feedback as well and note that most people think value averaging as one method that needs infinite deep pocket . It doesnt if U approach it in a different manner - read and tested with real $

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/690951?author=wongmunkeong

U may also be interested in some general worksheets and ideas for retirement planning and stuff
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1577849/+413

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 5 2011, 10:02 PM

Follow the $ dude - if what U thought is true, PM long ago tutup kedai liao (it's a biz mar) + all the agents also tah pau liao.

Now to confuse U even more - agents can invest at NAV! No service charges!! Of course the amount and terms ada clauses lar *terms and conditions apply

You're welcome.

Last idea to bounce off U - if U are investing $10K or more per year via EPF (or $7K-ish cash), then it may be worth your while to be your own agent.

Reason:
EPF to Equity Funds' 3% service charges - 2% goes to the agent
Cash to Equity Funds' 5.5% service charges - 2.75% goes to the agent

Cost of being an agent:
Initial year $250
subsequent years $100ish

$90 for them software which U can access donkey loads of historical prices and statistics like the one i posted

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 6 2011, 01:11 AM

Paiseh paiseh - those Personal Money articles and interviews, just like 3 or so small articles only lar.

Dude, i'd rather spend my time and effort TEACHING / COACHING U how to "fish" than just be your agent. I'm not into Public Mutual as a sales agent but more of lowering costs + access to data , + of course some expenses write-off for tax purposes heheh.

Perhaps we can meet up one day (Sat preferred) and go through your options/ideas and solidify your map to the future. PM me, perhaps we can setup a "gang bang" with im_not_stupid too. I'm a "lazy" fler - best to share info and ideas as a group, thus i also can learn from a few view points at the same time

BTW, trust me - by now, U'd have about 80% knowledge of what most typical sales agent knows about investment. Sitting for the agent exam is sup sup water.

Trust me (i've nothing to gain by lying right? follow the $ ) - even 2 of my friends, who are blur blur (started), they sat and finished the exam within 45 minutes out of 1 or 2 hours! It's really really easy, the only "hard" part for an avid investor are some Qs that are about how and what a mutual fund, trustee, customer, SC, etc. is about - all about the structure, rules and history of mutual funds in Malaysia.

Whooops! I'm assuming U guys are in Klang Valley - if you're like up north or down south.. heheh sorry ar. I'm living in SJ thus susah a bit to go up north or down south.

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 6 2011, 09:36 AM

bwhahaha - i'm a kam sau in certain situations only lar , not worth my time tipu-ing anyone unless i can get lump sum of > $8M RM Gotta wear grass and run wor tipu-ing ppl + i cannot run from my own conscience although the $ will help

BTW dude - i am doing "charity" work for family & close friends, as long as they are willing to learn and do most things online

This post has been edited by wongmunkeong: Aug 6 2011, 02:25 PM