Posts Tagged ‘investment’

308系列短期课程（二）：从哲学的角度看投资

308系列短期课程（二）：从哲学的角度看投资

上课日期：每星期三 （四堂课）

开课日期：2010年2月3日（星期三）

时间：8-10p.m

地点：八打灵再也17区（八打灵再也南区国会议员许来贤服务中心）

讲师：柯正伟先生

赞助媒体：《公正报》

收费：每人60令吉

报名截止日期：1月31日前

联络人：健聪 （012-3075500）

讲师简介：

在大学时期修读经济与哲学，毕业后在一间私立学院任教三年。现于一间资金管理公司任职，负责宏观经济策略与东南亚股市的户头管理。

课程简介：

聪明的投资不止是一系列的规则，而是一种思考方式。欲作出投资决策，我们需根据根本与哲学的视角去了解微观与宏观的世界运作的方式。最成功的投资者被驱使的，是对人类社会及其环境的了解，而非贪念与恐惧。

这项短期课程将有四课。首两课将讨论较抽象的哲学与投资概念，并将应用这些概念以了解复杂的人类社会。后两课将着重在投资领域上的实践。

第一课：主要概念的简介

科学哲学，进化生物学，心理计算理论，实用主义，有限理性，因果关系，相关计算理论，契合，实验，信息不对称，光环效应，自反性，错误难免，风险，不确定性，统计分布，网络理论，复杂的系统，游戏理论

第二课：了解世界的运作

我将使用第一课介绍的一些概念，试图解释我们的现在和过去人类社会活动的某些关键现象。

第三课：实践哲学家可以战胜市场吗？

对聪明的投资者而言，答案是显而易见的。我会尝试从巴菲特和索罗斯等成功投资者过去的行动中辩解如何可以达到。

第四课：人类社会如何从哲学取向的投资方式中获益？

最后一课，我将比较大胆地尝试印证这种投资方法，可以如何改善人类的生活条件。一些例子包括：比尔和梅林达盖茨基金会所做的慈善工作。

My Score

What score is it? Well, you may go for your own test at Malaysian Investor website created by SIDC, short for Securities Industry Development Corporation. The quiz is basically testing your basic financial awareness especially on whether you are resistant to investment scams out there.

The website itself, consisting a lot of information about financial planning and investment. It is a good knowledge center for people who are concerning about managing personal finance.

It is common enough that many of us Malaysian do not know much about financial planning. Of course, some may have some saving, some may have some investment of any kind. Worse still, a lot are in very bad shape which suffers from too much unhealthy debt. Until then, we should consider back to the basic, get some financial education with free resources on the Internet, and slowly develop financial intelligent on ourselves. Of course, practicing the best practices recommended. Slowly we shall see positive results.

So have a start? Click here.

Companies Preparing for Recovery?

Is that a good sign if you see that companies are more actively hiring new people? I am not sure about other industry, maybe you can provide your feedback to help us see clearer picture.

Being job seeker sometimes, I do have my account with Jobstreet and set up the Job Alert function. Just recently I found that the alert email becoming longer than some time earlier.

I am not sure whether this is a good sign, which signifies that Malaysian economy is getting better and the firms are preparing for another round of good demand. Of course, what I am seeing here is more towards IT or related industry. It may not be equalized to others. However, maybe the small change here can be some clue to the overall market. What is your opinion?

Case Study… Investing in Property

Do you ever think about investing, maybe in property? If you have yet to join this facebook group, consider it. Click here…

Ok, in this short post here, just want to do some simulation. If you were to invest in a condominium, what should you consider.

Just some number crunching first. Based on some assumption and the situation may vary from time to time.

1. Assuming you get a condominium at RM 230,000. You have the budget to pay the 10% down payment (RM 23,000) and around RM 7,000 misc fees (SPA, stamp duty, transfer of title).

2. Therefore, you need to get a bank loan of RM 207,000. At the current market situation, if you manage to get a bank to finance you at BLR-2.0 and free moving cost (meaning the bank absorb the fees for loan agreement, stamp duty and so on).

3. For the amount of loan, and with the tenure of 30 years, and assuming the interest rate won’t suffer any increase in the foreseeable future, your monthly installment will be around RM 950.

4. The condominium at this price range, can easily cost around RM 250 per month for the maintenance fee. It totals up the monthly cash outflow of RM 1200.

5. In order to make it just nice that you do not have to come out any money every month, the rental should be at least RM 1200.

Let’s say for the investment horizon of 5 years.

1. In total of the 5 years, the total cost (assume the interest rate remains the same) is the upfront of RM 30,000 and the total 5 years cash outflow of RM 72,000. The rental has been very stable and you have just balanced the cash flow every month, therefore you did not pay a single cent for the period.

2. After 5 years period, you should now still owing the bank for around RM 185,000.

3. Assuming the property market is really good and you manage to sell the condominium at price of RM 300,000.

4. After settle the bank outstanding loan, you have in hand RM 115,000. So you minus out the initial RM 30,000, your profit is RM 85,000. If compared to the initial value of the property, the total 5 years return is 36.95% or simply 7.39% a year without compounding. If you were to look at the initial cash investment that need to put in, it is RM 30,000 against RM 85,000, or simply 280% return rate. 

Remarks:

1. In this simulation, the rental income is assumed to be good enough to cover the monthly cost. Therefore you do not have to scarifies your life style, or other investment plan in hand to support the property investment. This is risk number 1 that you need to consider. If you do not have this kind of cash flow in investing, consider twice.

2. It is assuming the rental is constant cash flow, which means you do not suffer any lost due to vacancy. This is risk number 2. If you are not confident that the house could always be occupied, and you do not have the confident to keep paying the installment and maintenance fees with your own pocket money when nobody is renting your property, consider twice.

3. It is assuming no cost on any serious repair. If you don’t have the confident to find tenant that can take good care of the house and no serious cost involved within the investment horizon to repair the house, consider twice.

4. The simulation above is perfectly ideal investment scenario which it is a sure win situation. I wish I could find one. If there is any good opportunity like this, please don’t be hesitate to share.

Learn Investing? A Group May Help…

As what I discuss earlier, social networking is a good place to get things shared with sincerity. I would like to share another facebook group that in particular, build to talk about investment. I am sure that the founder come with mind to benefit fellow group members with neutral review, knowledge and experience in INVESTMENT. Click here to join…

To be frank the group is relatively new and not much content in there. However if fellow members are generous to contribute knowledge and experience in field of each own, especially in the topics of INVESTING, it will be soon an active group that benefits everyone with all the in and outs of investing in Malaysia, might even overseas. No matter that you are veteran in investing, or just new to try out, I recommend you to join and start asking and sharing. Chances are you gain more knowledge and sharpen your view while communicating to the crowd.

Good luck investing..