Investing

Many people find investing difficult. Just the very idea of it is a put-off. It's always hard to get the ball rolling. Between a day-job, house chores and family commitments, it is hard to imagine finding the time to fix your financial situation, immediately. Everybody's situation is different and there is no one-size-fits-all for getting out of or improving your financial situation. Nobody can really give you straight answers for your predicament. Re-Read The Book One way o

It is easy to regard investing in public international markets as some sort of validation and confirmation of your abilities and aptitudes. How in tune are you with the latest artificial intelligence and technological breakthroughs. How in tune are you to any of the other latest fads and trends to grip the world (such as blind box labubu dolls)? Are you on top of the latest global developments to the extent that you can invest and make money in them? Are you better than ev

Everybody wants to be Warren Buffett. The grandmaster of investing has plenty to offer, with a comprehensive record of shareholder letters and other materials, spun off to elaborate on his investing philosophy. Yet Buffett himself had suggested that there were a couple of ways to take after him - his previous cigar butt investing approach and the current wonderful company investing approach. He has hinted in lesser words that new investors may obtain better returns by invest

Reports are rife that recent trade and tariff wars, disruptive politics and a charge towards the latest artificial intelligence technology is created an extremely volatile investing environment. Commodity prices have recently skyrocketed, whilst there has been a receeding of prices of big tech in the latest weeks. Is it safe to invest in such a condition? Do you risk losing everything because of the turbulent prices? How do you stay patient and calm in everyday life in such

If you were in the rat race working your tails off for years or decades, you could be forgiven for not knowing what to do with yourself post-retirement. For this reason, many well-off professionals decline to opt for early retirement, preferring instead to collect a steady paycheque, working at a steady pace. Not everybody opts to subscribe for the concept of Financial Independence, Retire Early (also known as FI/RE). Not everybody who reads about the concept buys the idea t

You would be forgiven, understood even, if you said you believed in long time employment service and therefore job security. Job security encourages a better performance at work, it is argued, and employees enjoy financial security that comes in return. Nothing beats the feeling of being wanted in your job, and contributing to the financial success of a successful enterprise. Conversely, you fear the lack of job security. How will you pay your bills and mortgages if you did

You would be forgiven, understood even if you were to say that your home is an asset. The roof over your head gives you a sense of shelter, security and safety that cannot be replaced. Indeed, can you imagine, touch wood, what life would be like if you were homeless? Nothing can replace the emotional bonds that are built out with loved ones in the privacy of one’s home as well. The home is a safe space from which partnerships are formed and children find the ability to expr

There is a general tendency amongst some to exaggerate problems or otherwise to exaggerate the potential of certain investments to turn out badly. Yours truly can also be guilty in certain circumstances of being overly pessimistic. It is a habitual, factual tendency amongst some. Pessimism bias, skepticism or a tendency to see the downside in any transaction, with less or no consideration of the upside or the returns , can be a good defence mechanism in terms of everyday out

There is a general tendency amongst some to exaggerate returns or otherwise to exaggerate the potential of certain expectations to turn out well. Yours truly is also guilty of being overly optimistic. It is a habitual, factual tendency amongst some. Optimism bias, or a tendency to see the upside in any transaction, with less or no consideration of the downside or the risks, can be a boon in terms of everyday outlook in life. It can also be detrimental when trying to anticipa

Much has been made about specialisation in a certain sector, industry or geography when investing. That is, it is ventured, the only way to ensure an investment in a quality company. To a large extent, you are in the know about the sector, industry or geography that the company is in. It's quirks and eccentricies - whether it is in an upmarket or downcycle. Whilst some people have experience in construction and real estate, others may be more well versed in the oil palm pl

Returning readers will be familiar with the fact that I quote or refer to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway every so often. The Oracle of Omaha is reknowned for decades upon decades of successful stock picking as a track record, often beating the S&P500 market index. Some time ago, it made sense to buy Berkshire Hathaway, as a proxy for how well American companies were doing. Unfortunately or otherwise, with Warren Buffett retiring, a new generation of company stewards ar

Investing in local and global real estate is supposed to be easy. Residential and hotel real estate, for example, is the easiest to invest in because readers can relate to the investment. Afterall, everybody has stayed in a home before, and quite likely you have also stayed in a hotel. There is little to have to understand - property rental comes in and property expenses go out. This point of view became particularly pronounced in the 2010s, during the post-Great Recession

Somebody asked me if it is better to fuse fundamental analysis with technical analysis. Indeed, this seems to be a popular practice for some. In fundamental analysis, investing is said to be like piloting an aeroplane. You need to run through a checklist of matters pertaining to the engine or the aircraft, in order to take flight and to stay airbourne. Similarly, trading and technical analysis is said to be like piloting an aeroplane whilst checking the readings for the w

The average person on the street believes: you reap what you sow your return is commensurate to the effort you put in; and there is no free lunch. The belief may be - you have got to put in a high amount of effort before you see any returns. Indeed, action junkies demand constant turnover of reports, writings, calculations and graphs, before making any decision. That belief from daily life, in turn, translates to a belief that active investing is the way to produce high ret

Weights and cardiovascular exercise are doable to some. You work certain muscle groups or pump the heart, and over time, with consistent effort and showing up, you are certain to see a certain noticeable result for your efforts. To others, even repeated physical exercise is a pain and a difficulty. You need a certain willpower it seems to get yourself off your behind, to show up at the workout facilities, that may or may not be nearby. But, as they say, if you drag yourself

At pre-twenties age group, for example, you're probably more interested about girls and guys at the bar. You're just discovering your own identity and fashion particularly is another area where you want to explore, decking yourself out in the latest trends. More improtantly, life has only just begun for you and studies are your priority at the moment anyway. You've just discovered freedom from the secondary school teachers, you may or may not already have a car to get around

You never guess right. In 2025 you thought the world markets would have a bad year, perhaps still due to covid19. In 2026 you may think the markets remain overheated and is due for a correction if not a crash. You are left in doubt. And you ne ver get the guesses right anyway? How could you? You're relying on the advice of a financial advisor, and ultimately your own gut instinct is based on the stories you hear during the course of your work and daily career. You're r

Whilst there may or may not be a general appreciation for this blog, the question that comes out at the turn of the year is whether this writer will disclose his results. After all, we are judged by the extent of weight we can attribute to the writer and the authority by which he writes. That weight and authority gives us comfort that we are listening to the right voices. And that we are chasing the right information and sources towards the right goal. Summarily, please assu

Is there anything much you can buy on Bursa Malaysia in terms of stocks and shares? Bursa Malaysia feels a bit undersold. Out of focus. Ma laysia has suffered not just from the covid19 like everybody else, but are arguably a small nation competing for global trade and capital without much headway for the longest time.    It does not help that there are plenty of competitors out that who are vying for the same attention from global investors. In this context, it appears uncl

Do you really need insurances? Do you really need to draft a will at a young age? Considering (critical) illness, permanent disability and life can seem morbid and downright negative. It is even harder to talk about such things with loved ones. Even if you wanted to address the matter or talk about it, the insurance companies and wills companies price their products so that they profit. There is no way that getting into such things is an advantageous deal. But is it advanta