AustralianSuper and lost super

Recently saw an ad by AustralianSuper talking about lost super and how it is the best super. Does knowing how to find your lost super translate to a good investment? Seems that they have lost the link somewhere along the line.

Mindset : Perseverance

In finance, as anything in life, it is a life long learning process. Everyone is bound to have ups and downs. To make it better, you have to have the willingness to learn and persevere.

CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge

For those that do not know, CNBC runs a portfolio challenge. It is a yearly challenge with prizes like a Maserati up for grabs. Starting off with USD1million, you are supposed to build your portfolio to be the highest value in the challenge.

However, this year, the challenge has been suspended because of cheating. Technical glitches has allowed some contestants to catapult their way to the top of the leader board. After the 30th of October, this Sunday, all contestants will restart with the opening balances reset.

May the best punter win.

Credit risk

Credit risk in my company is the risk that the customer will not be able to repay the debts they incurred from the telecommunication service.

Sooner, some of those customers, thinking they can get away with it, become fraudulent. It is a small percentage of bad customers that incurs millions of dollars in their name and use it for financial and property gains.

Illegality

In my new role, I am supposed to deter people from fraudulently applying for mobile phones with fake identities and running away with the phone.

It seems that there are people who go out of their way to beat systems and make a profit out of it. However, once caught, it might be the end of the road for them.

Looks like the benefits outweighs the risk to them.

Occupy Melbourne

It is funny how Occupy Melbourne does not have any ideas of what changes they want but to just join in for the Occupy Wall Street. I do not understand their rational behind camping out for the few days they were at Melbourne Square.

Social enterprise

Social enterprise is an upcoming thing in the world today. For instance, here in Melbourne, you have got The Big Issue which sells magazines to authorised vendors for AUD2.50 and the vendors sell it for AUD5 and keep the profit.

I believe it helps the needy as well as the owner of the Big Issue. Helping others help yourself? Sure is a good way to start. Let's hope the profits are used to further improve the conditions of the needy.

Idea : Photography

In today's world, with DSLRs getting more affordable, it helps people have a few extra dollars out of their passion.

How to do it? Firstly, you would need to get the camera and the relevant gears. It is always good to do online research and speak to people who are already using it.

Then it is time to put your skills to use. Practice a lot and learn new things.

Finally, the hardest part being marketing your skills. Remember to create a portfolio and go for courses that gives the certificate, if necessary.

Then you are ready to charge a few hundred per session or even thousands if you make it big.

Roller coaster ride

Looks like it is going to be another roller coaster ride down while the gifted bankers still line their pockets with the riches of others.

If in doubt, do not invest.

The coffee hole

Have you ever wondered how much your coffee expenditure can cost you in the long run? I believe it is a case of starting small finishing big.

At $3 a coffee, a cup a day would cost you over $1,000 over a year. Just something to think about.

Gold hitting $10,000?

There are some people that are speculating that gold could hit the $10,000 mark. Is it really possible for it to rise about 6 times its current levels?

I believe the world would be in chaos before that happens if it happens too quick (rising in the span of a few years).

Iphone 4S

Even after Steve Jobs' passing, his products are selling like hot-cross buns. It seems that he has created a legacy that would last long after his passing

The gap of skills

In this age where there is an emphasis on UNIVERSITY education, it seems that there is a real problem in the world's biggest economy, America.

There are 14 million people unemployed, which equates to slightly over 9% of unemployment. So what has happened?

There an article recently that pointed out that education is flawed. With such high importance placed on university education, people forget that there are other expertise jobs out there that really do not require a bachelor's degree. Professions like plumbing and many other trades skills require a different type of education.

Also the emphasis on the theoretical aspects have been overdone causing companies not wanting to hire the 3.2 million job vacancies (US jobs) due to the lack of skills.

This problem, if rectified, would bring benefits to society as a whole.

Westpac Bank's Ad

Today, I saw a Westpac Bank Ad that states "women has on average half of men's super". I think this statement is a good way to instill the fear of losing out to men onto women.

This ad is a manipulation of numbers because as you can see from the top 10 richest Australians, there is only 1 woman at the top. And this has already skewed the data by a mile.

We also have to take into account the maternity leave and housewives out there (assuming they include the non-working people as well).

My conclusion, don't get fooled so easily by the bankers' claims and do your own analysis.

RM400,000 First Home Loan limit

Is this a wise move by the government? Raising the limits from RM220,000 to RM400,000 would be quite a big jump, however, if implemented correctly, it would benefit the rakyat.

Let's hope the politicians can make sense of the budget and create an opportunity for the rakyat to benefit.

CBA and its 100th year anniversary

CBA, also know as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, is celebrating its 100th year anniversary by giving away $100 to its  first 10,000 customers that meet their requirements. Those who feel that they will qualify should go in and grab the free cash.