KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB group, which is currently conducting a feasibility study on Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s proposed merger of its Indonesian banks, PT Bank Niaga and Lippo Bank, expects to announce “something firm” in the first quarter this year.

Group chief executive Datuk Nazir Razak said details such as the execution process needed to be ironed out.

“The idea (merger) has been agreed on and we have also informed Bank Indonesia. The study shouldn’t take long.

“You will be hearing something from us within the first quarter of this year,” he said after the launch of the CIMB Islamic Dynamic Market Rider NID-i yesterday.

Last month, Khazanah proposed to merge its 93%-owned Lippo Bank with CIMB’s Bank Niaga to comply with Indonesia’s bank ownership rules.

From left: CIMB group treasurer Lee K. Kwan, Datuk Nazir Razak, CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd chief executive officer Badlisyah Abdul Ghani and CIMB Investment Bank senior vice-president and head of structured products and derivatives, balance sheet management Chu Kok Wei at the launch of the CIMB Islamic Dynamic Market Rider NID-i

The policy applies to Khazanah because it owns Lippo Bank and has a 64% indirect stake in Bank Niaga via CIMB group.

Bank Niaga is the seventh largest lender in Indonesia by assets with 247 branches, while Lippo Bank ranks 10th with 151 full-fledged branches and 247 smaller branches.

As at Dec 26, Bank Niaga had a market capitalisation of 10.88 trillion rupiah (RM3.88bil). Its issued and paid-up capital as at Sept 30 stood at 965 billion rupiah. Lippo Bank has a market capitalisation of 8.91 trillion rupiah while its paid-up capital as at Sept 30 totalled 812 billion rupiah.

Nazir said CIMB group was excited about the merger of both banks as this would enlarge the group’s footprint in Indonesia.

To a question, he said the group had always been on the lookout for opportunities and would be looking everywhere for expansion.

The proposed merger of the Indonesian banks at face value was an attractive proposition, he said.

“This proposed merger was even contemplated by previous shareholders of the two banks without the SPP.”

Meanwhile, CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd is targeting at least RM500mil sales from its newly launched structured product.

Nazir said the bank was confident the figure was achievable based on sales of the structured products it launched last year.

“NID-i will offer investors the opportunity to invest in and benefit from highly volatile market conditions and maximise returns,” he added.

NID-i is referenced to a benchmark index, the CIMB Millennium Excess Return Index, which covers the world’s most representative equity indices from Europe, the US, Japan and China and alternative asset classes such as currencies, commodities and real estate.

KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd has standardised the names of the unit trust funds within its stable.

All conventional funds now carry the prefix “CIMB-Principal” while its Islamic funds will carry the prefix “CIMB Islamic”.

Previously, some of these funds either carried the prefix “SBB” or did not have prefixes.

Chief executive Datuk Noripah Kamso said in a statement yesterday that the new naming convention ensured consistency and allowed local and regional investors to recognise the group's brand and investment products immediately.

It also creates a distinct brand for CIMB's syariah-compliant funds.

The renaming exercise also applies to funds of its subsidiary CIMB Wealth Advisors Bhd that are being managed by CIMB-Principal.

KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd targets to increase its total assets under management to RM26bil by year-end from RM19bil last year, said chief executive Datuk Noripah Kamso.

“We are targeting a growth of 36%,” she said yesterday after the launch of the CIMB Islamic Global Equity Fund, its first syariah-compliant fund.

According to Noripah, CIMB-Principal will launch about 20 conventional and syariah-compliant funds this year to achieve its target.

Raymond Tang (left) and Datuk Noripah Kamso

CIMB-Principal has over 60 funds currently.

Chief investment officer Raymond Tang expected returns in excess of 15% per annum within 18 to 24 months for the new fund.

Noripah said the fund would invest in equities in both emerging and developed markets.

“The fund would offer investors a balance that gives investment access to emerging markets and provide them with long-term stability from the strong fundamentals of developed markets,” she said.

The fund will invest 70% to 99% of its net asset value in syariah-compliant equities listed on the stock exchanges in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North and Latin America, she added.

“The fund's broad diversification across these countries would reduce volatility significantly,” she said.

According to Tang, the fund would invest in world-renowned companies such as ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Vodafone. Tang assured that not all US-based stocks were severely affected by the subprime and credit crunch issues currently plaguing the US economy.

“Not all equities in the US are doing badly. Companies like Google and Apple recorded 60% to 70% in returns per annum in 2007. There are stocks that still do well despite the issues in the US,” he said.

Principal Global Investors (PGI), a diversified asset management organisation and a member of US-based Principal Financial Group, will manage the fund. PGI is also a shareholder of CIMB.

PGI managed US$306bil in assets as at Sept 30, 2007.

The CIMB Islamic Global Equity Fund has an approved size of 300 million units. The initial selling price per unit is 50 sen with a minimum investment of RM1,000.

The Importance Of Performance
Performance data is valuable to chart the progress of your investment. While performance is a key evaluator in identifying a suitable fund, it is not the only factor upon which you should base your decision. It is important to understand that unit trusts do not offer a fixed rate of return: your principal value will fluctuate, and the return on your investment is not guaranteed. The rates of return fluctuate with market conditions, changes of the valuation of the securities a fund invests in, or other factors. For that reason, it is helpful to examine performance over various time periods.

Historical Results
It is important to keep in mind that performance is based on historical results and is not intended to project future performance of a fund. Ensure that the fund's objectives as well as the manager's investment style and strategy are aligned with yours. While yesterday's data is no guarantee of future performance, the long-term track record is a useful barometer of the manager's skill and expertise in managing different market cycles.
When comparing funds, it is best to focus on long-term performance because financial markets (and the economy) tend to go through cycles that can last for several years. For instance, small-company stocks (and funds) will at times outperform large-company stocks (and funds). At other times, the large-company stocks/funds will be the star performers. A common mistake investors make is to constantly "chase" the best-performing funds from the recent past. Unfortunately, last year's "hot" sector of the financial market may be replaced this year by a different sector.
As historical data is never perfect, the additional information paves the way for investors to make more informed investment decisions. They should also remember that a top or winning fund may not necessarily be the most suitable fund for them.
If you are comparing the performance of several funds, be sure that you are making accurate comparisons: compare fund with the same investment objectives and fund policies before looking at the numbers.
The value of investment may fall as well as rise and investors may/may not get back the amount originally invested. Changes in the currency exchange rates may cause the value of the investment to increase or diminish if you are investing in an offshore fund.

Measuring Fund Performance
A unit trust fund's performance can be measured by its total return. A fund's total return is the change in the value of an investment in the fund, taking into account any change in the fund's unit price during the period and assuming the reinvestment of income and capital gains distributions.
Total return is commonly presented in two ways. One is called the fund's cumulative total return, or total rise in the value of a fund's investments over time, assuming that income and capital gains distributions were reinvested. The other is called average annual total return, which is the compounded total return, it would take each year to produce the fund's cumulative total return. Seemingly modest annual returns can be converted, through the power of compounding, into impressive cumulative returns. For example, an average annual total return of 7% would, after ten years, amount to a cumulative total return of 97%.
When evaluating fund performance, a good approach is to compare its total return with the returns of similar funds or with the return of an appropriate market index or benchmark over the same time period. A stock fund should be compared with other similar stock funds - ones that invest in the same type of companies. A bond fund should be compared with bond funds that invest in bonds of similar maturities and credit quality (rating). You can usually find the name of the appropriate market index or benchmark on a fund's prospectus or manager's (annual and semi-annual) report.

Information Ratio
Absolute or total return tells the investor how much the distribution-adjusted net asset value of a fund has changed over a specific period. It only addresses the funds return for a certain period against its peers, without considering its risk.
In contrast, the information ratio is a reward-to-volatility (risk) ratio. It is calculated based on the fund's returns earned in excess of a benchmark such as its peer group average, taking into consideration the fund's risk as measured by the standard deviation in its relative returns over measurement period. The information ratio tells the investor how much better a fund performed in comparison with its peers from the reward/risk point of view.
The information ratio is one of the most important tools used to measure the performance of a fund's portfolio management. It is a straightforward way to evaluate the relative returns that the fund managers achieve, given the relative risk they take on, against a benchmark. All investors, no matter what their aversion to risk is, will obviously seek the highest information ratio possible. The higher the ratio, the more consistent and greater the fund return.

Unit Trust Fund Performance Rankings
Unit trust fund rankings, ratings or other evaluations of fund performance can provide an important way for you to compare your fund's past performance with other funds. Unfortunately, investors often interpret these rankings as recommendations, or even as projections for future performance, which they clearly are not.
Your best protection is being an informed investor. Request prospectus from the funds you are considering and read them carefully to understand their goals, risk factors, performance record and procedures for buying and selling shares.
Professional ranking services, financial magazines and investment newsletters are the most common sources for this information, but there are others -- and not all present the same information or use the same criteria for evaluating funds. As an investor, you should be aware of how these reports differ and how this information can be used by you in making sound investment choices.
Rankings or ratings provide another piece of important information that can be used in the selection of fund investments, but they should not be used as the only basis for your decisions. You still need to do your homework on the funds you are considering. Identify your goals and evaluate a fund's ability to meet your goals within your investment timeframe and at the level of risk you are able to accept.
All performance rankings and ratings show how a fund has performed in the past and is no guarantee that it will continue to do so. Rankings are a good barometer, however, for determining if a fund has been well-managed over the years, or if it has consistently performed in a particular manner.

Understanding Fees and Charges

1.Initial Service Charge
The first cost that an investor incurs in relation to investing in unit trusts is the initial service charge (sometimes called the service, sales, entry, or ‘up front’ charge). This is the cost to an investor investing in unit trusts and it is levied primarily to cover the marketing and distributing units and monitoring his investments by the unit trust consultant for the duration the unit trusts is held.

2.Exit Fee
Sometimes referred as repurchase charge. This fee represents a deduction by the UTMC from the proceeds of disposal of an investor.

3.Annual Management Fee
Management expenses include expense for portfolio management, the manager’s fees, trustee and custody costs, audit fees, administrative charges like printing of annual reports, distribution cheques, postage and other services properly incurred in the administration of the fund. These costs are paid out of the fund’s assets.

Understanding Risk
Any investment carries with it an element of risk. Therefore, prior to making any investment, prospective investors should consider the following risk factors:

1.Market Risk
Any purchase of securities will involve an element of risk, As unit trust funds principally invest in listed stocks they may be prone to changing market conditions as a result of global, regional or national economic conditions, governmental policies or political developments. Market uncertainties and fluctuations in the market caused by these uncertainties will affect the net asset value(NAV) of unit trusts which may fall or rise, thus causing the income generated by the fund to fluctuate.

2.Liquidity Risk
The various securities that are purchased by a fund may encounter liquidity risk. Liquidity risk relates to the fund’s ability to quickly and easily trade at a reasonable price, in and out of positions. Should a fund comprise a security that has become temporarily or permanently illiquid or difficult to sell, the fund manager may need to sell the security at a discount to its fair value, which eventually affects the fund’s value.

3.Management Risk
Performance of the fund depends on the experience, expertise, knowledge and investment techniques of the fund manager. Poor management of a fund can cause considerable losses to the fund, which in turn may affect the capital invested.

4.Inflation Risk
Ideally the purpose of any investment is to secure returns that are greater that the inflation rate. While a fund will constantly seek to maximize returns and exceed inflation rate, it may occasionally experience losses, which result in returns that will not keep pace with inflation in the short run.

5.Interest Risk
Fixed income securities and bonds are particularly sensitive to movements in interest rates. When interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities and bonds fall and vice versa, thus affecting the NAV of the fund. The general interest rate of the country may affect the value of the investment even if the fund(e.g Syariah Fund) does not invest in interest bearing instruments.

1.Equity Funds
An equity unit trust is the most common type of unit trust. The major portion of its assets are generally held in equities or securities of listed companies.
Equity unit trust funds are popular in Malaysia as they provide investors with exposure to the companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. The performance of the units is therefore linked to the performance of Bursa Malaysia. A rising market will normally give rise to an increase in the value of the unit and vice-versa.
There is a wide array of equity unit trusts, available in the market, ranging from funds with higher risk, higher returns to funds with lower risk, lower returns.

Aggressive growth funds
These funds invest generally in companies with higher capital growth potential but with associated higher risk

Index funds
These funds invest in a range of companies that closely match (or “track”) companies comprising a particular index.

International equity funds
These funds invest primarily in overseas share markets.

2.Fixed Income Funds
These funds invest mainly in Malaysian Government Securities, corporate bonds, and money market instruments such as bankers acceptance and fixed deposits. The objective of a fixed income (or bond) funds is usually to provide regular income, with less emphasis on producing capital growth for investors. It is possible, however, for fixed income funds to generate both capital gains and losses during a period of volatile interest rate.

3.Money Market Funds
Money market funds operate in a similar way to a bank account-the unit price is normally set at a fixed amount. Money market funds invest in low risk money market instruments that are in effect short-term deposits(loans) to banks and other-low risk-financial institutions, and in short-term government securities.

4.Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS)
REITs invest in real properties, usually prominent commercial (office) properties and provide the investor with an opportunity to participate in the property market in a way which is normally impossible to the small time investor. By acquiring units in a listed REITS, however, it is possible to invest a small amount to gain exposure to the property market and have diversification in your portfolio.

5.Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)
ETF is linked unit trust fund whose investment objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. ETF often have low expense ratios and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day through a stockbroker, on an exchange.

6.Balanced Funds
Some investors may wish to have an investment in all the major asset classes to reduce the risk of investing in a single asset class. A balanced unit trust fund generally has a portfolio comprising equities, fixed income securities, and cash.

7.Syariah Funds
The main objective of Syariah funds is to provide an alternative avenue for investors sensitive to Syariah requirements. Syariah funds will exclude those companies involved in activities, products or services related to conventional banking, insurance and financial services, gambling, alcoholic beverages and non-halal food products.

Benefits Of Unit Trust

For an individual to maintain his own portfolio of investments, he needs to keep up to date with market information and sentiments. In today's sophisticated financial markets, this means having to embrace a wide range of information from a plethora of sources. For many individual investors, this is difficult, if not impossible and at times, very frustrating as they attempt to " keep on top " of the information pile.
Investing in unit trusts transfers most of the necessary 'know-how' of investing to those best equipped to handle it - the professional fund managers.There are a number of other substantial benefits of investing in unit trusts that should be noted.

Affordability
Unit trusts are very affordable. Investors can start with an investment amount as low as RM100.

Diversification
Rather than concentrating an investment portfolio of one or two investments or shares, a portfolio of market securities can be held. The wider the spread of investments, the less volatile (i.e. variable) the investment returns will be. In simple terms, investment into unit trusts means diversification of risk: "not putting all your eggs in one basket."

Liquidity
Most investors prefer that their investment to be liquid. That is, they can easily buy and sell withour difficulties. Unit trusts provide this benefit, easily bought and sold. An excellent return that cannot be "cashed-in" (i.e. sold) does not necessarily mean a good investment as poor liquidity constitutes an additional risk factor for the investor.

Professional Fund Management
The people managing unit trusts are approved professionals. Their training and background ensures that decision making is structured and according to sound investment principles. In the process, unit trust funds enjoy the depth of knowledge and experience that fund manager can bring. In the long term, it is this expertise that should generate above average investment returns for unit trust investors.

Investment Exposure
For the individual investor, it is sometimes difficult to gain exposure to a particular asset class. For instance, if an investor with RM5,000 wants to gain exposure to the Malaysian property market, global equity markets and the Malaysian bond market, it would be impossible to simultaneously hold a direct investment portfolio in all of these markets. With unit trust investments, it is possible to spread your money around to all of these asset classes at the same time, so that the investor can gain the investment exposure he requires.

Wholesale Investment Costs & Access to Other Asset Classes
When making direct investments in the Bursa malaysia, the investor faces costs and charges that are much higher. With unit trust the economics of the transaction are more favorable i.e. the fees and charges/brokerage etc. per investment ringgit are likely to be less. Because fund managers invest in larger amounts, they are able to get access to wholesale yields and products which are impossible for the individual investor to obtain. For instance, unlike unit trust funds, most individual investors cannot have direct access to the Malaysian Government Security market because, amongst other reasons, the amount of each transaction could run into millions of Ringgit.

The Comfort of Regulation
With the introduction of unit trusts in Malaysia came regulation from various regulators, especially the Securities Commission. The entire range of variables relating to the unit trust industry is governed by various legislations.The sole purpose of such regulations is to protect the interest of the investing public.
Regulations provide investors with a level of comfort that they are investing in a safe investment mechanism.

Getting Started

There are four major ways to start investing in unit trusts:

Lump Sum Purchases
This is where an investor has a lump sum to invest into a unit trust. This may be the only investment the investor wishes to make. Over a period of time (3-20 years), the initial investment will increase as distribution and other income is earned by the fund. When redemption or sale of the units take place, the unit-selling price will reflect the accumulation and compounding of capital over the relevant periods. It is this compounding effect over time which makes accumulation type investments, such as unit trusts, so attractive to the investor.
For example, someone who has recently inherited a sum of money may wish to invest the funds into a unit trust and hold it for an extended period to save for some specific purpose. e.g. children's education. At the end of the holding period, the proceeds of the sale of the units will be the initial investment plus the returns on that amount, accumulated over the period.

Regular Savings
Some people invest in unit trusts by making regular (e.g. monthly) contributions to their fund. This is an ideal, disciplined and useful way to accumulate capital for a future need. By making regular contributions over a period of time, the sum accumulated at the end of the period will increase. This is commonly known as dollar cost averaging.
At the end of the period, the redemption (or sale) price of the units held will represent the accumulation of all contributions, plus returns generated from the total contributions since the first purchase was made. The effect is more noticeable the longer the holding and contribution period. This form of savings is the basis of most pension fund accumulation e.g. the Employees Provident Fund.

EPF Transfers
Investors may also invest in unit trust funds through transfers of eligible amounts from his EPF account. EPF members who have savings of at least RM55,000 in account 1, are eligible to withdraw from their EPF savings to invest in unit trusts.

Borrowing
Although an investor may obtain a loan from a financial institution for the purpose of investing in unit trust funds, investors should seek appropriate advice as there are additional risks involved when using borrowings to finance an investment in unit trust funds.

What are Unit Trusts ?

Unit Trusts are a form of collective investment that allows investors with similar investment objectives to pool their funds to be invested in a portfolio of securities or other assets.
A professional fund manager then invests the pooled funds in a portfolio which may include the asset classes listed below:
Cash
Bonds & Deposits
Shares
Property
Commodities
Unit holders do not purchase the securities in the portfolio directly. Ownership of the fund is divided into units of entitlement. As the fund increases or decreases in value, the value of each unit increases or decreases accordingly.The number of units held depends on the unit purchase price at the time of investment and the amount of money invested.
The return on investment of unit holders is usually in the form of income distribution and capital appreciation, derived from the pool of assets supporting the unit trust fund. Each unit earns an equal return, determined by the level of distribution and/or capital appreciation in any one period.
Unit trust investors are typically those with savings to invest, who neither have the time nor the inclination to hold portfolios of direct investments or shares. Rather, they prefer to invest in a secure, reputable investment vehicle which suits their purposes. Unit trusts allow investors to have easy access to a wide range of investment exposures not normally available to them.
As investors seek to maximise returns on their financial resources, unit trusts provide an ideal way for them to gain exposure to investments that, in the long run, should produce returns superior to cash savings and fixed deposit investments.
The cost of these potentially higher returns is of course the risk that accompanies the investment. In the short run, the certainty of investment returns of most unit trust products is less than those offered by fixed deposits. However, in the medium to long term (i.e. 3-20 years), unit trust investments generally provide superior returns at acceptable levels of risk.

KWSP
Simpanan KWSP anda menghasilkan dividen yang diperolehi dari aktiviti pelaburan KWSP. Pelaburan KWSP adalah bersifat konservatif untuk melindungi simpanan ahli daripada pasaran yang tidak stabil. Bagaimanapun, KWSP membenarkan ahli yang layak untuk membuat pelaburan mereka sendiri menggunakan sebahagian daripada simpanan KWSP mereka untuk pulangan yang lebih tinggi. Risiko untuk pelaburan seumpama ini adalah lebih tinggi dan ahli mestilah menanggung risiko ini. Ketahui lebih banyak berkaitan skim pelaburan KWSP.


Panduan Pelaburan
Dalam membuat keputusan untuk memanafaatkan Pengeluaran Pelaburan KWSP, anda perlu tahu bahawa anda bertanggungjawab sepenuhnya ke atas pelaburan anda dengan pengurus dana. KWSP tidak akan bertanggungjawab untuk menggantirugi sebarang kerugian daripada pelaburan yang dibuat.
Oleh yang demikian, anda perlu membuat keputusan dengan bijak terutamanya dalam memilih unit amanah yang mana untuk anda melabur. Jika anda tidak bersedia untuk mengambil risiko (berkemungkinan kerugian), adalah lebih baik untuk anda membiarkan sahaja wang anda di dalam KWSP.
Di bawah pengeluaran ini, anda tidak dibenarkan untuk memperoleh syer secara langsung daripada pasaran saham. Semua pelaburan mestilah dibuat melalui pengurus dana yang dilantik oleh Kementerian Kewangan. Anda boleh memilih dari mana-mana pengurus dana yang diluluskan. Senarai terbaru pengurus dana yang diluluskan boleh didapati dari mana-mana pejabat KWSP.
Apabila permohonan ahli telah diproses, KWSP akan memindahkan jumlah simpanan yang dilaburkan terus kepada pengurus dana yang bertanggungjawab dalam tempoh 14 hari selepas permohonan diterima oleh KWSP. Semua risiko pelaburan juga dipindahkan kepada anda secara automatik.
Pelaburan boleh dibuat setiap tiga bulan dari tarikh pemindahan akhir dibuat, tertakluk kepada adanya baki yang ditetapkan di dalam Akaun I (haruslah melebihi RM55,000). <-----Nilai Ini telah dipinda dan akan ditetapkan pada 1 Februari 2008.

Syarat-syarat Pengeluaran
Pengeluaran untuk pelaburan adalah dibenarkan kepada ahli yang mempunyai simpanan tidak kurang daripada RM55,000 (telah dipinda) di dalam Akaun I, dan belum mencapai umur 55 tahun. Untuk ahli yang layak, mereka boleh melaburkan sebahagian daripada simpanan ini di dalam unit amanah melalui pengurus dana luaran yang dilantik oleh Kementerian Kewangan.
Jumlah simpanan yang boleh dilaburkan mestilah tidak kurang daripada RM1,000 dan tidak melebihi 20 peratus dari jumlah simpanan yang melebihi RM50,000 (telah dipinda) di dalam Akaun I.
Pelaburan secara terus adalah tidak dibenarkan. Anda juga tidak dibenarkan membuat pelaburan tambahan menggunakan wang anda sendiri.
Pengeluaran pelaburan boleh dibuat dalam jangka masa tiga bulan daripada tarikh pemindahan terakhir, tertakluk kepada adanya baki yang dikehendaki dalam Akaun I (lebih daripada RM55,000).

Bagaimana Untuk Membuat Pengeluaran?
Sebelum menyerahkan permohonan pengeluaran, anda perlu mendapatkan 'Penyata Caruman Yang Boleh Dilaburkan' daripada mana-mana pejabat KWSP. Untuk mendapatkannya, anda perlu menunjukkan Kad Pengenalan anda di kaunter. Permintaan melalui telefon atau e-mel tidak akan dilayan.
Permintaan anda hanya akan dilayan jika anda layak untuk membuat pengeluaran pelaburan pada masa tersebut. Anda kemudiannya perlu membuka satu akaun pelaburan dengan pengurus dana yang dipilih (melainkan anda sudah ada akaun dengan pengurus dana tersebut).
Dokumen yang diperlukan untuk serahan kepada pengurus dana adalah:
Borang KWSP 9F (AHL) yang telah lengkap diisi;
Penyata Caruman Yang Boleh Dilaburkan; dan
Kad Pengenalan ahli/Kad Pintar atau Kad Pengenalan Polis:
Untuk pemegang Kad Pengenalan Polis, sila kemukakan satu surat daripada Jabatan Polis untuk mengesahkan nombor Kad Pengenalan anda.
Untuk pemegang Kad Pintar, sila kemukakan satu salinan Kad Pintar dengan cap ibu jari kanan dan kiri anda di atas salinan tersebut.
Ruang 'amaun yang dipohon' patut diisi selepas ahli berbincang dengan pengurus dana tentang jumlah yang mahu laburkan dengan syarat amaun tidak melebihi jumlah maksimum yang dibenarkan. Pengurus dana akan mengemukakan Borang KWSP 9F (AHL) yang telah lengkap diisi kepada KWSP untuk diproses.
Adalah penting untuk anda mengisi borang yang betul dengan tepat dan memastikan bahawa semua dokumen sokongan mengikut turutan. Ini bagi mengelakkan kelewatan yang tidak perlu dalam memproses permohonan anda.
Sila ambil perhatian bahawa cap ibu jari diperlukan pada borang permohonan dan salinan MyKad. Anda mestilah menggunakan “thumbprint pad” yang khusus untuk cap ibu jari. Penggunaan bahan-bahan jenis lain seperti inkpad untuk getah setem (rubberstamp) tidak akan diterima oleh KWSP.

Sumber : Federation Of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers

History of Unit Trusts
Malaysia introduced the unit trust concept relatively early compared to its Asian neighbours, when, in 1959, a unit trust was first established by a company called Malayan Unit Trust Ltd.
The unit trust industry in Malaysia has therefore a history of more than four (4) decades. The development of this industry can be presented in chronological order as follows:

The Development of Unit Trusts
The Formative Years: 1959 -1979
The first two decades in the history of the unit trust industry were characterised by slow growth in the sales of units and a lack of public interest in the new investment product. Only five unit trust management companies were established, with a total of 18 funds introduced over that period. The industry was regulated by several parties including the Registrar of Companies, The Public Trustee of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
The 1970s also witnessed the emergence of state government sponsored unit trusts, in response to the Federal Government's call to mobilise domestic household savings.
The Period from 1980 to 1990
This period marks the entry of government participation in the Unit Trust Industry and the formation of a Committee to regulate the unit trust industry, called the Informal Committee for Unit Trust Funds, comprising representatives from the Registrar of Companies (ROC), the Public Trustee of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Capital Issues Committee (CIC).
The 1980s marked a significant development in the history of the industry when the Skim Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) was launched by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) in 1981. Despite only 11 funds being launched during this period, the total units subscribed by the public swelled to an unprecedented level because of the overwhelming response to ASN.
The 1980s also witnessed the emergence of more unit trust management companies, which were subsidiaries of financial institutions. Their participation facilitated the marketing and distribution of unit trusts through bank's branch network which widened investor reach.
The Period from 1991 to 1999
This period witnessed the fastest growth of the unit trust industry in terms of the number of new management companies established, and funds under management. The centralisation of industry regulation, with the establishment of the Securities Commission on 1 March 1993, coupled with the implementation of the Securities Commission (Unit Trust Scheme) Regulations in 1996 and extensive marketing strategies adopted by the ASN and ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputera), played key roles in making unit trusts household products in Malaysia. Consequently, the total asset value of funds under management grew more than threefold from RM15.72 billion at the end of 1992 to RM59.95 billion at the end of 1996. The period also saw greater product innovation and deregulation of the industry.
Although the pace of growth of local unit trust funds has moderated since the financial crisis of 1997-1998, it has nevertheless maintained its upward trend.
The Period from 2000 to current
In 2005 the unit trust industry experienced another year of strong growth which saw the net asset value of managed funds capitalising 14.2% of Bursa Malaysia’s market at RM98.5 billion at the end of 2005. Further, the liberalisation of overseas investment rules (such as the increase in overseas investment limit from 10% to 30%) by Bank Negara Malaysia has seen unit trust management companies launching numerous offshore funds or realigning investment strategies of domestic funds to invest offshore up to the permitted limit which resulted in the launch of 10 offshore funds with an intended overseas investment exposure of more than 50%. As at the third quarter of 2006 the number of offshore funds with an intended overseas investment exposure of more than 50% is 38 which is clear evidence of the continued interest by the investing public for a better slice of the overseas market.

Source : http://www.fmutm.com.my/unittrust/history.htm

Smart ways to spend your bonus
By AKPK

With bonus money in hand, many will naturally think of splurging. But before they actually do this, perhaps they need to reconsider a few things.
PICTURE this: you’re expecting your annual bonus next month, and it’s worth three months’ salary! You’ve been waiting for this moment; you’ve worked hard all year and the star performance you have shown at work is now paying off.
What better way to reward yourself than to just spend all that extra cash!
Whoa! Don’t give in to this temptation. Take a step back and reconsider.
Is this bonus really different from your regular income that you can just treat it as unexpected, disposable money?
There is an old saying that goes like this: “Money suddenly gained often drains away, while money earned gradually stays with you.”
So, before you spend your hardearned bonus, here are a few things to consider.

1. Revisit your financial goals
If your bonus is so huge it dwarfs your regular salary, it could be irresistible to change everything around you. But before you zip around in a new Proton Persona, think again. The impulse to change the quality of your lifestyle is a short-term frivolity.
It is best to look at the overall picture. What are your financial goals? Consider your immediate needs and the future. Perhaps your immediate need is to clear debts that have been weighing you down, or settle some overdue home repairs, and then invest the rest.

2. Prioritise your debts
An average person would certainly have debts – hence, addressing this is your top priority!
i) It is advisable to clear your tax on your gross bonus (if this hasn’t been deducted at source); you don’t want to end up with the tax amount as a future debt!
ii) Then you need to prioritise the debt with the highest interest rates. One obvious example would be your credit card — that 18% per annum interest does not simply translate to 1.5% per month. There is a cumulative effect on overdue balances that is always carried forward, and you could lose hundreds on revolving high credit card balances. Next, pay off any other costly personal loans.
iii) You could also reduce your mortgage. You shouldn’t underestimate the benefits of overpaying your mortgage. For example, if you pay RM5,000 off on a 20-year RM100,000 mortgage in the fourth year, you will save RM10,700 on the total owed, reducing almost two years off the repayment period.

3. Park an emergency fund
Once your debts are cleared, it is recommended to set up an emergency fund equivalent to three to six months of your current income for emergencies.

4. Treat yourself and your family
At this point, it wouldn’t hurt to take a reasonable sum to be a little bit frivolous, perhaps to take your family on that long overdue holiday. After all, you did work hard for this reward… but only after taking care of your important matters above.

5. Invest the rest
Now that debts are out of the way, please don’t think you’re on the road to financial freedom! All you have done so far is the responsible thing – addressing your priorities. Consider how much of the bonus is still available. If you have a comfortable lump sum, this is a good time to get your bearings before spending it all.
While you’re considering (this may take a few months), it might be worth parking the money where capital is preserved while earning steady income. For instance, you could earn 3% to 4% per annum on money market funds, where your money can remain fairly liquid while “working” for you.

Below are some investing options for you to consider.
a) Protect your life and your family:
Use life insurance to protect the financial well being of your family, if something should happen to you. There is a personal tax relief of RM3,000 for insurance premiums for education or medical benefits, and a RM6,000 relief for life insurance premiums to be taken advantage of. You should also compare its long-term investment potential with other investment opportunities.
b) Kick-start your savings or begin a good investing habit:
Whether you want to retire early, save for your children’s education or put aside some funds to perform the haj, this is the time to pump up your savings or investment funds. There are many investment tools to park where your funds can just grow and work for you e.g. unit trust funds or ASN, bank assurance or savings products, or real estate.
You could jump-start an investment portfolio (seek professional advice if this is unfamiliar territory) and then continue with regular savings from then on. Dollar cost averaging, where you invest monthly at a constant rate, is always advantageous over the long-term as you will balance out the ups and downs in the market.
c) Invest a lump sum:
There is no dispute that real estate is where real investment is, as vouched by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. If you're happy to put aside the cash out of reach for, say, five years, assuming you already have a healthy cash reserve, you might want to consider investing in property.
Alternatively, you can invest in equities or a well-managed portfolio of diversified stocks with the help of a professional investment adviser. Consider this, investing RM5,000 today at age 40 will give you RM20,300 in 20 years' time, assuming a 7% per annum growth rate.
At the end of the day, do consider your options carefully. Whether the difference your bonus brings is life-enhancing or not depends on your circumstances, the size of your bonus and how you react to the sudden influx of money. A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and health.

EPF caps unit trust investment charges
By M. KRISHNAMOORTHY

KUALA LUMPUR: The investing public and unit trust agents will benefit from reduced service charges for unit trust investments funded by Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions.
The EPF recently announced that service charge (including commissions) by unit trust companies for investments by EPF members would be capped at 3% from 6% starting Jan 1.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk S. Veerasingam said that if the charges were reduced, people would invest more and this would mean an increase in sales for unit trust agents.
”By taking 6%, the investment will set back the EPF contributor by a large amount.
“For example, if the investment was RM100,000, RM6,000 would be taken by the unit trust companies, reducing the investments to RM94,000.
“But at 3%, the invested amount will be RM97,000,” he said.
Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers (FMUTM) president, Tunku Datuk Yaacob Tunku Abdullah said the ruling would hurt profits.
He felt that the 3% rate would cut their income by half.
Overall, unit trust companies have performed well this year, with RM155bil in funds as at the end of September, an increase of 28% from last year’s RM121bil.
Fomca secretary-general Muhammad Shaani Abdullah said that it was a good move by EPF, adding that in line with this, Bank Negara should also reduce the service charges for individuals using their own funds to buy unit trusts.

Source : The Star, Sunday December 16, 2007
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/16/nation/19781866&sec=nation

CIMB Wealth yakin agih pelaburan RM19 bilion

Oleh: AMRAN AHMAD
TAN Beng Wah (kiri) memerhatikan Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin (tengah) dan Rex Auyeung memukul gong semasa pelancaran cawangan baru CIMB Wealth Advisors di Petaling Jaya, semalam.
PETALING JAYA 20 Julai – CIMB Wealth Advisors Bhd. (CIMB Wealth) yakin mampu melaksanakan pengagihan pelaburan bernilai RM19 bilion kepada sektor runcit dan institusi pelaburan kewangan tempatan menjelang akhir tahun ini.
Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif CIMB Wealth, Tan Beng Wah berkata, keyakinan itu berdasarkan peningkatan jumlah pelanggan runcit kepada 150,000 pelanggan berbanding 100,000 pelanggan pada awal tahun ini serta sambutan baik daripada banyak institusi pelaburan tempatan.
“Sambutan memberangsangkan ini ‘memaksa’ kami menambah bilangan ejen serta pakar perancang kewangan kepada 5,000 berbanding 4,000 pada masa ini,” jelasnya kepada pemberita selepas perasmian inisiatif baru ‘Pengalaman Cawangan Baru’ CIMB Wealth oleh Pengerusinya, Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin, di ibu pejabat firma tersebut di sini, hari ini.
CIMB Wealth yang mengagihkan pelaburan bernilai lebih RM16 bilion setakat akhir bulan lalu adalah syarikat pengagihan pelaburan runcit terbesar milik CIMB Group Asset Management, yang menawarkan rangkaian dana unit amanah kepada para pelabur.
Buat masa ini, CIMB Wealth yang merupakan anak syarikat CIMB-Principal Asset Management Berhad beroperasi melalui 13 cawangan dan 18 pejabat jualan di seluruh negara.
Beng Wah berkata, pengagihan pelabuhan sebanyak RM19 bilion itu akan dibuat melalui lebih 80 dana pelaburan di dalam dan luar negara yang menjanjikan pulangan menarik dalam sektor-sektor berpotensi besar.
Pada masa yang sama, tambahnya, CIMB Wealth akan memperkenalkan lebih banyak produk yang bercirikan saham amanah serta insurans pada masa depan bagi memberi pilihan kepada pelanggan yang memiliki pelbagai kehendak dan matlamat pelaburan.
Mengenai keunikan perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan oleh CIMB Wealth berbanding banyak pakar dan perancang kewangan lain terutamanya secara dalam talian pada masa ini, Beng Wah berkata, pihaknya yakin pelabur yang bijak akan memilih untuk mendapatkan nasihat profesional dan melabur mengikut iklim semasa.
“Pelaburan yang mendapatkan pulangan yang baik selalunya mendapat ‘sentuhan kemanusiaan’ yang akan memberi petunjuk dan panduan dalam pilihan produk selain memberi nasihat masa yang tepat untuk menjamin keuntungan,” katanya.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia, 21 Julai 2007
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/arkib.asp?y=2007&dt=0721&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=korporat&pg=ko_01.htm&arc=hive

CIMB lancar The Rebound

KUALA LUMPUR 23 Dis. – CIMB Bank (CIMB) akan melancarkan The Rebound, iaitu Instrumen Deposit Boleh Runding Berkadar Apungan (FRNID) pada Isnin ini
Produk terbaru itu membolehkan pelabur mendapat keuntungan daripada potensi pantulan empat gergasi perbankan global yang menerima kesan negatif krisis subprima Amerika Syarikat baru-baru ini.
Empat bank tersebut adalah Citigroup Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., UBS AG dan Morgan Stanley.
Bendahari Kumpulan CIMB, Lee K Kwan berkata, produk ini akan mengambil peluang daripada pembangunan pasaran global dan memberi ruang kepada pelanggan untuk melabur.
‘‘Prestasi The Rebound FRNID akan ditentukan oleh pasaran saham empat bank tersebut yang telah menurun lebih dari 30 peratus sejak krisis berkenaan,’’ katanya.
Tambah Kwan, The Rebound FRNID dijangka memberi pulangan tetap sebanyak 15 peratus untuk tempoh pelaburan selama dua tahun, 23 peratus untuk pelaburan selama tiga tahun dan 45 peratus bagi pelaburan selama lima tahun sekiranya pulangan ekuiti melebihi 25 peratus.
The Rebound FRNID, boleh didapati di semua cawangan CIMB Bank dan CIMB Private Banking dari 23 Disember ini hingga 7 Januari 2008.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia, 24 Disember 2007.
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/arkib.asp?y=2007&dt=1224&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=korporat&pg=ko_09.htm&arc=hive

Analysts stay cautious
By IZWAN IDRIS

PETALING JAYA: Stocks on Bursa Malaysia survived a roller-coaster ride in 2007, chalking up a healthy 31.8% gain for the KL Composite Index (KLCI) and saw a series of record closings for the benchmark index.
But, with the subprime woes worsening in the United States and a potential world economic slowdown hanging over 2008, most analysts are taking a cautious stance in their investment strategy this year.

Analysts say wild price swings would continue to puncture gains.“It will be a tougher year for the KLCI in 2008 than in 2007,'' CIMB Investment Bank wrote in an outlook report.
Analysts said there would be no easy pickings in the market this year and that wild price swings would continue to puncture gains and break the nerves of investors just as they did in 2007. Even so, a targeted return of between 10% and 20% for the year seems to be a reasonable expectation. Brokerage reports and the recent StarBiz roundtable discussion show most analysts favoured defensive stocks with good track records among their top picks. Also, several research houses' year-end targets for the KLCI indicate a mixed view about the broad market direction for the year.
At the lower end, there are those who projected the KLCI would end the year around current levels. The more optimistic ones believe the local benchmark could trade to a high of around 1,700 points within the next 12 months.
While the overall stock market may bounce around in another turbulent year, opportunities for decent returns are still abound. Analysts said the right stock pickings and active portfolio management on situational counters would be crucial for investors to outperform the market this year.
Investing in bigger capitalised counters that had under-performed the market last year would be another safe bet. Such stocks include Malayan Banking Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Gamuda Bhd or Proton Holdings Bhd.
The enlarged conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd, which was re-listed in November, is another big stock to watch in 2008.
All these stocks are not exactly cheap, but they deserve premium valuations given their size.
But those with a slightly bigger risk appetite should also consider some of the fast-growing companies that show a lot of growth potential.
Shares in Kencana Petroleum Bhd have risen over the past year, buoyed by the huge prospects of the oil and gas fabrication business.
Recent yard expansion allowed the company to bid for more projects and this could drive up earnings in the coming quarters.
The market is also likely to see a rash of rotational play throughout the year, with investors shifting around election-themed stocks, commodity-related plays and merger and acquisition news.

Source : The Star, Wednesday January 2, 2008
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/2/business/20080102071210&sec=business