Then's Musings » Financial Planning

Lesson 3 – Investment In Unit Trust

thenmozly — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:57:30 +0000

You can read Lesson 2 first

The Role of Regulator

The Securities Commission Act 1993 provides that the Securities Commission (SC) is responsible for regulating all matters relating to unit trust schemes.

The SC has drawn up a set of Guidelines on Unit Trust Funds (Guidelines) to ensure a fair and consistent application of policies in considering proposals by management companies of unit trust funds.

The Guidelines are formulated with the objective of providing a regulatory framework that would protect the interests of the investing public and facilitate an orderly development of the unit trust industry. The requirements of the Guidelines are to be complied with by all parties involved in a unit trust scheme.

In addition to the above Act and Guidelines, all unit trust management companies must comply with the Companies (Amendments) Act 1997, the Securities Industry Act 1983 and Trustee Act 1949.

The Role Of The Trustee

Whatever may happen to their performance over time, unit trust managers have a reputation for the stability of their funds that is second to none. Much of this is due the legal framework in which they operate. The government lays down strict rules that unit trusts have to follow and the machinery for ensuring that this is done.

Every individual fund has its own independent trustee, although for administrative simplicity, it is not unusual for unit trust management companies to engage one trustee for all funds. The trustee can be the Public Trustee of Malaysia or any independent trustee of Malaysia or any independent trustee companies.

The trustee’s primary role is to see that the terms of the fund’s deed are adhered to. The deed is a set of rules under which the trust is run, setting out such things as the investment scope of the fund.

The funds’ assets are always in the custody of the trustee. Although the manager makes the decisions about the management of those assets, when to buy and sell, he cannot get his hands on them directly. This system ensures that the funds will not be used for fraudulent purposes. The manager has to deal via the trustee who will ensure that the day-to-day work of running the trust, the funds’ accounts, valuations and calculations of unit prices are carried out properly and in accordance with both the deed and the rules laid down by the SC.

The trustee is also responsible for seeing that all the relevant paperwork is carried out. The trustee takes responsibility for overseeing the creation and cancellation (release) of units in the fund. The Guidelines also stipulate that unit trust managers have to produce semi annual and annual reports to its unitholders.

Where Would The Trust In Units Be Without The Trustee ?

Guidelines On Unit Trust Funds

In addition to the regulatory and safeguarding roles of the Regulator and Trustee respectively, the Guidelines provide additional safety features to protect the interest of the investing public. The Guidelines describe the characteristics of the investments permitted as opposed to prescribing the investments (which was previously investment in authorised Malaysian assets only) Furthermore, the Guidelines also reinforce the safety net by ensuring the funds are not overly exposed to high risk stocks and any single group of companies.

The Guidelines are subject to review by the Securities Commission as and when it deems fit and necessary to protect and ensure the growth of the industry.

The Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers (FMUTM)

The first unit trust fund in Malaysia was launched in 1959. Who would then have imagined that years later there would be billions of ringgit in funds under management?

The rapid growth of the industry in recent years has led to the formation of the Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers on 7 August 1993.

The Federation was set up with four objectives :

a. To promote the industry

b. To agree on standards of practice for the protection of the interests of unitholders.

c. To maintain the good name of the industry

d. To improve regulations, tax and other rules affecting the sales of unit trusts.

The Federation is represented by most of the unit trust managers in the Industry.

Source:http://www.publicmutual.com.my/article.aspx?id=87

Leave me your contact if you need further information on Public Mutual Investements:)

Lesson 2 – Your Benefits With Unit Trusts

thenmozly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:04:09 +0000

You can Read Lesson 1 first.

Professional Investment Management

A unit trust combines the capital of many investors to employ experienced management in purchasing securities of many companies. The management of a unit trust provides diversification of investments and supervision which few investors could individually afford. Investment management is a full time job requiring specialised knowledge and training. It involves the study of a variety of factors.

Some of the factors which have to be examined are,

Comparisons of all industries in the economy
Relative studies of companies within a promising industry
Personal contact with management of promising corporations
Evaluating the effect of international events, both monetary and political
Determining the results of government policies on each industry

Professional management is also interested in studying less obvious factors such as wage rates, which might affect the economy or the profitability of certain companies or corporations. It requires careful study of individual companies within the industry to determine which of the many companies offer the best prospects for the investors. It requires comparing this company with the best companies in other promising industries. Since all this factors are constantly changing, re-evaluation and study have to be continuous.

Diversification

Diversification means spreading one’s investments among many securities. It is an important method of reducing risk. It decreases the danger of damaging losses, which can occur through having all of one’s eggs in one basket.

Diversification is difficult and expensive for a small investor because the cost of purchasing numbers of shares in many companies at the same time is disproportionately high.

Unit trusts with their resources are able to make widely diversified investments available to even the smallest investor. Diversification involves the ownership of many different securities. All the securities owned by an individual investor or unit trust fund are referred to as an investment portfolio.

Liquidity

An investor can sell his units, wholly or partially, at the following trading day’s unit buying price. Units have a high liquidity, that is, they can be readily converted into cash.

It has to be remembered, however, that unit trust’s units will be redeemed at the prevailing buying price on the following day after receipt of the repurchase form. The unit price may be higher or lower than the price at which the investor started the plan. Unit trusts should be regarded as a long term, rather than short term investment.

Advantages of Compounding

Many unit trust funds provide facilities for investors to reinvest their distributions. For those who opted for distribution reinvestment, the fund will automatically credit the distributions into the account, rather than sending distribution warrants.

This process of reinvesting the income from the original investment and also of reinvesting the return on the total accumulating investments is called compounding.

As an illustration, if at 25, you invested RM100 at the beginning of every month at an interest growth of 10% per annum until age 65, your investment would have grown to RM638,000 ! The key element to compounding is time. The longer the period of time, the greater the growth.

Regularity of Investing

Many people do not have substantial sums of cash available to invest, but they can develop an investment account, investing smaller sums regularly in a unit trust.

Most unit trust funds have plans available to make it possible for smaller investors to invest relatively small amounts monthly. It is easy and inexpensive for an individual to acquire units through deposits of RM100 or more a month in a unit trust fund.

Fund Administration – The Convenient Factor

Few people have the experience, time or facility to properly set up an investment programme, much less to supervise it constantly. Unit trust managers have emerged as professional organisation devoted to solving the investment problems of people from all walks of life.

Unit trusts relieve their investors of the need to handle their own securities transactions. Investors in unit trust funds are not obliged to concern themselves with matters such as,

Obtaining quotations on securities being bought and sold
Delivery and payment for the securities involved in each transaction
Safekeeping of cash and securities
Accounting and bookkeeping procedures, etc

Investors of unit trust funds will receive semi annual and annual reports which describe

a. The portfolio of the funds

b. Investment changes made in the period

c. Distributions paid, if any

d. Fund manager’s opinion on the economic and market outlook

Source:http://www.publicmutual.com.my/article.aspx?id=87

Leave me your contact if you need further information on Public Mutual Investements:)

Financial Freedom!

thenmozly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:27:17 +0000

Financial Freedom! Say those two words to yourself; savour them mentally, even as you vocalise their five syllables.

At the dawn of the 21^st century, each of us has the right to dream of a better future. Here in Public Mutual, we play a major role in clothing such dreams with muscle and sinew for our 500,000 (and counting) investors. The concept of Financial Freedom is integral to our long-term focus.

So, what precisely do we mean by that catch phrase? Two things.

From your perspective, achieving financial freedom means building an investment portfolio successful enough to generate sufficient passive income to cover all expenses. The moment you achieve this state, you will no longer be shackled to a job you hate. You can choose to follow the dictates of your heart and labour only at what fills you with passion and significance. It is, we think, the best way for you to leave a lasting legacy.

From Public Mutual’s vantage point, Financial Freedom is tightly intertwined to our branding as a Malaysia’s leading private unit trust management company. Thus far, we have created four distinct products under this banner: Two books, each of which has risen to the status of Malaysian bestseller, and two CD-ROMs. (The net proceeds flow into our Financial Freedom Charity Drive that continues to help dozens of worthy causes.

Source:http://www.publicmutual.com.my/page.aspx?name=ff-introduction

Leave me your contact if you need further info on Public Mutual Investments:-)

Unit Trust? What is that?

thenmozly — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:22:00 +0000

Financial Planning is crucial for every individual. Though many of us aware of the importance of this but how many of us really take time and do a proper planning. As for me, financial planning is not a choice that is given to an individual but it is a must:) So, for those of you that done your financial planning, congratulations for your first step to financial freedom and to those of you still wondering…here is your first lesson;)

The below article is adapted from Public Mutual Webiste

Lesson 1 – Unit Trust In Brief

WHAT IS A UNIT TRUST ?

A unit trust is a financial vehicle through which individuals may invest their money. The idea behind unit trust is better investment through collective investing. That is to say pooling the investments of many investors, individuals and institutions.

Investing in a unit trust offers investors numerous advantages, including :

a. Professional management at a low cost

b. Safety through the spreading of risk (diversification)

c. Liquidity

d. Ease of transaction

e. Capital appreciation/income stream

The operation of a unit trust may be best explained by outlining its similarities with the operation of a bank, with which most individuals are familiar.

Many individuals deposit money in the banks, for which they receive interest. These individuals expect complete liquidity where they must be able to withdraw their deposits in cash at any time. The banks employ professional managers to look after the deposits. The deposits are invested. These managers lend the deposits to other individuals requiring funds and a host of other profit generating facilities of the banks.

Similarly, unit trust holders wish to put their money to generate higher returns. The goal of all investments is to make money more productive, either through producing income or growth. Unit trust holders have liquidity because their units can be readily converted into cash at any time. By investing in unit trusts, it allows them to engage professional fund managers at a low cost to the individual investors. These managers diversifies the investible funds in many different securities and other approved channels to spread the risk.

The unit trust is constituted through a document known as a deed which brings together and binds the various parties to the deed :

The trustee, who holds the assets of the trusts on behalf of the unitholders.
The manager, who is the promoter of the scheme and provides investment and administrative expertise and markets units to the public
The unitholders who provide the funds for investment and expect to receive the benefits derived from the investment. The effect of dividing the beneficiaries’ interest in the trust into units is that their interest is quantified into discrete portions.

Particular advantages of unit trusts over the pooled investments include :

The provision of an independent trustee to hold the trust’s assets on behalf of unitholders and to watch over their interests on an on-going basis.
The deed and prospectus are scrutinised by government authorities, prior to an offer of units being made to the general public. The managers and trustee are themselves approved by the regulators.
A buy back provision or covenant in each deed which requires the manager to redeem an investor’s units within specified time limits at a price determined in accordance with the deed.

Provisions in the deed under which the manager and trustee are in a fiduciary position in relation to the trust (i.e. they can only profit in ways laid down under the deed). The investor can determine in advance what costs and charges they will be required to pay to join and stay in the trust.

Retirement Plans. Is it too late to start now?

thenmozly — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:49:31 +0000

I guess planning is the right word. Life will be less organized without plans. So my little advice to my family n friends…..act now before it is too late for your retirement:)

The below article adapted from The Staronline :

Majority neglect retirement plans

KUALA LUMPUR: More than half of Malaysian workers have not prepared for retirement while those who have, only started planning after age 40, according to a survey.

The average age working Malaysians began preparing for retirement was 41, while retirees said they did so at 47.

“That’s way too late. It doesn’t give them enough time to build their retirement fund,” Axa Affin Life Insurance Bhd branding and communications head Cheah Leng Sooi said in announcing the findings of the AXA Retirement Scope 2008.

In the survey carried out by research house Synovate, 313 working people aged 25 and above and 319 retirees aged below 75 in urban areas were interviewed over the telephone.

The survey, part of a global study conducted in 26 countries and involving 18,000 respondents, was undertaken for the first time in Malaysia, from July 23 to Aug 27 last year.

Among those who had planned for retirement, most began after they married, had children, or fell into financial difficulties or had health problems, Cheah said.

Their sources of retirement income included life insurance, Employees Provident Fund and personal savings.

The retired saved an average of RM478 a month, and the working RM704, figures that were considered low compared with other countries.

“Malaysian retirees feel that their retirement income is insufficient to cover household expenses. Their average income is RM1,243 but the amount they need is RM1,568 – a deficit of RM325,” she said.

In comparison, Singapore’s average retirement income is RM3,690, and the amount needed RM3,465; while Thailand’s average income is RM1,276, and the amount needed RM903, according to the survey.

The disparity between high and low income earners in Malaysia is wide, the high-income retirees having four times more than those with low income, the survey found.

Despite insufficient income, three-quarters of the retirees said their quality of life had improved if not remaining the same, while 83% of the working group expect their quality of life to improve or remain the same.