Category Archives: finance

A Surprise On My Credit Card Statement

June 1, 2008 – 4:06 pm

For a moment, I was shocked to see a huge purchase on my credit card statement. I certainly didn’t buy anything for me or for any of my loved ones from Apple’s online store. The whole thing bothered me for a good fifteen minutes before I finally remembered…

Previously, I had been paid to organize an event which includes preparing lucky draw prizes. I bought an Apple Ipod to giveaway as a consolation prize. That’s how the item came to appear on my credit card statement. :)

Despite that I might have deepened the wrinkles on my forehead, it is better to be more careful when it comes to credit cards. Credit card companies are aggressively marketing their services with tempting offers of 0% APR credit cards and No Hassle Miles.

It’s very enticing, but I’ll stick with having only one card as I don’t want to deepen my wrinkles even more the in case I get surprises on multiple credit card statements.

By Precious | Comments (0)

What to Do When Your Credit Rating’s Slipped A Little

April 7, 2008 – 2:35 am

BadCreditOffers.com is a comparison website for people with bad credit. It was conceived and created to serve as an online guide for consumers with a less-than-perfect credit rating.

The company claims that staff here monitors the online marketplace to bring you the top “bad credit” offers available. Each offer presented is carefully selected based on factors such as ease of approval, interest rate, and other key features. In many cases, the company work directly with the credit issuer to provide direct links to their online applications. Consumers can apply for bad credit loans, bad credit credit cards or any other offer that’s right for them, and by making payments on time they can start down the road toward rebuilding their credit and, perhaps, their financial future.

In addition to opportunities offered by card providers and other lenders, BadCreditOffers.com also empower consumers with the ability to learn more about their credit history and to discuss their individual credit outlook with a qualified expert. Just refer to the credit report and credit counseling sections for more on these resources.

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All About My Money

March 25, 2008 – 8:54 pm

I’ve decided to do something about my money but I’m not sure how to begin. How much should I aim to save? What should I do to invest? Should I invest and save at the same time? Should I save first and once I’ve reached my targeted amount, start to invest?

I’ve been reading personal finance blogs written by some really smart people. Since I am not sure what my goals are, I thought I’ll copy some of theirs.

Short term goals

  1. Create an emergency fund that can support my personal living expenses for three years
  2. Purchase a health insurance

Long term goals

  1. Make a down payment on a house
  2. Aim to fully pay it off as soon as possible

Super long term goal

  1. Buy an environmentally friendly car and pay it fully with cash

Er, is that all? It doesn’t look at all complicated although I’m sure it will require a lot of self-control.

Since I do not have any debt right now, I can start with a blank slate but if you are starting with debt, you can read from the payday loans archive first. When you’re ready, join me to grow our wealth! :grin:

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Should I travel more or work more in 2008?

March 14, 2008 – 9:47 am

2008 seems to be the year of holidays for me . I’ve been invited to all sorts of places. What’s next? Taiwan? India? Shanghai?

A few months ago, a good friend was adamant that we must take advantage of cruise specials to travel together but I turned her down because I feel guilty just thinking of so much holidaying in just one year.

Should I just relax and go have a fun time? Or should I be responsible - stay home, work harder, at least accumulate some semblance of savings in my bank account?

Gosh, just deciding this is stressing me out. I need a vacation already!

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Investing in real estate of China and India

March 13, 2008 – 2:42 pm

Throughout our travel, Simon kept us updated on the latest movements in the Malaysian stock market. I was probably the only one who is only mildly interested even though the stock market fluctuated like crazy thanks to the shocking election results.

If I were to invest, I will probably invest in real estate rather than the stock market since I like the idea of owning miles of property. :lol: But then again, if I were to confine myself to property purchase in Singapore alone, the chances of owning miles is very slim. How about investing in up and coming economic powerhouses such as China and India? Since it is out of the country, I will need a really good realtor to help me.

In the U.S. you can engage the services of award winning realtors such as the Goldwasser Real Estate in Austin, TX which was named the #1 residential real estate team in Austin by the Austin Business Journal.

I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as industry awards for realtors in India and China.

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The debt collection agency is looking for me

February 29, 2008 – 5:09 pm

I have so many bank accounts and bank cards, some times I forget one or two is due for payment. That is why I was so surprised to receive this:-


At least it isn’t pork’s blood splashed on my door! Did you notice the kind advice to sign up for free credit counseling and money management talk with Bank Negara? I didn’t expect them to be so helpful and sweet.

May be next time, they’ll advise me to look into , it’s a comparison website for credit cards - bad credit, home loans, auto loans, personal loans, and much more.

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A Brieft History of Wealth

February 27, 2008 – 3:46 pm

When I landed my first job, I was very disciplined. I was offered a salary quite a lot higher than most of my peers which made it easier for me to save.

At that time, I divided my salary equally into three portions. The first 30% is sent to a separate account for savings. The second 30% was sent to another account for investments. The third 30% was sent to my wallet for basic living expenses + ocassional indulgences.

I was a very good girl, I felt very generous, and I felt very rich.

But after a few years, it all got too easy (and boring) so secretly I became very naughty. It was also a bad time for writers, many of us found our heads on the chopping block and the cut was swift. The company I worked for shut its doors too, so I drifted from place to place as a freelance writer.

There was still some money, some times more, some times less. But the constant fluctuation made it difficult to commit to the 30% system.

After two to three years, it was still looking bad for my industry so I decided to get a stable monthly income again. I landed a new job in a completely new industry, started as a junior all over again.

This time, the pay was very little, it was just enough to cover my petrol, phone bill and rent. I didn’t have the extra needed to get a birthday gift for my best friend. I avoided her when the month came.

I was a very bad girl, I felt miserly, and I felt very poor.

The job was fun, but as Advertlets put it, money = happy, or rather, no money = no happy.

I changed direction again. Since I am almost starving anyway, why not just pursue writing and starve in it? There is not much difference between a starving writer and an almost starving junior in the new industry I was in any way, and I’ve always wanted to write.

Amazingly, my income picked up. Soon I was actually making ends meet. Soon I could even afford birthday gifts for many friends.

Of course there were bad clients. Clients that didn’t pay, or clients that took 9 months to process a cheque. But that’s another story for another day.

Do I believe in personal wealth management? You bet!

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Personal Wealth Management

February 27, 2008 – 3:20 pm

Last night, I forwarded an article from GetRichSlowly.com which reviews Dave Ramsey’s personal finance system to my family members. I sent it to them because I love them and I felt sure every one can benefit. I’ve read of Dave for a few years now from various blogs and I know he is a guy that many bloggers trust.

Ironically, many who have gotten out of debt after following Dave’s system now feels indebted to him.

When it comes to personal wealth management it important to have a strong desire to improve your current financial standing as well as establish a good relationship with your financial advisor. When you trust the guy, you tend to follow his advice more closely.

Northern Trust promises you’ll build a personal relationship with your Relationship Manager who will guide your financial decisions through every stage of your life. They’ve also filled their website with optimistic phrases such as “Having your cake and eating it too”, perhaps because it is undeniable. If you want to get rich, you have to get fit.

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Cut the cost of Christmas

February 25, 2008 – 6:44 pm

A few months ago, I discovered to my bemusement that many of my online friends woke up earlier than the early bird at 5am on the day after Thanksgiving even though they were dead exhausted from Thanksgiving.

This is because the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday which is when sinister merchants offer tired shoppers the biggest discounts. Since it is just before Christmas, shoppers take advantage of this to cut the cost of Christmas.

Today I discovered Black Friday 2008, a site that lets shoppers purchase Black Friday items online without the hassle of having to stand in line at the store at 5am. It also offers email alerts that lets shoppers know when new black friday ads have been posted. This is far kinder and friendlier for planning the holiday shopping.

The other day, Nic casually mentioned a trip to the U.S. at the end of the year so I browsed through the site to see what bargains are available. From Old Navy, I found women’s five-pocket jeans for USD$14.75 and men’s jeans from USD$14.75-USD$17.25.

What bargain!

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