MONEY MASTER

This post continue from Credit Card - Friend of Foe (Part 1) Majority generation born after 1980 are using credit cards. In fact, the credit card usage has been so severe since the late 90s and this in fact has cause issues like subprime credit pop up in the US recently. Credit cards, can in fact become our friends if we manage it well. As was posted previously, with credit card, we do not need to bring a lot of cash with us - which is very important as the rate of theft is increasing from day to day. Besides that, loyalty reward points or cash rebates that can help us to save some of our money. Another good thing about credit card is the easy payment scheme. By using easy payment scheme, expensive stuff like furniture, gadgets etc can easily become more affordable. For example, a PC cost about RM3k can be pay as few as RM300 installment over the next 12 months. But this can easily become the bad thing about credit cards if not managed properly. One can easily get deeper into debt beca...

While I was reading through a forum regarding credit card, a question popped up in my mind. Is it better to pay using credit card or cash? A lot of people went into debt because of this plastic, which I found it to be user-friendly and it gives me more pros than copns. Sure, some might argue that because of the user-friendliness, it causes a lot of young executives, housewives etc to fall into debt. In fact, one of the reason subprime crisis popped up out of nowhere in the United States is due to credit cards' debt. Actually credit cards can be our friends as well as foes, just like fire or water, when under controlled, it will become our friend, but if we lose control, then it will become our foe. The good thing about credit card is we do not need to carry a lot of cash with us whenever we go our doing weekly groceries, shopping, dining, etc. Imagine we want to purchase furniture, how much we are bringing along with us and with the increase in crime rate, the possibility of gettin...

Several experts share their views with Malaysiakini regarding the Budget 2009 unveiled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. MCPX David Cohen, director of Action Economics, Singapore: It is a populist budget to deflect the growing popularity of Anwar (Ibrahim). (Prime Minister) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) is obviously under pressure as witnessed by the rollback in fuel prices last week. Lee Heng Guie, chief economist at CIMB Bank: I think most people already expected a budget plan that won’t have many negative points. So this is one factor that helped the market to rise and also because overseas markets were good last night. But the overall mood is still cautious because there is still uncertainty. Given the tough macro situation, they may have little choice but to spend more now. Whether it’s the right choice depends on how they fine-tune the deficit going forward. Khoo Kay Peng, political and economics analyst: Anwar can, if he wishes, make any amendments he thinks are necessary...