ThxPORTAL - My OnlinE InvestmenT ProgresS

By Sakina Mohamed This is the first of a two-part series on Grameen Bank, the first in the world that gives out loans to those who live below the poverty line and revolutionised banking worldwide. The first part explains a brief history of the bank as well as its latest updates and efforts, as revealed by its founder during his recent visit to Malaysia. KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- Who has heard the story of a bank that has loaned over USD10 billion to the poor without collateral, yet has a repayment rate of over...

Who doesn't like the fresh start of a new year? A clean slate and an optimistic outlook make January 1 a magical time. The only problem is that every year we vow to take care of our finances, but we ultimately get sidetracked with excuses. But this year will be different, and to help, here are some smart money moves for the New Year. Review the previous yearWhat better place to begin a new year than to reflect upon the past? Take a look at last year's budget, identify the good and bad money moves you...

STANDARD Chartered Plc and Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd plan to offer Shariah-compliant derivatives in Malaysia that will allow investors to hedge against interest rates and commodity prices.Standard Chartered, the U.K. bank that earns most of its profit from emerging markets, will begin selling contracts in the first quarter that provide protection from fluctuations in the cost of items such as rice and oil, according to an e-mailed reply to questions yesterday. Bank Islam Malaysia, the country’s oldest Islamic lender, will...

Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) unitholders will receive a dividend of 7.50 sen per unit for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2010 compared with 7.30 sen declared last year.The 7.04 million unitholders who currently hold more than 82.72 billion ASB units will also receive a bonus of 1.25 sen, similar to last year.Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) Chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the income distribution portion involved a total payout of RM5.93 billion while the bonus portion RM603.34 million.Up to last Friday,...

Thursday, December 16, 2010From Bloomberg: Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. plunged more than 12% in New York trading after the Federal Reserve Board proposed rules that may slash debit-card interchange fees by 90%.The new rules, posted today by the Fed on its website, may aid retailers and cut profit for lenders who reaped about $15 billion from such charges last year. Terms outlined by the Fed include a plan with caps of 12 cents per transaction. The fees currently average about 1%.The result could be an 80% to 90% drop...

The Story of the Sukus and the Tukusgold coinsThere were once two neighbouring islands far away in the oceans. One was called Aya and the other Baya. A certain people called the Sukus lived on the island of Aya . It was a fertile island with lush vegetation and tropical fruits. There were numerous waterfalls and rivers that provided the people with clean water and places for family retreats and recreation. The surrounding seas were unpolluted, with abundant fish and other seafood. The island also had gold and the Sukus, particularly...

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku AbdullahKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- The ringgit is expected to touch RM2.20 against the greenback by 2012, following the continued strengthening of the local currency, says Malaysian Investors Association (MIA) president, Datuk Dr P.H.S. Lim."The ringgit, together with other Asian currencies, are getting more spicy and hot caused by further financial problems in the European Union and the slow economic momentum in US," he told Bernama here Monday.Lim said Asian gross domestic product was...