Another reason why you should invest in mutual funds: Diversify in a cost-efficient way

Fundsupermart,  December 3, 2009, Thursday by iFAST Research Team   Keynotes Diversification enhances the resiliency of the portfolio. Investors should differentiate between investing and trading. Investment requires patience and commitment Some of the advantages of investing in mutual funds include fairly-well diversifications at a low cost, affordable initial investment amounts, and professional management. Mutual funds can provide [...]

Income up by just 0.5 per cent last year

Straits Times Singapore, December 1, 2009, Tuesday   THE income of Singapore workers has hardly moved, climbing a paltry $10 in one year to $2,600 this June. This rise in the median monthly income of full-time workers works out to a mere 0.5 per cent. In contrast, their income last year soared by 11 per cent and in [...]

Working less now to work longer later

Sunday Times Singapore, Novemeber 15, 2009 Sunday With people expected to live longer, researchers propose cutting work week during prime years Shefali Rekhi Working five days a week and retiring in your 60s is the norm in many societies. But leading researchers of life expectancy at the Ageing Research Centre of the University of Southern Denmark are calling [...]

Pregnant? Stand up for your rights at work

Straits Times Singapore, Novemeber 13, 2009 Friday Women given raw deal by employers should not suffer in silence By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent BUSINESS development executive Jennyfer Aw, 27, was four months pregnant when she shared the news with her bosses at the small IT firm at which she worked. It was a Friday evening. At the end [...]

Pregnant? You’re fired

Sunday Times Singapore, Novemeber 8, 2009 Sunday   MOM gets record number of pregnancy- related complaints from workers        By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent       Some women said they were sacked under the pretence of poor performance or other work-related issues. — ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW   The tough economic times – and more [...]

Care for the carers of the old

Straits Times Singapore, Novemeber 3, 2009 Tueday As S’pore ages, there is a pressing need to cater to stressed-out caregivers By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent DR NG Wai Chong visits elderly people at home to attend to them. There was an 80-year-old woman stroke patient with dementia whose son left her to lie on soiled newspapers below the [...]

Praise for NKF’s organ donor fund

Straits Times Singapore, Novemeber 2, 2009 Monday   MPs, kidney specialists and patients say it will improve lives and curb organ trading By Yen Feng   EXPERTS say the new $10 million fund for reimbursing kidney donors’ costs is unlikely to create a surge in donations, but should succeed in discouraging organ trading.Lawmakers, kidney specialists and administrators interviewed [...]

1st-generation hawkers a fading breed

Straits Times Singapore, Novemeber 2, 2009 Monday   Steady fall in number of those who give up subsidised rental stalls By Jessica Lim First-generation hawkers who pay subsidised rents such as Madam Hoo Hong Sheng, 63, (right) – with her daughter Irene Ang, 40, at their braised duck stall in Ang Mo Kio Central – are the envy [...]

Dual-listing firms alienate local investors

Straits Times Singapore, Novemeber 2, 2009 Monday CAI JIN   They feel short-changed when same shares are priced lower in Taipei By Goh Eng Yeow, Senior Correspondent Some Singapore-listed companies are seeking a listing on the Taipei bourse, believing the market offers better valuations for certain industries in China. — PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE INVESTORS are not exactly giving [...]

Putting a price on financial advice

Sunday Times Singapore, November 1 , 2009  Sunday Some institutions charge a fee while others earn commissions By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent The share market is not looking like the wasteland it did a year ago and investors are flocking back, often asking professional financial advisers for a guiding hand on how to manage and build wealth. All very sensible [...]