Putradinar | Malaysia

Gold prices were steady on Monday, after the sharpest fall in four months in the previous session, as inflation concerns and sovereign debt issues in Europe offered support.  Spot gold was little changed at $US1366.95 an ounce, after falling three percent on Friday as talks of an imminent interest rates hike in China triggered a broad sell-off across the financial markets.

Debt woes in Europe continued to brew, with Ireland on Sunday saying it did not rule out the possibility that it may have to turn to Europe for help in dealing with its debt crisis.  Leadership meetings of the Group of 20 and APEC held last week largely failed to offer guidance on currency issues vexing the global economy.  "G20 and APEC meetings last week didn't really give a clear direction to the market," said Peter Fung, head of the dealing department at Wing Fung Precious Metals, "The market is mixed from here on, with today's range likely to be $US1350 to $US1380 today."  While some short-covering was spotted in the market, others were seen liquidating long positions, as the market takes a breather from the record-breaking rally, Fung said. 

Also offering support to the market, Vietnam has abolished the import duty on gold in another effort to cool domestic prices of the metal after it has granted gold import quotas last week, a state-run newspaper reported.  Spot gold is expected to fall more to $US1341 per ounce based on a bearish triangle pattern on the hourly chart, said Wang Tao, a Reuters market analyst.  "We may see some consolidation, but the overall trend is still looking up, as the Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing sets the tone for ample liquidity for the first half of 2011," said Li Ning, an analyst at Shanghai CIFCO Futures.  "We have seen a quite volatile market in the past week, as investors were nervous after prices hit record highs. We could see gold pull back to $US1330 to $US1350 level."  Li said a major factor in the market is China.

The world's largest gold producer and fast-growing gold consumer, saw its consumer inflation index jump to a 25-month high in October.  "While people are worried about inflation and have shown a growing appetite to invest in gold, a rate hike would knock prices down," said Li.  China should move to a more prudent monetary policy and guard against risks from loose money conditions used to counter the global financial crisis, a central bank researcher said.  The prospects of further tightening in China, together with euro zone debt woes, kept sentiment in the financial markets fragile.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

LONDON 8 Nov. - Ketua Bank Dunia, Robert Zoellick menggesa pemimpin-pemimpin ekonomi dunia mempertimbangkan penggunaan semula emas dalam sistem monetari sebagai pengukur dalam pergerakan mata wang. Beliau membuat cadangan itu kerana bimbang berlaku 'peperangan mata wang' dalam suratnya yang diterbitkan dalam Financial Times. Zoellick berkata, sistem itu perlu terlibat dalam dolar, euro, yen, pound dan renminbi yang kini diperdagangkan di peringkat antarabangsa.

''Sistem ini juga boleh mempertimbangkan penggunaan emas sebagai rujukan antarabangsa bagi jangkaan pasaran berkaitan inflasi, deflasi dan nilai mata wang hadapan,'' tambahnya. Amerika Syarikat (AS) kini semakin konsisten mengkritik China kerana menurunkan nilai renminbi dengan tujuan untuk mengambil faedah dalam pasaran eksport. Ekoran kritikan itu, China membalas balik dengan mencetak AS$600 bilion (RM1.8 trilion) duit baru sambil mendakwa untuk memberi AS kelebihan persaingan.

''Sekiranya polisi domestik adalah polisi optimum bagi AS, tetapi pada masa sama ia bukan polisi optimum bagi dunia, ia mungkin membawa banyak kesan negatif kepada dunia,'' menurut Ketua Bank Negara China, Zhou Xiaochuan. China melahirkan kebimbangan polisi monetari Rizab Persekutuan AS akan mengurangkan nilai dolar, menyebabkan eksport negara itu merosot. Berikutan itu, China menggesa pemantauan terhadap pergerakan dolar AS semasa mesyuarat G20 di Seoul pada minggu ini.

Standard emas dipinggirkan oleh bekas Presiden AS, Richard Nixon pada 1971 kerana nilai dolar jatuh menjunam berbanding emas. Emas dipercayai boleh membantu menangani inflasi tetapi ia tidak dibenarkan bagi polisi monetari fleksibel, yang mana kebanyakan pakar ekonomi mendakwa ia perlu dalam menangani kejutan ekonomi.

The spot price of gold rose to 1,403.88 dollars at 1720 GMT before reaching a new all-time high of 1,407.20 dollars at 1730 GMT.

Housewives huddle over jewellery counters in Yangon's bustling Chinatown, but fashion is not foremost on their minds. This is banking in Myanmar's dysfunctional economy.

On nearby Shwe Bontha Street, the heart of the gold market since colonial times, Nyan Tun is more than just a trader: he is an unofficial banker in the military-ruled country.

"Normally, the major buyers are farmers. They will buy gold with a little bit of extra money to sell before the next harvest," he said. "Second are the housewives, who love to buy jewellery as savings."

The global economic crisis may have reignited suspicion of banks worldwide, but in isolated Myanmar such distrust has long run deep and savers have no desire to put their money into the backward banking system.

Not that people have much to spare: decades of economic mismanagement by the country's rulers, plus international boycotts and sanctions, have generated a population struggling to get by and facing soaring consumer prices. Between 2005 and 2009 the annual inflation rate in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, averaged 20 percent, according to the Asian Development Bank.

"If you want to catch up with inflation, you buy gold. If you save money in the bank you lose money," said Nyan Tun.

"People have much more trust in gold as a store of value," added the trader, whose name AFP has changed at his request. In military-ruled Myanmar, saying anything seen as critical of the junta can have serious consequences. Nyan Tun said the value of a gold "tical" -- about half a troy ounce -- had increased more than 30-fold in the local currency, the kyat, since his early days as a gold trader in the late 1980s.

Sean Turnell, a specialist in Myanmar's economy at Macquarie University in Sydney, said rampant increases in consumer prices were largely a result of the government's habit of simply printing more money to fund its spending. An abundance of natural treasures -- including gold, gas, teak, oil, jade and gems -- could make the country a rich nation as it once was before coming under military rule in 1962. But Myanmar remains one of the world's least developed countries, with nearly a third of the population living below the poverty line, according to World Bank figures, as the junta and its associates exploit these raw materials for their own benefit.

"The fiscal situation should be good," said Turnell, on the basis that earnings from gas supplies should fund government spending. "But they (the military rulers) don't bring money they get from gas properly into public accounts," he said. "These funds are not recorded."

Few believe Myanmar's controversial first election in 20 years, due on November 7, will bring about much-needed economic reform, as the polls are widely expected to simply cloak military rule with civilian clothing. "The ruling class will still be the same, so there will not be big changes," said Nyan Tun, now in his 50s. However there have been some shifts in the economic landscape ahead of the election, with the junta instigating a spate of privatisations of state firms and properties.

Along with these sell-offs of assets including ports, factories and cinemas, four conglomerates on international sanctions lists and run by junta-friendly tycoons have been given licences to start up new banks. Turnell said the cronyism apparent in these recent developments suggested the country was "drifting in a really strange direction away from a totalitarian system into one that works like a semi-criminal economy".

For the average Myanmar citizen, there is still no economic stability, or decent alternative to their trustworthy treasure. "Gold has been the ultimate reserve asset, the ultimate insurance against bad government policy. It goes back to the colonial era -- it's seen as being dependable and independent of the state," said Turnell.

With the precious metal playing such a key role, the regime keeps a close eye on its trade. Nyan Tun said plain-clothed special branch police lurk on Shwe Bontha Street and pressure traders to stop selling when prices go up. "Maybe the government thinks inflation is due to the price of gold, but actually it's the other way round," he said. "The gold price is the index of inflation to citizens," agreed a business editor in Yangon who did not want to be named. "People don't know how else to judge inflation. The government gives no explanation."

Myanmar's banking system has never really recovered from a major crisis in 2003, which saw three banks completely collapse and was exacerbated by the policies of the Central Bank (CBSU.PK - news) , such as recalling loans from borrowers. People have also been hit hard in the past when the authorities scrapped certain currency units as legal tender. A mass uprising against the military in 1988, which was brutally crushed, escalated from protests over a major episode of demonetisation by the regime.

"That wiped out the savings of a huge amount of people," said Turnell. "I have never come across a single Burmese person who saves money in the banks." For now gold remains the safest haven in Myanmar -- the reason why a fishmonger will wear her savings around her neck.

"Gold: this is the only thing people trust," said the business editor.

Start saving even if only 1 gram a month and you will never regret it : )

There's a new blog giving points that can be earn when you buy things there, the points can be convert in physical gold. Just shop there and points will be given. So far the section that they have are

• Apparels
• Anticlockwise Watches and Clocks
• Gold Section
• Books
• Services
• Secondhand Stuff
• Pets
• Accessories & Gadgets

Just click on the section and you will find a lot more :)
Start shopping and redeem your gold...........

Nowadays, Malaysian is more likely to get involve in bank loan which considered as a necessity for them to have it. They tend to acquire a study loan and after they’ve graduated, entered themselves in a career world, they will definitely get a car loan,
personal loan for marriage purposes and also housing loan. From many views of Malaysian citizen, loans are mending to ease individual financial deficit. However, unfortunately, during the last quarter of Malaysian unpayable debts shows that Malaysian is having more debt than it suppose to be. The trend illustrate that, they are more willing to borrow money from banks rather than saving from their monthly income so that they can maximize their needs which means their necessities and even to obtain luxuries goods. If this trend continuously carried to the next generation of Malaysian, we might experience a country that 50% of the citizen will be blacklisted from the bank and also trying hard to pay their debt for all their life.

Furthermore, we can also take a look at the United States subprime mortgage crisis which create a major impact on their people where they are unable to pay their monthly installment and even accompanied with the prices of real estate that remain constant which cause their citizen to face a huge credit crisis and self force to live on the street at their own land. Moreover, Malaysian need to take into consideration on other alternative of saving instead of continue to borrow in order to survive where they can shift their saving strategies to precious metal in Malaysian as many banks have already long started to help Malaysian realize that they can save their money in other ways instead of depending on bank loans in order for them to maximize their needs and wants. Further more, our government should invest more on precious metal industries starting with mining, refinery and even minting as the price of precious metal such as gold are keep bullish in the international market since money is no longer back by gold in 1971. So if we want to achieve the status of high income and develop country before 2020 we should follow China that advising their people to save in gold as the metal is hedge against inflation and hedge against failing currencies. If we can advise people here to start save in gold from now, we can lead Malaysian stop keep on making credit and generate the GDP from public spending and saving or from premium earn from investing in gold.

The issues that we can point out are that, try to spend based on what you earn or save and stop depending on loans because at some point people will face difficulty to paying their installment and trap in " The Web of Debt ".

Objective:

The objective of this research is to show the disadvantage of bank loans in the long run that people always tend to miss out which starts from studies loan, personal loan, car loan and housing loan. Apart from the negative side of bank loan, it also explains and examines the effectiveness of saving in gold to maximize ones wealth rather than believe by obtaining bank loan will ease ones personal deficit and by showing people that buying necessities and luxuries using monthly saving has less risk compared to signing for loans.

Adam Sharif