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School Holiday TravellingThe Mid-year school holidays start this weekend and it is one of the peak periods for family planning overseas travels. What are some of the more popular destinations this year? And what strategies are tour agencies employing to push for more bookings? Has the recent stock market turmoil affected the holiday bookings this year, and how are local ‘staycation’ getting a bigger slice of this holiday market?Financial Planning 101: What is a Stock Split? A stock split is a corporate action in which a listed company divides its existing (high-price) shares into multiple shares available at a lower price. What are the benefits of doing so for listed companies and their shareholders? A listed company can also opt for a reverse stock split, ie, to combine lower-price shares into a single share of a higher price. Why do companies choose to do this? How does this corporate action affect the shareholders?
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Time For Sale, Anyone?There is an old saying that no matter how rich you are, you cannot buy time. More so if your time is spent trying to make money. Some have hit on the idea of selling their time to those who need it more. But how does one sell time? One way is to run errands for others who would rather spend their time doing more important things. Another is to deliver food and beverage to those who have no time to eat out. Does selling one’s time make good business sense? Money Week finds out more.
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Will the Dragon Year Boost Pregnancy-related Businesses?Birth rate is expected to go up during the 2012 Year of the Dragon, if figures in the previous Dragon years are anything to go by. According to local hospitals, 5 to 10% more babies are expected to arrive this year. Will this boost baby-related businesses? Money Week finds out more from a gym that provides prenatal exercise classes and a confinement food caterer.Financial Planning 101: Financial Planning for a Dragon BabyIt is important for parents to have comprehensive financial plans when raising their children. In fact, financial planning experts have advised that such planning should begin even before a child is born. How much should parents budget for each stage of their children’s lives?
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The Commercial Properties CrazeA new buying trend has emerged in the local property market; buyers are not only snapping up units in mixed development projects but also commercial units in these projects. Why is the property buying craze spreading to commercial properties? And how long can this new trend last?Financial Planning 101: Rights Issue Besides borrowing from banks for additional capital, listed companies can opt to issue rights to its existing shareholders. Such rights are often issued at a price lower than the company’s share prices. How will rights issued affect the market price of the company’s shares? How do shareholders decide if the rights are worth subscribing to?
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Sell in May & Go Away?Market statistics have shown that over the past 24 years, stocks under the S&P 500 Index had consistently underperformed from June through September compared to the rest of the year. This led to the perception that a wise strategy is to “Sell in May & Go Away”. This May, the European Debt Crisis has returned to the forefront of global financial markets and the Straits Times Index has lost some 3% half way through the month. Should investors indeed sell in May and go away? And when would be the right time to invest again? Financial Planning 101: To Buy a House in 2 Years? In a case study, a working lady takes home $2,560 after CPF contribution deductions. With a car installment of $850 per month, the largest item of all her monthly expenses, she does not have much savings after deducting all other expenditures. If she plans to buy a house in 2 years time, how should she adjust her expenditures to realize her home buying plan?
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The Rise of Artisan BakeriesA number of internationally-renowned artisan bakeries had landed on our shores early this year and created waves in the local F&B scene. How has their arrival affected the few existing local artisan bakeries? As Singaporeans become more familiar with such pastries, will this attract other bakeries to set up shop here? Money Week finds out if the trend of artisan bakeries will continue to rise.Financial Planning 101: What are Perpetual Bonds? Perpetual bond, as its name suggests, has no maturity date. The issuer of such bonds is not obliged to redeem them but will make interest payments periodically. With such characteristics, who are such bonds most suited for? How are perpetual bonds different from ordinary bonds in terms of risks and returns? If a company issues both shares and perpetual bonds, how do investors decide which to invest in?
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Increasing Demand for Mass Market Homes?More than 70% of the Sky Habitat in Bishan units launched are sold in the first weekend, setting a new benchmark at $1700psf. This reflects the appeal mass-market locations have on would be buyers. In fact, developers sold a record 6682 new homes in the first quarter of this year, fueled by mass-market demand. Will mass market sentiments continue to grow even stronger in the coming months? And will prices continue to trend upwards?Financial Planning 101: Private Placements- Boon or Bane for Shareholders?Besides issuing rights, listed companies can also raise more funds via private placements, ie. to issue new shares to new substantial investors. What are the differences between rights issued and private placements? How do listed companies decide on the fund raising method to employ? And how do private placements affect minority shareholders?