The Big Mac index is published by The Economist in September 1986 as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies. It provides a view of the extent to which market exchange rates deviate from their true values.
The Big Mac was chosen because it is available to a common specification in many countries around the world, with local McDonald’s franchisees having significant responsibility for negotiating input prices. Currently McDonald’s Big Mac is sold in about 120 countries. The Big Mac index enables a comparison between many countries’ currencies.
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Credit-card users who are told to pay extra if they use their cards instead of cash should be aware that merchants are not allowed to impose merchant fees on users as stipulated in the card associations’ operating regulations.
Under the Bank Negara credit-card guidelines, banks are required to display prominently on the credit-card application forms their fees and charges table. banks are also required to print on the monthly billing statements to credit-card holders information on the various charges imposed on the oustanding balances and method of computation of such charges.
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Bursa Malaysia on the 9th November 2009, introduced Direct Market Access (DMA) for the equities market which is aimed to enhance trading efficiency and accessibility for market participants. With this, the Exchange will be providing a complete DMA infrastructure for both the equities and derivatives markets. The DMA for derivatives market was successfully launched in April 2008.
DMA is a critical component for Bursa Malaysia to remain competitive in the global investment arena. The right technologies will promote market accessibility and liquidity, as well as increased trading efficiencies. This will align Malaysian Stock Market with international trading practices.
Market participants will also be able to enjoy greater connectivity and more control of their orders via the DMA infrastructure for equities market.
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Historically, gold is perceived to be a safe haven during uncertainties and economic crises as it is considered more stable than other asset classes. It is generally an effective hedge against inflation and fluctuations in the US dollars.
Gold is an investment tool for preservation of wealth and a store of value in times of market volatility. It is an asset diversifier that could lower the overall risk in an investment portfolio.
This article will focus on different ways to invest in gold.
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The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) will refund overpaid tax within 30 days if taxpayers submit their returns via e-filing. If the returns are filed manually, the refund will be made within 90 days.
This is what IRB committed to, IRB chief executive officer Datuk Hasmah Abdullah said.
This will add up to cost savings for the business community. IRB allows allow taxpayers who facing cash flow problem to pay taxes through instalments.
