Friday 5 May 2006

The Deadly Dozen: Investment Pitfalls to Avoid (Part 2)

Deadly Mistake #7: Trusting “Experts” Too Much

Every other person has an adverse interest in relation to your wealth. Only you and you alone have no adverse claim on your wealth. Financial institutions handle your money in order to make some money over it. Likewise, investment counselors sell financial products to earn commissions.

In like manner, the investment publications aim to increase advertising and subscription returns; leading them to observe slanted editorial practices that focus on sensational news rather than substantial information.

In short, you derive financial recommendations from purveyors whose goals serve their own interests rather than your interests.

Never trust your wealth to the experts. The best policy is to assume that the financial advice you get is meant to favor someone else other than you.

Here is Laurence J. Peter’s definition of a true economist: “An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.”

To prove the fact that bias always rears its ugly head, just see how the advisor’s bank book is enhanced. Understand the truth that their own view constricts what they see. Everyone has some kind of bias – including you and me.

Having said that, a lot of good people earnestly seek to find the best perspective based on their limited understanding and irreconcilable information arising from the financial industry.

Majority of so-called “experts” are as equally confounded by investing as you; and though they appear very confident, they are actually turning a blind eye to the universal wisdom that investing is essentially throwing precious money into the unforeseeable future, hoping it will return to you carrying greater value. Yet returns will almost always be like that – unpredictable as the wind. Even the experts are subject to the caprices of real events. 

Hence, do not make the mistake of taking professional views as facts simply because they bear the appearance of truth or bring with them the authority of a large institution. The fact is, majority of professional advisors were schooled in particular views of discipline and rarely go beyond their scope of learning. 

No single financial truth exists in the world and anyone who comes along with such a claim contradicts himself or herself.

Remember, many forms and sizes of the complex investment truth exist which so-called experts cannot completely grasp or resolve into one simple truth. A healthy skepticism toward claims of these “experts” is what you need to attain consistent returns to your investments.

Deadly Mistake #8: Not Avoiding of Low Liquidity 

A liquid investment refers to an investment you can easily convert into cash, while an illiquid investment is one which has constraints to being turned into cash. For instance, U.S. Government Bonds and stocks from large, listed firms are considered liquid; and partnership interests, most real estate investments and thinly-traded stocks are illiquid.

From experience, an ordinary investor’s primary losses or financial misses will have been substantially due to loss of liquidity. Simply put, the best weapon you can have against investment losses is liquidity, whereas limited liquidity can trap your investment and lead to irrecoverable levels of losses. 

Unless your strategy is to justify acceptance greater risk in order to obtain a potentially large gain, do not commit your investment into a condition of low liquidity. You can do this approach, especially if you put up other means of controlling the risk of loss for your investment.

Deadly Mistake #9: Not Seeking a Balance between Conservatism and Risk-Taking

Investing is basically a balancing act between risk and reward; and the more you learn how to handle risk control, the greater you potential for financial growth. Soaring high with tech-stock or new-issue investments and flying low with U.S. Treasury, bonds and C.D.’s alone are two extremes of investing you need to avoid. Aim for a healthy balance to maximize your opportunities to attain long-term wealth.

While a ship is said to be useless if it remains idle on the dock and not sailing, it will also be senseless if it sails to sea during a terribly dangerous storm. Go ahead and invest daringly if the reward justifies the risk and hold your punches in if you see that the risks warrant staying in the harbor.

Provide an escape route for each investment in order to safeguard your money when the weather turns for the worse.

Deadly Mistake #10: Mistaking Brains for a Bull Market

When the tide rises, all boats rise as well. But when the tide goes out, you can tell which ones remain on dry ground.

People commit the grievous mistake of thinking that a few good hits acquired through good fortune portends a bull market. As the old English proverb says, “A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.” Acquiring the real skills of a good investor demands more than mere beginner’s luck; you need to learn how to conserve capital and how to grow during the difficult times.

You have to be a tried-and-true investor to possess the discipline to manage risk while minimizing your losses. Many people can easily confuse the falsely-interpreted results of one-way markets as the harbinger of a bull market for a whole market cycle. 

Deadly Mistake #11: Confusing Total Revenue with Value Added

Often, investors make the mistake of gaging investment results based exclusively on the amount of money they made. And that is due to the fact that total return results from the interplay of market return, management skill and strategy return. Not appreciating this fact can lead to wrong conclusions.

Value-added return is the true determinant of investment skill; and that is measured by comparing total returns with a proper benchmark index for a complete economic cycle. Through this, you separate management skill from market return and strategy or style.

For instance, a growth stock manager attaining a yearly compound returns of 25% could be a failure or a celebrity based on whether the benchmark growth stock index netted 32% (7% loss of value) or lost 3% (28% added to value) for the same duration.

The converse may apply as well: Your style or strategy of investing could be innately bull-friendly with regard to where you gain in growing markets but lose terribly in declining markets.

Overall performance for the entire market cycle in relation to a suitable yardstick determines value added and investment skill.

Deadly Mistake #12: Focusing Only on Taxes or Expenses

John Maynard Keynes said it bitingly, thus: “The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward.”

Sadly, many people make the error of never selling an investment due to their desire to avoid to pay taxes or fees. The converse is true as well: You should never ignore the arising tax.

Taxes and fees comprise only a single factor (transaction costs) you have to face when evaluating how a deal will affect total portfolio performance. You also have to consider other things more important than taxes and expenses, such as asset allocation, risk control, assumed returns and many more.

Investor’s goal is to enhance returns for all risk tolerance levels; and taxes and fees are just one of the components in the whole process. Whether you need to pay taxes or fees in a transaction will be based on how it will affect the total investment performance taxes and fees.

To give an actual case, most people thought it crazy to sell an entire investment portfolio in real estate in 2006 while paying a burdensome tax fee on the returns. But in 2009, they realized that the taxes spent were well worth it considering the pains and losses that were prevented.

Trying to oversimplify the decision-making process merely looking at only a single factor (transaction expenses) could lead to costly mistakes. The key to success in this case is balance.

Additional Deadly Mistake #13: Looking at Investing as not Being Fun

Investing without fun is like going to a vacation while counting costs every step of the way and forgetting to enjoy the journey. It is a lifetime endeavor you will carry and endure to the end, so it is necessary to find ways to make the most of the experience.

Investing can be a burden to a lot of people. They dislike the work of crunching numbers, the confusing terms and processes and the worrying over losing capital. This results into a lackadaisical investing experience.

If we look as investing as a virtual treasure hunt, which it really is, or as a game of Monopoly, which it simulates, you have the advantage of making the rules yourself and nobody else questioning your decisions. It is both an intellectually exhilarating experience and a potentially profitable opportunity in terms of personal growth and satisfaction. 

“We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities,” observed Norman Vincent Peale of the ironies of life.

Both attitudes can be beneficial, depending on how you use them. However, one can bring you closer to financial security faster than the other. Choose between having fun and getting frustrated.

Summary

You have seen some valuable steps to avoid falling into the painful and expensive traps along the road to financial success. Growing your money wisely can be both enjoyable and meaningful, while losing it blindly can be both painful and tragic.

Applying these steps can spell the difference between financial security wealth and destitution. Avoiding the costly mistakes alone can already bring you both savings and benefits.

Thursday 20 April 2006

The Deadly Dozen: Investment Pitfalls to Avoid (Part 1)

There are a dozen vital mistakes any investor must avoid to realize one’s financial stability. All these can be reduced into two general ideas, namely:

1. The Golden Way – Gaining insight from the investment mistakes of other investors
2. The Costly Way – Gaining experience and knowledge yourself in the school of hard knocks

Who would want to choose the more difficult and costly method when you can learn the same things indirectly from others’ mistakes? And the good thing is that you can get those lessons right now! Here are the Deadly Dozen to avoid as an investor:

Deadly Mistake #1: Diversify, Do not Diworsefy

Creating a diversified portfolio helps you to manage risk wisely, if done properly. This means adding a new asset that has a different risk level.

For instance, you can diversify a portfolio consisting of U.S. stocks by inveasting in non-related markets such as gold, gold stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate and other asset types that present low or inverse correlation.

“Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of the fools, but fools don’t imitate the successes of the wise.” Cato the Elder put that very wisely. However, not many are wise enough to listen to good advice.

The mistake is to “diworsefy” by adding other assets that have similar risk profile leading to your investment performance imitating the averages. As an example, augmenting U.S. equity mutual funds to a diversified U.S. stock portfolio is di-worse-ification.

The objective in diversification is to add uncorrelated and even contrasting sources of revenue. This will minimize portfolio hazards and potentially enhance total benefits when augmented further by effective investment strategies.

Deadly Mistake #2: Instead of Picking Stocks, Allocate Assets

Various research investigations seem to reinforce the findings that about 90% or more of the variance in a diversified portfolio’s revenue arise from allocation of assets.

Unfortunately, majority of people make the error of concentrating 90% of their time and effort on the remaining 10% of gain by picking individual securities. It simply defies reason.

Robert J. Shiller defines true intelligence for us thus: “The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.”

Don’t make the mistake of spending all your time on the decisions that will make little difference in your overall performance.

Avoid, therefore, imitating so-called failed experts who consistently pick the newest hot stock or the best-performing fund in the market.

The better alternative is to take enough time protecting your resources by finding the proper allocation to asset types and strategies. This essentially applies Pareto’s Law (the 80-20 rule which expects 80% of your outcomes to arise from 20% of your efforts) to your advantage.

Deadly Mistake #3: Historical Returns do not Guarantee Similar Performance

If your financial counselor tells you that the average annual historical returns of 10% from the U.S. stock market (could be 7% or 8% according the exact era and duly adjusted for inflation and dividends) will serve as a dependable guide, doesn’t mean you should expect similar.

More often than not, the future will be far from the historical mean. Moreover, your average holding time may not be sufficiently long to reproduce average revenues.

The usual holding period average relative to majority of long-term historical stock revenue evaluations is at least 30 years. And though you may have been an investor for 30 years or more, you may only have less than half of that at most as your average holding time. The collective wisdom of the entire market is much greater than that of the oldest investor in the world.

Remember that most of your savings are expected to be accumulated late in your professional career and put to actual use during your retirement. It is rare for anyone to start investing at 30 years old with a sizeable amount and retiring at 60 years old on that investment to produce a 30-year holding period. That happens only in our dreams.

The reality presents a less than desirable picture of variability in predicted returns compared to long-term average indications. In short, average returns are statistical improbabilities. Nassim Taleb, author of “Fooled by Randomness,” says that the average return on the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the period 1900 to 2002 was 7.2%. During the 103-year period, there were but 5 years with returns from 5% and 10%. Apparently, the so-called “average” is just not common.

“A reasonable probability is the only certainty,” said E.W. Howe.

Lastly, long-term averages may not bear any real significance to your present investment circumstances since today’s investment climate or situation is far from being typical.

For instance, not many investors are aware that the holding period revenues for their stocks are correlated inversely to the initial valuations of the holding duration.

That means, if stock valuations are greater than average at the start of your investing period, you stand to obtain 7-15 year revenues below the average.

On the other hand, If stock valuations are below average when you begin investing, you can fairly expect 7-15 year revenues above the average.

Ultimately then, all the good heard about long-term probabilities and average returns may actually have nothing to do with the results you will obtain.

Avoid making the mistake of using historical average revenues to create your investment plan, no matter how long your holding period may be.

Obviously, investing is not that simple and straightforward; otherwise, many would have been successful. Remember; do not use historical returns as basis for building a portfolio.

Deadly Mistake #4: Investing Minus a Plan

Some people spending more time planning their vacation than planning their financial security.

Many studies show that individuals who meticulously write down an investment plan has more chances to leave their contemporaries behind, not by a few percentage steps but by big leaps.

Build up your financial future by producing a balanced plan grounded on solid statistical projections; because a baseless plan is guessing or gambling not investing.

Various investment approaches utilize Expectancy Investing guidelines; and all of them must be implemented with great discipline for many years to guarantee ultimate success.

This requires to never “invest” (that is, gamble) on hot tips, rumors, stories, guessing, foretelling performance or expecting the market to go up.

You need a plan founded on well-researched constructive expectancy; all of the above methods are devoid of any semblance of a proper plan even though many often apply them.

Your financial well-being requires a better alternative. As John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Deadly Mistake #5: Not Investing in Your Financial Education

Learn comes before earning. Improving yourself intellectually means investing in your future financial security.

Investing done right is both an art and a science. For that reason, you must avoid swallowing half-truths and oversimplifying, thus, neglecting the nuances of the investing process.

Investing can be considered an art as it involves using deep human emotions even though we often try to present ourselves as rational-thinking beings. In reality, many of our decisions are greatly influenced by our moods, values, communal psychology, fears, passions and desires. Still, we continue to delude ourselves that we use pure logic in making investment decisions.

Will Durant said something which covers this masquerade: “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”

Nevertheless, investing can be seen as a science for it demands an effective method founded on proven scientific concepts, such as asset allocation, diversification, correlation, valuation, probability and others.

To succeed in investing on a long-term basis, we need to balance the two. You need to focus on improving yourself and your decision-making capability as also you enhance your expertise in investment strategy.

FinancialMentor.com was conceived precisely to improve your financial IQ and thereby help you create lasting wealth.

Nothing is more financially risky than an investor making decisions worth a million dollars but possessing a financial intelligence worth only a thousand dollars.

Like in most things in life, a little financial knowledge can truly be a dangerous thing; but a lot of knowledge can bring lots of benefits.

Investing to improve your financial intelligence will bring a lifetime of benefits.

Deadly Mistake #6: Failing to Match Investment Style with Your Personal Objectives
People often make the foolish mistake of aiming for success by leaning their ladder of investment against the wrong wall.

Although there is no hard-and-fast rule to attain financial success, there will be one correct answer that will be suited to your needs and circumstances.

Your task involves looking for the method that will be consistent with your objectives, skills, resources, values and risk profile such that you will attain wealth and personal satisfaction. A financial guru’s own phenomenal success is exclusively his own; his approach does not necessarily apply in your own situation.

Likewise, if your investment counselor is successful at his work of selling paper assets, such as (bonds, stocks, insurance, mutual funds, etc.); it does not follow at all that you cannot also make sufficient earnings in other paper assets, such as real estate or your own enterprise. In investing, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all phenomenon.

You need to realize that your road to financial security requires finding the appropriate size for your own use alone.

Monday 10 April 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Privacy Policy

Introduction

Thank you for visiting www.theasquithgroup.com and, if applicable, choosing to use our Services. We try to make our Privacy Policy easy to understand so that you are informed as to how we use your information. This Privacy Policy, like our Terms of Service, is an integral part of using our Service; therefore you must completely agree to our Privacy Policy in order to use our Site or Service. If you are under 18 please stop using our Service immediately.

Information Collected

Identifying information submitted by you

When inquiring about our financial services, you will be required to supply your name, email and phone number. Additionally, we may collect your relevant financial information.

Non-Identifying information

Whenever you visit our Site, we may collect non-identifying information from you, such as your IP address, interactions with the Site and Service, referring URL, browser, operating system, cookie information, usage, data transferred and Internet Service Provider. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party such as your wireless provider, this information alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

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How we use collected information

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Additionally, we may give your information to law enforcement if we are compelled to by a court order, if there has been a violation of any EU laws, international laws or if a violation of the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy has occurred.

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Third party access to your information

Although you are entering into an Agreement with The Asquith Group to disclose your information to us, we do use third party individuals and organizations to assist us, including contractors, web hosts, and others.

Throughout the course of our provision of our Services to you, we may delegate our authority to collect, access, use, and disseminate your information. For example, when you submit a form with personally identifiable information to us, that information will be disseminated or forwarded through our Service to your local law enforcement agency.

It is therefore necessary that you grant the third parties we may use in the course of our business the same rights that you afford us under this Privacy Policy. For this reason, you hereby agree that for every authorization which you grant to us in this Privacy Policy, you also grant to any third party that we may hire, contract, or otherwise retain the services of for the purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, or otherwise improving or preserving our website or its underlying files or systems. You agree not to hold us liable for the actions of any of these third parties, even if we would normally be held vicariously liable for their actions, and that you must take legal action against them directly should they commit any tort or other actionable wrong against you. The following is a non-exhaustive list of other entities that we may store, share, or transfer your information with:
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Law Enforcement

You agree that we may disclose your information to authorities if compelled to by a court order. Additionally, you agree that we may disclose your information if we reasonably believe that you have violated a US law or the terms of our Terms of Service or Privacy Policy or if we believe that a third party is at risk of bodily harm. In the event that we receive a subpoena affecting your privacy, we may elect to notify you to give you an opportunity to file a motion to quash the subpoena, or we may attempt to quash it ourselves, but we are not obligated to do either. We may also proactively report you and release your information without receiving any request to third parties where we believe that it is proper to do so for legal reasons, such as instances where we believe your publications violate any law of the United States or any other country having jurisdiction over us, our Site, Services, or our Terms of Service. You release us from any damages that may arise from or relate to the release of your information to a request from law enforcement agencies or private litigants. We may release your information under the conditions listed in this paragraph whether it is to individuals or entities and to any state or Federal authorities within the United States, or elsewhere.

Commercial and Non-commercial Communication

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Third Parties

The Asquith Group may post links to third party websites on our Site or Service, which may include information that we have no control over. When accessing a third party site through our Site or Service, you acknowledge that you are aware that these third party websites are not screened for privacy or security issues by us, and you release us from any liability for the conduct of these third party websites.

Please be aware that this Privacy Policy, and any other policies in place, in addition to any amendments, does not create rights enforceable by third parties. The Asquith Group bears no responsibility for the information collected or used by any advertiser or third party website. You must review their Terms of Service and Privacy to understand how their information collection practices work.

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Your European Privacy Rights

The Asquith Group intends to comply with Directive 95/46/EC of the European Union. If you are a resident of any EU member countries please contact us at info@theasquithgroup.com with any privacy questions.

Age Compliance

We intend to fully comply with international laws respecting children’s privacy. Therefore, we do not collect or process any information for any persons under the age of 18. If you are under 18 and using our Site or Service, please stop immediately and do not submit any information to us.

International Transfer

Your information may be transferred to - and maintained on - computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the privacy laws may not be as protective as those in your jurisdiction. We may transfer personal information to Indonesia or elsewhere and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

Amendments

Like our Terms of Service, we may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time.

When we amend this Privacy Policy, we will place a note on our Site or we may contact you. You must agree to the amendments as a condition of your continued use of our Site and Service. If you do not agree, you must immediately cease using our Site and Service and notify us of your refusal to agree by e-mailing us at info@theasquithgroup.com.

Wednesday 5 April 2006

Term and Conditions of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan

Your Acceptance

Welcome to the Terms and Conditions for www.theasquithgroup.com. The Asquith Group is an investment and wealth management company helping expatriates living in Asia manage and invest their finances. This is an agreement (“Agreement”) between The Asquith Group (“The Asquith Group”), the owner and operator of www.theasquithgroup.com (the “Site” and any “Services”) and you (“you” or “your” or “user(s)”), a user of the Site and Service. This Agreement is legally binding and governs your use of our Site and Service. Throughout this Agreement, the words “The Asquith Group,” “us,” “we,” and “our,” refer to, The Asquith Group, and our website, www.theasquithgroup.com, and any of our financial Services provided through our website. By using or accessing our Site and using any of our Services, you acknowledge and agree to these terms and agree to be bound by this Agreement and the Privacy Policy. We may amend our Terms of Service or Privacy Policy from time to time, we will notify you of these changes to our policy. Your continued use constitutes acceptance to these changes.

If you do not agree to the Terms and Conditions or the Privacy Policy please stop using our Site and Service immediately. Users of our Site and Service must be above the age of 18.

The Asquith Group Description of Service

The Asquith Group is a financial advisory service that caters to the global expatriate community. The Asquith Group offers wealth management, offshore investment and retirement planning along with other financial investment vehicles and opportunities. We lead the investment industry in knowledge and high level performance. We use our experience and know-how to bring you the best in international investment.

Contact Information

In order to contact us, we ask you to submit your name, phone number, email address and other financial information. Additionally, we request that you leave a short message describing your financial goals and needs.

Confidentiality

During your use of our Service you will be exposed to Confidential Information. “Confidential Information” means any information or communications whether written, oral, graphic or electronic, provided to you by us including but not limited to investment plans, strategies, agreements with third parties, and all other investment related information. In order to protect our investment knowledge and financial techniques, it is important that none of our Confidential Information be disclosed. Therefore, by submitting information to us and using our Service, you agree that you will not disclose any Confidential Information to any person or entity except as we may approve in writing. Additionally, you agree to use your best efforts in safeguarding our Confidential Information. In the event of any violation of this provision of the Agreement, you agree that a breach will cause irreparable damage to The Asquith Group. Therefore, if you breach this provisions we will be entitled to injunctive relief, without being required to post any bond, thus restraining you from violating or continuing to violate this Agreement.

Intellectual Property Rights

The design of the www.theasquithgroup.com along with The Asquith Group created text, scripts, graphics, interactive features and the trademarks, service marks and logos contained therein (“Marks”), are owned by or licensed to The Asquith Group, subject to copyright and other intellectual property rights under United States, EU and foreign laws and international conventions. You agree to not engage in the use, copying, or distribution anything contained within the Site or Service unless we have given you express written permission.

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Our reputation is very important to us. By submitting any information to us or using any of our Services you agree that you will not disparage The Asquith Group, its services, officers, agents or employees in a harmful manner that will either hurt our reputation or our business reputation. This non-disparagement clause becomes effective immediately after you agree to our Terms of Service. The word “disparage” shall mean making comments to a person not a party to this agreement which would be actionable under legal principles of defamation or which materially cause damage to the reputation of a party to this agreement. In the event of any violation of this provision of the Agreement, you agree that a breach will cause irreparable damage to The Asquith Group. Therefore, if you breach this provisions we will be entitled to injunctive relief, without being required to post any bond, thus restraining you from violating or continuing to violate this Agreement.

Limitations on Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ASQUITH GROUP, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM ANY (I) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF OUR SITE OR SERVICE, (II) PERSONAL INJURY, LOSSES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PRODUCTS, (III) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF OUR SECURE SERVERS AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND/OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN, (IV) ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM OUR SERVICES, (IV) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE, WHICH MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO OR THROUGH OUR SERVICES BY ANY THIRD PARTY, AND/OR (V) ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE OF OUR PRODUCTS MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE SERVICES, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPANY IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE FOREGOING LIMITATION OF LIABILITY SHALL APPLY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW IN THE APPLICABLE JURISDICTION. IN THE EVENT OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS SITE OR SERVICE, YOU AGREE THAT YOUR SOLE REMEDY IS TO CEASE USING THIS WEB SITE. IN THE EVENT OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH OUR SERVICE, YOU AGREE OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE LOWEST LEGALLY ALLOWED AMOUNT IF ANY. THE ASQUITH GROUP IS NOT LIABLE TO YOU OR TO THIRD PARTIES FOR ANY DAMAGE, HARM, INJURY OR CLAIM THAT ARISES FROM YOUR USE OF ANY PRODUCTS PURCHASED FROM OUR SITE.

Representations and Warranties

WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE MERCHANTABILITY OF OUR SERVICE OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES. WE OFFER FINANCIAL SERVICES HOWEVER WE DO NOT AND WILL NOT GUARANTEE THE PROFITABILITY OF YOUR INVESTMENTS. YOU AGREE THAT YOU ARE RELEASING US FROM ANY LIABILITY THAT WE MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO YOU IN RELATION TO OR ARISING FROM THIS AGREEMENT OR OUR SERVICES, FOR REASONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FAILURE OF OUR SERVICE, NEGLIGENCE, OR ANY OTHER TORT. TO THE EXTENT THAT APPLICABLE LAW RESTRICTS THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY, YOU AGREE THAT WE ARE ONLY LIABLE TO YOU FOR THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF DAMAGES THAT THE LAW RESTRICTS OUR LIABILITY TO, IF SUCH A MINIMUM EXISTS.

WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY FAILURE OF THE SERVICES OF OUR COMPANY OR A THIRD PARTY, INCLUDING ANY FAILURES OR DISRUPTIONS, UNTIMELY DELIVERY, SCHEDULED OR UNSCHEDULED, INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL, ON OUR WEBSITE WHICH PREVENT ACCESS TO OUR WEBSITE TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY.

For Jurisdictions that do not allow us to limit our liability: Notwithstanding any provision of these Terms, if your jurisdiction has provisions specific to waiver or liability that conflict with the above then our liability is limited to the smallest extent possible by law. Specifically, in those jurisdictions not allowed, we do not disclaim liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by its negligence or that of any of its officers, employees or agents; or (b) fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any liability which it is not lawful to exclude either now or in the future.

IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF A JURISDICTION THAT REQUIRES A SPECIFIC STATEMENT REGARDING RELEASE THEN THE FOLLOWING APPLIES “A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.” YOU HEREBY WAIVE THIS SECTION OF THE CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY SIMILAR PROVISION IN LAW, REGULATION, OR CODE THAT HAS THE SAME INTENT OR EFFECT.

Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless for any claims by you or any third party which may arise from or relate to this Agreement or the provision of any of our Services to you, including any damages caused by your use of our Site or Service, or by your breach of this Agreement. You also agree that you have a duty to defend us against such claims and we may require you to pay for an attorney(s) of our choice in such cases. You agree that this indemnity extends to requiring you to pay for our reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and disbursements. In the event of a claim such as one described in this paragraph, we may elect to settle with the party/parties making the claim and you shall be liable for the damages as though we had proceeded with a trial.

Third Party Links

We may link to third party websites from our own website. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, these third party websites or their use of your personal information. We do not endorse, recommend or vouch for the security of such websites. We recommend that you review their terms of service and privacy policies before accessing and using the third party site. Additionally, users may be able to post third party links through content submitted to our Site. We are not responsible for such links and do not monitor the posting of such links. Please exercise caution when clicking on such links as they may cause harm to your computer.

User Age

The Asquith Group and its Services may only be used by persons over 18 years and older. If you are under the age of 18 please do not submit any information to us and please stop using our Site and Service immediately.

Choice of Law

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws in force in Indonesia. The offer and acceptance of this contract is deemed to have occurred in Indonesia.

Forum of Dispute

You agree that any dispute arising from or relating to this Agreement will be heard solely by a court of competent jurisdiction in or nearest to Jakarta, Indonesia. If you bring a dispute in a manner other than in accordance with this section, you agree that we may move to have it dismissed, and that you will be responsible for our reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and disbursements in doing so. You agree that the unsuccessful party in any dispute arising from or relating to this Agreement will be responsible for the reimbursement of the successful party’s reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and disbursements.

Force Majeure

You agree that we are not responsible to you for anything that we may otherwise be responsible for, if it is the result of events beyond our control, including, but not limited to, acts of God, war, insurrection, riots, terrorism, crime, labor shortages (including lawful and unlawful strikes), embargoes, postal disruption, communication disruption, failure or shortage of infrastructure, shortage of materials, or any other event beyond our control.

Severability

In the event that a provision of this Agreement is found to be unlawful, conflicting with another provision of the Agreement, or otherwise unenforceable, the Agreement will remain in force as though it had been entered into without that unenforceable provision being included in it.

If two or more provisions of this Agreement are deemed to conflict with each other’s operation, The Asquith Group shall have the sole right to elect which provision remains in force.

Non-Waiver

We reserve all rights permitted to us under this Agreement as well as under the provisions of any applicable law. Our non-enforcement of any particular provision or provisions of this Agreement or the any applicable law should not be construed as our waiver of the right to enforce that same provision under the same or different circumstances at any time in the future.

Termination and Cancellation

We may terminate or suspend service or any other provision of services to you at our discretion without explanation and notice, though we will strive to provide a timely explanation in most cases. If you wish to terminate this Agreement, you are solely responsible for properly notifying us. All provisions of this Agreement which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.

Assignment

You may not assign your rights and/or obligations under this Agreement to any other party without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and/or obligations under this Agreement to any other party at our discretion.

Amendments

We may amend this Agreement from time to time. When we amend this Agreement, we will update this page and indicate the date that it was last modified. You may refuse to agree to the amendments, but if you do, you must immediately cease using our website and our Service. You must visit this page each time you come to our website and read and agree to it if the date it was last modified is more recent than the last time you agreed to the Agreement.

Thursday 30 March 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Risk Statement

Read this before proceeding

Please read this warning and disclaimer before proceeding, it explains legal and regulatory restrictions applicable for the investment services we provide.

Intended Audience

The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes and should not be regarded as an offer, or solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any investments or related services that may be referenced at www.theasquithgroup.com.

This website is intended for professional clients and eligible counterparties exclusively. It is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any jurisdiction, where such distribution or use where it is contrary to local law or regulation.

No Tax or Legal Advice

Nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice nor should it be relied upon in making an investment decision.

Past Performance

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Stock markets and currency movements may cause the value of investments and income from them to fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount they originally invested.

Where investments are made in unquoted securities or smaller companies, their potential volatility may increase the risk of return and the income from the investment.

Money Laundering

As a result of money laundering regulations and to prevent fraud, additional documentation for identification purposes may be required when you make your investment. This is fully disclosed in the relevant account documents.

Investment Decisions

As with all financial or investment matters, you should exercise care in using the provided information on this website or any other, or through links available from this website. You should research the facts, opinions and strategies mentioned in this website before making any financial investment decisions. If you are unsure about the meaning of any information provided, please consult your financial adviser or other professional adviser.

Risk Avoidance & Fraud Prevention

The Asquith Group has extensive controls to prevent client exposure to external fraudulent, dishonest or unscrupulous practices. Fraud prevention and research teams review each opportunity to identify irregularities, scams, or otherwise suspect aspects of these investments. The Company exhausts every professionally prudent approach to minimize risk, but cannot be held liable for broad market trends or shifts in the investment environment.

No Warranty & Limitation on Liability

While all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of all relevant documentation, The Asquith Group cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, either expressly or implied.

Neither The Asquith Group, nor any of its directors, officers or employees, nor any third party vendor, will be liable or have any responsibility of any kind for any loss or damage that you incur in the event of any failure or interruption of this site, or resulting from the act or omission of any other party involved in making this site or the data contained therein available to you, or from any other cause relating to your access to, inability to access, or use of the site or these materials, whether or not the circumstances giving rise to such cause may have been within the control of The Asquith Group, or of any vendor providing software or services support.

All information and content on this website is, subject to applicable statutes and regulations, furnished “as is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. We make no warranty as to the operation, functionality or availability of this website, that the website will be error-free or that defects will be corrected.

Monday 20 March 2006

Investment Philosophy of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan

Investment Philosophy of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan

The Process involved:

1. Evaluate Your Risk Capacity Level

Assess objectives, income targets, and time frame
Draw up an Investment Policy Statement

2. Evaluate Existing Investments

Assess investments, review tax issues involved, and assets diversification

3. Submit Portfolio Recommendations

Joint-analyze proposed investments

4. Institute Investment Adjustments
Rearrange accounts

5. Re-evaluate and Redistribute Portfolio

Investment evaluation and market analysis

Wednesday 15 March 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Complete Financial Analysis


Our investments experts will collaborate with you to develop a complete evaluation to help determine your unique individual financial objectives. This will include your net worth, tax mitigation, educational financing, retirement and estate strategizing, and income and asset security. Likewise, we will analyze such issues as investment tax considerations, appropriate real estate titling steps, and our clients' capability to attain the retirement lifestyle they aspire for.

Any Plan requires an appropriate amount of Patience

No fool-proof system for acquiring, maintaining or disposing of investments exists. Investment portfolios are dynamic organisms, and productivity in the financial industry swings widely depending on the real-world market conditions. Therefore, no one can guarantee that your investments will behave according to plan in all respects and, as a result, a certain amount of patience, perhaps to last a period of many years at times, is needed to realize significant results.

Friday 10 March 2006

Financial Planning of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan



We Handle Your Investing Objectives as if They Were Our Own:

1. Evaluate Your Objectives
Collect data, establish targets, and pinpoint ongoing financial circumstances

2. Assess and Review
Research and develop a strategy

3. Build a Plan
Establish and outline tasks involved

4. Apply all Recommendations
Coordinate and guide the execution of the plan

5. Monitor and Adjust if Needed
Make reports and communications pertaining to your financial progress

Sunday 5 March 2006

The Asquith group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Proactive Evaluation Process


The Asquith Group aims to assist you in fulfilling your investment goals. The Asquith Group conducts regular telephone conversations to assess your progress during which we will provide you with strategic insights courtesy of a certified financial planner. Moreover, your Investment Advisor will explain your portfolio's holdings as well as your investment status.

Saturday 25 February 2006

Assets Audits of the Asquith group Asia, Tokyo Japan



Investment Audits

In today’s dynamic and fast-changing world, people need to become more concerned about how to handle their private finances and plan for the future of their estate. The Asquith Group will devote sufficient time to apprehend your personal and estate’s present retirement finances and help in building a complete strategy for achieving your goals. Through gaining a comprehensive perspective of your entire personal history, values and aspirations alone can we conceive a viable and responsive plan for you.

Life Insurance Audits

The Asquith Group also undertakes regular objective performance audits of your life insurance not more than three years after the latest. This is to make sure your current policy is consistent with your ongoing needs. We can provide an evaluation of your policy whether it is only starting or has been active for years, making sure our expertise will sufficiently safeguard your assets and, more importantly, pinpoint opportunities for significant savings.

For Employers

Hiring and Keeping Excellent Employees through Offering an Attractive Retirement Benefits Plan

Being the principal author of the plan, you possess the fiduciary role of establishing the most prudent solutions for whatever issues and advantages will affect the plan and your workers’ welfare. Whether you have a large company or a small business operation, The Asquith Group can provide the professional knowhow to guide you through the complexities you will encounter along the way to seeing the big picture of your retirement panorama.

A fundamental requirement for developing a viable retirement strategy is to tailor-fit it to address the unique requirements and demands of your firm and organization. We will act as your alter ego who will see to it that an efficient retirement strategy will satisfy all needs of the operations and guide any crucial decision along the way. As such, both your people and your company will benefit from the plan. Working together with The Asquith Group, you as the prime-mover will hold the main wheel of the fiduciary direction. Being the sponsor of the plan, you can utilize your Retirement Plan to enhance operational efficiency and improve employee greater participation in their personal retirement needs.

The Asquith Group provides:

· Bespoke, unbundled plans with clear, detailed schedules of payments and services.
· Improvement and fine-tuning of current and new plan concept.
· Comprehensive evaluation of current plans.
· Individual investors --- Retirement Plan Rollovers.
· Profit-Sharing schemes and Deferred Compensation packages.
· And other various specialized and personalized alternatives to address each employer’s retirement plan requirements.

Wednesday 15 February 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Retirement


The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Retirement

The Asquith Group works diligently to achieve our clients' financial objectives.

The Asquith Group is committed to always protect your investment and to keep your trust.

The company collaborates with you to develop your own personalized investment profile which includes your vision, goals, risk capacity level and specialized needs.

You can either wait for your lucky stars to shine or make the right steps to prepare for a stable retirement life. No one need worry or wonder about what the future will bring in your financial condition. With the assistance of The Asquith Group, the most suited investment plan will set you on the path toward your personal vision of your best years ever.

Friday 10 February 2006

Investment Procedure of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan


The Asquith Group offers Registered Investment Advisory service on fee-only basis; hence, we do not charge commission for our financial services, in contrast to insurance agents, securities-sales practitioners and wire-house brokers. Our investment counsellors sit beside our clients during meetings to remove any appearance of threat that every decision they make will entail a monetary exposure. Obviously, no one will gain any benefit in promoting anything that brings no benefit. Having a fee-only partner working with the client, you only pay for investment advice, not commissions based on investments bought or sold.

Among the clients The Asquith Group serves are endowments, foundations, corporations and high net-value investors. Moreover, as a policy, The Asquith Group is committed to concentrate on the administration of individual and corporate retirement strategies.

Our investment method can be best referred to as a balanced investment global value. Balanced, since it involves combining equities, fixed income and cash assets. Global, because it includes international securities. And Value has to do with an equity selection process which emulates the traditional approach, focusing on top-of-the-line firms valued accurately according to earnings and book values.

Professional and up-to-date systems are used to monitor client portfolios, allowing The Asquith Group to monitor any significant changes in client holdings. Focus is made on any corporate development that may negatively affect the company's financial status. The Asquith Group adheres to the principle that price/earnings level fluctuations signify an overvalued equity. Quality and valuation changes often point to the direction of selling a stock. Moreover, we recommend that mutual funds, exchange traded funds, and closed-end funds be considered as niche investment options, especially when they are appropriate for the client concerned.

Sunday 29 January 2006

Client Services of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan


The Asquith Group works on the principle that diligent evaluation of client needs determines the quality of service we provide, especially to many discriminating wealthy families. The Asquith Group stands by our commitment to deliver exceptional investment advice and to address your needs always with unswerving concern to satisfy personal goals responsively and professionally.

· Proactive Evaluation Process
· Financial Planning
· Complete Financial Analysis
· Investment Philosophy
· Our Investment Procedure

Friday 20 January 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan on Individual Investors




The Asquith Group works diligently to achieve our clients' financial objectives.

Your Investments at your Convenience

For The Asquith Group, it is vital that it can handle their clients’ assets in a manner which satisfies their needs. As a partner, the company collaborates with you to develop your own personalized investment profile which includes your vision, goals, risk capacity level and specialized needs; building your individual investment plan in the end. At whatever pace you desire, we will work accordingly.

Investment Management and Financial Planning

Our company will take sufficient time to determine what you value and to develop a strategy for enhancing your assets which is tailor-made to suit your objectives, aspirations and preferences. Maintaining your investments within a single portfolio guarantees that all your assets function as one to build present and future wealth for you and your family. Acquiring a total perspective of our clients’ assets and liabilities provides us dependable and broad knowledge needed to assess your accounts’ performance. Doing so allows us to furnish educated investment advice more attuned to your specific objectives. The Asquith Group Investment Advisors offers financial guidance to help protect your interests and establish your family heritage.

Your Omnipresent Partner

We focus on providing an accessible, client-based service; and we have established durable partnerships with many clients through the years. As a result, our clients have trusted our capability to serve their interests for years and for many generations.

Together We Can Make Decisions for Your Bright Future

The Asquith Group will act as your Registered Investment advisory firm and fiduciary to counsel you through the various crucial investment steps you will take from hereon. Likewise, we provide the expertise of forming a group of professionals to develop a comprehensive financial and estate plan. Specifically, we can seek a qualified lawyer and CPA to assist with business-succession strategies, estate planning, individual financial planning, and even tax mitigation and other issues. The Asquith Group will work with you to show you the right decisions to attain financial security.

Tuesday 10 January 2006

Company History of the Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan



Experience You Can Rely On

Why do our clients trust us to deliver dependable investment guidance? The Asquith Group believes that it’s over 11 year’s track record and investment expertise offers our clients the assurance that they can trust us to safeguard their investments. Having served various corporations, foundations, endowments, and numerous individual clients, The Asquith Group has honed its capability to address many investment issues. Furthermore, our company’s multigenerational approach guarantees our insights remain to be viable and applicable not just today but also in the future as they have proven to be so for a few decades in the past.

Building Lasting Partnerships

As your trusted advisors, we make it our mission to establish a lasting relationship with you, our clients. Through this durable partnership, we develop customized investment and planning solutions that satisfy your lifestyle and help establish a durable and worthwhile legacy.

Tuesday 3 January 2006

The Asquith Group Asia, Tokyo Japan

Fee-based vs. Commission-based Service

The Asquith Group offers Registered Investment Advisory service on fee-only basis; hence, we do not charge commission for our financial services, in contrast to insurance agents, securities-sales practitioners and wire-house brokers. Our investment counsellors sit beside our clients during meetings to remove any appearance of threat that every decision they make will entail a monetary exposure. Obviously, no one will gain any benefit in promoting anything that brings no benefit. Having a fee-only partner working with the client, you only pay for investment advice, not commissions based on investments bought or sold.

Among the clients The Asquith Group serves are endowments, foundations, corporations and high net-value investors. Moreover, as a policy, The Asquith Group is committed to concentrate on the administration of individual and corporate retirement strategies.