What is the your best investment?

by KCLau

The best investment comes in many forms. I was frequently asked this same question over and over again. Let’s see how some successful people answer the same question:

Ask a Successful businessman
On page 45 of Personal Money Issue #93 May 2009, Lim Chung Chun, the co-founder of iFast Corp Pte. Ltd. said,

“My best investment has been in iFAST. This has been my single-biggest investment and the most profitable so far.”

iFast is a multi-national investment services provider that has presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and India.
A successful businessman invest a lot in his own business. Ask Ray Kroc about his best investment, I bet he will say “McDonald”!

Ask a Successful Architect
On page 47 of Personal Money Issue #88 December 2008, Zaini Zainul said,

“I concentrate on real estate. I guess that, being an architect, it is what I know best. I don’t play in the stock market, as there are short-term success and risk involved.”

Zaini is a very successful architect who designed the Perbadanan Putrajaya Complex and Putrajaya Shangri-La Hotel at Putrajaya.

Ask a CEO
On page 43 of Personal Money Issue #92 April 2009, Mohamed Akwal Sultan, CEO of the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) said,

“I have a couple of good investments. One of the best happened when I first started working. I took a small loan to buy Amanah Saham Nasional unit trust way back in 1982. I’ve not touched that amount, and the compounding effect and accumulation of dividends have ballooned into quite a comfortable sum now”

You are a successful person in the Employee Quadrant when you become a CEO of a company. When you are focusing on your job and career and being a passive investor, unit trust may be the best investment for you.

What is my best investment?
My best investment so far is my life insurance agency business and this personal finance blog. I invested some money and a lot of time in these two. Both businesses give me regular streams of income. Although the income generated are not totally passive, but they allow me not to work for months without worrying about income loss.

What is the best investment for you?
From the examples above, it is apparent that there is no such thing as “the best investment” that suits everyone.
The best investment for you is something you

are passionate about
can leverage on
have total control