Thursday 6 September 2012

Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd – Common Investments and Correlation in The Markets

According to Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd, having a well balanced portfolio with investments which compliment each other is quite important. So many investors end up buying assets or investments that are highly correlated and end up performing about the same. Of course this can be good in a rising market but offers no downside protection should the markets experience a severe correction. This article discusses some of the most common types of investments and how they may be correlated with each other.

Stocks

Preferred stockholders have a greater claim to a company’s assets and earnings. This is true during the good times when the company has excess cash and decides to distribute money in the form of dividends to its investors. In these instances when distributions are made, preferred stockholders must be paid before common stockholders. However, this claim is most important during times of insolvency when common stockholders are last in line for the company’s assets. This means that when the company must liquidate and pay all creditors and bondholders, common stockholders will not receive any money until after the preferred shareholders are paid out. That said most people invest in common stock.

Shares & Debentures

Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd in Thailand says the differences are that; SHARES- A Share holder is the real owner of the company and does not have not fixed dividend rate and no maturity period, shares are not redeemable but can be sold. Shares are more volatile and imply a higher degree of risk. A share holder can have high return and share holders have rights on residual income.
A debenture holder is the creditor of a company, they have fixed rate of interest and they have a maturity period but they don’t have any right to vote. Debentures are redeemed, they are not volatile and they have a lower risk and a lower return. Unfortunately over the past few years we have seen a higher correlation of performance tied to both stocks and bonds.

Mutual funds

Mutual funds are also known as open-end-company. These are one of the most popular kinds of investments and provide the investors the opportunity to invest in securities. Though mutual funds involve risks but they also offer two things, that is, the ready diversification and opportunity for the fund manager to outperform the market.

Real Estate Investment

In the opinion of Richard Cayne, Real Estate Investment Trusts are corporations that sell shares for investments in real estate which can be in either residential, commercial or both. This type of REIT (Real Estate Investments Trust involves the buying, management, ownership, sale or rental of real estate properties and mortgages. Again as we had seen during the financial collapse property having taken a nosedive and the equity and bond market went down along with it.

Commodities

According to Richard Cayne Meyer International in Bangkok Thailand a commodity is a product, which is of uniform quality and traded across various markets. There are generally two types of commodities, “hard commodities” and “soft commodities”. Hard commodities include crude oil, iron ore, gold, and silver and have a long shelf life. Agricultural products such as soybean, rice or wheat, are considered ‘soft commodities’ since they have a limited shelf life. These commodities have to be similar and interchangeable or ‘fungible’. Gold as an example had provided an uncorrelated performance throughout the financial crisis up until 2012 and had been a good compliment to any portfolio as it had outperformed most other investments. Now in 2012 Gold seems to be gaining popularity as a mainstream investment pushing up demand for it and as such we are seeing a higher degree of correlation with the equity markets than we used to.

Richard Cayne having lived in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years and at Meyer Asset Management Ltd has ties with over 200 global financial services firms. Richard is Managing Director of Meyer International Ltd based in Bangkok Thailand and is the Asian based marketing arm for the Meyer Group which is owned by Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd listed in London UK

Article source:- http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/richard-cayne-meyer-asset-management-ltd-common-investments-and-correlation-in-the-markets/

Significance of Asset Allocation by Richard Cayne Meyer International Ltd

In the opinion of Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand, the right asset allocation is the key to a portfolio which outperforms. Asset allocation lets you spread your investment into different asset classes and therefore helps in reducing the risk of the portfolio. Asset allocation is not only about choosing investments in different asset classes but also those that are in different geographical regions.

In fact, the concept of asset allocation emerged with the fact that every investment has a different kind of cycle and associated risks and therefore, investing in different securities will not only reduce the risk but will also increase the opportunities of profit for an investor.

According to Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd in Thailand, deciding an asset allocation strategy is a very crucial and important decision for every investor. The right kind of asset allocation strategy will help you balance reduce the risks in your portfolio. During asset allocation, the investor needs to allocate his assets into different asset classes. Some of the most common but important asset classes include stocks, bonds and alternative investments such as hedge funds. Each asset class contains its own advantages. For example, stocks are often considered as the investments that can bring maximum profit to the investors but at the same time has highest volatility and downside risk as well.

An experienced investor knows that information is key to being able to make calculated decisions and financial consultancy firms can be a wealth of information to them. For less experienced investors a financial advisor can help the individual in choosing the right kind of allocation for his assets as well as helping to define the investor’s goals. Contacting a financial consultant is advantageous because he takes complete care of the investor’s portfolio by checking the investor’s risk tolerance level, investment capacity and by choosing the appropriate asset classes for an investor. An experienced and accomplished financial advisor very well understands that every investor expects profit within a certain time frame and so a proper investment strategy should be planned along with an asset allocation strategy. One of the most important tasks for financial advisors is that they help the investors in building a balance between the involved risks and expected profit returns.

Richard Cayne Meyer International in Thailand says that the situation and capacity of every individual investor is different from others and therefore, a different financial investment strategy having its own defined asset allocation strategy may be need.  Markets and asset classes do not move in tandem, what’s hot today may be cold tomorrow. Spreading your investment dollars among different types of asset classes and markets; stocks and bonds, domestic and foreign markets lets you position yourself to seize opportunities as the performance cycle shifts from one market or asset class to another.
Richard Cayne having lived in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years and at Meyer Asset Management Ltd has ties with over 200 global financial services firms. Richard is Managing Director of Meyer International Ltd based in Bangkok Thailand and is the Asian based marketing arm for the Meyer Group which is owned by Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd listed in London UK.

Article Source:- http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/significance-of-asset-allocation-by-richard-cayne-meyer-international-ltd/

Meyer International Richard Cayne – Life Insurance Simplified

Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd says; In its simplest form, life insurance is financial leverage.  A small pool of money creates a large pool of money, guaranteed and risks free, for the purpose of funding an identified goal or objective.  Term life insurance is what most people think of when they think of life insurance.  Term life insurance provides a guarantee of a pool of money for a specific number of years, at a guaranteed (never to increase) annual cost, as long as the premiums are paid; usually for 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. The expectation is that at the end of the term, the protection will no longer be necessary, and the policy may be allowed to lapse (you may lapse a term policy at any time by ceasing to pay for it).

Replacement of Income

We use term insurance frequently to provide for replacement of income to a family who is dependent on a “breadwinner’s” income for living expenses, college funding, retirement funding etc.  If we plan correctly, we will accumulate assets during the earning years such that at retirement, the client will be able to produce his or her own income from assets when there is no longer income from employment.  Term life insurance guarantees that the “gap” between today and retirement will be filled if income ceases due to death of the income earner prior to fulfillment of planning.  The downside says Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd based in Bangkok Thailand is that Term life insurance is inexpensive, has no internal cash value, and may be exchanged for other types of life insurance which do.

Planning for Certainties in Life

The other most often used type of life insurance is Universal Life.  Universal Life is permanent death benefit life insurance. Universal Life has myriad applications in financial planning, as the death benefit cannot be outlived. Using this financial leverage usually makes fiscal sense when there is a need to create permanent liquidity. Many of my clients use Universal Life to create an estate or to protect an estate.  In case you don’t think you have an estate; you do.  Your estate is all of your “things”, including your financial assets, property, hard assets like art, sculpture and collectibles, your furniture, cars etc… All of it.  Death eventually produces financial liability to the beneficiaries, one way or the other.  Even small estates have expenses, and providing for the extinguishing of these expenses helps to ensure order and facilitate the completion of your plans and aspirations for your beneficiaries.

Richard Cayne Meyer Asset management Ltd having lived in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years can certainly say that Japanese  like other nationalities with larger estates can be devastated by taxes and expenses if advance planning is not good, and I don’t know a single case where the client found it preferable to force the sale of estate assets to pay taxes and expenses rather than have the expenses paid from the proceeds of a life insurance policy which bought those dollars at a deep discount; often a fraction on the dollar. I’m safe in saying that everybody understands that they will have to pay for these inevitable expenses with discounted dollars as opposed to paying for them dollar for dollar.  Some clients want to leave a financial legacy to children, grandchildren, or a charity.  Universal Life allows them to leave a guaranteed, tax free financial legacy which was secured at a deep discount.  Richard Cayne having consulted on many larger Japanese estates says Japanese like other nationalities particularly Asian ones do not like talking about death although inevitable but planning for this earlier rather than later will ensure that your wealth can be passed on in the most cost efficient manner to those you care about.

Richard Cayne is Managing Director of the Meyer Group of companies and based in Bangkok Thailand at Meyer International Ltd.  The Meyer Group has ties with over 200 global financial institutions and is part of Asia Wealth Group Holdings a UK Listed company.

Article Source: - http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/meyer-international-richard-cayne-life-insurance-simplified/

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Financial Freedom - A Happier Life Richard Cayne Meyer International Ltd

It is no secret that saving money is essential for a happy and prosperous life. In such a catastrophic and vulnerable global economy where anything can happen anytime and the prices of basic needs are rocketing high every day, all of us need to save some amount of money as per our ability, suggests Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand. Saving money is a store of value for the times when we need to exchange that value for other goods or services.  We must ensure that we are getting the best store of value in our savings or investments by looking at how they will grow our value in line with the global growth and inflation trends and any extra value creation over and above this is the real return.

Reduces Stress and Live a Happier Life


According to Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd in Thailand, most of our stress problems arise from financial worries. Therefore, one way if we wish to reduce our stress, is that we ought to save money whenever possible.  Knowing that you are financially secure or at least have a plan and a path to take so that you will be one day in a financially secure state can bring great peace of mind and comfort to individuals.  According to statistics over 50% of people anxiety and worries derive from financial insecurity in one form or another.  Therefore at the very least create a plan to word towards being financially secure.

Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd and having lived in Tokyo Japan for over fifteen years can say that Japanese who are thought to be amongst the most conservative and pragmatic people are not that conservative when it comes to their own financial security in the sense that most do not have a proper financial plan nor do they know how they will be financially secure one day. Most Japanese still believe their company or their government pension scheme will be a backstop for them and take care of them.  However Richard Cayne at Meyer makes it a point to explain how company lifetime employments has changed and is no longer the case as is the financial stability of the Japanese pension system.  Richard advocates that if Japanese want to truly be conservative and plan for their own financial security in a responsible way they would be advised to get planning sooner.  Japanese aren’t the only ones who don’t plan as well as they should though and we should all make it our business to be responsible to ourselves and our families to ensure we are on the right path to financial security so we can all rest easy.

According to Richard Cayne Meyer International in Bangkok, we can all lead healthier and happier lives by doing forward planning and putting a plan of action in place of how we intend to be financially secure or to grow and protect our store of value.  We should share this plan with our family members so that they too can take comfort in knowing how the family can send little Johnny and siblings through schooling, buy that house they have always wanted or plan for their retirement or any other important life events.

With the price of commodities and good seeming to continually escalate its is ever important to keep pace with this inflation rate which arguably is approximately 3-4% per year.  So every year your portfolio earns 1% means that the real earning or store of value in your portfolio had just eroded by 2-3%.  This is an unsettling feeling and applies to everyone both to those who are building their financial security and those who are there many times over.  Nobody is immune to this and in fact those with vast sums of money gives them even greater stress as they don’t want to see their billions erode to a store of value in the millions.

Wealthy individuals and families do understand the need to plan to protect and preserve their wealth and therefore even if your goals may differ you should be planning too.  If you have a plan of action to preserve and grow your wealth you will have one less worry in life. So get planning and sleep well.Richard Cayne is Managing Director of the Meyer Group of companies.  He is based in Bangkok Thailand and has been involved in financial services for over 17 years in Asia. The Meyer Group is wholly owned by Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd a London, UK listed company.

Article Source:
http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/financial-freedom-a-happier-life-richard-cayne-meyer-international-ltd/

Richard Cayne Meyer International on Investment Principles

An investor can put his money into different types of investments including buying a bond, stock, fund, deposit certificate, real estate or various other financial products that is available for investment. Investing is the procedure in which the investor allocates money in form of purchasing any of the financial products with the expectation of gaining a return in form of financial profit after a certain time. Richard Cayne believes that every individual may benefit by making some investments at the right time and in the right manner.

Tie Your Investments to Your Time Horizon

In the opinion of Richard Cayne Meyer International in Bangkok, investment is one of the best uses of your earned after tax income. Particularly when time is on your side and you can invest over a long time horizon without having to worry about day to day or even year to year fluctuations in the values of the underlying assets. All of us save money so that we can use it at the right time and this ties directly into financial planning where one should try and identify the time durations they may be able to save or invest over.  By doing this you can better determine which financial products or roads to take on your path to financial security.  Saving money in the bank at near zero interest rate is a very slow road to take which will never get your money growing fast enough for you.  That said if you need certain money for a short term goal say six months away then the bank account would be appropriate.  If the goal is 10 years away then you potentially could have received higher gain in other investments and that would be your opportunity loss.

Regular Saving or Dollar Cost Averaging

As markets fluctuate but over time trend upwards a great way to take advantage of this is through regular investment or what’s called Dollar Cost Averaging.  Investing periodically such as every month or even every year if your time horizon is long enough allows one to buy more of the asset when the asset price drops and overall smooth out the volatility in your portfolio by buying in the good times and most importantly in the bad time too.  Richard Cayne having lived in Tokyo Japan as Investment advisor and at Meyer Asset Management Ltd Tokyo had helped thousands of Japanese plan their future and dollar cost averaging is always one of the tools that he highly recommends.  Now Richard Cayne in Bangkok Thailand consults many leading investment companies on how to structure such investment plans to meet the needs of Japanese living abroad as well as those in Japan.

Diversify For a Balanced Portfolio

For some investing into one or two areas may seem like a good idea but if those two investments take a drop then having some other non correlated investments in their portfolio could have balanced out or reduced the drop to their overall portfolio.  Though the same can be said on the upside two that the other investments may not perform as well.  For most people however who look to grow their portfolios with a lower level of volatility and potentially with higher return should look to have a balanced portfolio of investments that will compliment each other.  For example instead of having all ones money in US Equities having some in Chinese Equities would have dramatically increased the performance of their portfolio over the years.  Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd’s Asian based servicing arm Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand has been servicing its clients and strongly advocates a balanced portfolio with investments that compliment each other.

Take Control of Your Portfolio Today

Instead of simply saving in the bank, bonds and dabbling in investments consult a professional who can help guide you through all the benefits of investments and which ones are suitable for you.  Employ the above techniques and you will be taking a very good step forward towards your financial security. Richard Cayne is current Managing Director of Meyer International based in Bangkok Thailand and like Meyer Asset Management Ltd forms part of Asia Wealth Group Holdings a London UK listed company.

Article Source: http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/richard-cayne-meyer-international-on-investment-principles/

Richard Cayne Meyer International Ltd Protect & Grow Your Wealth

As we have discussed in previous articles the importance of having a financial plan lets look at some reasons the wealthy are very interested in protecting and growing their wealth. Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand says many assume that the very wealthy don’t need to or have to think about their money or wealth but that is not true.  In fact most high net worth individuals defined as having investable assets over US$1million think about their portfolio more than those who don’t have any money saved up because they know that through inflation can erode their hard earned savings if they aren’t careful. They very much want to grow their assets and keep a watchful eye on preserving them as well. Those who are slightly higher up the food chain in the ultra high net worth class defined as having over US$50million are even more concerned about inflation and want very much to preserve the store of value and are less concerned about really growing it and more focused with just keeping up with inflation.

Richard Cayne having worked in Tokyo Japan Meyer Asset Management for over 15 years and servicing many high net worth individuals and even ultra high net worth individuals can certainly say that everyone regardless of the size of their portfolio should be concerned about inflation and keeping pace with it at the very least.  Inflation is certainly a form of wealth destruction and should be one of the most important considerations to any investor.

If it wasn’t for inflation then the need to grow your savings would not be as pronounced as it currently is.  Imagine for example if prices would never change and the cost of higher education currently around US$80,000 for four years ( see fastfacts ) would still be the same in 15 years.  That is a nice thought but is not the world we live in.  In our world we would need to target a sum closer to US$150,000 to get the same value in 15 years as now.  That is assuming of course inflation does not escalate further.
Loosing Your Store Of Value By Doing Nothing Or Achieving No Growth

Richard Cayne Meyer International Bangkok Thailand says that his wealthier clients actually look at it as if they are loosing money every year they don’t achieve growth same or greater than inflation. If for example their net worth is US$20,000,000 and they achieve only 2% growth on their portfolio they see their purchasing parity next year of only US$19,600,000 that they are down US$400,000 assuming a 4% inflation rate.  This is a very unsettling feeling for them and as such the main objective is to not loose their store of wealth and keep up with inflation.  Anything beyond the inflation rate is seen to be their real return.

Real Estate is another area which despite some downturns even though significant in size is still on the rise over time and needs to be considered,  particularly in Asia, where property prices have risen at an extremely fast pace.  Certainly property if bought at the right time can play a meaningful part in someone’s portfolio right along with equities, bonds and commodities says Cayne.

Choosing to invest in assets that will grow in value outpacing that of inflation is key.  Particularly in the US these days it is getting more and more obvious that the government is doing what it can to stimulate the economy and inflate asset prices of both equity markets and property markets.  This means keeping your cash in near zero interest bearing accounts will be the worst thing you can do for your financial plan.  It’s a guaranteed looser over time.

So whether you are just starting on your road to financial freedom or already there consider your options carefully as inflation is a force that affects us all.  Everyone needs to plan carefully and consulting with a firm that can help you define and stay on track of your financial plan would be a recommended and valuable decision to make.

Richard Cayne has been involved with offshore funds and structures in Asia for over 17 years.  He is currently Managing Director of the Meyer Group consisting of Meyer International Ltd and Meyer Asset Management Ltd. The Meyer Group is wholly owned by Asia Wealth Group Holdings a London, UK listed company with ties to over 200 global financial institutions.

Article Source: http://richardcaynes.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/richard-cayne-meyer-international-ltd-protect-grow-your-wealth/

Friday 3 August 2012

Richard Cayne & The Meyer Group On Offshore Investing

Offshore investing simply means that wherever the respective fund or investment is formed and registered is in a low tax area such as Ireland, Malta, Isle of Man, Hong Kong or Singapore to name a few.  This does not mean that investors have no tax obligation as they may dependant on where they reside but rather offshore investing can offer investors some significant tax planning opportunities to minimize their taxes.  In addition many clients who want a higher level of discretion and confidentiality can also make use of offshore investing not to hide assets but rather to shelter them from being public information and in turn a target to go after.  Many celebrities and public figures recognize this and is the number 1 reason they look to offshore investing using trust structures offshore.

Offshore domiciled investments also do not have the extra costs associated with certain registration requirements which certain countries may have.  For example registering a fund for sale in the US or Japan can be extremely costly and time consuming and as such many fund companies do not take the steps to register these funds in certain countries.  Though if they want to market their funds in a respective country they may need local registration.  Richard Cayne of Meyer Asset Management Ltd has been helping securities firms in Japan with information on offshore funds and fund registrations.  The time it may take to do a full blown registration for mass distribution in Japan can be up to a year and cost upwards of US$500,000 which is why many fund companies hesitated to jump into domestic registrations until there is sufficient demand by the local customers to merit such registration.

There are great funds out there managed by US and European based fund managers who have also chosen to set up an offshore feeder fund so that internationally based clients can invest cross border into their investment without the need to treat them as foreign investors and withhold tax as foreign investors would normally need pay.  Instead the offshore feeder fund would be able to on tax efficient basis aggregate money into the onshore fund.  Most of the largest fund companies in the world have offshore funds as well as their onshore ones.  Fidelity, Templeton, Blackrock to name a few all have offshore funds.  In fact these days if you don’t have an offshore fund as a fund management company then you aren’t a global player so instead of the exception it is now the rule to have offshore funds as a fund management company.  Clearly this is done out of demand and to be able to raise money internationally.  Most Japanese securities firms in Tokyo see the need to be more global and go offshore these days says Richard Cayne from Meyer International Ltd.

Still many have the preconceived idea that offshore investing is for those who want to hide from the tax man which is today a myth as any tax office can pretty much gain access to your information if they want to.

Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand has been consulting with clients around the world and most individuals that look for offshore investments simply are interested in diversification of their assets and are opportunistically looking for good investments.

Investing offshore for the right reasons can certainly offer many advantages and working with a financial professional who can advise you on the options and opportunities that exist offshore is a recommended first step.

Meyer Asset Management Ltd like Meyer International in Bangkok Thailand form part of the Meyer group which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd listed on the PLUS Stock exchange in London UK.

Meyer International On Top Tips to Build Wealth

Everybody in this world wants to be self sufficient, self dependent and financially successful. But the irony is that not everyone is able to turn this dream into a reality. Richard Cayne in Thailand says that following few basic tips can keep us on the right path to building our wealth and achieving our financial goals. We all should remember that our capital is just like a seed and we all need to learn how best to plant it, nourish it and take care of it so that it rewards us with a successful harvest in form of profitable returns. This article sheds light on some basic tips which are really helpful for common individuals who are interested in building wealth. 

Be Optimistic
– According to Richard Cayne Meyer International, the first tip of wealth building is to stay optimistic. Life is full of difficulties but in order to emerge as a winner, we all need to have a positive attitude and an optimistic approach. The various challenges in our lives may seem to be extreme hurdles but it is only our attitude, wisdom and approach that can bring out solutions for any kind of problems.

Do What You Love – Most people work for a living in some profession but those who do what they love end up excelling in their careers and achieve higher rates of remuneration than those who are simply grinding out a living they do not enjoy.  If you can find work that you enjoy then the chances of excelling at it is far better.  Needless to say, it will be an important step for your building your wealth.


Be Courageous but Understand risks – As per the opinion of Richard Cayne at Meyer International Ltd in Thailand the Asian based marketing arm of Meyer Asset Management Ltd, life presents many risks and challenges and as one cannot avoid risk altogether it is best if you try and learn how to measure and evaluate risks so that you can make the most of any opportunity.  If you’re able to access the risk reward potential of investments then you will have the courage to make that leap when you see it.

Learn About You Options – If you don’t know what your options are then you can’t take advantage of them nor with you feel comfortable making decisions.  Work with professionals that can help guide you through options that are suitable for you says Richard Cayne in Bangkok Thailand.

Save As Much As You Can – No matter what your age is you should start saving as soon as possible. In fact you should start saving from the time you start earning. Even if you save a small amount, it will be extremely helpful for you in your future needs and will help you in your wealth building strategy.  Richard Cayne having worked in Meyer Asset Management Ltd in Tokyo Japan had recognized and advised many Japanese over the years about “time on your side” and making the most of savings and investments while at a young age and with time on your side it can grow far more than most expect.  In fact someone savings 20% of their income in their twenties when it comes to a target retirement in late 50s or early 60s that money invested in the early years can represent 80% of the final portfolio due to the power of time on your side.

Imagine having invested in Asia 40 years ago and what that is worth today.  Many growth funds are up on an annual compound basis of over 20% per year!  Paying yourself first and investing that money before you part with the rest of your paycheck can result in a very comfortable longer term wealth building strategy.

Richard Cayne part of the Meyer International Ltd and Meyer Asset Management Ltd has been consulting individuals in Asia for over 17 years and currently resides in Bangkok Thailand.

Guide to Private Banking by Richard Cayne

Private banking refers to a group of tailor made services which are meant for private customers and feature highly tailored services and products in comparison of the services being offered to the retail customers. It can be very suitable for certain high net worth individuals who require more than just the traditional solutions.

Many banks offer the private banking solutions to their affluent customers along with securities safekeeping, mutual fund and hedge funds as well as structured products and leveraging capabilities. According to Richard Cayne in Thailand, the private banking relationship is characterized by personalized service. The wealthiest customers are provided with a dedicated financial manager or advisor who looks after and manages the portfolio of the client either on a discretionary basis meaning where the banker has full authority over the account or non discretionary where they need the clients consent on each trade.

Private Banking Solutions Catering to Various Needs

Private banking solutions may be suitable for individuals with certain level of wealth. They may be families, professionals, entrepreneurs, private investors or public sport or media figures who desire that extra level of confidentiality and discreetness which such wealth management solutions may offer. After achieving a certain level or wealth, some individuals may require professional, experienced and useful financial advice from someone who has extensive experience in the financial sector, says Richard Cayne Meyer International in Thailand. The private banking solutions cater to different types of needs.  These services also help you to manage your international portfolio wherein you have assets in different global locations and you need expert and genuine financial advice. Private banking platforms may also offer the ability to help you leverage your portfolio using your existing assets without the need to liquidate them in order to invest in other areas.

In most cases, private banking is offered to the customers who possess a net worth of more than US$5 million.  This minimum level is targeted so that the banker may have ample flexibility to customize and tailoring suitable financial solutions and appropriately diversified investment choices.  Private banking is certainly a competitive space these days and in Asia the fastest growing region would be in Singapore as all the 1st tier and many 2nd tier banks have representation there.

Catering to The Demand Of Clients


European private banks in Asia need to create more products catering to the specific needs of their Asia based clients.  Various reports and studies have indicated that Asian based clients are more likely to be looking for higher growth and performing investments over European clients who are more interested in preservation of value rather than really trying to grow it.  Richard Cayne who worked in Tokyo Japan for 15 years and at Meyer Asset Management Ltd says that his experience with Japanese clients suggests that Japanese contrary to popular belief as being very conservative and happy to accept a near zero yield in bank deposits are actually quite aggressive when it comes to the high net worth clients.  Japan based clients seem to have a healthy appetite to alternative investments into hedge funds and structured products.  Having many relationships in Japan who see this as an opportune time to change their Yen which is currently at the top end of its trading range and very strong to US$ opens the world of investment choice as the majority of global investment opportunities are in US$.

Whether one is looking to preserve wealth or grow it significantly private baking platforms may offer the tools to achieve your goals.

Richard Cayne is currently Managing Director of Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok Thailand and like Meyer Asset Management Ltd having relationship with over 200 global financial institutions is also part of Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd which is listed on the PLUS stock exchange in London UK.

Monday 23 July 2012

Discover the immense advantages of Hedge Funds with Richard Cayne via Meyerjapan.com

Hedge funds can be referred as skill based investment strategies which get returns from the exclusive strategies/ skills of the trader. These privately offered investment vehicles involve high net worth individuals who invest in a portfolio of diverse assets which can include along with traditional investments into stocks and bonds, commodities futures contracts and derivatives.   

As hedge funds offer the ability to make money in both a rising market as well as a falling market they offer an uncorrelated to equity or bond market return advantage. In these funds, trader skill plays a very important role as the Hedge funds need to be managed regularly and actively.  It has been observed that Hedge fund returns are also widely actuated by changes in credit, market volatility or other market factors. Therefore, one’s returns can be referred as a blend of manager skills and return based on their strategy.

Investors should remember that every hedge fund return series follows its own approach for manager selection, investment style and performance target. According to Richard Cayne in Thailand, one of the important advantages of Hedge funds is that it provides returns which are NOT based on equity market direction.   This can be a very attractive way to reduce volatility in ones portfolio and increase the return of it at the same time.  

There are immense benefits of Hedge funds and writing them all in one short synopsis is nearly impossible. However to begin with, let us say that Hedge funds possess the capability of reducing risk of portfolio volatility and provide for potential portfolio returns in those economic conditions where bond investments or traditional stocks provide confined opportunities. Hedge funds can help their investors participate in a wide array of newer financial products and markets.   Richard Cayne having worked in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years and as financial advisor at Meyer Asset Management Ltd comments how Japanese have a strong liking to hedge funds.  While it is true that hedge funds can make money in falling markets they can loose as well and so Richard cautions investors both Japanese and international alike to really understand how that respective fund will make money and under what conditions.

Hedge funds can be open-ended and that’s why the investors are able to invest with a certain amount of liquidity which may vary depending on the type of fund or investment pool.  For example a hedge fund with investment into real estate should be less liquid than one that invests into foreign exchange which is a much more liquid asset class.  Hedge funds can have lockups that range from monthly to yearly or longer so investors must look into if this fits into their liquidity needs.

Meyer Asset Management Ltd.’s Asian based servicing arm Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok opines that the most significant benefit of using Hedge funds is that these funds possess the ability of providing positive and profitable returns in different market environments regardless of equity of bond market returns. Another important reason behind popularity of Hedge funds is that these funds have the potential of decreasing the long term portfolio risk with the help of additional asset classes. That’s why those looking for low risk and high returns can always take help of Hedge funds.  

According to Richard Cayne Meyer International in Bangkok, adding Hedge funds to a financial investment portfolio results in more robust diversification to a traditional stock and bond portfolio. Hedge funds also provide much greater flexibility and ability to benefit from various global markets.

Sunday 22 July 2012

Richard Cayne Meyer International On Basic Tips For Newbie Investors

All of us have witnessed the constant volatile state of the global economy over the last couple of years. The same capricious economical state has kept back many investors from investing.  One must question if waiting for that perfect time to invest is the correct method for investors to take or if the risks of missing the best days in the markets while waiting has a greater impact. Richard Cayne, Managing Director of Meyer Asset Management Limited’ servicing operation Meyer International Ltd in Bangkok says there are better ways.

Since risk is a part of life instead of trying to avoid risk which is impossible one should try and learn about risk management.  Investing is all about understanding the risks inherent to each investment and how to evaluate them as to whether they are a good risk reward or a poor risk reward investment.

Richard Cayne has been teaching Japanese clients on risk evaluation and financial planning for the past 17 years and can say firsthand after living in Tokyo Japan while working at Meyer Asset Management Ltd that Japan based investors have a somewhat biased outlook on market recovery theories as the Nikkei 225 the main index in Japan has been on a loosing streak for over 25 years.  This is far greater a cycle than traditional model cycling of 3-5 years before recovery.   A few  basic tips can be key to understanding risks.

Acquire Knowledge & Be Information Resourceful

The primary fear that arises into the mind of a first-time investor is lack of appropriate financial knowledge. Those who have got a passion for learning and a hunger for information will definitely acquire knowledge from every possible source. Having wide financial knowledge and being resourceful has its own advantage. So ideally get well informed in terms of financial basics.  Thankfully these days information can be gathered easily off the internet but it is not all to be relied upon as there is much misinformation out there as there is good information.  Richard Cayne at Meyer International Bangkok can certainly confirm this point as for example Japan based investors search for reliable consultants there is much disinformation put out on the web by competing companies who try to confuse individuals into believing what they want them to believe.

Offshore Consulting


According to Richard Cayne Meyer International, and particular for Japan based residents there are no consulting firms in Japan who are legally allowed to advise on intermediate or sell offshore funds which are not registered for sale in Japan.  It is a non authorized business by the Japanese regulators because in order for any licensed financial firm to be able to sell or arrange investment to an investment that investment must be registered for sale with the Japan FSA through a Japanese securities firm.  There is no Japanese financial licensing that permits a sale of an offshore non Japan registered investment and so many agents who are Japan based may try and have you believe that they are authorized to do so because they have a financial instruments exchange license from the regulators.  This does NOT give them permission to sell or intermediate any offshore fund non registered in Japan under any circumstances and the regulators are very clear on this point.

As in similar way private Swiss banks offer a world of choice in investments but there investments are not registered in Japan for sale and as such this is one reason ALL Swiss private banks who used to have an office in Japan have since over the past few years pulled out.  Of course they all still have their Japanese desks to service Japanese clients in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore to name a few as this way they can assist clients without contravening any laws.

It’s not easy to get good advice off the web these days as so many firms pay big money into online advertisements and blogs that don’t offer an objective and always truthful view.

Richard Cayne Says Stay Objective and Don’t Follow the Herd

Investing your hard earned money is an important part of your financial planning and your family’s future relies heavily on your ability to intelligently access the world of choices out there.   Therefore access to good information is the most important first step you can take for your financial plan.  Meyer Asset Management Ltd via its servicing arm Meyer International in Bangkok Thailand has been offering solid consulting with accurate and in depth information to help clients make the right choices for their financial future.

The Meyer Group of companies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Asia Wealth Group Holdings ltd which is a listed company on London UK’s PLUS stock market.

Meyer’s Richard Cayne Comments on Simple & Effective Tips to Capitalize in the Falling Market

According to the observation of some great present day economists, the markets can stay as volatile as they have been over the past few years for the next few as well. The financial markets are quite irrational and we never know what lies in store for us tomorrow. When there is economic crisis or when the market falls many of us feel extremely discouraged and the urge to liquidate investment holdings take a hold.   This is the wrong way to look at it says Richard Cayne of Meyer Asset Management Ltd

Richard Cayne at Meyer International the Asian based servicing operation for the Meyer Group emphasizes that there are certain simple and effective tips which can help you survive in the worst economic crisis situation and in times of market downturn.

Keep Your Fears Away

The first tip for any investor who is going through a market downturn is to keep emotions out of it and stay confident and clear minded so you are best able to evaluate what to do next.  For example it may be time to add more to existing positions and average a lower cost basis for those holdings.  Think buy on sale and that you are really getting a discount if you believe the investment has good long term potential. 

Save As Much As You Can

For many people it might sound too difficult or nearly impossible. But the experienced financial consulting company, Meyer Asset Management Ltd via Meyer International in Bangkok consults people to save as much as they can especially in the time of economic downfall. When the asset prices go down, saving money will help you out in the long term as you benefit from the double down effect of buying more of that investment with the same amount of money.

Understand That Occasional Market Draw Downs Are Normal

Do not overreact when an economic slowdown occurs or when a market falls suddenly. Just as an experienced and intelligent investor or businessman would do you should always remember that such situations are parts of the normal business cycle.  Try and take advantage of the declines in the markets instead of hoping they don’t come.  Richard Cayne having lived in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years has been telling Japanese investors to embrace market downturns as a buying opportunity.  Consider if you had invested just after black Monday in 1987 or more recently the financial crisis in 2008 bottom you would be in significant gains even in today’s relatively depressed market environment.

Keep Some of Your Powder Dry

For those who kept some of their assets in cash reserves waiting for the financial markets to get really depressed and then deploy this cash this is a great strategy and one which more people should follow.  Instead most people sell low and buy only when the markets look all positive and at their heights again.  Everyone knows buy low sell high but most investors end up buying high and selling low as they let their emotions take control.  Richard Cayne having worked at Meyer Asset Management Ltd in Tokyo Japan has firsthand recollection of how most Japanese invest and has been consulting them on strategic investing ever since.  Japanese take a little too long to decide on an opportunity and sometimes miss it.  On the other hand they don’t panic as much as many other nationals and are not so quick to sell out of a position just because market influences force it down as they know it may be temporary and could very well soon rebound to new heights.

Invest In the Good Times and Bad

Therefore Richard Cayne Meyer International suggests a well thought out financial plan and sticking to it is extremely important.  Understand that markets will gyrate and learn how to capitalize on such movements keeping sight on your overall goals and objectives at all times.

Richard Cayne is Managing Director at Meyer International in Bangkok Thailand and like Meyer Asset Management Ltd is also part of Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd a listed company on London UK’s PLUS stock market.

Monday 16 July 2012

Why You Should Invest in Mutual Funds, explains Richard Cayne at Meyerjapan

Let us start by explaining what a mutual fund is. A mutual fund can be defined as a company, which invests in a diversified portfolio of securities. Saving & investing become simple and easier with mutual funds. The owners of a mutual fund are those people who buy the shares of a mutual fund. The investments of these people provide money for a mutual fund to purchase securities. The fund can make money from its securities through two methods. Either the dividend/interest is paid by security to the fund or the security itself rises in value. It is also possible that the fund drops in its value or loses money. According to Richard Cayne, there are many reasons why investing in mutual funds is advantageous.   

Provides automatic diversification

Experienced investors value diversification because they understand very well that diversifying a portfolio reduces the risks & adverse effects of single investment, says Richard Cayne Meyer International. As mutual funds hold different types of securities, they provide automatic diversification to the investor’s portfolio. In addition, it is a beneficial point that you get a much better and wider diversification (that is rarely expected when you manage at your own) because you combine your assets with other investors of mutual funds and therefore more money to spread around.  

Liquid Investments

Mutual fund shares are a form of liquid investment and therefore, can generally be sold anytime. This liquidity lets you access your money in an investment in a quick and timely manner.   That said many funds have restrictions such as monthly, quarterly or yearly only liquidity points. 

Availability of choice

Mutual funds provide you a wide variety to choose from various options. The availability of classes like money market funds, stocks or bonds provide different investment options to the investor. The investor can select the one which is most suitable for his requirement. 

Portfolio managed by experienced professionals

As per the view of Richard Cayne in Bangkok, an experienced and insightful investor always chooses his investments only after performing due research and in depth consideration to what he/she is trying to accomplish as per his/her investment goals and objectives. Any kind of investment demands continuous observance and one would be advised to seek assistance from experienced and trustworthy professionals to help manage your portfolio. These professionals continuously monitor your investments and analyze that which investments are worth buying or selling.

Low cost involved

According to Meyer International in Thailand, since mutual funds or collective investment structures can hold various assets and managed by a team of professional fund managers who will normally charge fees for such services it is important to look to minimize these fees as much as possible as play directly impact the performance of ones portfolio.   This is one reason Richard Cayne Meyer Asset Management Ltd prefers offshore registered mutual and hedge fund structures as their overall fees can be lower than their onshore counterpart funds due to lower costs of compliance and service management, not to mention they make more money as they do not have the same tax obligations.  It certainly makes sense to reason that if you paid less tax you would be able to save more money and same with fund structures.

Richard Cayne has been in offshore fund consulting and having worked in Tokyo Japan Meyer Asset Management Ltd for 15 years as investment advisor to some of the most respected securities firms in Tokyo he is also well positioned to consult with high net worth individuals and security firms around the world on offshore investments and structuring.  Richard Cayne now Managing Director of Meyer International Ltd the Bangkok Thailand servicing arm of Meyer Asset Management Ltd is also a Director of Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd which is listed on the PLUS market in London UK.

Richard Cayne at Meyer International Bangkok on Useful Tips for Offshore Investment

Offshore investments offer some of the best and most innovative investment solutions, according to Richard Cayne Meyer International. In simple terms, offshore investing is all about depositing one’s money or investing in structures incorporated in low tax jurisdiction. There are many places in the world which do not have taxation withheld at source for non residents of the area  and that is one reason why many people consider investing offshore. In other words, certain jurisdictions act as tax havens for people and let the wealthy investors invest freely without any worries for hefty tax payment.  Some people may be surprised to know that the USA may be considered a tax haven area for those that are non US national and non resident and as long as these people or companies invest and complete all reporting requirements there is zero tax withheld says Richard Cayne who via Meyer Asset Management Ltd` s Asian based servicing arm Meyer International Ltd based in Bangkok Thailand has been consulting on several US as well as offshore structures.

Richard Cayne who worked previously for 15 years in Tokyo Japan had via Meyer Asset Management Ltd`s Investment advisory arm helping Asian based clients with offshore fund and hedge funds.
According to Richard Cayne in Bangkok, there are many benefits that offshore investment has to offer but still the thought of investing overseas sounds risky and complicated to first time beginners. However, there are certain useful tips, which can guide you well about investing via a tax haven area or offshore territory. Even if you aim at adding a small allocation in offshore investments to your existing portfolio, it will bring beneficial returns to you in the long term.

Research is essential before you move ahead into any investment. However, you would be advised take others’ help in this regard but its a good idea to conduct research on your own too. Detailed research is vital to achieve great and profitable results.  Speak with those who have knowledge in the area you are researching. The next tip is to choose among local brokers, online services or financial advisors. It is a clear-cut fact that the local brokers charge their brokerage fee and the online services thought provide you with required help but cannot be completely relied upon. Therefore, the best option is to take help of experienced financial advisors like Meyer Asset Management Ltd`s Bangkok based servicing arm Meyer International in Thailand. Once you have decided to take advice from some experienced financial advisors, you can now look together as to how best to create your portfolio.

As per Meyer International in Bangkok, you can choose to handle your offshore investment account directly or you can take help of a consultant.  You would also be advised to work with consultants who are authorized to consult on offshore products as many jurisdictions no longer allow for the selling, mediation or helping to arrange offshore funds to residents of that jurisdiction.  For example in Japan offshore non Japan registered fund sales to residents is not a permitted business by the regulators or FSA there.  Local brokers or advisors whether licensed or not if the offshore funds are not registered for  sale in Japan then no Japanese based financial institution can legally help.  Therefore in such case the individual would be better off consulting with an overseas firm authorized to help them.    Richard Cayne has had much experience in Tokyo Japan and currently consults both individuals and financial institutions based in Asia on offshore based structures and investments

Asset Allocation - Points to Ponder by Meyer International Bangkok Thailand

According to Richard Cayne, one of the most significant decision for an investor is how to choose an asset allocation model for his/her portfolio. Asset allocation plays a major role in determining the investment performance of an investor. Following a proper asset allocation plan can result in successful returns while following a poor plan or deviating from the plan can result in investor’s underperformance and overall, poor returns.   

Asset allocation is a diversification strategy and investors need to decide wisely upon how to position his/her portfolio as per the given options. Considering the plethora of choices available for the investor, creating an asset allocation portfolio looks very complicated and confusing. However, it is very important to choose appropriately when deciding which assets to hold, says Richard Cayne Meyer International Bangkok Thailand.

Risk is the first point that should be considered extensively by any investor when deciding upon asset allocation. The investor should be well aware of how much risk can he handle. As per Meyer Asset Management Ltd`s Bangkok based servicing arm Meyer International Ltd, every investor should always remember that the market is capricious and therefore he should be ready to face volatility. While an investor can expect stability when investing in fixed income investments it is also a clear fact that these fixed income investments have lower returns. So assessing your tolerance for risk is very essential before you allocate your assets and invest. Once you have identified your risk tolerance levels, it is time to look into equities, mutuals, hedge funds, fixed income, alternative investments, and bonds. During this stage, you need to find an appropriate balance and mix between return and volatility.  A discerning and smart investor chooses the right investment mix as per his own needs and risk tolerance.

According to Richard Cayne Meyer International in Bangkok, the investors often get confused as to which investments and asset classes to consider during asset allocation. However, the answers to this question vary widely as not all investors share the sale risk tolerance levels.   Indeed someone looking at a product with a 20% per annum target return on their portfolio would have a very different risk tolerance to an investor looking for a 5-7% target return.  Richard who worked in Tokyo Japan for over 15 years can certainly attest to the understanding of risk tolerance levels as being extremely important when managing client expectations.  While Japanese based clients for instance would all like double digit returns few have the to stomach to accept the volatility that comes along with such return.  Japanese clients in general would like bank account like volatility with higher than the near zero return banks offer these days.

It is also worthwhile to mention that age is an important factor to be considered while deciding upon asset allocation. Every investor needs to revise his asset allocation as when his age or objectives change. Consider age a factor at an early stage while planning for asset allocation. In basic, young investors have enough time and they can plan investments that result in long-term profitable returns. On the other hand, those who are elderly perhaps in retirement  should choose options, which provide less volatile returns of a more fixed income nature.  

Indeed, there are some other points too that need to be considered while deciding asset allocation for your portfolio but understanding your own risk tolerance will help you make a good start with your asset allocation.

Richard Cayne of the Meyer Group currently lives in Bangkok Thailand and consults individuals and corporations alike on offshore funds and offshore structuring.  Meyer international Ltd is based in Bangkok Thailand and is the servicing arm to Meyer Asset Management Ltd which is a wholly owned entity of Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd which is listed on the PLUS stock market in London UK.