ASB - Loan is a good investment?

Here is an article from Mr Azizi Ali, ChFC, regarding the issue of borrowing money to invest in any investment products. This is an old article by him, but I still thinking that it is still relevant information for you.
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One of the most common question I get is this: is it a good idea to borrow money to invest in investment x (the x can be unit trusts, ASB, properties, business, Bank Rakyat shares, etc., etc.) ?Let me answer the question in real world terms.

Firstly, that is how folks build serious money - by using other people’s money. This strategy is a regular occurrence in business. Entrepreneurs borrow money from the bank to finance their expansion. They conquer the world, repay the loan and make tons of money. And that is always a good thing.

Now this concept of borrowing money to make more money works a treat for businesses as the margins are wide. The interest charged for the loan is often below 10 percent, but the business reaps 30, 50 or even 100 percent return on their investment.

Further, because of the wide margins, even when the returns drop, the businesses still make loads of money.

Now you can see why this concept is made-to-order for businesses.

However, the same does not apply when it comes to investments such as shares or unit trusts. Often time, the margin or spread between the interest and return is slim - less than 3% most of the time. For example, the interest charged is 9% but the return is only 12%.

Now if the situation remains like that - with the interest at 9% and return at 12% - things are still hunky dory. You would do well taking the loan and making the investment. However, what usually happens is that the return starts to drop off. From 12%, they drop to 10% and then to 9%. (By the way, this is what happened to the fabulous ASB.)

The way things are going, the return could very well drop below the interest charged! And this is not an unusual thing. When that happens, instead of making money, the investor is now forking out money. And that, needless to say, is not a very nice thing to happen. Not exactly the stuff of fairy tales. (By the way again, this is what usually happens when folks borrow money to invest in stocks.)

Now after painting the real world scenario, let me answer the question. Yes, you should borrow money to invest - if the spread is wide (more than 5%) and you are pretty sure that the situation will remain status quo for the loan period. For example, if the interest is 9%, the return should be at least 14%. Otherwise, let others be the test-pilot. You watch by the sidelines.

Now, I know a lot of people will jump and shake their heads. They will reminisce of how their father, grandfather, uncle, auntie or neighbour made tons of money by borrowing money to invest even when the spread was ultra-thin. Of course it can happen. People also strike the lottery but has it happened to you?

If the spread is thin, you are taking an unnecessary risk. While you can make a little bit of money, the chances of you losing a lot of money are significantly higher. Once the return starts to drop and/or the interest start to rise, you lose both money and sleep. And that is no way to make a fortune.

In case anyone thinks that this is a theory from the ivory tower, I personally will not borrow to invest if the spread is less than 5%. In fact, I will not borrow to invest in unit trusts or shares - period. I only borrow money to expand my business and for property investment.