EPF stringent housing withdrawal condition for joint purchase

You might have noticed that starting from 5 November 2008, EPF (a.k.a. KWSP) has stringent the condition for housing withdrawal involving joint purchase.

Under the new terms and conditions, withdrawal will only be approved if the member purchased the house on his/her own, or jointly purchased it with his/her spouse. Joint purchase with parents or siblings might also be considered, but subjected to EPF's consideration for approval.

This new policy affects the withdrawal of EPF money for:

• Purchase of 1st house
• Purchase of 2nd house
• Reduction/Settlement of housing loan balance for 1st house
• Reduction/Settlement of housing loan balance for 2nd house
• Monthly loan instalment

Anyhow, existing withdrawals which have been approved before 5 November 2008 are not affected.

Filtering spam mails with Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird has similar spam filtering features with its brother SeaMonkey Mail. If you are using it as your email client, you can configure it to automatically move all detected spam mails to a Junk folder and mark them as read. You can also have the spam mails in the Junk folder to be automatically deleted after some times.

By activating this spam filtering feature, majority of the spam mails will be seamlessly removed from your Inbox. Sometimes, a few spam mails are still remain undetected, and you just need to manually mark them as "junk" to get the system to move them to the Junk folder, marks them as read, and lets the Bayesian engine to learn that marked mail as spam.

The Junk folder is very useful in retaining the detected and quarantined spam mails for a certain period, so that in case there is any false detection (which so far never happen to me), you can still retrieve the mail back by moving it from the Junk folder back to your Inbox.

If your mail account folder in Mozilla Thunderbird does not have the Junk folder yet, you can manually create it by right clicking on the mail account, select New Folder... and name the new folder to be created as Junk. The Junk folder is essential for the settings described below to work properly.

Here is the configuration to setup and activate the spam mail filtering function in Mozilla Thunderbird. Note that you need to configure for both the global and account specific settings.

Global junk mail settings:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences.
2. Click on the Privacy option and go to the Junk tab.
3. Set it so that when you mark a mail as junk, the system will move it to the Junk folder and mark it as read.



Account specific junk mail settings:

1. Right click on the mail account folder and select Properties...
2. Select Junk Settings
3. Enable the adaptive junk mail controls, move the junk mails to your Junk folder and automatically delete them after some times.
4. If you have more than one email account in your Mozilla Thunderbird, you might need to repeat the same settings for all your email accounts.



Once it is setup, you will soon notice how amazing this spam filtering feature is in helping you to filter out the spam emails from now onwards.

Filtering spam mails with SeaMonkey Mail

If you are using SeaMonkey as your email client, you can configure it to automatically move all detected spam mails to a Junk folder and mark them as read. You can also have the spam mails in the Junk folder to be automatically deleted after some times.

SeaMonkey has a very effective Bayesian spam mail detection feature which can detect most of the spam mails, and has been working very well for me. By activating this spam filtering feature, majority of the spam mails will be seamlessly removed from my Inbox. Sometimes, a few spam mails are still remain undetected, and I just need to manually mark them as "junk" to get the system to move them to the Junk folder, marks them as read, and lets the Bayesian engine to learn that marked mail as spam.

The Junk folder is very useful in retaining the detected and quarantined spam mails for a certain period, so that in case there is any false detection (which so far never happen to me), you can still retrieve the mail back by moving it from the Junk folder back to your Inbox.

If your mail account folder in SeaMonkey does not have the Junk folder yet, you can manually create it by right clicking on the mail account, select New Folder... and name the new folder to be created as Junk. The Junk folder is essential for the settings described below to work properly.

Here is the configuration to setup and activate the spam mail filtering function in SeaMonkey's Mail. Note that you need to configure for both the global and account specific settings.

Global junk mail settings:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences...
2. Expand the Mail & Newgroups option and select Junk Mail.
3. Set it so that when you mark a mail as junk, the system will move it to the Junk folder and mark it as read.



Account specific junk mail settings:

1. Right click on the mail account folder and select Properties...
2. Select Junk Settings
3. Enable the adaptive junk mail controls, move the junk mails to your Junk folder and automatically delete them after some times.
4. If you have more than one email account in your SeaMonkey's Mail, you might need to repeat the same settings for all your email accounts.

Once it is setup, you will soon notice how amazing this spam filtering feature is in helping you to filter out the spam emails from now onwards.

Off your lights during Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour 2009 is setting the platform for an unprecedented global mandate for action on climate change!

You can participate in the worldwide Earth Hour 2009 campaign by switching off all the non-essential lights for 60 minutes by Saturday 28 March 2009, 8.30pm sharp.

Earth Hour is an initiative started by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) in 2007 in Sydney of Australia, when 2.2 million people switched off their lights to bring awareness on global climate change problem. In 2008, 50 million people across 35 countries took part in this movement. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

This year, WWF is targeting 1 billion people in 1,000 cities worldwide over 64 countries and territories. There are already 538 cities in 75 countries committed to participate.

Here is the official Earth Hour 2009 video:


Click here to visit the official website of Earth Hour.

The Horstman Laws of Management

I would like to share with you the Horstman's Laws of Management by a famous management consultant called Mark Horstman, who is a co-founder of Manager Tools.

The observations and aphorisms that comprise the Horstman’s Laws below represent 30 years of professional development leavened with a lifetime of leadership experiences.

Law #1: It’s All About People
This is actually a hard-nosed, scientific and financial reality. Any hour you spend on people is a better investment than an hour spent on systems, processes, or policies. Great people can overcome average systems; average people won’t live up to great systems.

Action: Spend time with your folks every week. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Learn their projects. Learn their children’s names.

Law #2: More Communication is Better
No matter what the situation: work or home, professional or personal, boss or subordinate, it is always more communication that solves the problem or clinches the deal. And think about this: communication is what the listener does.

Action: Pick up the phone. Provide an update. Admit you’re behind. Over communicate, and you’re halfway there.

Law #3: You’re Not that Smart; They’re Not that Dumb
You can’t fool people. Ever. The fact is, people know when you mislead them. Yes, they might go along with you, but they know that it doesn’t feel right. That you don’t feel right. After all, didn’t you used to be “them?”

Action: Tell the whole truth. Don’t leave anything out. When in doubt, tell everyone. Use candor as advantage, rather than seeing it as weakness.

Law #4: Control is an Illusion
There is not a single person whom you think you “control” who would agree with you. If you really think you’re so good as to control another, then who in your organization thinks that way about you? Stop trying to control. You’re wasting your time. Build relationships that allow you to influence.

Action: Build relationships based on trust. Say, “I trust you.” Let your team choose their path at times, even when you disagree.

Law #5: The River is Wide, the Currents are Messy, but all the Water Ends up in the Ocean
Watch water flow down river sometime. It doesn’t march in nice straight lines. It meanders. It’s messy. Scientists say 20% of it is actually going up river. Your organization is organic – it’s made up of people – just like a river. Your projects and timelines are going to be messy and defy control. Stop fighting it.

Action: Don’t worry about or punish every missed deadline – wait for a pattern. Think about a chinese finger puzzle. Sometimes a light touch is the way out. Let go–flow–to get ahead.

Law #6: There are No Secrets
If you think you can keep something quiet in your organization, you’re kidding yourself. What everybody is talking about is what’s not being said. Everybody knows already. The one associate or friend that you felt you could tell has probably told someone else whom they trusted... and so on. If you try to keep secrets, others lose respect for you because you show you don’t trust them.

Action: Tell everybody everything. Forward every e-mail you get to all of your team...automatically. Don’t go off the record.

Law #7: How You Feel is Your Fault
If you find yourself saying, “that guy/situation/boss makes me mad,” you’re wrong. They did something, and then you decided how to respond. Think about the word responsibility. (Response-ability) You’re able to choose your response.

Action: Choose the right response. Choose not to get angry. Choose to understand why they behave the way they do.Your response will be more powerful.

Law #8: The “Other” Way Often Works Just Fine
There’s someone else out there who has succeeded to the same level you have with exactly the opposite intuitions you have. (They wonder how you got where you are too.) Your idea that your way is the right way is routinely controverted. You just think it’s right because it’s yours.

Action: Try the opposite every once in a while. After your first thought, wait for a second–different–one.

What are your laws and lessons? What have you learned? Your successes have no doubt catalyzed your knowledge into wisdom. Are you sharing your wisdom with your associates? Start now! Because it’s all about people...and more communication is better.

Bursa Malaysia - RHBInvest Market Chat 2009

Bursa Malaysia and RHBInvest are going to have a Market Chat 2009 seminar and roadshow in Ipoh. Admission is free.

Date: 21 Feb 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 9:00am - 1:30pm
Venue: Impiana Casuarina Hotel, 18, Jalan Raja Dr. Nazrin, Ipoh.
Registration and enquiry: call +603 92051300

Program highlights:

• Value Investing In Turbulent Times - RHB Branch Broking
• Must Have Trading Tools For Today's Stock Markets - RHBInvest team, RHB Investment Bank
• Market Chat '08 Presentation - Bursa Malaysia
• Top 5 Mistakes in Trading and 5 Powerful Techniques You Should Use Now in Trading - ChartNexus Malaysia
  

Credit card interest rate to reduce by 31 March 2009

The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) has just announced today that the interest rates for credit cards will be reduced by between 0.5% and 1.5% for Tier-1, Tier-11 and Tier-111 credit cardholders while late payment fees will be slashed to a minimum of RM5 and a maximum of RM75 effective 31 March 2009.

Interest rates for Tier-I credit cardholders who promptly settle their monthly minimum payments for retail purchases for 12 consecutive months will be reduced to 13.5% per annum from the current 15%.

For Tier-II cardholders who promptly settle their minimum payments for 10 months or more in a 12-month cycle will also benefit as the relevant interest rate will be reduced to 16% per annum from the current 17%.

Cardholders who don't fall within the 2 categories and who are generally termed Tier-III cardholders will see the interest rate for them come down to 17.5% per annum versus the current 18%.

The present late payment fee of a minimum of RM10 or 1% of the total outstanding balance, subject to a maximum of RM100 will be revised to a minimum amount of RM5 and a maximum of RM75.

This will not have any effect to good paymasters who settle their credit card bill in full payment every month, which is a very good financial discipline allowing them to enjoy 0% interest for at least 20 days, as they will still remain free from any interest charge. For Tier-I cardholders who never default their payment, they will enjoy one of the lowest credit card interest rate in Asia at the rate of 13.5%.

I would advise that although the interest rate will be reduced soon, you should never get yourself into Tier-II or Tier-III, as the compounded interest rate is still very high.

Electricity tariffs to reduce slightly from March 2009

Malaysia government has just announced a cut in electricity tariffs effective 1 March 2009.

Under the plan, tariffs will be cut to 31.31 sen per KWh from the current 32.5 sen. Domestic users will enjoy an average 2.54% cut in electricity tariffs, while commercial users will pay 2.7% less in electricity bills. Other major reductions include a 5.0% discount awarded to industrial users' bills.

Major beneficiaries will be industrial users that use a lot of electricity, such as the steel and aluminium millers. Savings to the domestic and commercial users seems to be minimal, although better than nothing.

Convertible car seat for infant and young toddler

Car seat is necessary for you to carry your child in your car, and the child is not yet tall enough to use the seat belt of the car. It will provide protection to the child in case of collision.

I bought a convertible car seat for my son and has been using it since he was more than 1 month old until now (2 years+). I think it can still be used until he reaches 3 years old. The convertible car seat can be rear-facing as well as front-facing.




Here are some common senses about car seat that I would like to share with you:

• If your car has air-bag for front passenger, the car seat should be installed at the back seat and never be installed next to the driver. This is because the air bag might hurt or suffocate the child. It is even more dangerous if the car seat is in rear-facing position, imagine what will happen when the air bag blown out.
• The child should be rear-facing at least until he/she is 1 year old and also his/her weight has already exceeded 20 pounds (9.1 kg). This is because the neck bone of infant is still very soft and easy to break. With the child lying down securely, the rear-facing car seat will provide support and protection to the head and neck of the child in case of collision.
• Switch to front-facing when the legs are too long for rear-facing position.
• Consider a convertible car seat which can be rear-facing as well as front-facing, so that it can be used for a longer period (until 3-4 years old).
• You should change the car seat to booster seat for older toddler, until he/she can use the car seat belt without the booster seat, which is when the shoulder belt can rest against his/her chest and not the neck or higher position.

AirAsia offers 500k free air tickets (6 days only)

AirAsia is currently offering a total of 500,000 free seats to all their destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam & Australia.

The booking period for this campaign is 10-15 February 2009 only, and the travel period will be 12 Oct 2009 - 31 Jan 2010.

Click here for more information and updated free seats availability status.

Making good use of flexible home loan with online banking

I notice nowadays quite a lot of people are financing their house with flexible home loan. However, from their sharing with me during some chit-chat session, I noticed that not many are making good use of the flexibility provided by their home loan, and they treat it just like a traditional mortgage loan.

In my opinion, if you have a flexible home loan, you should:

• Put in extra money (excess payment) into your account to reduce interest charges
• Make use of your excess payment when needed

If you never put in excess payment into your account, perhaps you don't need a flexible home loan, and should opt for a traditional home loan package in the very beginning. In general, it is easier for you to fight for relatively lower interest rate by not having the flexibility provided in a flexible home loan.

If you very seldom make use of your excess payment in your account, perhaps you just need a semi-flexible home loan.

Here is my sharing on how I use my Citibank FlexiHome loan.

I have 2 types of account with Citibank: the FlexiHome loan, and credit card. I applied for an ATM card for my FlexiHome loan account, which cost me a one time application fee of RM8 only. I haven't used the ATM card in any bank teller machine yet, but that card is very important, because I need it to create a consolidated Citibank Online internet banking account.

Once the online banking is created, I am able to see the account information for both my FlexiHome loan as well as my credit card accounts. I can always check for the balance and transaction details of both the accounts even before I receive their monthly statement from Citibank.

This is particularly useful in monitoring how much interest I've been charged daily for my home loan. Citibank Online shows me 2 key figures of my FlexiHome loan account:

• Amount I owe the bank, which is calculated as the outstanding loan minus excess payment in the account. This figure will slightly increase daily, because the account has a daily rest interest calculation scheme. This is interesting, because from here I can monitor closely how my interested is charged by the bank, and how much is charged for each day.


• Amount available for withdrawal, which is the excess payment. This figure will not change until the next installment due date, where the installment will be paid directly from here.

Of course, if I put in money into the account, it will be added to the amount available for withdrawal, and will also affect the daily interest amount charged thereafter to be lesser.

On the other hand, by using the online banking, I can pay off some of my utility bills, including the accessment of my house, with my credit card from my computer at home. I can even get double Rewards Points by paying the house accessment with this credit card.

Every month when I get my salary, I wrote a cheque to myself and bank in to my Citibank FlexiHome loan account. The cheque amount will have some excess payment for my savings, as I know that my home loan interest is higher than fixed deposit interest, so it is a better idea to put the money in the loan account to reduce more interest, than to put in deposit account to earn the very tiny interest. In addition, fixed deposit does not provide the flexibility to take out the money at anytime without any lost in interest calculation.

When the due date of the credit card payment comes, I just need to login to Citibank Online and make a transfer from my FlexiHome loan account to my credit card account. My credit card will then be paid in the next business day. This transfer between my own accounts with Citibank is free of charge. Isn't this a good idea of making use of the flexibility provided by the FlexiHome loan account to pay the credit card bill without hassle, by using the online facility?


When I make a new share investment which requires me to bank in money into my trading account, I can also make an external transfer from my FlexiHome loan account to my share trading account using the same online facility too.

To summarize, I use my FlexiHome loan as my main savings account, as I can save loan interest with any excess payment I made, and the saving in loan interest is higher than fixed deposit interest. FlexiHome loan allows me to take out any amount of excess payment available at anytime, which makes it an even better place for main savings purpose. I also use my credit card to pay utility bills and earn Rewards Points, and use the savings (excess payment) in my FlexiHome loan account to pay for that credit card bill.

If you also have a flexible home loan with any bank, you're welcomed to share your experience on making good use of the flexibility of your home loan account too.

You might also be interested to read about my other article on "What to look for in a flexible home loan?".

Top 5 trends in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customers today have changed. Thanks to the emergence of various internet and web technologies, they have access to more information. Also, the recent global economic situation has made spending to be more cautious.

It is predicted that the following trends will accelerate or begin to emerge.

1. Companies will begin to break free from old habits
The companies are seeking to communicate with customers through channels that facilitate engagement and personalization with new marketing channels. The shift of power from corporations to buyers is intensified. Marketing needs to change the strategy to be more collaborative.

2. Interactive marketing will emerge as the dominant marketing discipline
This will engage the customers and prospects in a cross-channel dialogue that builds on their past and current behaviour.

3. Companies will renew efforts to increase customer awareness
They need to find ways to listen and understand more from the customers.

4. Customer decision making will be centralized to drive the dialogue
A centralized decision-making capability that can facilitate dialogue across outbound and inbound, also online and offline marketing channels, is needed.

5. Companies will restructure in order to aid cross-channel execution
More skill sets are required for interactive marketing. Companies need to be more creative, analytical, technical savvy and process focused.

* The above top 5 trends in CRM is referenced from an article written by Elana Anderson in the Baseline Magazine.

Top 10 IT trends for 2009

What IT technologies are able to bring enterprises with competitive advantage in the predicted tough times of 2009?

1. Software as a Service (SaaS)
According to RBC Capital Markets, SaaS is expected to command a 23% share of the $120 billion software market in US by 2010 with its current annual growth rate of above 40%.

2. Virtualization
It is estimated that about 50-60% of all servers are now virtualized to reduce server sprawl.

3. Enterprise Mobility
This is boasted by the emergence of high speed wireless network, such as the 3G, HSPDA, etc.

4. Energy-Efficient Data Centres
The concept of Green IT is blooming...

5. Security, Risk and Compliance
More automation will be seen in these areas.

6. Social Networking
Companies are tapping into the powerful virtual communities in social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

7. Web 2.0
More and more websites and web applications are jumping into this bandwagon, which is able to provide seamless ubiquitous rich content and better interactivity.

8. Document Management and E-Discovery
More and more IT vendors are producing and enhancing solutions in this area.

9. Project Management (PM) and Project Portfolio Management (PPM)
More and more organizations are migrating from simple tools such as spreadsheets and e-mail to formal PM and PPM applications.

10. Web and Video Collaboration
More and more organizations are adopting video conferencing and telepresense systems.

* The top 10 IT trends above are referenced from an article written by Samuel Greengard in the Baseline Magazine.

Latest BLR rate of banks in Malaysia as of Feb-2009

Following Bank Negara's move to reduce the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) by 75 basis points to 2.50 percent and Statutory Reserve Requirement (SRR) from 3.5 percent to 2 percent effective 1 February 2009, banks in Malaysia have reduced their deposit interest rates as well as their Base Lending Rate (BLR) respectively.

Here are their latest BLR rate as of today (5 Feb 2009):

• Majority of the banks: 5.95%
• Bangkok Bank Berhad: 5.50%
• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (M) Berhad: 5.75%
  
• Deutsche Bank (M) Berhad: 5.75%
  
• J.P. Morgan Chase Bank Berhad: 5.75%
  
• The Royal Bank of Scotland Berhad: 5.75%
  
• Affin Bank Berhad: 5.90%
• Citibank Berhad: 6.00%
• EON Bank Berhad: 6.50% (not yet revised)
• AmBank (M) Berhad: 6.55% (not yet revised)

You can always click here for the latest BLR info of the banks.

Citibank offers 2x Rewards Points on property assessment payment

Citibank is currently running a Property Assessment (Cukai Pintu) Bill Payment by Citibank Online and Citi Mobile Campaign for their core credit cards (including supplementary cards).

2x Reward Points will be given for property assessment payment made during the campaign period via Citibank Online website or Citi Mobile phone banking.

Campaign period: 20 Jan 2009 - 28 Feb 2009

Eligible credit cards: All Citibank Malaysia Platinum, Gold, Classic, Choice, Clear and CitiBusiness credit cards, excluding Cashback, AirAsia, Giant, Shell and Celcom cards.

Terms & Conditions: Each person is given a maximum of 1000 Reward Points for this campaign.

The assessment payable by Citibank Online includes:

• Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL)
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ)
  
• Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ)
  
• Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA)
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Selayang
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Klang
• Majlis Perbandaran Kajang
• Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI)
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Seremban
• Majlis Perbandaran Melaka
• Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang
• Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai
• Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB)
  
• Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah
• Majlis Perbandaran Muar
• Majlis Perbandaran Kulai

Click here for more information about the Property Assessment (Cukai Pintu) Bill Payment by Citibank Online and Citi Mobile Campaign.

Toyota 0% Easy Payment Plan with CIMB credit cards

If you have any credit card issued by CIMB bank, including the Direct Access credit cards, and also have Toyota vehicle that you schedule for service/repair at authorized Toyota Service Centre, now you can enjoy their 0% interest Easy Payment Plan for payment above RM300.

Under the plan, if you spend above RM300 for your car service and/or repair with CIMB or Direct Access credit card at authorized Toyota Service Centre in Malaysia, you can opt for the credit card to charge you in 3 months installment with 0% interest. If the spending is above RM700, you can opt for 6 months installment with 0% interest.

This is particularly helpful if you want to do a major service (such as routine service + air-cond service), or major repair (which not claim from your car insurance).

OpenOffice.org 3.0.1 released

While waiting for the next version of OpenOffice.org 3.1 (scheduled to release by end of March 2009), OpenOffice.org 3.0.1 is now finalized and on general release.

If you are using Ubuntu Linux 8.10 and installed OpenOffice.org 3 with the method as described in my earlier article in this blog, your OpenOffice.org should already automatically updated to release candidate of version 3.0.1 quite some time ago, and also automatically updated to general release version of 3.0.1 recently.

Version 3.0.1 is a bug fix release before the upcoming version 3.1. It fixes quite a lot of bugs found in version 3.0. Beside that, there is also new feature for Writer to handle grammar checking. This built-in grammar checking feature in Writer has been long awaited and finally made available now.

Pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in Malaysia

While there are some recent restructuring and/or downsizing news from electrical and electronic sector such as Intel Penang, Panasonic Melaka, etc., there are also good news from global pharmaceutical players to expand their investment in Malaysia.

The German-based B Braun which runs its Malaysian operations in Bayan Lepas, Penang has recently invested more than RM300 million to acquire a new plot of land to strengthen its presence with new facilities.

On the other hand, there is also news about US-based St. Jude Medical has confirmed its plan to invest in Malaysia and has already launched a $30 million site in Penang to set up Asia’s first pacemaker manufacturing facility.

Beside that, US-based Trustgen LLP and India-based Malladi Drugs & Pharmaceutical Ltd have also in October 2008 announced their decision to invest a combined $600 million investment in Malaysia to set up manufacturing facilities and their respective regional and global hubs.

All these are showing positive signs that the pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia will continue to grow despite the current worldwide economic downturn.

Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2009

The London based Financial Times has just released their Global MBA School Ranking for 2009, naming University of Pennsylvania: Wharton (USA) and London Business School (UK) as the joint no. 1 business school for MBA programs.

The ranking is based on factors including the average alumni salary, their salary increment from before getting the MBA to today as a percentage of the pre-MBA salary, value for money of the MBA course, career progress, fulfillment of aims of doing the MBA, placement and employment success after graduation, alumni recommendation, female students, international students, doctoral degree availability, academic research publication, etc.

The top 10 rankings for 2009 are as follow:

• University of Pennsylvania: Wharton (USA)
• London Business School (UK)
• Harvard Business School (USA)
• Columbia Business School (USA)
• Insead (France / Singapore)
• Stanford University GSB (USA)
• IE Business School (Spain)
• CEIBS (China)
• MIT: Sloan (USA)
• New York University: Stern (USA)

Click here to see the top 100 business schools listed in the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2009 and their scores in each of the ranking factors.