What is magnetic material? by china-magnets-source-material.com

Magnetic material is one of three fundamental functional materials in the industry. 

It was divided in two types based on magnetic properties: soft magnet and hard magnet (also named permanent magnet). Both are easy to get magnetized. The difference is: hard magnet can stay magnetized for long time with high coercive force; soft magnet has low coercive force, so lost its magnetic force easily.

Soft magnet: steel and iron, soft ferrite and high iron amorphous materials

Hard magnet: Sintered Neodymium Magnet, BondedNeodymium Magnet, AlNiCo, Samarium Cobalt Magnet, Ferrite (due to rare earth material content, they are also called rare earth magnets except ferrite)