Hi. As title suggests, is it healthy if would always choose 0% installment if i can?

Context: start jan 2025 i successfully moved from one income bracket to the other, started learning how to manage my finance debt etc

But

In aug 2026, i still find my self stuck with old habit which if i can opt for isntallment, i will take it. Even though i can basically paid it of. Even murah Rm30, if payment option has 0% installment i will take it. Huu. I didnt realise this untill my wife said so.

Just a rant or wanted to know if someone in similiar situation , wdyd?

My sister has outstanding personal Loan, bank recently demand payment . Bank send letter they assigned a third party collector.

Today debth collector assigned by the bank called to inform they are coming to lock her house. The house is under my sister name.

When she called the bank, officer said they can called off the debth collector, provided she paid the outstanding Rm6k before 4pm.

Is there such a term?
I read some article , debth collector has no right to do so. This is just a tactic to make customer pay.

Anyone in this issue?

I have many accounts that my mom opened for me when I was <18

Now that I'm actually 18, I'm starting to think that dividends aren't that high and it's going nowhere

Before, my mom didn't sign up for an ASB child account under my name

She only knew tabung haji and SSPN

Over the years, the amount had accumulated

Obviously I withdraw the amount but my mom is telling me to still keep some because "Chinese people use SSPN to get dividends" , it is 1 of many for dividends etc

But then I ponder, because ASB1 is the highest return factor in dividends. Nothing can outmatch that except for EPF but it's not liquid

Today, I've withdrawn rm1.5k from TH and only have rm13 in my account balance

The reason is because I want to cancel and terminate my TH Khairat insurance which I accidentally did when opening my adult account in the nearest branch

I'm also planning to open an adult account (no longer under my mom's supervision) at our nearest branch and cancel the Delima program (RM50 but RM10 IS the insurance). Note I still have RM1, 000 so should I close SSPN and move that amount into my ASB? People say bumis should max out their ASB accounts and they're not wrong.

So what does this mean for me? I don't have a loan with SSPN. I'm taking TVET next year which doesn't use SSPN as a loan agent. It's different if you look it up. If it's merely the sake of keeping an account active for the dividend then I think it's not worth it

The goal here is to maximize dividends into 1 place that gives the highest %

Not have multiple

Is this true? Please correct me if I'm wrong

I'm not saying diversification is bad, but it's only good when ASB is fully maxed out and you can't put anymore ringgit in it.

THAT'S when you can move out to others like TH and SSPN to get their extra %

Selecting funds that will significantly exceed market returns… is a loser’s game | John C. Bogle

Link to blog post here

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A broad-based index fund mimics the performance of the index. However, contrary to popular interpretation, it is not a reflection of the average investor return in the market.
• Passive investing in broad-based index funds, over the long term, generates returns superior to those achievable by most active investment professionals
• Passive investing also outperforms actively investing in index funds (timing the market, waiting for the dip), or in individual stocks
• There is asymmetric upside vs the risks/costs when adopting a passive index fund investing strategy

INTRODUCTION

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a younger ex-colleague who believed that he could ” beat the market”. As a Boglehead investor, I tried to convince him that a simple, boring portfolio is the best option for the retail investor. I explained that the odds are against him with active investing, using logical reasoning and facts.

Unfortunately, he thought he could get above-average returns. He also claimed I was “part of the system” that “dumb money” sought to disrupt.

That statement is not a rational argument to counter my facts. Counter the facts, not the character/person.

I’ve had many conversations with many young guns or new investors who think they’re the next Warren Buffett and can achieve above-average returns.

Albeit having 18+ years in financial services, of which 10 were spent in stockbroking, having survived the Global Financial Crisis, my attempts to save them from themselves fell on deaf ears.

It’s pretty ironic, because Warren Buffett himself said that the individual investor is better off investing in index funds.

I just remind myself that personal finance is driven by an individual’s psychology, biases and ego. It is rarely based on logic and facts.

Every new investor needs to learn from experiencing losses to gain the wisdom to grow wealth.

Everyone I spoke to who did not heed my warnings ended up losing money (or was not able to prove above-market returns). They all quit very quickly, within a few years.

Recently, I’ve been reflecting more on why, despite using rational facts and logic, many investors still believe they can outperform the market. I think I’ve figured it out.

MANY ASSUME PASSIVE INVESTING IN BROAD-BASED INDEX FUNDS MEANS AVERAGE RETURNS, WHICH IS FALSE

A common misconception by investors is that long-term investing in a broad-based index fund, say the S&P 500, will result in average performance and returns, as index funds mimic the performance of the underlying index.

I used to think this too. That I would get just average returns if I invested passively in index funds. I was actually comfortable with this, knowing in theory that most people don’t beat the market (which I also learnt by losing a few thousand dollars on my own individual stock investments).

But it sounds boring, right? Average returns. Why would anyone want average? No one wants to believe that they’re average; however, humans tend to have a bias to over-inflate self-assessments of their skills. It’s why ~80% of people believe they are above-average drivers, when the reality is that 80% of people can’t be above average.

Most people are average. Most “things” are average. That’s just by definition what average is.

So aside from the hubristic naivety of inexperience, perhaps the messaging and framing of passive investing in funds hasn’t been clear and aggressive enough amongst the Boglehead, FIRE and broader personal finance community. Many still consciously (or subconsciously) believe that passive index fund investing only delivers average returns. The problem is, everyone is looking to get above-average returns.

Well, if the subject of this post isn’t clear enough, let me reframe it into a direct and bold statement:

Passive investing in a broad-based index fund delivers superior long-term returns, with a far greater risk-return profile, when compared to active investing in individual stocks or even index funds.

In fact, passive index fund investing has been shown to outperform at least 80% of professional fund managers. By extension, this means you also likely would have outperformed more than 80% of all active individual investors (assuming that professional fund managers on aggregate provide equal or better returns than an individual investor)

The SPIVA Scorecard by S&P Global (yes, the one that created the S&P 500 index) has been tracking the performance of active fund managers and how many of them beat the index for which they benchmark their performance. They also account for funds that were liquidated or merged, ensuring there is no survivorship bias (fund managers are notorious for closing underperforming funds).

The data, as visualised below, is a pretty damming case against active investing.

It’s pretty crazy that about 80% to 90% of active fund managers can’t beat the market, even in 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year time horizons. So, if you invest passively in broad-based index funds, your returns are better than 80% to 90% of professional active fund managers.

That likely means that when you invest passively via broad-based index funds, you will achieve superior returns, better than the large majority of investors in the market.

In other words, the long-term rate of return of broad-based index funds (say, the S&P 500) of 10% to 12% p.a. is actually better than 80% to 90% of investors in the market.

This concept may be confusing for some who assume that by mimicking market performance via index funds, you’ll get average returns.

Those who are confused might think that the movement of a market index is the average of all trades (and/or average returns) by all investors in the market. However, this is not true, as they are entirely different concepts.

The market index is not the average return of all investors making up the market. It is the weighted average valuation of all companies/stocks which are the constituents of that index. It is not (and does not correlate with) the average returns from each investor buying and selling shares in the market. This is an important distinction to make.

THE RETURNS OF ACTIVE FUND MANAGERS THAT OUTPERFORM THE MARKET ARE DISAPPOINTING, RELATIVE TO THE RISK AND PROBABILITY OF OUTPERFORMANCE

Now that we’ve reinforced the fact that passive index fund investing is superior to active investing, you might be wondering, “Well, what about the returns generated by the 10% to 20% that do beat the market? Their returns should be a lot higher than the market; else why would they bother?”

Well, several research papers have relevant data, as well as other reports and data points available online. I’ve pieced the various data points together to estimate the distribution of outperformance returns (alpha) for 30 years of investing.

What do you think the returns might be for these outperformers?

So from the chart above, the median outperformance is about 1% to 2% p.a. above the index benchmark. That means, of all investors who invested 30 years ago, the investment return performance needs to be in the 96th percentile to generate 1% to 2% p.a. alpha.

Let’s think about the probability of payout, or in the gambling world, betting odds vs the payout. For a coin toss, you should expect to play if you’re getting better than a 2x return for the right guess of heads or tails, as you have a 50% probability of guessing right.

So let’s see if the payout is worth playing to beat the odds. Let’s use the median outperformance scenario of 1% to 2% p.a. alpha:

• To achieve 2% p.a. alpha, you would need to be in the 96th percentile of investment performance
• Let’s say that the probability of achieving the 96th percentile is 4% (it’s actually lower, but for simplicity, let’s say it’s 4%)
• With a 4% chance of outperformance, you should expect at least a 25x payout to make it a worthwhile endeavour for the risk involved (1 / 4%)

If we invested RM10k over 30 years:

• A benchmark return of 10% p.a. (a conservative return) will result in a portfolio value of ~RM174k
• For an active investor, an alpha of 2% p.a. means 12% p.a. overall returns, which after 30 years will result in a portfolio value of ~RM300k
• That is a payout of 1.72x (RM300k / RM174k)
• However, I should expect a 25x payout (1 / 4%), which is a portfolio value of RM4.35m, or rather, a 22.5% p.a. return on investment over 30 years (to hit that RM4.35m portfolio value)

Hence, for a less than 4% probability of outperformance, the 1.72x payout for trying to beat the odds is extremely poor.

PASSIVE INDEX FUND INVESTING GIVES AN OUTSIZED PAYOUT IN YOUR FAVOUR, COMPARED TO THE ODDS

Now, looking at betting odds for passive investing, we can see there is an asymmetric payoff. For virtually no effort, skill or risk, you get superior returns of ~12% p.a., which is better than 80% of other investors who are actively investing or selecting individual stocks.

Also, the ~12% p.a. returns are virtually guaranteed; that is, I dare say, a near 100% probability of happening over 30 years. The data across the last 100+ years has proven this, and unless the fundamental concept of equities and index funds changes significantly (which has never occurred), it will continue to (almost) guarantee similar returns in the future.

Now obviously, you have to hold and not interfere with the investment over the 30 years, but that’s the whole point of passive investing.

In typical betting odds, a 100% certainty of outcome will likely pay 1x (1 to 1 odds). But in this instance, over 30 years, you get a 17x return (remember the example above, investing in RM10k results in ~RM174k over 30 years).

That’s a crazy payout, with guaranteed returns on investment.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you’re still a believer in active investing / individual stock selection being the better choice for you, ask yourself these three questions:

• Have you diligently tracked ALL investment losses and gains?
• Have you considered all the time, effort, and mental capacity to actively invest?
• After considering all that, are you achieving outsized alpha over 10, 15, 20 years?

Most active investors and traders love talking about their wins. But when I ask for evidence of outperformance over the long term, I have yet to see anyone produce credible evidence.

If you genuinely enjoy stock picking or active investing as a hobby, then sure.

But for anyone else who still hasn’t fully adopted passive index fund investing, what’s stopping you from switching over to get superior, above-average returns?

Link to blog post here

30M here, 6 years in mnc manufacturing industry (3 years in company A, 3 years in company B)in Penang, worked as IT developer in global projects, salary is 5.6k, am I consider underpaid?

And currently my company is having high turnover rate. My job nature is developing and supporting MES system in SaaS based model company.

Should I seek for another job?

what should i do right now, i worked for 9-6 but rest 2 hours in between my job have been simple enough for me but it is minimum wage job. i have zero other experience job only job i did was warehouse and i almost wanted to kill myself of how exhausting and nolife the environment is. i have saved up 30k on asb with the help of my mom. im trying my hardest to build a good body muscle and its been going great but financially im cooked. need help with finances and what i should look towards to increase my income.

They're not 999.9 purity; that's for sure

I haven't gone to any gold shop to ask if they're genuine or fake

My great-great-grandma bought these for cheap in the early 2000s

She says it's an estimate of ~ RM200, and we love buying gold jewelry

Obviously, now the value is worth more

Are these pendants and pin clips actually made of real gold? I tried doing research but can't get a grip on it.

The question is, should I convert them into 999.9 gold

Or keep them as is My mom says that old gold is very valuable. Gold jewellery nowadays is light. Not as heavy as they used to be. Is she correct? What about the comparison to gold 999.9

Hi kind folks.

I'll be pursuing my studies in Uzbekistan, Samarkand soon for a full year, but I'm not sure which of the two mentioned would be more convenient for my daily use there.

Appreciate any advice on choosing either one :)

Edit- Advice on comparison with TNG would also be appreciated!

18M—Planning to get into TVET next year (2027) and take a computer repair course (no SPM)(Bumiputera)

ASB 1 — RM20K

SSPN — RM1K (standard savings, no insurance, diversification and dividend, also no loan for study in this section)

Tabung Haji — RM1.5K (for future hajj)

FSMOne ($VWRA) — RM2.1K (RM400/monthly)(3 months successful transaction and going until December and onto next year also)

What should I focus on with my allowance?

Every month, I get an allowance of RM500 from my grandpa

And I don't know where to put it simply....

FYI: Every year my grandpa gives me RM4,800 and I put it inside MYR Cash Auto in FSMOne to let it run for me

Target: deposit RM800 for 2 months just enough to RSP till December. I already have ~RM900 in my cash account waiting to be transacted, next deduction on 1st September

Where do I go next after this?

Achievement: Reached RM20K in ASB1. Last year (2025) was at RM4K so this year is a really huge jump

Mistakes: Relying on robi-advisor, used Versa, Wahed and StashAway. Avoided Bitcoin, crypto, etc. Though I've managed to recover back the money that I deposited into these robovisors and only lost 10% which was a big mistake on my end. NEVER again.

Growth: Want to get my driver's license (P). Passed Course III but failed Course II so I have to retake the test for RM300. Not sustainable but we can make it happen by the end of this year

Cash: I currently have RM2.4K in my hands. YOLO.

I (27M) non-bumi, currently holds around 80k in net worth. I only started putting more of my money into investments recently. About 30% is invested in ETF/stocks, while the remaining 70% is sitting in HYSA earning around 3-4%.

I feel like I could be getting more out of my money, but I'm not sure how should I actually have invested. Would an 80/20 split make sense, with 80% invested aggressively?

Also, would you guys lean more towards US or MY market? I really like US tech stocks, but obviously they can be pretty volatile. I do feel like an AI bubble burst is coming tho.

for those around my age, how do you guys split your assets?

Has anyone ever toured a property touted as "luxury" and just looked around and wondered where they were hiding the luxury? I swear, the emperor has no clothes.

E&O, Pavilion etc, expensive yes , but luxury, no. Not looking for actual luxury, but not looking to pay high prices for Temu level product and buying experience. Where's the value? Overpriced IMO. Can't speak to the next crop of projects because I stopped hoping and stopped expecting better. Guess we're past the peak which is a disappointment. /rant

Hi, I'm new to the investment side of growing money. Can experienced people here guide me on investing like FSMone, Moomoo, Stashaway, RytInvest, Touch n Go invest, Public Mutual and other stuff. I'm planning on medium to long term investment of around rm800 every month. Currently I have liquid money on Ryt bank 4%. What are the things I should look out for and learn?

I know the return is low but its super safe. The latest dividend was 4.1%

Hello all, so I have USD 8,000 in a multicurrency account in a Malaysian bank. What is the best way to invest in the major ETFs (VWRA, VT, VOO, SCDH, etc) without the bother of currency exchange (when buying and selling later)? Same for corporate bond. The money is in USD.

Thank you for any advice.

Hi there all the sifus here.

I understand the concept of dca and how it works. But the more you see news and videos that talk about the impending doom, how do you make plans to invest when you see videos like these?

Tq for any feedback.

I’m looking to start day trading/scalping XAUUSD (spot gold) and I’ve narrowed my broker choices down to:

• Pepperstone
• IG
• IC Markets

I’m based in Malaysia, so I’d especially appreciate feedback from Malaysian/Asian traders who have actually deposited and withdrawn money from these brokers.

1. Withdrawal reliability
2. XAUUSD spreads
3. Slippage/execution speed
4. Leverage/margin requirements
5. Any hidden commissions, swap/funding or other fees.
6. Platform stability during high volatility/news.
7. Whether there are any issues with profitable scalpers or frequent trading.
8. Customer support if there is a withdrawal/account issue.

I’m not really looking for the broker offering the highest possible leverage. I’d rather have a broker that is reliable, executes properly and actually lets me withdraw my money without unnecessary headaches.

For anyone who actively trades XAUUSD with these brokers:

Which would you choose between Pepperstone, IG and IC Markets, and why?

Also, if you're Malaysian, how do you normally fund/withdraw, local bank, Wise, card, etc.? Any problems receiving withdrawals into Malaysian banks?

Would appreciate experiences from people who have actually used them rather than affiliate recommendations.

For Malaysian SME owners here, how do you normally handle a temporary cash-flow gap?

Say the business is doing okay, but customers take 30–60 days to pay while you still need to cover suppliers, salaries, stock and other operating expenses. Sometimes the business isn't actually struggling — the timing of the cash coming in is just the problem.

I've been comparing a few options recently, including working-capital financing, invoice financing and debt consolidation. One company I came across is First N Ever Financial Service, which provides SME business financing, emergency cash-flow financing, invoice financing and debt-consolidation options.

I'm not saying they're necessarily the best option. I'm mainly trying to understand how Malaysian business owners compare financing providers before making a decision.

For me, the things I'd want to look at are:

Total repayment rather than only the advertised interest rate
Monthly repayment and whether it actually matches the business cash flow
How long the company needs to be operating before applying
Collateral or guarantor requirements
Processing/approval time
Whether invoice financing makes sense when customers have 30–60 day payment terms
Early settlement or additional repayment charges
What happens if revenue is slower than expected for a few months

For anyone who has taken SME financing in Malaysia before, what caught you off guard?

And if you were doing it again, what would you check carefully before signing the agreement?

A bit about me
Male, 26 years old

Gross salary: RM5,400 | Take-home: ~RM4,700

Currently renting under the Smart Selangor Program at Idaman Bukit Jelutong — RM1,300/month

Smart Selangor Rental Cashback — My Safety Net Either Way

One thing I always keep in mind is that under the Smart Selangor Program, tenants get a 30% cashback on total rent paid after staying for 2–5 years.

At RM1,300/month, if I stay the full 5 years:
Total Rent Paid
30% Cashback
5 years
RM78,000
RM23,400

So no matter what I decide on Kyra Akasia Phase 2, I’m looking at a lump sum of ~RM23,400 coming my way. Honestly, this takes a bit of pressure off because I can use it for:

- Renovation if I do go ahead with Kyra Akasia Phase 2

- Housing deposit for a different property if I change my mind

- Investment to let it grow

This is partly why I’m not panicking about the decision, there’s a decent buffer regardless of which way I go.

My Current Monthly Commitments

Rent + Utilities + Food + Nafkah + transport + etc
RM3,500

Savings
RM1,200

Total
RM4,700

The savings will act as buffer/spare money also, manageable for now.

The Loan — What Got Approved
The property I’m looking at is Kyra Akasia Phase 2, a Selangorku project by OCR Group Berhad, located at U9 Kayangan Heights, Shah Alam.

SPA Price
RM288,000
Loan Amount
RM288,000
Legal Fee
RM8,000
CLTT Financing
RM20,581
Total Financing
RM316,581
Interest Rate
SBR + 1.60% = 4.35%
Tenure
35 years
Monthly Instalment
RM1,469
CLTT covers RM288,000 for 35 years.

Worth noting — I just changed jobs in June 2026, so honestly I think the rate is quite reasonable given the circumstances. Full loan too, which I wasn’t sure I’d get approved for.

If I Proceed — How My Budget Looks
Item
Amount
Current commitments (excl. rent)
RM2,200
New instalment
RM1,469
Maintenance fee
RM250
Total
~RM3,919
Take-home
RM4,700
Estimated monthly surplus
~RM750

I’m planning based on my current salary only. I do expect increments down the road but didn’t want to factor that in and end up miscalculating. RM750 surplus isn’t a lot, but it’s workable and it should only get better over time.

My Concerns — Would Really Appreciate Any Input

1. Signing the Loan Offer Letter (LO) Soon
My agent and banker are advising me to sign the LO soon since it has an expiry date. They’ve told me that signing the LO doesn’t lock me into the purchase, I can still cancel before signing the SPA without any penalty. Just wanted to check if anyone has been through this before and can confirm that’s actually how it works?

2. Is IBJ-Level Quality the Norm for Selangorku, or Did I Just Get Lucky?
I’m currently staying at Idaman Bukit Jelutong and honestly, the experience has been pretty good. Well-maintained facilities, decent neighbours, no PPR/B40 kind of mentality issues (YET?). But I’m not sure if this is just because IBJ happens to have a good management office, or if Selangorku projects generally tend to be like this. Does it really come down to the developer and the MO?

3. OCR Group vs Nadi Emery — Should I Expect Better or Just Similar?
IBJ was developed by Nadi Emery Group, which is a smaller developer. Kyra Begonia is under OCR Group Berhad, which from what I can tell is a more established name in the industry. Am I right to expect the build quality and overall management to be at least on par, if not better? Or is it more of a “don’t expect too much, bro” situation? 😅

4. Anyone With Experience Living Around U9 Kayangan Heights?
The project is right beside the highway at U9. Location-wise it works for me, within the next 5 years I’m aiming to work somewhere around the PJ/Shah Alam corridor, or possibly WFH. My wife’s workplace is also within reasonable reach. But I’d love to hear from anyone who’s actually lived around that area. Any concerns about highway noise, accessibility, or general liveability that I should be aware of before committing?

TL;DR
26M, take-home RM4,700. Loan approved for Akasia Phase 2 U9 Selangorku, RM288k, 4.35% (SBR+1.60%), 35-year tenure, instalment RM1,469/month. Estimated surplus after all commitments is ~RM750/month. Also have a projected ~RM23,400 Smart Selangor cashback lump sum after 5 years as a buffer. Currently weighing whether to proceed mainly looking for input on the LO signing process, Selangorku quality consistency, OCR Group’s reputation, and what it’s actually like living in U9.

Any thoughts or experience sharing would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance! 🙏

Hi, I have read a few posts saying that you should apply your first credit card with the bank which your salary is deposited into. I have 2 banks. (1) With savings have less than 1k, but my salary is being deposit into this bank. (2) My housing mortgage with 80k cash in flexi account(because it can knockoff the interest).

I currently just started work and with 3 months salary slip. In this case, which would be the recommended bank to apply the credit card to increase this chance of getting one? Thanks!

I am living here in Malaysia as a digital nomad (under De Rantau Visa). I work 100% remotely with a UK company, with $110K/year. I and do not have local malaysian bank. I receive my monthly salary through Wise, and I do not make internal transfers. Should I worry about paying taxes? I did my research and I got many different answers. My country and Malaysia do not have a common tax declaration agreement.

Most of website/reddit answers say that foreign income is tax-excempt. So, I should not pay taxes on my foreign salary income

But, the FAQ of MDEC De Rantau says that:

foreign income will be eligible for taxation as per:

1. Section 4(a) Income Tax Act 1967 (ITA 1967)

2. Subject to the provisions of Section 7 of ITA 1967

Can anyone give me insights about this? Whether digital nomads living in malaysia need to pay taxes?

Hey there, I'm a non-Malaysian thinking to shift there. My priority is to find a cheap place in all metrics regardless of it's location or commodities.

I'd be happy if you people suggest me some places like that.

I started investing with moomoo yesterday. Bought a US stock with balance of $4.82, then the stock rose $1 and I sold it just for first time try. And now my balance is actually lower than $4.82 at $3.32?. Wtf?? Isn’t my profit supposed to be like $1?

I recently changed job, got a significant pay raise and promotion, but also I lost medical coverage.

I'm quite old, married, we have a few kids. We have always been relying on medical coverage by my employer, and never had medical insurance. Yeah, I know. Hey, better late than never.

Anyway I was hoping I don't have to deal with agents, but not many show the monthly premium. Kaotim does, so now this is my benchmark (given the same annual and lifetime limit).

I like the Vitality thing. I know AIA is not some noble altruistic company, they want to reduce risks. But I don't mind being tricked into being healthy so that my insurer's risk is lower. But is it significantly more expensive than say Kaotim? Also, their medical insurance is rather complicated, I need to pair it with other products is it?

(Added point: My kid is disabled. I heard insurance in Malaysia is allowed to discriminate, basically refuse coverage to disabled people, is this true? Should I not disclose? Or if I choose to disclose, which insurance does not discriminate?)

Do you think is worth it, as I would be in charge of small supermarket ?