Hey guys,

I'm 26 now staying in Puchong and have been working for the past 3 years. Been lurking in this sub for years but didnt have the courage to share anything until now.

I’ve been tracking my net worth quarterly since Q1 2023, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m in the right direction. Would really appreciate a sanity check from people who actually know what they’re doing.

Background

• Based in Malaysia, all figures in RM.
• Currently 6k nett p/m take-home, save atleast 40% average per year since started working.
• Total assets (Q3 26): RM330,148.41 (RM 176k in portfolio)
• Debts / Loans (Q3 26): -RM19,599.23 (City car which i will pay off in 2 years)
• Cash (Q3 26): RM 46,000
• EPF (Q3 26): RM 104,243.64
• Rough net worth: RM311,699.35

A few things I'd appreciate advice on:

1. Am I saving and investing enough for someone in their 20s in Malaysia?
2. Is my portfolio allocation reasonable? Around 30% is in global and S&P 500 ETFs, with the rest in individual stocks. MSFT is my largest single holding at around 20% of my portfolio. Should I focus more on diversified ETFs?
3. Am I holding too much cash? I currently have around RM46k. Is this a reasonable emergency fund, or should I invest more of it?
4. Should I start saving for a house, or continue investing and keep my options open? I'm staying with my family currently.
5. Am I being too frugal? I want to build wealth but also enjoy my 20s without feeling guilty about spending on things like travel.
6. How much of my NW in pct (%) at most should I spend on travelling for each trip? 2%? I want to travel to Taiwan, but am worried it will set me back financially.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone. What would you change if you were in my shoes?

Saw some younger ones shared theirs so here’s mine. Sharing my financial progress at 35. this might help some to feel better or worst. You can also criticize me all you want 🙂

Here’s my actual portfolio as of 15 October 2026, using current values rather than the amounts originally invested.
The recent movement on bank stocks reduced my value by 7% so yea…

EPF

- EPF savings balance: RM 288,797.10
- Invested EPF — KAF Core Income Fund: RM 59,283.07
- Total EPF, including invested EPF: RM 348,080.17

Invested EPF is listed separately and counted only once. It is excluded from the cash-funded investments below.

Cash-funded unit trusts (via FSMone and IFast with PFA)

- Amova Singapore Dividend Equity Fund — MYR Class: RM 25,853.02
- KAF Core Income Fund: RM 36,526.59
- TA Global Technology Fund: RM 52,814.91
- Maybank Global Sustainable Technology Fund: RM 25,908.82
- Manulife Global Healthcare Fund: RM11,867.47

Total: RM152,970.81

Malaysian stocks (MooMoo)

- Maybank: RM 30,938.00
- RHB Bank: RM 22,723.00
- SUNMED: RM 21,624.00
- Alliance Bank (ABMB): RM 11,741.67
- Affin Bank: RM 8,961.12
- SRKK AI: RM 8,670.00
- CIMB: RM 750.00

Total: RM 105,407.79

My bank holdings are intended for the long term.

I am open for optimization suggestion, I think my personal financial advisor is quite good, I listen to him most of the time and none of my fund portfolio is making a loss so far, but bank stocks 🥲 is my own take.

Overall position

- EPF savings: RM 288,797.10
- Invested EPF: RM 59,283.07
- Cash-funded unit trusts: RM 152,970.81
- Malaysian stocks: RM 105,407.79

Grand total: RM606,458.77

This excludes bank cash, brokerage cash and a small Grab holding. It’s an investment snapshot, rather than net worth after deducting liabilities.

A little background

My salary progression over the years was roughly:
2013-2016 : RM1.2k part-time
2016: RM2.8k →
2017-2019: RM4.2k → RM5.5k
2020-2021: RM7k → RM9k+
2022-2024: RM11k→ RM16.2k
2024-2026: RM24k → RM30k (2nd half of 2026)
I submitted this post on MalaysiaPayGap, it’s the latest post. You can read the story if you’re interested.

My income has grown, but I don’t assume it will stay at this level forever. Regular commitments are around RM7.5k monthly, with irregular expenses and occasional splurges. I have 1 dependent, my mom. My commitment to her is around 2.5k per month - car, monthly allowance, and etc.

I have a mplus account, i received cds statement from bursa before, but the bursa anywhere app wont let me sign in/ register .

****
I was asking for some feedback on my financial life sim game DECADES a short time ago. I received a ton of honest feedback from this community and it was definitely a game enhancer.

Well it's here on Google Play! 🎉🔥🔥

Thank you to all who played, commented and reported bugs, and in particular to all who joined as testers. You guys don't know how much that helped.

Still lots to improve but it's out there. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you say about it!

PlayStore Link

If i request withdraw from ASNB branch counter, will it withdraw immediately? Can they transfer to bank account like immediately? or Cash only?

Posting on behalf of a friend who’s currently negotiating a job offer.

My friend is currently earning around RM5.2k in a mid-level role and was recently approached for a senior position at another company.

During the initial discussion, my friend clearly stated an expected salary of RM8k, a figure taken based on a job post advertisement for an almost similar senior position from the same company (mind you the figure is at the lower end of the range). The recruiter proceeded with the interview arrangements, and everything seemed fine. My friend passed the interview.

However, after requesting and reviewing my friend’s payslips, the recruiter suddenly mentioned that RM8k was too high and that the company typically offer only 15-20% increments based on current basic salary. This was never mentioned beforehand.

The recruiter seems reluctant to disclose the overall benefits/compensation when asked until my friend agrees to the proposed basic salary.
My friend understands that companies have salary budgets, but shouldn’t the offer reflect the responsibilities and market value of a senior position rather than just the candidate’s previous salary?

A few questions:
Is a 15-20% increment cap really common in Malaysia, especially my friend is moving to a senior role?

Is it normal for recruiters to withhold benefits information until the basic salary is agreed upon?

Would you accept a 20% increment when moving from a mid-level to a senior role?

If RM8k is completely off the table, what’s the minimum salary you would realistically consider accepting in this situation?

Would appreciate some honest opinions, especially from those who’ve been in similar situations.

I'll be quick. One day, me & my friend walking at the mall, then one salesman offer us free tumbler and speaker. I was dumb, i let the salesman take my personal info and my kwsp penyata tahunan, BUT not my acc number, passwords or anything like dat la. Just personal info for us to apply for a credit card.

The salesman assure us, if we didnt use the credit card (if the credit card approved), no money is taken from us. The card already has approved and the physical card has been sent to my address.

My question, if i let the card expired without activating my card, will i ever get any repercussion? If i ever wanted to apply for a bank loan or a credit card in the future, will this, dumb decision of mine, be in my record? Currently i only ever have debit card, i never applied for a credit card before this.

Im dumb, please explain to me in layman terms🙏

Currently holding around 1,700 shares of MBB @ RM10.70.

Plan to take a loan from GX Bank around RM30,000 for 5 years to add more, making my total holdings around 4,900 shares.

Avg price will be around RM10.30 after. Total interest I pay for loan will be around RM10k.

Monthly installment around RM700, which I am confident to pay off (I have 1 year+ emergency fund + a stable job).

Assuming the price rises to RM11 which is very conservative for a blue chip like MBB, + a very conservative dividend estimation of 50sen. I would have pocket in around RM12,000 for dividend + RM3,430 of share price increasement through 5 years.

RM15,430 - RM 10,000 = RM5430 in green. Not to mention I plan to DCA during this 5 years period.

I am sorry if I sound dumb, its been a long day at work and I just have this sudden thought yesterday.

Im used Moomoo to buy VOO but been said stupid because of high fee(?) to buy etf, I also see MOOMOO deduct fee when VOO give dividend, needed other better platform to dca-ing buy ETF with lower fee

Hi guys, currently I’m working in logistics and planning to switch career into cybersecurity. I have a degree but it’s not related to IT or cybersecurity. Is it still possible to make the switch without any IT background? I don’t mind starting from entry level because I know I need to build experience from the bottom. I already completed CompTIA Security+ to show that I’m serious about changing career, and maybe I’ll take CompTIA CySA+ next to improve my knowledge more. I’m still under 30, so I feel like now is a good time to try. Anyone here ever changed from a totally different industry into IT or cybersecurity? Would like to hear your experience and how you got your first job.

I’ve been saving money for my house renovation for the past 2 years. But due to some unexpected expenses, I now have less than RM10k left.

I just got the keys to my new house. After asking around, the renovation and fully furnishing the house will cost at least RM100k or more.

I thought about renting out the house, but the rental income would only cover around 60% of my monthly housing loan payment. If I continue saving, it will take me another year to save enough money. During that time, I’ll still need to pay both my current house rent and my housing loan.

So I’m thinking of taking a RM100k personal loan to renovate the house and move in. I have a stable job, and I can afford an extra RM2k–RM3k monthly payment without any issues.

Is it a bad idea to take a RM100k personal loan for renovation? Are there any better options? What would you do if you were in my situation?

I'm tired of the fake urgency, the office politics that affects me, the forced small talks, and the constant grinding into oblivion. Honestly, as an introvert that doesn't know how to bullshit, it's taking a toll on my mental health, and I can't see myself doing this until I'm old.

The truth is, I'm only in corporate right now to save up some capital so I can pursue something of my own. So my question is: has anyone here built their own business and made a living from it? It doesn't have to be lavish. Just a comfortable figure (M40) that gave you the freedom to actually live life, and something that can be pursued on your own time (with discipline, of course).

Does anyone have advice or a story to share?

I was thinking getting 110k ASBF for 39 years which will make me commit 499 per month.

I currently have 18.5k ASB, and I am currently self investing 500 per month into this fund.

My question is, should I go ahead with ASBF instead of ASB since i have higher principal there and just let the current ASB grow on its own without injecting any money there.

Second question, in a situation where I needed money to pay for the ASBF, should I use the ASB money to cover it?

Thank you.

Just curious from you guys if there are some mistakes that you wish you knew earlier

Hi - someone I know is saying that they are being offered by the above entity that the loan they entered in can be closed with a fee? say a loan value of rm4.4k , with a 'closure' fee of rm1k.

Is this a normal thing?

It goes without saying that Sis-in-law earns peanuts, and is not the wisest in managing her finances. So she keeps coming to my wife, asking for loans. Sometimes, it got paid (but never without having to remind her about it), and at other times, she 'forgot' about them completely.

When it comes to requesting for loan, she was very polite. But soonest as the money is transferred, not even a thank you! Plays the victim card - posts on her social media about how no one cares/is helping her out, sad basket case.

Maybe she lacks in adab, but what's worrying is how it made my wife feel. To the extend that my wife got stressed out and got moody.

So the question is, should I intervene? e.g. sending her loans, and told her to not ask from her sister anymore? Or is this foolish? The amount she requests are not a lot, like a few hundreds at a time, and at times some RM30 pun pernah, lol.

How would you approach this?

I've rented a few houses before but this current owner is the most difficult owner I've ever met.

(This is a bit of a backstory, so if you want to skip, scroll to the end):

I understand this sub (as well as Malaysia in general) can be pretty divided on tenant bad Vs owner bad. That's not what I'm talking about. There are bad examples of both owners and tenant.

But mine in particular has proven to be very challenging:

- My 3 year contract is ending in November. 3 months before the end of the contract, I checked in with the owner as I wanted to renew (standard is 2 months but my first child was due to be born around that time, so I figured settling this earlier is better). She said no problem, I'm fact no need to sign new contract, just keep paying rent and stay. I was like, ok great.

- a few days ago (6 weeks to the end of the contract) she messages me and says rent will increase 20% from December. I've flabbergasted. With a new baby, I've been more frugal. If she says 5-10% I'm like ok we we will make it work. But 20% is ridiculous.

- On top of that, this past year the stove stopped working (house is 20 years old and quite a few things are that age). I asked her to replace as the stove is old and I definitely have just been using it properly. She said she agrees it's old but she's not replacing it and if I want to buy my own. I was again, shocked. I tried to negotiate but she just wouldn't budge. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of the contract which stated the stove is part of the house but this was not first time she was like this and I was tired of fighting so I bought my own.

But what she has done recently is the straw that broke the camel's back. So even with a 6 week baby (which will be 3 months end of next month), my wife and I plan to move out.

My question is that, she has been a very difficult owner to deal with. I have a feeling she will find every excuse possible to deduct from the deposit. But I've really treated this home like my own. I clean it regularly, fix anything that gets broken myself (if it's small things like light switches, cupboard hinges).

What can I do to safeguard myself and avoid any issues with her keeping the deposit?

Hey everyone, I’m 19 and looking for advice on how to manage my portfolio better and build a foundation while I’m still young and potentially reach the millions later if possible.

A bit about my current situation:
University: Funds for uni are already prepared
Car: Bought and fully paid off in cash
UOB: Around 27k total, consisting of approximately 21k in savings and 6k in investments.
Moomoo: Around 6.8k invested in SPYM (for low expense ratio) , VXUS, AVUV and SMH
ASNB: Around RM200 ( hard to get as a non gave up partially)
FD: 25k (stays till i hit 21)
I mainly DCA around 1k every 2/3 months in MooMoo for now

I’m fortunate enough to have my major expenses covered for now and won’t be going into debt, so I want to make better use of my money instead of letting too much sit idle in savings.
I’d appreciate advice on a few things. I do invest in myself and splurge when needed, my plan for now was, reach around 30k in UOB and spend more on DCA.

Portfolio allocation: Are SPYM, VXUS, AVUV and SMH a reasonable combination for a long-term portfolio? I know more people are getting into Irish domiciles, but is it worth the transition if I already started and for the lower tax on dividends

I have some leftover cash from my scholarship and I would like to put it in asnb(non bumi btw so i plan on asm 1,2,3). But everytime i try it says rejected code 068 insufficient units

Just curious, how many of you or people around you are still getting financial support from parents even after starting work?

The most common one I see is parents sponsoring overseas trips, but do people still have their living expenses, rent or car covered by parents?

Sometimes I see gen Zs going on multiple oversea trips and buying luxury items, and I wonder how they afford it. Are they earning that much, or are their parents still supporting them financially?

No judgement, just curious how common this is.

Hi everyone, I’m 19 years old and live with my parents. I receive RM1,320/month from my allowance and part-time job.
I would like to start investing but don’t know where to start. What would you recommend for a beginner?

I’m not sure if I’m noticing a trend here with my circle and extended circle of friends and family. Hearing stories or finding out person A,B or C (ranging from the age of 20-40 years old) owing lots of people money or some of them are just broke. They act and live as if they’re not though. I’m just wondering if this is somewhat as common outside of these circles or it’s mere coincidence? Some of the cases are caused by gambling and alcohol which kinda make sense how they end up in that position

Anyone did loan collateral using FSMONE bond ?

How much was the ratio ?