Salary Series Part 1: Unpacking the challenges in Malaysia

“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.” Henry Ford Key Takeaways Salaries in Malaysia are growing; however, they remain low relative to developed markets Salaries are determined based on the supply vs demand for labour, in addition to the effectiveness of matching supply and demand Impediments to improved salary growth in Malaysia are mainly due to structural reasons in our economy and country: Oversupply of…

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Finite human resources: Effectively managing your time and attention

Anyone who thinks that you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman or an economist.David Attenborough Key takeaways We only have a limited amount of time and attention Not all activities deliver equal or even valuable impact; where you spend your time and attention matters The most impactful wealth-building activities are Having the right partner Following a plan Mastering your money psychology Growing your primary income Most people, when choosing to engage in financial activities,…

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Reframing trade-offs to achieve a win-win

"You can have everything you want in life. Just not all at the same time."  Brianna wiest Key Takeaways Oftentimes, options for big decisions are difficult due to what appears to be "equally weighted" trade-offs The root cause is often a lack of clarity of values and goals, followed by Reframing the problem creates opportunities for win-win situations (at the expense of a different trade-off) Choosing to play a different metagame enables you to rewrite the terms of engagement Introduction…

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Operating from a position of strength

"Over the long term, the average person who constantly puts themselves in a good position beats the genius who finds themselves in a poor position ... One reason why the best in the world make consistently good decisions is they rarely find themselves forced into a decision by circumstances. They almost always operate from a position of strength"Shane Parrish Have you ever noticed that most successful people seem to always be in the right place at the right time, be…

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Learnings based on almost 10 years of personal finance modelling

In my most recent post, I shared a personal finance model template for financial planning and projection of your future net worth, income and expenses. I also mentioned that I have my own model suited to my personal needs. I've been modelling my future net worth for over 9 years (and tracking finances without projections for almost 20 years). Every year, my model evolves as assumptions are refined or updated. I've also overhauled the structure several times as my needs…

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New Release: TheWealthMeta Personal Financial Model V2 for Download (March 2025)

“I don’t let people do projections for me because I don’t like throwing up on the desk.” Charlie Munger This post is a continuation of my Developing your Financial Plan Series, so do read the previous posts if you want to learn more about designing your financial goals and creating a financial plan. Last year I developed TheWealthMeta Personal Financial Model to educate and inspire others to develop proper financial plans and incorporate the plan goals into a simple financial model.…

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One step closer to mastering compound interest

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.”Albert Einstein For savvy investors and personal finance aficionados, the concept of compound interest is fundamental to growing wealth. Reinvesting returns, exponential growth, rule of 72, etc… compound interest as a concept is simple to learn, but a difficult concept to master. Brain teasers to test your grasp of compound interest Here are some questions as an arbitrary test…

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You probably should go subsale for purchasing your home (with practical steps)  

How do you save hundreds and thousands of dollars, as well as time, sweat, stress and heartache, when buying property?   First, don't buy investment properties. The past ~10 years' subpar performance in Malaysia will likely continue for the next 10-20 years.  Second, don't buy. Rent. It's "cheaper". Even after the mortgage is paid off.  Third (and the point of this post), if you are going to buy a place to call home, the better option is to purchase a subsale…

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Rising Malaysian insurance and medical costs – Why everyone is responsible, and practical tips to manage

Yes, that's right. Everyone in the ecosystem, from patients to medical suppliers to doctors, contributes to the medical inflation problem in Malaysia. Everyone is talking about medical premiums significantly rising and much of the blame is on insurance companies. Unfortunately, they're an easy target. They're only part of the problem. Let's look at the facts issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), presented to the Malaysian Parliament1. The table below shows the premium increases across…

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My Achievements and Reflections of 2024

It's been another very interesting year. Trump, Syria. AI. Raygun. As the year ends, I'd like to share my achievements and reflections. Not to brag, but to (1) celebrate successes, and (2) reflect on some thoughts in my mind. Putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, is a great way to sharpen thinking. It's also a great way to get different perspectives and for others to identify blind spots in my thoughts and mental models. So, let's get started…

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