Ringgit and Sense

Between escalating living costs, debt obligations, and family commitments, how are Malaysians coping with daily financial pressures? The 9th annual Malaysian Financial Literacy Survey by RinggitPlus reveals striking shifts in household priorities, particularly among those aged 25 to 44. Siew Yuen Tuck, CEO of RinggitPlus, joins Ringgit & Sense to unpack how money worries are forcing young adults to postpone marriage and family planning, the mounting strain of supporting ageing parents, and why retirement plans are being rethought. He also explores what the data reveals about widening emergency savings gaps, reliance on debt, and how Malaysians are navigating AI in personal finance. Ringgit & Sense is brought to you by AmBank SIGNATURE Priority Banking, beyond privileges. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For most of our working lives, EPF is about building up our retirement savings. But once we retire and that balance becomes accessible, the challenge changes: how do we make those savings last for the rest of our lives? Balqais Yusoff, Head of the Policy and Strategy Department at the EPF, joins Ringgit & Sense to unpack i-Emas, the fund’s refreshed monthly withdrawal facility designed to turn retirement savings into regular, predictable income. She explains the five core decumulation strategies, why leaving your balance to compound while withdrawing monthly beats parking lump-sum withdrawals elsewhere, and how EPF's Retirement Income Adequacy (RIA) framework helps members map their savings against their actual living needs in retirement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tax reliefs are like a sale: a discount only saves you money if you actually needed the item in the first place. Licensed Financial Planner Rafiq Hidayat, Managing Director of WealthVantage Advisory, breaks down which reliefs act as true "free money" versus those that trigger unnecessary extra spending, and how to weigh the opportunity cost before locking in your cash. He also explains why timing purchases within this assessment year matters, and reveals which tax reliefs are worth maxing out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2027 introduces personal income tax rate cuts and expands reliefs for middle-income families, upskilling, and first-time home buyers. However, taking advantage of a tax relief or a stamp duty exemption doesn't automatically make it a sound financial decision. Poovarni Rajagopal, Tax Partner at Invatex Consulting, breaks down the new M40 tax brackets and explains what the "sandwich generation" can now claim, from elderly caretaker costs to children's tuition fees and AI subscriptions. She walks through the financial math behind homeownership incentives, the one essential question to ask before spending money for a tax deduction, and why proper documentation matters more than the relief itself as year-end approaches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From mortgages and car loans to credit cards and BNPL schemes, most Malaysians aren't managing just one liability, they're juggling a whole portfolio of debt. Should you tackle the highest-interest loans or the smaller ones first? Rajen Devadason, CEO of RD WealthCreation and Licensed Financial Planner with Manulife Investment Management Malaysia, returns to Ringgit and Sense to share practical strategies for conquering multiple debts. He breaks down mathematical efficiency versus psychological momentum, whether an emergency buffer should take priority over debt repayments, and how to weigh debt-free living against optimising debt over time. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Borrow money for an asset, that’s good debt. Borrow money for a holiday, that’s bad debt. It sounds simple, but is personal finance ever actually that black and white? Rajen Devadason, CEO of RD WealthCreation and Licensed Financial Planner with Manulife Investment Management (Malaysia), joins Ringgit and Sense to explain why the line between good and bad debt isn't as clear as we think. He breaks down the one metric that actually matters and why even solid investments can turn sour. Plus, we look at the psychology of stretching for things we can't afford, and why paying off your home mortgage early might be worth it, even if the math says otherwise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reaching retirement with a sizable nest egg doesn't guarantee long-term security if longevity, healthcare inflation, and unexpected shocks erode your capital. Wan Saifulrizal Wan Ismail, CEO of AmMetLife Insurance Berhad, joins Ringgit & Sense to discuss why Malaysians need to look beyond capital accumulation and pay closer attention to post-retirement financial risks. Wan Saifulrizal shares his three-bucket model for managing retirement savings and risk, highlights the practical limits of medical insurance, and offers basic steps to stress-test your finances ahead of retirement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As new iPhones hit stores tomorrow, it’s clear that smartphones are getting more expensive. So how should we navigate this as buyers? Alexander Wong, Managing Editor of SoyaCincau, joins Ringgit and Sense to unpack what your money actually buys across today's higher price tiers and where he believes the pricing sweet spot is. As expected, Apple unveiled its latest hardware lineup last week, featuring the much-anticipated iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, while a base-model iPhone 18 was notably absent. Pricing has quickly become a primary talking point, with Apple effectively raising the floor price across its lineup. The new iPhone 18 Pro series sees price increases over the previous generation, while the iPhone 17 remains in the lineup at the higher RM4,299 price point rather than receiving a traditional price drop. Driven by global AI demand, an escalating memory shortage, dubbed "Ramageddon", is pushing up smartphone prices across budget, mid-range, and flagship tiers. Alex evaluates whether…

With Apple’s latest iPhones pushing prices higher than ever, are monthly subscriptions and leasing plans the answer instead of paying cash upfront? Idham Idris, Director of Corporate Treasury Investment Services and Licensed Financial Planner at Wealth Vantage Advisory, joins Ringgit and Sense to break down how much it really costs when we spread out the payment of a smartphone. Are these "phone-as-a-service" options good, bad, or complicated? Idham unpacks how monthly pricing can trick our brains into overspending, and why financing options potentially trap us in perpetual upgrade cycles. He also breaks down what to watch for in telco bundles, how to set practical budget guardrails, and where to redirect your money once a phone is finally paid off. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With trillions passing to heirs globally and an estimated RM90 billion in undistributed inherited assets across Malaysia, preparing successors involves far more than transferring financial balances. Lim Eng Ping, Maybank’s Head of Wealth Management Malaysia, and Abdul Halim Abdul Rashid, Maybank Islamic’s Head of Islamic Wealth Management Malaysia, join BFM’s Ringgit and Sense to discuss how families can successfully navigate intergenerational succession. They unpack why instilling values, financial discipline, and stewardship early in children is essential to long-term wealth preservation. They also detail how values-aligned legacy planning solutions, including Wasiat, Hibah, and trusts protect family-owned assets and businesses, and prevent potential estate disputes before life events make planning urgent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How should you value a stock? There are numerous ways and models to value a company, but using the wrong one can give a very misleading picture of what a business is actually worth. Pankaj C. Kumar, Managing Director of Datametrics Research and Information Centre (DARE), joins BFM’s Ringgit & Sense to break down the variety of valuation methods and explain when each is appropriate. He dives into the P/E ratio, discounted cash flow (DCF), price-to-book price-to-sales, and EV/EBITDA, illustrating how to match specific metrics to the right industry sectors, how to evaluate analyst target prices with healthy skepticism, and when buying ETFs is smarter than picking individual stocks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should individual investors avoid investing in IPOs? With data showing that two out of three IPOs in Malaysia trade below their listing price within a year, separating genuine long-term value from short-term market hype is harder than ever. Ng Zhu Hann, CEO of TradeView Capital, joins BFM’s Ringgit and Sense to discuss why first-day price pops and high over-subscription rates can be deceiving, and what it really takes to evaluate an initial public offering (IPO). He reveals critical prospectus red flags to look for before placing a bid, from subtle governance warnings in Related Party Transactions to single-customer concentration risks. He also shares key metrics for assessing how listing proceeds are allocated and how investors should evaluate pre-IPO dividend payouts. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A viral story claims a retiree allegedly blew through RM700,000 in EPF savings in just 21 days. True or false, it highlights a terrifying reality: decades of disciplined accumulation can vanish very quickly without a decumulation plan. Stephen Yong, Licensed Financial Planner and Executive Director of Wealth Vantage Advisory, joins BFM’s Ringgit and Sense to discuss the best practices and mindsets to adopt when you finally get access to your EPF money. He explains how sudden access to large lump-sum retirement balances can trigger a "windfall" mindset, leading to rapid capital depletion, as well as why retirees should retain core funds in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to leverage its historical dividend yields. He also breaks down how to calculate retirement targets while accounting for inflation and longevity risk, and shares his 3-step checklist before you make your first EPF withdrawal. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian employees have until August 31st to make an important financial choice: whether to remain in or opt out of PERKESO’s new 24-hour accident protection scheme, Lindung 24 Jam. While regular SOCSO deductions cover workplace-related incidents and invalidity, this new 0.75% salary deduction (rising to 1% in 2028 and 1.25% in 2031) extends income replacement to non-work-related accidents. But if you already hold personal accident, life, or medical insurance, are you simply paying twice for the same coverage? Licensed financial planner Ian Wong, Founder & CEO of Uno Advisers, joins BFM’s Ringgit and Sense to break down how Lindung 24 Jam bridges critical insurance loopholes, examine the RM6,000 salary capping mechanism, and provide a clear decision framework for employees evaluating whether to stay in or opt out before the deadline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASEAN's affluent population is growing by 5-6% a year, with the middle class set to make up 65-70% of the region by 2030. CIMB's Haniz Nazlan joins us to break down what's driving this boom, and how wealth management is being rewritten as fortunes are built, protected, and transferred. Click here to find out more about CIMB Private Wealth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the midpoint of 2026, a fragile US-Iran ceasefire has broken down while an AI-fuelled memory chip boom has sent Korea's Kospi up 77%, and central banks are growing more cautious as inflation proves sticky. Harmander Mahal from Standard Chartered joins us to unpack what it all means for portfolios, from equities and bonds to gold and cash. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About 38% of EPF members have reached what EPF calls "Basic Savings," up from 35% last year, but that still leaves 62% short. And "Basic Savings" only covers bare necessities. Felix Neoh joins us to unpack what's realistic for salaried employees, gig workers, and stretched households trying to close the savings gap, and offers ways to boost our retirement funds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI infrastructure buildouts, a wave of mega IPOs, energy supply shocks, and shifting safe-haven dynamics have prompted investors to rethink their positioning for the second half of 2026. Desmond Kuang from HSBC joins us to discuss the private bank’s Q3 investment themes and portfolio construction strategies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is Southeast Asia's largest stock market, but most Malaysian investors only go as far as DBS, UOB, and OCBC for dividends. Is there more to the SGX than yield plays? We discuss: • Beyond the banks and REITs, which sectors and themes on the Singapore stock market deserve a closer look. • Can Singapore small caps deliver the multi-bagger returns and what to look for when picking them. • How Singaporean REITs stack up against Malaysian REITs • What the new SGX-Nasdaq dual-listing arrangement, share buybacks, and MAS-backed market reforms actually mean for retail investors. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buy Now Pay Later has become the default payment method for millions of Malaysian consumers, promising instant approval and zero friction at checkout. But that is changing, and the new Consumer Credit Act is rewriting the rules. Johnson Hong and Lo Khai Yi, partners at Halim Hong & Quek, discuss new legal requirements placed on BNPL providers, shoppers, and its impact on the broader consumer finance landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wahed's new fractional real estate product lets investors tap into Shariah-compliant property exposure with as little as RM500. We speak to Mohsin Siddiqui, CEO of Wahed, about how the product works, how it stacks up against i-REITs, and whether being Shariah-compliant comes at the cost of returns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RHB's top small caps for 2026 are financially stable, with bright growth prospects and resilient. Elaine Boey speaks with Alexander Chia, Head of RHB Regional Research, about how these companies are selected, what makes them stand out, and how they are navigating the headwinds in the second half of 2026. Go to RHB's website for the RHB's 20 Jewels 2026 Report'. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks with Nur Mahfuudhzah binti Normin, licensed financial planner at Resolute Planning about Islamic financial planning - how it differs from conventional financial planning, some of the principles involved, how insurance and interest work under this framework and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Stephen Yong, licensed financial planner and Executive Director at Wealth Vantage Advisory about a certain income bracket among Malaysian - specifically the T20 group - why the classification might be broken from the outset, why individuals and households in the lower end of T20 might not be as ‘rich’ as many of us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks with Linnet Lee, licensed financial planner at Resolute Planning about unit trusts - what they are, what kind of investors might be interested in the profile of this investment instrument, how they differ from other instruments like ETFs, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Kevin Neoh, licensed financial planner and Head of Financial Planning at VKA Wealth Planners about budgeting in times of economic stress - even though we aren’t technically in a recession yet, the government has advised the people to spend cautiously. They’ll be discussing how to best do this! Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Yuvarajan Periyan, licensed financial planner and co-founder of Uno Advisers about young money in the wake of news of more younger people declaring bankruptcy in Malaysia. Jake will be asking Yuva about the allure of the ‘social media lifestyle’, why young investors might take excessive risk and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim will be speaking to Datin Nor Hanifah Hashim, CEO & Head of Malaysia, Franklin Templeton about an investment asset that might be unfamiliar to some of our listeners: sukuk. They’ll be talking about what sukuk is, how they differ from regular bonds, whether it’s a good idea to have them in your portfolio, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Yap Ming Hui, founder of Whitman Holdings - he’s also a licensed financial planner - about the profession. What makes a licensed financial planner different from the ‘wealth coaches’ and ‘investment consultants’ out there, how to tell whether they’re a good job, how much you can expect to pay, and more. Whitman was also recently listed on the LEAP Market Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Michelle Chin, co-founder of Oyen, Malaysia’s first pet insurance company about the costs of owning a pet - especially some of the hidden costs most people might miss, like pet boarding whenever you go out of town, differences in prices vet for different breeds and even gender of pets, and of course, how much pet insurance will cost you every month. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Ringgit & Sense this week, producer Jake Lim speaks to Chua How Kiat, Leader for Deloitte Private Southeast Asia about family businesses- a little bit on trends in the region but more importantly they’ll be discussing what the differences are between family enterprises that thrive, and those which merely survive. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Ringgit & Sense this week, producer Jake Lim will be speaking to Idham Idris, Director of Corporate Treasury Investment Services at Wealth Vantage Advisory about the “post-Raya financial whiplash” - when all the unplanned spending during the festivities catches up with your wallet and bank account. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim is joined by Ku Sim Ling - she’s better known as AuntyHR on various social media platforms - to talk about career road bumps, biggest mistakes you can make, and take a look at some case studies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Hann Liew, a licensed fund manager and co-founder of Halogen Capital about whether cryptocurrencies still have a place in our portfolio amidst global volatility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Producer Jake Lim sits down with Harvindar Singh, Managing Partner of Harvey & Associates to talk about individual tax reliefs, common mistakes that people make when filing their taxes, as well as tips for the tax season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Ringgit & Sense this week, producer Jake Lim speaks to Farhana Roslan, Head of the Research Team at PNB Research Institute about wages in Malaysia - why growth has been so slow, whether it’s still worth pursuing tertiary education, and what the government and society can do to remedy this issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim zooms into ‘Pig Butchering’ scams - where scammers build up trust over a long period of time with their victims - in light of recent news, and he will be joined by Yuvarajan Periyan, licensed financial planner and co-founder of Uno Advisers to talk about a case he’s seen about this. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks to Dr. Mohaini Ahmad Basri, licensed financial planner with Wealth Vantage Advisory about his recent article commenting on the anticipated EPF dividend for 2025 - who do the high returns truly benefit, and what should younger Malaysians be thinking about in terms of passion vs income. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, we have a very special episode waiting for you - it’s the Feng Shui edition that comes on every Lunar New Year - producer Jake Lim will be sitting down with Dr Cheng, Feng Shui Master to talk about the sectors that might do well this year according to Feng Shui principles, and which Zodiacs might need some help in the months ahead. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim is joined by Ian Wong, Founder & CEO of Uno Advisers - he’s also a licensed financial planner - they’ll be talking about financial mistakes that you DON’T want to make in 2026. Spoiler - the chat will involve overspending during CNY, and paying too much for medical insurance. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, love is in the air - producer Jake Lim sits down with Linnet Lee, licensed financial planner at Resolute Planning to talk about how much you should spend on Valentine’s Day, the ‘money talk’ that couples should have, and there’s even two case studies where couples are having difficulties with in terms of finances. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, Jake Lim will be talking about the implementation of the Retirement Income Adequacy or RIA framework by EPF. He’ll be asking Rajen Devadason, licensed financial planner with Manulife Investment Management (Malaysia) Bhd whether the saving thresholds under the framework is actually achievable, what you can do on the income and spending side to try to reach this benchmark, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim sits down with Kevin Neoh, licensed financial planner with VKA Wealth Planners to talk about new year resolutions concerning personal finance. Jake will be asking Kevin why some people seem to lose steam at some point during the year, how to stick to your money goals, and more through a series of case studies. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim speaks with Terence Ng, Associate Director of Equities, AIIMAN Asset Management which is a subsidiary of AHAM Capital about how to pick stocks, the mindset investors might be trapped in, how to overcome the fear of missing out, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim is joined by Felix Neoh, Director of Financial Planning at Finwealth Management to answer some of the questions about credit cards that were sent in by our listeners. These include “when am I ready for a credit card”, “can you ask your bank to forgive late payment fees”, and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ringgit & Sense, producer Jake Lim is joined by Kimberly Law, co-founder and licensed financial planner at Uno Advisers. And since it’s job hunting season for fresh grads, they’ll be talking about what to do, and maybe more importantly what NOT to do with your first paycheck. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chua Kim Soon, CEO of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia addresses something that’s very timely - insurance for homes against disasters. He discusses the types of protection available, differences for strata owners, vehicle insurance against floods and of course, the costs involved. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chee Pei Pei, Tax Partner and Private Leader at Deloitte Malaysia talks about findings from Deloitte’s recent report on family businesses, as well as how family businesses can have longevity, retain talent, and maintain wealth beyond 3 generations. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chee Pei Pei, Tax Partner and Private Leader at Deloitte Malaysia talks about findings from Deloitte’s recent report on family businesses, as well as how family businesses can have longevity, retain talent, and maintain wealth beyond 3 generations. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest figures from the Department of Statistics for headline inflation is seemingly quite low at 2.1% in September - and yet, many are still feeling the squeeze from the rising cost of living. Why is that the case and how can we better manage our finances to combat this? Producer Jake Lim will be finding out from Dr. Mohaini Ahmad Basri, licensed financial planner at Wealth Vantage Advisory. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.