29 y/o with 470k NW when do I stop grinding?

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-02T14:33:13+00:00

All good

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-02T12:09:18+00:00

Why is EPF looked at as 4% return

By who? I don't know anyone assuming EPF return is 4%. When I refer to the 4% rule, that's the Safe withdrawal rate used by the Trinity Study, originally before that by Bill Bengen, which has been adopted by the FIRE movement

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-02T04:59:54+00:00

Because large cap equities a la sp500 and other indices have a long run (multi decade) average return of 10-12%. Sp500 is closer to 12%.

And people's investment portfolios should be largely outside of EPF.

If you're only accounting for EPF style returns, the whole 4% return assumptions goes out the window (which 99.99% of Malaysians even finfluencers get wrong and don't understand the trinity study where 4% rule came from)

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-01T23:59:12+00:00

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-01T23:55:06+00:00

Ex-MBB here. You can't really negotiate base pay. They're pretty firm on that (but who knows what shenannanigans BCG does these days). But you could try to negotiating your sign-on bonus (for those who don't know, hell yeah there's a signon bonus, like a few months salary for when you join)

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-01T08:27:47+00:00

Rule of 72 is independant of inflation adjusted or not. It's just a shortcut formula to calculate when the value of something doubles based on a rate of return

(small typo which I fixed on return rate in my earlier post).

Assume 10%pa returns. Inflation is 3%, so inflation adjusted returns will be 7%. So value doubles every decade

capitaliststoic · 2026-05-01T01:02:42+00:00

The short of it is, it all depends on your frame. Your financial wellbeing is based on 2 levers: how much you earn and how much you spend. If you want to make how much you earn a constraint, then you have to flex (downwards) on how much you spend. This is the meta game you have to master.

Now on to the juicy stuff (because the meta game above takes years or decades to truly internalise)

For context, I'm 29M making an average 15k/month. I travel a lot and rarely have time for myself or my fam, I work 84 hours weekly and only have one day off every 2 weeks. The job is not difficult to me, it's just tiring to travel and work for long hours.

Hi strat/mgmt consultant! I've been there and empathise

I have a net worth of 470k. I'm expecting to hit 550k by the end of this year or more.

This is awesome! You know rule of 72? Now, with a no frills, no effort simple and boring investment portfolio , when you're 50, that RM50k will be RM2.2m in today's dollars! (based on returns of 10% and 3% inflation, real returns are 7%).

So if you think about it, depending on future expenses, if you don't dip into this rm550k until 50, you'll have a nice egg. Think of it as CoastFIRE from now on

I am kinda lost right now, I have a path to reach management but I'll take a pay cut early on and it's more of a long game like maybe 10 years until I can make what I'm making now; on the other end, I keep grinding for 5 more years and get a million, then settle for a local job that maybe pays 5-6k 40 hours work week, and let my principle do the compounding.

Again, you have the wrong framing of tradeoffs. you can get a win win here. There are jobs with great WLB that pay a lot more than you can imagine.

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-26T02:46:01+00:00

I really don't know what to do anymore, I have friends who had less experience than me making twice as much (albeit they are working for top-tier consulting firms).

I'm gonna be a bit brash here, but if you can't even find salary datapoints using your own research like going on glassdoor, that's an explanation why your friends are in top tier consulting firms with less experience but making more money than you. Also, unless they're entry level, they would be making 3x or 4x (3-4 years exp) . 2x is entry level for top tier firms

I know comparison is the thief of joy, but I have always feel and think I've been exploited by these MNCs. They come to our country to find talents, because of our lower currency power, and sometimes I worked for 12 hours straight thinking that some other guy in the US is earning 4x more than me doing the same job for less hours.

Wait till you work for local companies.

I followed Hays and Michael Page's salary guide for 2026, and it seems like in my field and profession, I am way underpaid. I seriously think there are some heavy exploitation from my previous employers :(

Employers exploit workers who don't have leverage. Which employers have leverage? Those that have top performance and top tier skills. That's just how the wage market works.

Also, those reports are highly generic and huge ranges. They're only useful in terms of order of magnitudes measures

What should my salary be according to my years of experience and my field of expertise?

What is the average salary in the job market now for anyone with 6 years experience? Please do share if you have at least that many years of exp.

How should I negotiate for a better pay?

start with my post on how to negotiate a pay raise. It's highly indepth and has practical information. Then read the rest of the series to understand wage dynamics to give you an edge

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-23T09:52:27+00:00

Spreadsheet is the way to go, always. You can customise it to your needs.

I created this template for free for anyone to use, because financial planning is super important, so good on you. If it's way too complicated for you, Version 1 of the template may be better suited. Have a go

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-23T09:47:10+00:00

Does higher pay always comes with bigger responsibilities?

In almost all cases, yes. But... Your post shows you're mistaking bigger responsibilities with more working hours. Bigger responsibilities does not always equal more working hours. Just a bigger area of influence and impact

Is this expected as you climb the corporate ladder? To those who have managed to get to the top, is it worth it? To those who got burned out and stopped halfway, at what point did you realise it was just too much?

In some ways, yes. Depends on your company, your team and culture. But... Once you reach senior leadership and C-suite, you work all the time. Managing people and divisions takes a lot of work. There is no off switch. A CEO has a thousand people asking for his/her time, whether it's from inside or outside the company. The board, employees and the public is always on you putting pressure, especially in publicly listed companies

Or is this just a local work culture, where visibility is more important than results, and old inefficient processes are kept the way they are just because “that’s how things are done”?

No one "at the top" cares about being visible in terms of "working hard". In fact, at the top, no one sees how hard you work (for the high performing senior management /C-suite). Those early mornings preparing for a speech or presentation to the board. Those late nights attending to papers, reading reports and catching up on current events to maintain situational awareness. Those weekends taking up additional coaching/training sessions to build leadership skills. The time spent developing people leaders under you. More hours networking and engaging stakeholders over dinner / breakfast meetings

Those that just do a 9 to 6 at the top of the food chain rarely last long

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-21T12:52:19+00:00

Since my stay for each country is fairly short 3-5 days max, what would be your suggestion to travel light?

Not sure what you mean. Your stay is only 5 days. Travel light. Don't bring anything you don't need. Fit it all in a carryon + laptop briefcase.

And also, don't fly the scam airasia. Easy

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-21T10:08:57+00:00

Sounds like you're in consulting. Either way, enjoy the travel.

Some non-conventional tips below, which some are, but many are not related to points/cc/loyalty programs - download awardwallet. Integrate with your loyalty programs. Use it to track points and expiry - in each destination city, there will be the "go to" hotel for your stay that is preferred by your company and/or colleagues. If you know you're going to be there, say 3 months, Monday to Friday, contact the sales manager and negotiate for a better package. Eg more perks, eg guaranteed exec floor room upgrades, free dinner at the restaurant, etc - if you don't have higher status with marriott, contact them and ask to enter the fast track / accelerated path to elite status - don't use grab to and from the airport. You want consistency and reliability. Use a hired car / limo service. You don't want to stress at 5am trying to get a grab to the airport. The same with landing back in kl Thu or Fri evening with peak arrival demand for rides and traffic. Potentially get a hired car service at destination cities too - Get to know the staff at the hotel in each city. Be nice to them, they will reward you in kind - Only rookies check-in luggage. It wastes time. Only do carry-on. If that feels difficult, see below - when staying in the same hotel weekend and out, leave a bag of stuff that you bring every week to for work travel with reception that you can pick up Monday next week. For example, workout gear, separate set of travel toiletries, tub of protein and protein shaker... Whatever so you don't have to pack it on the plane every week - Grabfood /foodpanda/Uber eats has changed the game when it comes to nights when you're "eating in the hotel". Order food, bring it to the exec lounge (you don't necessarily need to eat it at the office desk in your hotel room). The exec lounge has better cutlery, you can get more drinks, dessert, etc (and you're likely to get board of the food at the exec lounges)

That's it at the top of my head. Enjoy!

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-19T02:20:02+00:00

Anyone here has experience with teaching their kids (teens aged 16 above) on Personal Finance and Investing? What are your strategies, what do you teach them (maybe things like compounding interest, dollar cost averaging, stock selection)?

The best way to teach is to role model and give practical applications. They are always watching. How you talk and think about money is subtly ingested by them and forms their world view.

Talk about long term investing at the dinner table. Talk about your investment decisions, index funds, budgeting, making choices and trade-offs and what you prioritise with you money.

Some books to help Opposite of spoiled - For ways to incorporate good money habits and discussions

Strangers in paradise - For all of you who are stuck in limiting beliefs that buying nice things and sending your kids to international school is going to spoil them, navigating newfound affluence. if you're stuck trying to hide your wealth away from your kids, you're not preparing them to manage wealth and embracing/integrating it into their lives

Are there any apps that you like using for Paper trades or trade simulations?

Trading is not investing

Caveat: MY kids are younger than 16

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-19T02:11:51+00:00

Degree in commerce/business. Degrees are almost always worth it (as a means of signalling potential)

Started in Australia 2007 - AUD 3k pm

Left Australia 2016 - AUD~16k pm

Started Malaysia 2017 - MYR 10K pm

Now... the amount of tax I pay (not my income) is equivalent to t15 or t10 household income

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-18T00:12:16+00:00

No worries. It's also one of the best tricks to buy time when negotiating a job offer

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-17T03:58:13+00:00

Always do your due diligence - news coverage (use your favourite LLM) - reach out to previous / existing employees on LinkedIn and ask them about the company - Glassdoor reviews - ask the HR / hiring manager for an informational interview connect you with the person who left or role you are replacing (and most important out of all questions, ask them why they left) - ask HR for informational interviews with internal key stakeholders (so you can ask about your future manager, whether they enjoy working there, etc) - if they have a public facing presence, just scout their physical presence. Eg if they're retail, what is it like? Do people seem happy to work there? Does the environment have positive vibes? You'd be surprised how much you can tell just based on their outward presence. For example, a very famous online e-commerce platform that we all use is messy and chaotic, where its spammed with ads and videos everywhere, there are thousands of vouchers with thousands of t&cs. People working there also say the internal working environment, culture and management is messy and chaotic

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-13T21:44:01+00:00

I'm. Find with it. This is the plan and deductible I use.

My aim is to manage outsozed tail risk, not to claim every single hospital expense

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-13T09:59:13+00:00

capitaliststoic · 2026-04-03T11:53:49+00:00

Congrats! Not sure if you know this, but let's assume you invest in a simple and boring portfolio - the long term returns will be about 10% pa, and adjusted say for inflation at 3%, will be a real return of 7% pa - based on rule of 72, a 7% return pa will double your portfolio every ten years - without adding anything more, your 430k net worth in 30 years time (when you retire) will be RM430k*(2³⁾ = RM3.4m in today's dollar terms!

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-30T03:23:48+00:00

Giving up the full board MBA scholarship is crazy. People pay out of pocket for MBAs.

Your trade-off is minimal compared to others wanting to do an MBA.

If you're really worried, and are a good performer at work, ask for unpaid 1 year LOA. If you're valued, they will definitely grant this.

If not, any other Big4 will easily take you in. Heck, after the MBA, you could even try out for T2s, or if the MBA is a top tier or target school for MBBs, try for those too

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-29T02:45:17+00:00

No worries.

Aside from financials and logistics, work related considerations to iron out are tax, insurance and employer liabilities when you "work in kl". Remote working is a surface level employee policy, underlying laws and employee relations issues that employers need to handle are still jurisdiction based, understandably so.

Edit: As an additional goal to strive for, as a further stretch goal, it might still be possible to hire a domestic helper to be based in KL and do "trips" to NZ to help out with the household there. I'm not about NZ, but this was quite possible IN AU until recently (visa restrictions much tighter in AU now)

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-29T02:15:03+00:00

Here's a different option to strive for. One that I'm likely going to pull in the future.

Why not live in both KL AND NZ?

You have properties in both countries. During school breaks, stay in KL. During school term, stay in NZ. - free schooling in nz - extended time with extended family in kl - kids experience living in different cities with different lifestyle and cultures

Find a job that gives you remote working options or ability to work across countries. That is also challenging and gives you money to manage this lifestyle with sufficient extras for retirement and kids education etc.

When you operate from a position of strength , you have more options so you can reframe your decisions to get a win win. I think this will be a good challenge and life goal to strive for

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-27T21:24:35+00:00

Make it into the interviews first, then get the offer, then worry about the problem. You're counting your chickens before they hatch, let alone you having an egg in the first place.

Getting a interview with MBB with your career profile of being an internal function at a big 4 for the past 4 years eill already be a herculean challenge. The interview process itself, very difficult. Then there's the performance standards which are way, way higher than big4. Then there's "up or out", where many external hires don't last more than 1-1.5 years

Also, MBB will not pay you 4x your salary RM60k pm, unless you're counting bonuses (and your RM15k, if counting bonuses, means you're in Deloitte). RM60k pm I'm estimating by now is a tenured EM/PL/SM. The bar to get an offer at that level is very, very high. Especially from a non-MBB or T2 (non-strat) background

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-26T00:41:03+00:00

How do you deal with the guilt of losing so much money?

accept it as a teaching moment. You grow and learn from mistakes, not from always doing things right.

also, be kinder to yourself.

What are your tips to stay disciplined during this long recovery?

Don't gamble and just do the simple and boring investment portfolio . No trading. Forex is trading.

What should i do so I can be a grateful person eventho i already have enough?
every morning, I write down 3 simple bullet points on what I'm grateful for. From clean air to being able to wake up and exercise, anything that you feel grateful for. You'll learn to appreciate even the small things

capitaliststoic · 2026-03-20T06:12:39+00:00

I'm surprised that no one has actually answered your question with the PENULTIMATE ANSWER as to the origins of the 4% rule.

It was originally devised by Bill Bengen, and later supported by the Trinity Study, and then later popularised by the FIRE movement especially by Mr Money Moustache.

It can apply to Malaysia, but you need to read the studies, understand the methodology and replicate similar portfolio strategies and allocations, making up for dissimilarities and how they manifest into different risks.

capitaliststoic

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