Dividend Magic

Saving and Investing towards Financial Independence in Malaysia

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Rakuten Trade – Review and FAQ

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Filed Under: Investment, Dividends 59

Welcome to our Rakuten Trade review and FAQ guide. In this article, we dive into Malaysia’s popular online trading platform—examining its key features, fee structure, and overall performance. Whether you’re new to investing or a seasoned trader, you’ll find the insights you need to determine if Rakuten Trade fits your needs as an investor.

Rakuten Trade Referral Code

First off, if you’re thinking of registering for a Rakuten Trade account, and looking for a referral code, please consider supporting me and the blog by using my referral link hERE or with the code: DIVMAGIC

Just make sure that this section is filled this way:

You will earn 1,000RT (RM10 equivalent) points upon successful activation of your account.

Thank you in advance for supporting me and the blog.

Personal Finance and Investing

Personal finance and investing form the core of your financial journey. You should view personal finance—savings, protection, and insurance—as your defence, and investing as your offence.

I have articles on these that you can check out, too many to list them all here but let me start you off with a few:

Personal Finance

Investing

Latest News: Rakuten Trade’s lowest of the low brokerage fee

Rakuten Trade has revamped its fee structure, both locally and for international markets.

Rakuten Trade is currently the lowest against local brokers’ non-promotional rates for a trading value below RM9,999.99 for MY, US & HK Market (trading in MYR) and below USD990 trading value for US market (trading in USD).

More info officially from Rakuten Trade here.

The visuals below will speak for themselves. They’re one of the cheapest and most competitive brokers now in Malaysia.

Rakuten Trade 2025 Latest MYR brokerage comparison Old Vs New
Rakuten Trade 2025 Latest USD brokerage comparison Old Vs New

My New Investing Strategy for 2025

Starting Match 2022, I invested RM1-2K per month in Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (US: VOO) via Rakuten Trade.

For my Malaysia stock portfolio, The Freedom Fund, you can check it out here. I update this quarterly.
I also update my dividends received monthly via my Dividend Income Update 2025 page.

If markets do drop and if a big dip happens, I might be investing a larger amount that month. This will be a very passive investing strategy and I’d like to invite you guys to try and do the same. Instead of picking your stocks and timing the market, buy the whole US market. I think in 10-20 years, you’ll be thanking me.

I won’t go into details about the benefits of long-term passive investing, if this is unheard of to you, I’ll leave you with this write-up on Warren Buffet’s $1 million bet on passive investing vs hedge funds.

May 2023 Portfolio Update

Rakuten Trade – Latest Brokerage Fees

Rakuten Trade MYR Brokerage fee 2025
Rakuten Trade MYR Brokerage fee 2025
Rakuten Trade USD Brokerage fee 2025
Rakuten Trade USD Brokerage fee 2025

For a retail investor like me, with their new foreign trading fees, and the ability to trade in different currencies, it’ll be safe to say that Rakuten Trade offers one of the cheapest and more flexible options right now here in Malaysia.
So, in short, if you’re planning to buy US stocks, you can try Rakuten Trade. Assuming no currency exchange fluctuations of course

Forex Rate

Conversion rates will be competitive as per the briefing I attended. This will have to be tried and tested when they eventually go live.

Registration and Activating Foreign Trading

With the fees out of the way, I urge you guys to go ahead and open and activate your Rakuten Trade Foreign account right now. It can be done 100% online. Go register, activate and test the platform out together with me.

Step 1: Open your Rakuten Trade Cash Upfront Account

If you’re new to Rakuten Trade, you’ll need to first open a basic Rakuten Trade Cash Upfront account. Please consider supporting me and the blog by using my referral link hERE with the code: DIVMAGIC. You’ll also receive 1,000 free RT points (updated for 2023) which can be used to offset your brokerage fees!

Step 2: Activate Foreign Trading

Then, you’ll have to log in to your Rakuten Trade account and activate Foreign Trading. This can be done via the website or through their app. If you’re already an existing Rakuten Trade user, skip Step 1 and just proceed with Step 2.

Rakuten Trade – One of Malaysia’s Best Brokerages

Moving on, this is not a Sponsored Post.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, Rakuten Trade has reported an unprecedented number of sign-ups and activations.

In part, due to clients being allowed to register for and activate their accounts online.

Rakuten Trade activates 11,000 new accounts in March, amid MCO period

As reported by The Edge Markets

How I Use Rakuten Trade

For all Malaysian retail brokers like myself, I think Rakuten Trade is the best brokerage we have available here. I’m a long-term investor and typically make about 10-20 trades a year, depending on the market’s performance.

Low Brokerage

Rakuten Trade is perfect for me due to its competitive and low brokerage fees. As of 2021, most brokerages have lowered their fees to similar levels. Rakuten Trade is among the lowest.

And you know me, I always go for low fees. Fees add up. In my few years of stock investing, my fees add up to RM3.6K. And that is me being a long-term, slow investor. Remember to always keep your fees low.

RT Points

Apart from its low and competitive brokerage fees, Rakuten Trade is the only Malaysian brokerage that offers a form of cashback/reward for every trade made. You get RT points for trades and they have regular events that earn you even more points throughout your stock investing journey. And these points can add up. I usually cash in for AirAsia BIG points. You can also cash in your RT points for Bonuslink and Boost.

100% Online Registration

Another huge advantage of Rakuten Trade is its fully online registration. This has been a big hit, especially among younger retail investors. It can be a hindrance for the older generation but if you find it tough to sign up online, you can always walk into their premises and get help there.

FAQ

With this huge amount of sign-ups, I’ve also received plenty of questions from first-time investors as well as veteran ones. With a fully online brokerage being something totally new in Malaysia.

I’ve taken the time to compile a list of frequently asked questions below and sent them to Rakuten Trade for their official answers (highlighted in blue).

1.            Is it safe to trade with Rakuten Trade?

Yes, Rakuten Trade is licensed by Securities Commission Malaysia and holds a restricted Capital Markets Services License (“CMSL”) to deal in listed securities and to provide investment advice.

I get asked this question the most! And the answer is 100% yes. The SC does not willy-nilly hand out brokerage licenses.

2.            How long does it take for me to withdraw my money?

If you perform a withdrawal before the cut-off time (3pm on working days), the withdrawal will be reflected in your account the same day. After 3PM, we will process your withdrawal in the next working day.

So, for those who have asked me if there are problems with withdrawal, the answer is no. In fact, Rakuten Trade is one of the fastest in processing your withdrawal requests.

3.            I hear the shares held won’t be under my name.

Rakuten Trade accounts are nominee accounts and you will be the beneficiary of the account.

A nominee account is a securities account opened by an authorised nominee in accordance with Bursa Rules. With Rakuten Trade, your CDS account is held under a company’s name KENANGA NOMINEES (TEMPATAN/ASING) SDN BHD RAKUTEN TRADE SDN BHD FOR [CLIENT NAME]

4.            When do I receive my dividend payments?

As a Nominees CDS account holder, it may take an additional 3-5 trading days from the dividends payment date before it gets credited into your RT trading account

5.            Will Rakuten Trade charge for corporate actions in the future?

Rakuten Trade currently doesn’t charge a fee for corporate action-related activities and has yet to have plans to change this.

6.            I’m already trading with another broker, how can I transfer my existing shares to Rakuten Trade?

You just need to inform your current broker of your intention to switch. A physical share transfer form with a transfer fee of RM10.00 per counter will be submitted. Upon successful transfer, you will receive 1000 RT Points.  

My Full Review of Rakuten Trade

With their, rewards program, low fees, and no handling fees for corporate actions, Rakuten Trade is the top broker currently in Malaysia.

Rakuten Trade Advantages

1. You earn RT points whenever you trade.
As mentioned earlier, Rakuten Trade points or RT Points are what you earn when you trade or execute any trading exercise via their platform. The points can then be redeemed.

No other broker offers this!

2. Low brokerage fees starting from RM1 up to RM100.
Of all the brokers in Malaysia, Rakuten Trade offers the lowest commission rate at RM1 per trade for transactions below RM700. This is why Rakuten Trade is one of the best brokerages to start with when you’re a beginner.

3. No handling fees on corporate actions.
You open a Nominee CDS Account instead of a Direct CDS account with Rakuten Trade. This means no more manual paperwork to be done on your end for corporate actions.

Instead, these requests are handled by Rakuten Trade based on customers’ instructions from the website (online). They even absorb that revenue stamp guys and girls!

Now, this is a huge one, you no longer have to queue up at the post office to hand in your DRP forms for example.

4. Simple and fast account application. 100% online
Unlike all other brokers in Malaysia, you can apply for and activate your Rakuten Trade account online.

5. Online dividend tax vouchers
You receive your dividend vouchers in your inbox instead of in the mail. Save the trees!

6. High digital engagement with users
Rakuten Trade regularly posts updates and research on its website and social media accounts.

7. Clean User Interface
Rakuten Trade recently revamped its platform and it is now, even more, user-friendly. After using other brokerages for so long, Rakuten Trade feels much more modern. Try it!

Rakuten Trade Disadvantages

Most of these are due to Rakuten Trade being a nominee account instead of a direct CDS account. First off, let me assure you that your money will be safe albeit not directly under your name. Rakuten Trade is regulated by SC and your money is placed with a Trustee. In the unlikely case that Rakuten Trade goes bust, your money is held by a third-party trustee. Your money is safe.

The pros of a nominee account are that they will handle all the corporate actions on your behalf for free as mentioned above. No more long queues and RM10 setem hasils at post offices. This is a huge win for me as it saves time. The small disadvantages are listed below.

1. Late dividend tax vouchers.
You may receive your dividend vouchers a little late as the dividends will first need to be processed.

I do feel obliged to mention this as I get messages from readers asking me why they have yet to receive their dividends when their friends have. Your dividend will take around 3-5 trading days to process given your RT account is a nominee CDS account.

2. You cannot apply for an IPO.
Being a nominee account, you’re unable to apply for a company’s initial public offering.

This isn’t a big deal for me. To date, I’ve never subscribed to an IPO. If you, however, are big on IPOs, Rakuten Trade might not be for you.

3. Additional steps for attending AGM/EGMs
Due to it being a nominee account, to attend AGM/EGMs, you’ll have to email your request to Customer Service ten (10) working days before the AGM/EGM.

Register Now

As mentioned above, if you’re thinking of registering for a Rakuten Trade account, please consider supporting me and the blog by using my referral link hERE with the code: DIVMAGIC

Just make sure that this section is filled this way:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is rakuten-registration.png


You will earn 1000RT points upon successful activation of your account.

Thank you in advance for the support!

End.

If you’re new to investing, you can start reading my Guide to Stock Investment.

To end this, I’d like to emphasize that this is not a Sponsored Post.

I am 100% backing one of Malaysia’s modern brokerages and recommend it to all new investors.

As always, I am on Facebook and Instagram. Follow, and keep up to date.

What to Do During a Bear Market in Malaysia

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Filed Under: Investment, Dividends, Financial Independence 8

What is a Bear Market?

In general, bear markets are markets in which the prices of securities fall by more than 20% amid widespread negative investor sentiment and fear. It can last from weeks to decades.

So, don’t be so quick to call a market a BEAR.

Things You Should Do During a Bear Market

Always Stay Invested

I’ve said this countless times, and it stays true time and time again. In the long term, you’re always better off staying invested.

And if you’ve been a reader of the site, I would like to assume – like me, you’re a long term investor.

”Wouldn’t it be better to sell off my stocks now and buy when the market bottoms out?”

This is the most frequent question I got during the last few weeks of turbulence. I even came up with a standard reply to copy and paste.

The above theory is sound, but I for one will never know when a market ‘bottoms’ out. And neither would you.

Instead of chasing that bottom, I’d suggest averaging down your stock positions regularly. And when a market rebounds, and trust me it will, you’ll be in prime position for the biggest upside of your life.

Remember the Fundamentals

Don’t panic. Don’t sell. Don’t panic sell.

Remember the reasons you bought into the stock and your portfolio in the first place. During a bear market, the company’s fundamentals will not have changed.

Do not just sell because the stock price is dropping. That goes against conventional wisdom.

What I am Doing

The Freedom Fund isn’t spared the current market downturn. In fact, my return right now is at a measly 0.91%. Since inception.

However, I’ve received and will continue to receive dividends every month. Which is why there’s no panic selling from my side.

Of course, there will always be regrets in hindsight where I wished I had sold stocks earlier so I’d have more money to spend now. But I’m happy where I am – receiving dividends while the market goes crazy.

So this is what I’m actually doing – I’m purchasing stocks and averaging down on my positions. And to continue doing this for the next few months or even years, I’d need cashflow. AND Dividends = Cashflow.

The money I’ve actually saved up in Fixed Deposits and in my savings account will be utilized and used to make more buys.

It is the Best Time to Start Investing

If you’re ever on the fence and wondering if you should start investing, the time is now.

You can read up on how to start investing hERE.

If you’ve yet to open a brokerage account, I’d recommend Rakuten Trade. They offer one of the best rates and you can do everything online right now.

And if you don’t want to invest on your own, I’d suggest a robo-advisor like StashAway.

End.

Now, this isn’t a call for everyone to take up arms and buy, buy, buy.

Instead, I am telling you to keep a calm mind and purchase more stocks if you are able to. Do not go over your risk threshold.

It is also a reminder to always, always stay invested.
Onwards and upwards my friends.

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date.

Hello 2020!

By
Filed Under: Dividends, FI/RE, Financial Independence 0

My Goals

Financial

Let’s start off with my goals set way back in 2018.

  • Dividend yield > 5%
  • Total dividends > RM20,000 p.a.

Those were the goals I set out to achieve at the start of 2019. Here’s where I am at now.

  • Dividend yield:  4.16%
  • Total dividends: RM16,322.27

As compared to 2018, both my yield and my total dividends have dropped. I can attribute this to the bad performance of some companies I hold and the markets not doing well. But at the end of the day, it is on me because I held on to those stocks and I should be ahead of the market.

So, come 2020, I’ll be sprucing up and making some changes to the Freedom Fund. Time to get the dividend yield above the 5% threshold, lock in some profits and cut some losses.

For 2020:
Fix the Freedom Fund. The aim is still 5% dividend yield per annum with the final goal being RM36,000 in total dividends every year.

Thereafter, I’d want to set aside some money to invest in riskier, high growth potential companies.

The Blog

The blog has been making steady progress over the years. Dividend Magic has officially crossed the 1 million views mark. It’ll be exciting to see how the site does in the coming years.

You may have come across a few more Sponsored Posts than usual.
I’d like everyone to know that I vet through and at the end of the day only take on jobs that I personally approve and use. So, the next time you see the tag [Sponsored], do know that it’ll probably bring some value to you.

For 2020:
I’ve made a decision moving forward to focus on quality as opposed to quantity when it comes to sponsors. I’ll be choosing to work with a select few that relate closely to investing and what I’m writing about.

Health

In the past, I’ve been focusing a lot on financial goals but I’d like to keep myself accountable on the non-financial aspects of my life as well. So the goals will be a little more personal this time around.

I’ve been hitting the gym 5 times a week now. Also, instead of the usual strength and vanity muscle workouts, I’ve been focusing on mobility and stretching.

Meditation is also a big part of my routine now. If you all want to be more productive and focused on basically everything, I highly recommend meditation. It’ll take up only 10-20 minutes of your day.

For 2020:
I’d want to continue my 5-times a week work out sessions.

Also, I’d like to make meditation a permanent routine and habit of mine. First thing in the morning and one more in the evening.

And, a better diet.

Personal

I’ll be increasing my budget for travel as well as for food moving forward. So look forward to more posts and photos like this on my Instagram.

and this

I’ll leave you with a little video of my how my 2019 went.

End.

This is how the Freedom Fund looks going into 2020.

Gross Investment: RM392,717.20
Market Value: RM458,476.77
Dividends (2019): RM16,322.27
Dividend Yield: 4.16%
Special Dividend: RM11,970.00

2020 would be a good year to start investing. If you’re looking to start, start hERE. If you haven’t got the funds, please start saving.

To a stellar year ahead. Onwards and upwards.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with my dividend income updates.

Dividend Income Update 2019

By
Filed Under: Dividends 0

 A list of my past dividend income and updates can be found below:

Before we get to the serious stuff, this is how my 2019 went.

December Dividend Update

The Freedom Fund yielded a total of RM779.50 in dividends for the last month of 2019 as opposed to RM1,111.65 last year. A 29.88% decrease.

Axis REIT

December 2019 Dividends – RM327.24
December 2018 Dividends – RM437.30
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,015.53
Dividend Yield – 5.85%

I received an additional RM105.42 in dividends from Axis REIT not shown in the above voucher.

Sunway REIT

December 2019 Dividends – RM312.26
December 2018 Dividends – RM310.35
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,214.75
Dividend Yield – 6.12%

An increase in yield from 5.95% in 2018 to 6.12% this year. A win.

Nestle (M) Berhad

December 2019 Dividends – RM140
December 2018 Dividends – RM140
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM560
Dividend Yield – 4.19%

An increase in yield from 4.11% last year to 4.19% this year.

End.

I’ll have my full review of 2019 coming up soon including the goals for 2020.

Freedom Fund as at December 2019
Dividend Income (Dec) –  RM779.50
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM16,322.27
Dividend Yield – 4.16%

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date.

November Dividend Update

The Freedom Fund yielded a total of RM1,001.07 in dividend income compared to RM1,806.62 the same time last year. That’s a 44.59% decrease in dividends.

Aeon Credit Service (M) Berhad

November 2019 Dividends – RM378.25
November 2018 Dividends – RM378.25
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM758.20
Dividend Yield – 3.36%

The exact same amount of dividends received for both November 2018 and 2019. The company has been a solid performer in the Freedom Fund so far.

IGB REIT

November 2019 Dividends – RM622.82
November 2018 Dividends – RM615.37
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM2,491.92
Dividend Yield – 6.14%

One of the few darling stocks in my portfolio. The yield has dropped slightly compared to last year’s 7%.

End.

This post is coming a little late so be ready to catch my December update soon. The year-end review will be included as well.

Freedom Fund as at November 2019
Dividend Income (Nov) –  RM1,001.07
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM15,542.77
Dividend Yield – 4.16%

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date.

October Dividend Update

The Freedom Fund yielded a total of RM2,267.94 in dividend income compared to RM599.64 the same time last year.

That 278% increase in dividends is because the dividend payment from companies this year has gone haywire. Cumulatively, I’m still down about RM1K this year.

Malayan Banking Berhad

October 2019 Dividends – RM839.25
October 2018 Dividends – RM813
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,891.41
Dividend Yield – 4.49%

The full-year yield at 4.49% is lower compared to last year’s 6.99% as I added more units in September this year.

Genting Malaysia Berhad

October 2019 Dividends – RM288
October 2018 Dividends – 0
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM288
Dividend Yield – 1.96%

Nothing to compare to last year. Bought GENM a few months back and I’ve already got a 2% yield on it.

Many of you have messaged me with concerns on GENM regarding the management. Yes, I do share the same concerns but the company as a whole will be able to pull through. Provided no more fuck-ups by the management.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

October 2019 Dividends – RM600
October 2018 Dividends – RM302.70
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM830
Dividend Yield – 3.19%

Comparing is useless in this instance as I purchased TNB shares this year as well. Yield has dropped a little as well compared to last year.

Nestle Malaysia Berhad

October 2019 Dividends – RM140
October 2018 Dividends – RM140
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM420
Dividend Yield – 3.14%

A slight increase in yield compared to last year. One more dividend to go in December.

Sunway Berhad

October 2019 Dividends – RM257 + RM143.65
October 2018 Dividends – RM296.94
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM709.81
Dividend Yield – 6.16%

The reason I split the October dividends is because Sunway distributed its profits in cash as well as in shares. Yield increased to 6.16% compared to 4.84% last year.

Sunway has been growing steadily and silently over the years for me and now that it hit the 6% yield mark, I think people will start paying more attention to the group.

End.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM14,541.70 . Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 3.70%. 

Freedom Fund as at October 2019
Dividend Income (Oct) –  RM2,267.94
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM14,541.70
Dividend Yield – 3.70%

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date.

September Dividend Update

September’s total dividend tally – RM1,336.98. That’s a 25.71% reduction compared to September last year.

However, as I’m writing this now in October, I’ve gotten much more this month compared to last year. So.. not all hope is lost. Wait for my next October update.

Public Bank Berhad

https://www.instagram.com/p/B228LGKp48o/

September 2019 Dividends – RM198
September 2018 Dividends – RM192
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM420
Dividend Yield – 3.78%

Marginal increase, from 3.57% last year to 3.78% in 2019. An increase is still an increase.

Sunway REIT

September 2019 Dividends – RM298.38
September 2018 Dividends – RM274.18
Total 2019 Dividends (so far) –  RM902.49
Dividend Yield (so far) – 4.55%

The dividends and yield are increasing as well from Sunway REIT. One more distribution to go in December.

Homeritz Corp Berhad

September 2019 Dividends – RM489
September 2018 Dividends – RM244.50
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM855.75
Dividend Yield – 6.06%

An increase from 5.54% in 2018 to 6.06% this year.

Sunway Construction Berhad

September 2019 Dividends – RM12.60
September 2018 Dividends – RM12.60
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM25.20
Dividend Yield – 4.29%

A drop in dividend yield from 4.60% last year.

IGB Berhad

September 2019 Dividends – RM227
September 2018 Dividends – RM227
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM454
Dividend Yield – 4.30%

These are preference shares from IGB. Figures will remain constant in the years to come. I wrote about it hERE.

Scicom (MSC) Berhad

September 2019 Dividends – RM112
September 2018 Dividends – RM336
Total 2019 Dividends (so far) –  RM392
Dividend Yield (so far) – 1.76%

It’s getting from bad to worse from Scicom. I’ll be looking to offload some, if not all of my holdings and allocate it to higher-yielding companies. Depending on how the company does in the coming months.

End.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM12,273.76. Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 3.13%. 

Freedom Fund as at September 2019
Dividend Income (Sept) –  RM1,336.98
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM12,273.76
Dividend Yield – 3.13%

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date and tengkiu.

August Dividend Update

This post is coming a little late as I was waiting to receive my dividend vouchers in the mail.

I received a total of RM12,802.23 in dividend income for August. That is in comparison to RM574.55 for the same month last year.

The huge jump as most of you know is from AirAsia’s special dividend of RM11,970. This is a one-off payment from AirAsia as they disposed of assets and I’ve made the decision to not add this to my yield.

That being said, August’s dividend income minus the one-off special dividend is RM832.21 vs RM573.55 last year. That’s a 44.85% jump.

The reason being Axis REIT paid a few days earlier this year and made the payment in August instead of September.

The current dividend yield of the Freedom Fund stands at 3.02%.
We’ve passed the 3% mark!!

Axis REIT

August 2019 Dividends – RM222.84
August 2018 Dividends – RM373.35
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM688.29
Dividend Yield (so far) – 3.96%

If you’ve been following the site, I disposed of off half of my Axis REIT shares earlier this year. So the dollar amount in dividends will be lower compared to 2018’s. Yield is about the same though.

IGB REIT

August 2019 Dividends – RM609.37
August 2018 Dividends – RM574.55
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,869.10
Dividend Yield (so far) – 4.60%

That’s about a 7% growth in dividends for the 3rd round of dividends. IGB REIT has been one of my best performing stock purchases for the Freedom Fund.

REITs were always intended to be a defensive stock in my portfolio but it looks like they’ve outperformed almost every other stock I have. I’ll be looking to add more REITs to my portfolio as and when the opportunity comes.

End.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM11,433.16. Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 3.02%. 

Freedom Fund as at August 2019
Dividend Income (August) –  RM832.21
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM11,433.16
Dividend Yield – 3.02%

As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow. Tengkiu.

July Dividend Update

August has been a busy month of late, hence the late dividend income update for July. The Freedom Fund only managed a total of RM1,409.95 from two companies – Aeon Credit and Scientex.

Compared to RM4,176.64 in July last year, that’s a –66.24% drop in dividends. Fret not, because last year, we had AirAsia’s special dividend come in July. We will have a special month of dividends sometime later this year.

The current dividend yield of the Freedom Fund stands at 2.85%.
I know some of you has surpassed the 3% mark. 😉

Aeon Credit Service (M) Berhad

July 2019 Dividends – RM379.95
July 2018 Dividends – RM340
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM379.95
Dividend Yield (so far) –1.68%

We’re poised to go over 3% in dividend yield for the first time for Aeon Credit again this year. We did 3.18% in 2018. They’ve been on a lending spree of late and should see profitability increase.

Scientex Berhad

July 2019 Dividends – RM1,030
July 2018 Dividends – RM920
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM2,060
Dividend Yield – 4.64%

Scientex’s final dividend came in at RM1,030. Total dividends for the year is RM2,060. Compared to RM1,840 last year. That’s an 11.9% increase.

Scientex’s full-year dividend yield is an amazing 4.64% for me. I’ve held shares of the company since 2014 and as the business has grown, so has my dividend yields. The company’s prices are attractive right now and I might be adding some more to my portfolio.

Busy August

August was a busy month for yours truly and it’ll get a little busier in the coming weeks. I’ll be on holiday but will have an article or two out before and after (hopefully).

Meanwhile, don’t forget to follow me and my holidays etc on Instagram. @dividendmagic. Next week will be a fun one.

I don’t post these on the blog and on Facebook. See you on Instagram 😉

End.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM10,348.31. Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 2.85%. 

Freedom Fund as at July 2019
Dividend Income (July) –  RM1,409.95
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM10,348.31
Dividend Yield – 2.85%

June Dividend Update

We’re at the halfway mark everyone! I took a long hard look at my portfolio the Freedom Fund. It’s time to trim and spruce the fund up a little in the coming weeks. I’ll also be updating the figures next week to reflect Q2.

Moving on – Dividends. I received a total of RM1,783.04 for the 6th month of 2019 from a total of 5 companies – Axis REIT, IGB REIT, Sunway REIT, Scicom and Cypark.

Compared to June back in 2018, I received 10.48% more in dividend income. The 6 months cumulative total for 2019 also came in higher compared to 2018’s. RM8,925.76 vs RM8,003.52. Big Whoop!

The current 2019 dividend yield of my portfolio is at a nice 2.39%.

Axis REIT

June 2019 Dividends – RM221.71
June 2018 Dividends – RM362.63
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM709.19
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.68%

IGB REIT

June 2019 Dividends – RM647.04
June 2018 Dividends – RM667.52
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,259.73
Dividend Yield (so far) – 3.10%

Sunway REIT

June 2019 Dividends – RM322.59
June 2018 Dividends – RM298.11
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM604.11
Dividend Yield (so far) – 3.04%

Scicom Berhad

June 2019 Dividends – RM112
June 2018 Dividends – RM224
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM280
Dividend Yield (so far) – 1.25%

Cypark Resources Berhad

June 2019 Dividends – RM479.70
June 2018 Dividends – RM459.20
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM479.20
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.71%

A look at 2019 so far

5% Dividend Yield

The most important goal of 2019 for the Freedom Fund is to achieve a 5% yield. Looking at how it is at the halfway mark, we look to be heading in the right direction.

Markets are on the up again and I’ve been slowly building up my net cash position. I’ll be adding stocks to the portfolio soon when the markets go down.

Accumulate Dividend Aristocrats (Malaysian version)

This is a new goal and target of mine.
Let me define a Dividend Aristocrat – The Dividend Aristocrats are S&P 500 index constituents that have increased their dividend payouts for 25 consecutive years or more.

That’s the US version of a dividend aristocrat. Now you’ll be hard pressed to actually find a handful of companies on the KLSE that have been operating for more than 25 years, let alone one that have increased their dividend payouts consecutively.

Sadly, as a Malaysian, I’ll define Malaysian Dividend Aristocrats as Companies listed on the KLSE that have increased their dividend payouts for 5? consecutive years.
Or should it be 10. Lemme get some buddies together and do some research.

End.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM8,925.76 . Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 2.39% now. 

Freedom Fund as at June 2019
Dividend Income (June) –  RM1,783.04
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM8,925.76
Dividend Yield – 2.39%

I hope everyone else’s portfolios are doing well as we close Q2.

May Dividend Update

Took a pretty long break during the Raya holidays, hence the kinda late post. I received a total of RM1,332.16 for the month of May.

Only two companies contributed to my dividend income last month – Malayan Banking Berhad and Nestle Malaysia Berhad.

Compared to the same month last year, I only collected RM667.52. That’s a 69.51% increase in dividends. Total dividends stand at RM7,142.72. Dividend is at a healthy 2.04% so far.

Malayan Banking Berhad

May 2019 Dividends – RM1,052.16
May 2018 Dividends – RM1,040.64
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM1,052.16
Total 2018 Dividends –  RM1,853.64
Dividend Yield (so far) – 3.92%

Received a total of RM1,052.16 as dividends. Some in the form of shares via Maybank’s dividend reinvestment plan. Full details of the DRIP are hERE.

Nestle Malaysia Berhad

May 2019 Dividends – RM280
May 2018 Dividends – RM270
Total 2019 Dividends –  RM280
Total 2018 Dividends –  RM550
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.09%

End.

We’ve broken the 2% dividend yield mark. Should hit 3% in a month or two. June is gonna rock!

As of the month of May, my total dividend income so far is 4% higher compared to 2018. In simpler terms, my dividends are increasing.

We are at a total dividend income of  RM7,142.72 . Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 2.04% now.

Freedom Fund as at May 2019
Dividend Income (May) –  RM1,332.16
Dividend Income (2019) –  RM7,142.72
Dividend Yield – 2.04 % 

April Dividend Update

I’m not sure what it is but 2019 has been a peculiar year. Dividends that were supposed to come in their respective months didn’t. Leaving my y-o-y dividend income in a deficit for January, February and March so far.

The fourth month of the year is putting things back in its place though – I raked in a total dividend income of RM2,415.12 this time around. A 400% increase when compared y-o-y.

Total dividend income up till April stands at RM5,810.56 right now. 1.55% higher than it was April last year.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

April 2019 Dividends – RM230
April 2018 Dividends – nil (I bought TNB at a later date last year)
Total 2019 Dividends – RM230
Total 2018 Dividends – RM782.40
Dividend Yield (so far) – 1.63%

TNB is taking a beating in the stock market lately. I’m prepared to purchase additional shares any time soon now. Follow my Instagram and Facebook for live and immediate updates.

AirAsia Group Berhad

April 2019 Dividends – RM1,596
April 2018 Dividends – RM1,596
Total 2019 Dividends – RM1,596
Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,596
Dividend Yield (so far) – 3.85%

I missed the chance to grab some shares of the aviation company at RM2.40 levels. Yields have been great so far at 3.85% even at my relatively high purchase price per share.

CB Industrial Product Holding Bhd

April 2019 Dividends – RM280
April 2018 Dividends – RM420
Total 2019 Dividends – RM280
Total 2018 Dividends – RM700
Dividend Yield (so far) – 1.26%

Overall bad performance from CBIP. The stock has dipped to very, very low values in the past few months.

Sunway Berhad

April 2019 Dividends – RM309.12
April 2018 Dividends – RM254.52
Total 2019 Dividends – RM309.12
Total 2018 Dividends – RM551.46
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.71%

I’ll be monitoring Sunway for purchase opportunities. Dividends have increased y-o-y and I like that that issued the dividends this time around via additional shares.

This adds tremendous value to shareholders and shows the management’s confidence in the company itself.

End.

A tremendous April as my dividend income has finally caught up to the previous year’s levels. We are at a total dividend income of RM5,810.56. Giving the Freedom Fund a yield of 1.66% now.

Freedom Fund as at April 2019
Dividend Income (April) – RM2,415.12
Dividend Income (2019) – RM5,810.56
Dividend Yield – 1.66%

I’ve started a fun side project compiling AGM door gifts hERE.

Been receiving many pictures from everyone and adding to the list. The next time you’re at an AGM, do take a pic of the gifts and meal if possible and send it to [email protected].

Thank you in advance!

Let’s see if we can get a handle on which company gives the best gifts soon.

March Dividend Update

We did good in March. Raking in RM1,265.27 in dividend income from a total of 5 companies. Compared to RM2,166.98 March last year.

Don’t let the figures fool you though, there was a one-off gain from the takeover of Goldis Berhad last year, netting me RM1,441.68.

New faces include Homeritz (which traditionally declared dividends in February) and my preference shares from Goldis (which you can read about hERE)

Homeritz Corporation Berhad

March 2019 Dividends – RM366.75
March 2018 Dividends – RM537.90
Total 2019 Dividends – RM366.75
Total 2018 Dividends – RM782.40
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.60%

A dip in dividends for the furniture company.

Public Bank Berhad

March 2019 Dividends – RM222
March 2018 Dividends – RM204
Total 2019 Dividends – RM222
Total 2018 Dividends – RM396
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.00%

A 10% increase in dividends from Public Bank this year.

Sunway REIT

March 2019 Dividends – RM281.52
March 2018 Dividends – RM297.30
Total 2019 Dividends – RM281.52
Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,179.94
Dividend Yield (so far) – 1.42%

A decrease in dividends from Sunway REIT. Hmmmm.

Scicom Berhad

March 2019 Dividends – RM168
March 2018 Dividends – RM224
Total 2019 Dividends – RM168
Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,008
Dividend Yield (so far) – 0.75%

IGB Berhad (formerly Goldis Bhd)


March 2019 Dividends – RM227
March 2018 Dividends – RM227
Total 2019 Dividends – RM227
Total 2018 Dividends – RM227
Dividend Yield (so far) – 2.15%

End.

A pretty good month. The total dividend is lower due to the aforementioned one-off proceeds from IGB Berhad.

All in all, dividend income actually increased.

Freedom Fund as at March 2019
Dividend Income (March) – RM1,265.27
Dividend Income (2019) – RM3,395.44
Dividend Yield – 0.92%

We’re almost at 1% there. Hoping to reach 5% in dividend yield this year.

End of the first quarter so I’ll be updating the figures in the Freedom Fund soon.

February Dividend Update

My February wasn’t all fine and dandy. I received only RM1,099.48 in dividend income from two companies – IGB REIT and Axis REIT. As compared to RM1,732.06 in 2018.

That’s a 36.52% drop in dividends compared to the same month last year. The main reason being – Homeritz declared in February last year, but I received their dividends in March instead, in 2019.

Also, if you’ve been following me on Facebook and Instagram, I’ve actually sold half my holding in Axis REIT after receiving their dividends.

IGB REIT

February 2019 Dividends – RM612
February 2018 Dividends – RM1,007.99
Total 2019 Dividends – RM612
Total 2018 Dividends – RM2,865.43
Dividend Yield – 1.51%

A huge 39% drop in dividends from IGB REIT.

Axis REIT

February 2019 Dividends – RM487.48
February 2018 Dividends – RM186.17
Total 2019 Dividends – RM487.48
Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,359.45
Dividend Yield – 1.42%

A 162% increase in dividends for Axis REIT.
The REIT is back on track and I foresee future growth in share price. My reason for disposing of half of the stock is because the yields are still below par for my portfolio.

End.

Freedom Fund as at February 2019
Dividend Income (February) – RM1,099.48
Dividend Income (2019) – RM2,129.48
Dividend Yield – 0.58%

Dismal dividends for the first 2 months of 2019. Still optimistic for the rest of 2019 though!

Onwards and upwards. How has everyone’s portfolio performed?

January Dividend Update

Welcome back to 2019 ladies and gents.

Markets have somewhat rebounded but sadly I didn’t make any purchases during the slump.

The first month of the year brought me a total of RM1,030 in dividend income. That’s a 23% drop in dividends compared to January in 2018.

CBIP failed to declare dividends in January as they did last year. The only company that paid me this month is good old Scientex Berhad. Their dividends increased by 12% from RM920 last year. 

Scientex Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM1,030

Total 2019 Dividends – RM1,030

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,840

Dividend Yield – 2.32%

A big 12% increase in dividends compared to the same time last year.

End.

Freedom Fund as at January 2019
Dividend Income (January): RM1,030
Dividend Income (2019): RM1,030
Dividend Yield: 0.28%

This has been a short one as only Scientex paid out dividends for January. As we head into February, I’d like to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year.

I’ll be heading back to my kampung soon. So follow me on Instagram for more of my CNY celebration and shenanigans. =D

Watsons Malaysia – How to get Cashback

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Filed Under: Credit Cards, Financial/Life Hacks 0

This article is authored and brought to you by one of our long-time readers – Alan Toh.

I did some minor editing. Enjoy!

Shopping for personal care products, skincare, cosmetics, and health supplements

Surely all of us have been to Watsons’ chain of pharmacies at some point in our lives. Be it to purchase personal care products, skincare, cosmetics or health supplements. And who wouldn’t like to receive cashback for all these purchases?

Well, I am here to introduce – the ULTIMATE guide to earn cashback from all of our purchases from Watsons’ .

Method 1 – Watsons’ VIP Membership

One may think that this is a pretty straightforward way of earning points for every RM spent by just simply flashing the Watsons’ VIP membership card (or phone number registered with the membership) upon checkout at the cashier. You’re wrong.

As the Watson’s VIP Membership card comes with a built-in Touch n Go feature, users are encouraged to pay for their purchases at Watsons’ with Touch n Go by giving out very generous points multiplication.

Right now, for every RM paid with the Watsons’ VIP – Touch n Go card, users will be rewarded with 10x the points.

As an example, or every RM20 spent with the card, users will receive 200 points, equivalent to RM1 in cash value. That in itself is a generous 5% cashback (uncapped, of course). Not only that, Users can be rewarded with an additional 5x – 10x points for some selected products (just look for the tags on the aisles at Watsons).

Of course, in order to use the Watsons VIP membership card’s Touch n Go feature for payment, you need to have sufficient balance in the card. The card can either be reloaded without any fees at any Watson’s store using cash or with a credit card (note: accumulate credit card cashback or rewards points for every top-up performed) at any of the locations. You may double-confirm the locations hERE.

In conclusion, not only do we get rewarded with Watsons’ VIP points worth between 5% – 7% in cashback, we would also be able to collect credit card cashback or rewards points as well. That could mean about 10% worth of cashback for our shopping at Watsons.

If you take a look at the example above of a purchase that I recently made using my Watsons’ VIP membership card, you can see that I received 6248 VIP points for my purchase of RM472.45. The value of the points received is worth RM31.24, which translates to a cashback value of 6.6%. In other words, I get to use the points earned for my next purchase at Watsons’, saving me a total of RM31.24 in value.

As of Jan 2020, Watsons’ may have reverted the 10x points to 5x.

Method 2 – BOOST Your Purchases

The second option would be to use Boost to pay for your purchase at Watsons’ store. The cashback reward for this method would usually turn out to be lower than the first method, but if reloading Touch n Go is a bit of a hassle for you (or if you are one who owns a credit card which rewards cash back for online purchases), then Boost is the way to go for.

The method here is fairly simple though, you’ve got to reload your Boost with a credit card (note: DO NOT use a Maybank Card to reload as you will not receive any reward), then flash your Watsons’ VIP Membership card together with your Boost QR code for payment upon checkout.

Remember to shake your Boost for coins (it’s the only way you would receive cashback from Boost). The typical cashback amount you would receive from Boost is between 2.2% – 8.8% depending on your luck with the Bonus coins reward and your Boost level. On top of that, you would receive up to 5% cashback from your credit card (usually capped at RM50 per card) and the usual 1 VIP point per RM spent from your Watsons’ VIP membership card (equivalent to 0.5% of cashback).

All in all, you may receive up to 18.8% of cashback using this method (up to 6.6% from Boost, up to 5% from credit card and up to 5% from Watsons’ VIP membership card if the item rewards with 10x points) if lady luck is on your side.

Method 3 – Mother of all Cash-Backs with Touch n Go eWallet

The final method, which could probably be the BEST method for earning cash back from Watsons’ store would be payments made using Touch n Go eWallet. You see, Touch n Go eWallet would occasionally collaborate with Watson’s to reward users with the Ultimate cashback of up to 16% (yes, you heard right, Watson’s and Touch n Go eWallet would give you RM8 in cashback for a minimum spending of RM50 and above in a single receipt).

Bear in mind though, each Touch n Go eWallet user is entitled to receive this cashback only ONCE throughout the campaign period and to make matters worse, the RM8 cashback is only limited to the first 25,000 transactions at all Watsons’ stores. So if you would like to earn up to 16% + up to 5% cashback for your purchases of RM50, then be sure to be one of the earliest to pay with your Touch n Go eWallet for your purchase at Watsons’.

Do keep in mind that the cashback from Touch n Go eWallet is capped at RM8 for purchase of RM50 and above in a single receipt, so try to use a combination of payment methods if your purchase amount is higher than RM50 in order to maximize the amount of cashback you could receive.

Watsons’ new campaign as of 2 Jan 2020 – 26 Feb 2020 is RM8 cashback for a RM60 minimum spend.

Bonus Money Saving Pro-Tip

Occasionally, Watsons’ would give out RM5 cash vouchers during their own campaign period, which is claimable the following week after the end of their campaign period. These vouchers would entitle customers to get RM5 off for purchases of RM50 and above in a single receipt. That is another massive 10% rebate on top of all the cash backs above!

End.

The amount may be a little small for some of you but cashback is cashback to me. Also, TnG’s eWallet is one of the most worthwhile ones out there currently.

Thank you again Alan.

A list of recommendations and stuff I use can be found hERE.
As always, Facebook and Instagram. Follow, keep up to date.

[Sponsored] Bursa Market Place – MLT Platform

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Filed Under: Uncategorized 0

My MLT Platform Portfolio

I go by the name Dividend Magic on Bursa’s MLT platform and the above is my portfolio’s current performance.

I’m currently mirroring the stocks from 3 different analysts, using the platform to try my hand on penny stocks based on the analysis of the Traders.

If you are however a first-time investor, do focus on the more established stocks. I’d suggest looking at a stock on your own, do your own analyses and then compare what you found to the licensed Traders on the MLT platform. Trust me, you’ll be able to pick up a lot in no time at all.

How You Should Use It

I had the pleasure of meeting with the Bursa MLT team last month. The two main purposes of the new platform are to encourage participation in the stock market as well as to educate Malaysians on sound and effective investing.

There are opportunities in investing in the stock market that Malaysians are missing out on, especially the youths. As I’ve always been advocating, investing should begin as early as possible.

If you are a total beginner, Bursa’s MLT platform serves as a good place for you to start and familiarize yourself with stock investing and trading.

There are currently 9 analysts on there from which you can follow and mirror their trades. These are investment analysts that are licensed in Malaysia to research and come out with reports on companies in the stock market and recommend if you should buy, hold or sell a stock.

The analysts on the platform actually follow up on their reports on the companies they cover and perform virtual buy or sell trades on the individual stocks.

What does this mean for you as an investor? You get to understand the WHY.

Why did Analyst A actually purchase Stock B yesterday? It’ll be in their commentary on the platform and if you’ve got any additional questions, fire away in the MLT Community tab.

I’d suggest new investors to start mirroring the Traders on the platform and trade virtually. Eventually, once you’ve familiarized yourself with it, start putting in actual trades on your own trading account and start investing for real.

If you’re interested in opening an account, you can start hERE.

My Review

The platform serves as a really good way for first-time investors to start investing in the stock market. You as an Investor would be given a virtual starting capital of RM100K. Thereafter, based on the Traders’ analysis and picks on the stocks in their portfolios, you choose which stock to mirror.

By mirroring the stocks, you effectively add them to your own portfolio and its all autopilot from there. The platform automatically calculates your profit or loss based on your very own virtual portfolio.

One thing many of you highlighted as Investors was that you were unable to find and mirror your own individual stocks. Instead, you had to find it in a Trader’s portfolio and mirror it from there. I believe this is built in such a way so that as an Investor, Bursa wants you to learn from licensed analysts so that you understand why trades on the stocks were decided based on their fundamental reasons and technical analyses.

How to Sign Up

Firstly, the MLT platform is only open to residents of Malaysia. Users must be individuals 18 years of age or older as at the date of entry into the platform.

Also, another reason to sign up is the monthly lucky draw giveaway.

You may find the link to sign up hERE.

Here’s a video on MLT: