Dividend Magic

Saving and Investing towards Financial Independence in Malaysia

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Dividend Income Update 2022

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Filed Under: Dividends 0

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

2022 Final Thoughts

This will be the final update for 2022, kinda late I know. I’ve previously updated the Freedom Fund to capture all my dividends, yield and market value of the portfolio. If you haven’t seen it, you can find it hERE.

In 2022 we had a pretty good run, the Freedom Fund wasn’t too badly hit and is almost back to its old self. REITs are back up and my darling Scientex has been performing. Banks which I’ve added to the portfolio as well have been holding the Freedom Fund afloat. Added FPI (thanks to research and recommendation from my good friends) to the portfolio and it has had a pretty good run both in capital gains and dividends.

Major disappointments were – TENAGA (which I’ve sold half of my holdings) and CYPARK (which I’m down 40%).

Still got RM100K+ in the war chest and I’ll be looking to either deploy it in local stocks or to my US portfolios – Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) via Rakuten Trade or my eToro portfolio.

And last but not least, happy CNY everyone! Hope the year of the rabbit is good to all of us!

October – December

Freedom Fund as of December 2022
Dividend Income (Oct-Dec) –  RM3,465.79
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM16,011.75
Dividend Yield – 4.03%

September

Freedom Fund as of September 2022
Dividend Income (Sept) –  RM1,910.10
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM12,545.96
Dividend Yield – 2.94%

Four batches of dividends were received for September.

SunREIT came in strong and hit about 4.25% in dividend yield for 2022. Sunway Construction increased its dividends for the year as well compared to 2021.
QL Resources and Public Bank maintained their dividends.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Sunway REIT

September 2022 Dividends – RM1,201.05
September 2021 Dividends – RM462.98
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM1,977.68
Dividend Yield – 4.25%

Sunway Construction

September 2022 Dividends – RM10.80
September 2021 Dividends – RM10.40
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM25.20
Dividend Yield – 4.29%

QL Resources

September 2022 Dividends – RM138.25
September 2021 Dividends – RM138.25
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM138.25
Dividend Yield – 0.56%

Public Bank

September 2022 Dividends – RM560
September 2021 Dividends – RM525
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM1,099
Dividend Yield – 4.25%

August

Freedom Fund as of August 2022
Dividend Income (Aug) –  RM1,055.55
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM10,635.86
Dividend Yield – 2.49%

Two dividends were received for August.

IGBREIT has almost doubled their dividends compared to the same month last year, we’re getting back on track it seems. Axis REIT’s dividends has also increased compared to August 2021.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

IGB REIT

August 2022 Dividends – RM814.39
August 2021 Dividends – RM449.08
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM2,369.36
Dividend Yield – 4.57%

Axis REIT

August 2022 Dividends – RM241.16
August 2021 Dividends – RM226.31
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM704.43
Dividend Yield – 4.06%

July

Freedom Fund as of July 2022
Dividend Income (July) –  RM1,516.25
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM9,580.31
Dividend Yield – 2.40%

Two dividends were received for July. Apologies as I’m a bit late this month. I haven’t even got time to get to updating the Freedom Fund.

Scientex has upped its game once again. 5.18% dividend yield for 2022 compared to 4.25% last year.
Thong Guan on the other hand is slowly catching up as well. Increase in dividends compared to 2021.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Bought more SCIENTEX when it dipped. Sold half of my TENAGA holdings as well. I’m starting to dislike how the company is run. GLCs… Hopefully it’ll change in the future.

Scientex Berhad

July 2022 Dividends – RM1,360
July 2021 Dividends – RM1,200
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM2,860
Dividend Yield – 5.18%

Thong Guan Berhad

July 2022 Dividends – RM156.25
July 2021 Dividends – RM125
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM593.75
Dividend Yield – 1.67%

June

Freedom Fund as of June 2022
Dividend Income (June) –  RM229.18
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM8,064.06
Dividend Yield – 2.02%

Just one dividend in June from Axis REIT. Hope everyone’s portfolio is doing alright. Strangely Malaysian stocks haven’t been hit as hard as the US. For now.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Axis REIT

June 2022 Dividends – RM229.18
June 2021 Dividends – RM210.55
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM463.27
Dividend Yield – 2.67%

May

Freedom Fund as of May 2022
Dividend Income (May) –  RM1,037.94
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM7,834.88
Dividend Yield – 1.96%

It looks like profits are back up for both Nestle and IGB REIT, both of whose dividends came in for May.

The dividend yield for 2022 is close to 2% already and hopefully, we can get back to a 4+% yield within the next few years.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Nestle (M) Bhd

May 2022 Dividends – RM204
May 2021 Dividends – RM184
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM204
Dividend Yield – 1.53%

IGB REIT

May 2022 Dividends – RM833.94
May 2021 Dividends – RM442.07
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM1,544.97
Dividend Yield – 3.00%

April

Freedom Fund as of April 2022
Dividend Income (Apr) –  RM2,362.94
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM6,796.94
Dividend Yield – 1.70%

The markets are in a downturn right now. I’ve been slowly adding my money to Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF right now through Rakuten Trade. Individual stocks in the US and also locally are currently on hold because I want to try and catch the bottom. DCA will happen through my investments in the ETF.

Stay strong everyone and remember to stay invested, this might be a long dip but it is still an opportunity.

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Thong Guan Industries Bhd

April 2022 Dividends – RM437.50
April 2021 Dividends – RM437.50
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM437.50
Dividend Yield – 1.23%

TNB Bhd

April 2022 Dividends – RM720
April 2021 Dividends – RM2,320
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM720
Dividend Yield – 1.53%

Malayan Banking Bhd

April 2022 Dividends – RM1,151.88
April 2021 Dividends – RM1,040.65
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM1,151.88
Dividend Yield – 3.96%

Sunway Bhd

April 2022 Dividends – RM195.41
April 2021 Dividends – RM129.80
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM195.41
Dividend Yield – 1.68%

Sunway Construction Bhd

April 2022 Dividends – RM14.40
April 2021 Dividends – RM10.40
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM14.40
Dividend Yield – 2.45%

March

Freedom Fund as of March 2022
Dividend Income (Mar) –  RM766
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM4,434
Dividend Yield – 1.08%

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Remember the IGB preference shares I opted for back in 2018? They’ve been redeemed early by IGB at close to their original price, been receiving 4.3% annually for 3 years and I’m a little sad to see it go. =(

I’ll be updating the aforementioned linked article soon to show you guys the calculations.

IGB Berhad -PB

March 2022 Dividends – RM227
March 2021 Dividends – RM227
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM227
Dividend Yield – 2.15%

Public Bank Berhad

March 2022 Dividends – RM539
March 2021 Dividends – RM910
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM539
Dividend Yield – 2.22%

February

Freedom Fund as of February 2022
Dividend Income (Feb) –  RM1,536.56
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM3,668.00
Dividend Yield – 0.89%

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

IGB REIT

February 2022 Dividends – RM721.03
February 2021 Dividends – RM691.51
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM721.03
Dividend Yield – 1.39%

Sunway REIT

February 2022 Dividends – RM776.63
February 2021 Dividends – RM223.69
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM776.63
Dividend Yield – 1.67%

Axis REIT

February 2022 Dividends – RM38.90
February 2021 Dividends – RM-
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM234.09
Dividend Yield – 1.35%

January

Freedom Fund as of January 2022
Dividend Income (Jan) –  RM2,131.44
Dividend Income (2022) –  RM2,131.44
Dividend Yield – 0.52%

As always, Facebook, Instagram, and now ! Follow, keep up to date. I use Rakuten Trade as my broker.

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Scientex (M) Bhd

January 2022 Dividends – RM1,500
January 2021 Dividends – RM1,144
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM1,500
Dividend Yield – 2.72%

Axis REIT

January 2022 Dividends – RM195.19
January 2021 Dividends – RM221.81
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM195.19
Dividend Yield – 1.12%

Thong Guan Industries Bhd

January 2022 Dividends – RM156.25
January 2021 Dividends – RM125
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM156.25
Dividend Yield – 0.44%

CBIP Bhd

January 2022 Dividends – RM280
January 2021 Dividends – RM280
Total 2022 Dividends –  RM280
Dividend Yield – 1.26%

MIDF Invest Review

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Filed Under: Dividends 10

As of 2025, I am now using only MooMoo Malaysia and Rakuten Trade for my stock trading needs.

This review of MIDF Invest will cover Malaysia’s first brokerage that gives us access to international stocks at a cheap and competitive rate.

I’ve long been advocating against using local brokerages for international stocks. But with MIDF Invest, I can finally change my stance. No longer will we be charged once locally, and then again internationally, and vice versa when we sell said stock.

I digress, back to our new favorite local broker – MIDF Invest.

MIDF Invest – Registration & Account Opening

To get started, you’ll first have to download the app here:
https://link-to.app/LeighLee

The registration process can be completed in 10 minutes to 24h in most cases according to MIDF.

Mine took less than 24 hours as I did it at night.

You have to:

  1. Submit front and back pictures of your IC;
  2. Record a 20 seconds video;
  3. Receive and submit SMS verification;
  4. Receive and submit email verification;
  5. Create your PW; and
  6. Answer questions.

MIDF Invest – Brokerage Fees & Rates

MIDF’s rates are as above, which are pretty self-explanatory. You get 16 free trades if the trade value is <$1,000 per trade for the first 30 days. Thereafter, you move on to the Investor or Trader category depending on how often you trade.

The other fees you’ll need to pay attention to are the Stamp Duty and SEC Clearing Fees.

Stamp Duty is RM1 for every RM1,000 and capped at RM200.
Clearing Fee is 0.00051% of the total sale value, rounded up to the nearest cent.

The rates are pretty competitive when compared to our local brokers. It might be beneficial to make full use of your Explorer status during the first month.

From the calculator from MIDF above, a $1,932 trade will incur a $12.64 total fee. That’s about 0.65% in total fees per trade.

As for dividends, there are no extra charges there. Thank god. There will only be the standard withholding tax based on the country you bought the shares from.

Forex Rate

As I have yet to use MIDF’s platform at the time of this article, I cannot confirm the forex rates. However, the MIDF team has assured me that it is competitive and pretty standard. There are no forex fees charged by MIDF, just a straight-through conversion based on the day’s forex rates.

Interest on Cash Balances

Investors will also be given a small return in the form of interest for unutilized cash held in MYR in your MIDF Invest account. None for balances held in other currencies.

Another feature I confirmed with MIDF was that once your shares are sold, it will not be automatically converted back to MYR. For example, after selling a US stock, the cash will be held in USD. This is a good thing as we won’t be subject to unnecessary forex conversion.

Safety & Legitimacy

As far as I’m concerned, going through a local brokerage is as safe as it gets for us Malaysians. They’re of course regulated by the Securities Commission. MIDF is also wholly owned by our very own Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).

If you didn’t already know, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is one of the largest fund management companies in Malaysia with assets under management (AUM) of RM322.6 billion (as of 31 December 2020).

And the ASNB mutual funds we love so much are handled by PNB.

MIDF Invest – Comparisons

Right now, as a local broker offering access to international stocks, MIDF is in the lead in terms of fees (which matters a lot). Other local brokers ie Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, HL Bank etc do offer us Malaysians access, however, the fees are way too high for retail investors like us. I cite a previous example where I received a net dividend of ZERO dollars after all the fee deductions for my investment in Vanguard ETF through Hong Leong.

So, vs local brokers, MIDF is top. If we look at online international brokers like eToro, Tiger Brokers TD, and Interactive Brokers, MIDF losses out in terms of fees.

The trade-off? You get a regulated broker and peace of mind as a Malaysian with a local broker. This is especially important if you’re planning a huge investment in international stocks.

Another advantage of using a local brokerage is the ease of transfer of funds. You can easily inject more capital within minutes.

Moving Forward

I have opened an account with MIDF but I have yet to deposit any money. I do plan to hold long-term ETFs and dividend stocks through MIDF.

With MIDF being the first (AFAIK) relatively cheap brokerage, we have with access to international stocks, it will be interesting to see if our other brokers step up their game in offering better rates.

End.

I’ll be giving MIDF a trial run soon. My plan is to purchase and hold ETFs through the platform for now. Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF will be my first buy. Might even be building up a big portfolio of ETFs and some long-term dividend stocks.

I’ll also be updating and inserting MIDF Invest into my previous comparison post soon. So keep an eye out for that.

As of 2025, I am now using only MooMoo Malaysia and Rakuten Trade for my stock trading needs.

How to Apply for an IPO in Malaysia

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Filed Under: Investment 2

What is an Initial Public Offering (IPO)

An Initial Public Offering, more commonly known as an IPO in Malaysia is when a private company is listed on the stock exchange and sells its shares to the public for the first time. They are usually met with much fanfare and anticipation.

4 Ways to Apply for an IPO in Malaysia

To put it simply, there are 4 ways for Malaysians to apply for an IPO:

  1. Manually using application forms.
  2. ATMs.
  3. eIPO – via banks.
  4. Online IPO subscription – via your respective brokerage.

1. IPO Application Manually via Application Forms

I have never done number 1 and I don’t think anyone is doing it this way anymore. Maybe the older generation of stock investors used to do this.

2. IPO Application via ATM

Electronic Share Application (ESA) is a facility that allows for the application of an IPO in Malaysia through an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of the participating financial institutions. This facility is provided by both Tricor Investor & Issuing House Services Sdn Bhd (Tricor) and Malaysian Issuing House Sdn Bhd (MIH). In a nutshell, ESA is a mode of applying for IPOs in a paperless manner.

3. eIPO Application via Maybank2U

Most local banks offer this service and I myself used to use Maybank. I’ll be giving you a step-by-step guide below using Maybank because it can get a little complicated.

How to Apply for an IPO in Malaysia Maybank

4. Online IPO Application via Your Brokerage (The Easiest Way)

This is by far the easiest and most convenient way to apply for an IPO in Malaysia. I use MooMoo for most of my stock investing and have used it for IPO applications as well.

How to Apply for an Initial Public Offering IPO in Malaysia - MooMoo Malaysia

Log in to your Moomoo app and review current IPO subscription announcements. Note key details such as subscription dates, price, and lot size.

Go to Markets > MY > IPO, and you’ll see a list of companies that are available for IPO subscription.

Sign up link: Moomoo Malaysia

How Does an IPO in Malaysia Work

  • Preparation:
    Before applying, read the prospectus carefully. This document explains the company’s background, financials, risks, and the terms of the offering.
  • Sufficient balance:
    It goes without saying but you’ll first want to make sure that you have a sufficient amount of money in your account before applying. Take note that most platforms require you to maintain a minimum balance.
  • Submitting Your Application:
    During the subscription period, you place your order for shares through your broker’s platform. Make sure you have enough funds in your account, as the required amount may be temporarily locked.
  • Oversubscription:
    When more orders come in than available shares, the IPO is deemed oversubscribed.
  • Balloting:
    In an oversubscribed IPO, all valid applications are entered into a random lottery. The balloting system determines which investors receive an allocation. This ensures that each applicant has an equal chance.
  • Allocation:
    The lottery result assigns a certain number of shares to each successful investor. If your application exceeds the allocated amount, you only pay for the shares granted.
  • Finalizing Your Investment:
    If you receive an allocation, the required payment is processed, and once the shares are listed on the stock exchange, you can begin trading.
  • Refunds:
    Any funds from unallocated orders are refunded automatically.
  • Fees:
    I was charged RM1 by the bank as a processing fee. Using MooMoo, I wasn’t charged a single cent.

    End.

    I am keeping this article short and simple for those of you who want to apply for IPOs in Malaysia. Hope this helped and thank you for reading!

    If you’re a total newbie when it comes to investing, here’s a Guide to Stock Investment.

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

    Tudor Black Bay GMT – My Investment in a Luxury Watch

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    Filed Under: Travel, food and the finer things in life, Investment, Other Investments 4

    Brand: Tudor
    Model: Black Bay GMT
    Reference Number: 79830RB
    Material: Stainless steel
    Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire
    Movement: Cal. MT5652
    Case Diameter: 41mm

    This will be more of an unconventional and personal article detailing my recent purchase and investment in a luxury watch.

    Why a Luxury Watch?

    I’ve always loved watches and had throughout the years taken to wearing my dad’s watches. As most of you know, I’m not a big spender but I think watches are my kryptonite. But, I do have the following justifications.

    A Goal

    Getting myself a quality watch has always been a goal of mine. I promised myself a long time ago that when I have the financial means to own one, I would get one.

    Some go for cars, some yatches, mine was a watch.

    Lasts a Lifetime

    I wanted something that was of high quality and can last me my entire life.

    At the same time, it appreciates in value over time. In fact, I’ve come to see quality timepieces as perhaps the best heirloom to pass on to the next generation.

    Investment

    I love the feel of a good solid watch on my wrist and in the case of a luxury watch, they retain their value over time. The latter appeals very much to the investor in me.

    Instead of having my cash in stocks or placed in FDs, I wanted one on my wrist. In fact, my Tudor GMT, after wearing it for about 6 months, has appreciated by about 20% in value.

    How I Purchased a Tudor

    With the above reasons, it was about time I got myself one.

    Tudor Black Bay GMT

    To be totally honest, I looked at a Rolex initially but it was just too expensive for me. I couldn’t justify having RM50,000 on my wrist that I know that I wouldn’t wear often. So until my net worth goes up by about 5X, a Rolex would not suit me.

    A Tudor isn’t a Rolex but as some of you may know, Tudor is the sister company of Rolex. You get the quality of Rolex at a more than 50% discount.

    They’re a brand that I can get behind and they do increase in value over time. Also, with their lower price tag compared to a Rolex, I can comfortably wear a Tudor every day.

    With Tudor in mind, I spent days diving through watch forums and reading articles on the company and I was torn between the Black Bay GMT and BB58. I finally settled on the GMT because I love the Pepsi bezel and the GMT feature is useful for me when I travel.

    Tudor was actually introduced to me by a new friend I met through one of my readers. Sean, from ssong watches.
    Ssong is a great place to look for and to learn about luxury watches. Sean answered ALL of my many many queries as I was doing my research on watches. He’s a veteran in the industry and has years of experience with luxury watches. I was fortunate to have been acquainted with him before making my first purchase.

    Ssong did not have Tudors at the time I was looking to buy so I told Sean to reserve one for me if and when a unit becomes available. I then went ahead and booked one from Mid Valley’s Tudor boutique store as well, as per the advice from Sean himself.

    As a side note, I actually had a very bad experience when I went to The Hour Glass at the Gardens. Didn’t get good service there. On the other hand, I had a wonderful experience at Tudor’s boutique store in Mid Valley though.

    Purchased!

    Finally, towards the end of 2020, I was finally able to get myself my first ”somewhat” luxury watch – a Tudor Black Bay GMT.

    Lady luck was actually on my side and Sean gave me a call I think a few weeks after I met him to reserve a Tudor GMT. I didn’t purchase a brand new one but instead got one that was in mint condition and barely worn a few times at a slight discount.

    Till today, I still feel a sense of joy putting on the watch every day. =)
    It may be tough to explain my love and appreciation for a good watch to someone that doesn’t like one, so I won’t.

    I’ve heard from so many around me saying they’d just wear an apple watch or a Casio as it was just to tell time. I’ve got nothing against Casio btw. An Apple Watch can even measure your heartbeat and health. They may be right in their own way, but god damn I still love my watch.

    I’ve been wearing my Tudor GMT for half a year now, almost every single day. This is an investment for me but at the same time, it is an investment I can fall in love with. The price has already gone up in the 6 months that I’ve owned the watch.

    End.

    As mentioned earlier, I know this article is a little out of the norm from the usual stocks and dividends. But hey, I think it is a viable investment and I really do consider it one.

    Hopefully, you’ll continue to see updates on watches from me periodically. And I promise to not spend above my means. If you’ve got views or comments or even advice on watches, please do leave your thoughts in the comment section of this article. I know many of you are enthusiasts and veterans.

    Binance – Crypto Savings and Staking

    By
    Filed Under: Investment, Cryptocurrencies 8

    So I’ve recently sold about RM20,000 worth of bitcoins. It was just sitting in my Luno account for a month or so as MYR because I did not know what to do with it. I have since moved that amount to Binance. I converted to XRP and then transferred it to Binance.

    At the same time, I was also doing my research on DeFi and staking. A really good place to start if you’re looking into this is CoinGecko’s book – How to DeFi. It took me a few days to get through the whole book the first time, and another few days for me to kinda-sorta understand it. And even now, I think I’ve barely scratched the surface. If you guys have other recommended readings, please do share them with me.

    My Crypto Portfolio on Binance

    Space reserved for updates.

    Binance vs Coinbase

    So my interest is actually in staking my coins. I don’t like my assets to just sit there and staking actually generates a lot of returns in the form of interest. So I had to look for platforms that supported staking and savings. In the end, it boiled down to Binance and Coinbase, I went with Binance mainly because they’re the biggest and the cheapest.

    Is Binance Safe?

    Some of you may remember the Binance hack back in 2019. The company actually absorbed the losses sustained then and no users were affected.

    Another one of my concerns with Binance was with China. Binance was founded in China but they’ve since taken measures. Their servers were moved to Japan back in 2017 and they’re now headquartered in the Cayman Islands.

    What I Did on Binance

    As mentioned earlier, I had about RM20,000 of Bitcoin profits sitting in my Luno account. I decided to move this amount to Binance to try out its savings and staking. I wanted to move my funds with the lowest possible fees and decided to move it using XRP. Bought the maximum amount of XRP in Luno, moved the funds to Binance, and then converted my XRP to USDT.

    The total transfer cost of XRP? 0.8313165. Which translates to about RM4?

    As you can see, I’m holding 3,811 USDT right now and earning 5.80% p.a. using Binance’s savings feature

    Earning Interests on my Crypto

    Savings

    So the safest of all the various forms of earning a return on your coins is Savings. Of which there are two types – Locked Savings and Flexible Savings.

    An example would be Bitcoin’s savings. You stand to earn 1.2% p.a. Which isn’t too bad considering I’ve been earning zilch previously.

    Another personal example of mine is my USDT Savings which is currently netting me 5.80% p.a.

    Staking

    I’ve yet to actually stake my coins but I’m really looking into it. Right now, there’s a sort of first come first serve situation with the more popular coins.

    So, what is staking?

    Staking is the process of actively participating in transaction validation (similar to mining) on a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain. On these blockchains, anyone with a minimum-required balance of a specific cryptocurrency can validate transactions and earn Staking rewards. 

    – Coinbase

    For example, for USDT, the interest rate for staking is almost double its savings rate at 10.67%. But it is sold out.
    I’ll definitely be selling my USDT at some point to invest in other coins and then staking them. Updates will be done on this same page so keep an eye out.

    The Risks of Savings and Staking

    As we are all too familiar with, the higher the risk, the higher your potential reward. Naturally, that means staking carries a higher risk when compared to savings.

    One risk that both savings and staking share is the risk of the value of your coin falling. If that particular coin experiences a huge drop, all interests earned will be wiped out.

    Savings and Staking are very new in the world of finance and cryptocurrencies. Essentially, you’re lending your coins out to a process.

    Usually, in Savings, your coin is loaned out to a holding company that then lends it to its various clients. These clients may want to borrow cryptocurrency for financial trades or for arbitrage.

    In Staking, your tokens are used in its respective verification process. By helping out the network, you earn a reward.

    A key thing to remember – Do not risk your whole stack of coins. Not in savings and not in staking. Don’t risk what you can’t afford to lose.

    Sign Up

    If you’re looking to sign up with Binance and explore the world of DeFi, use the link or manually enter my code: GGRMJQWA

    You get a small 5% kick back and discount on fees when you make transactions there.

    End.

    I’m moving a relatively small portion of my crypto portfolio from Luno to Binance. Luno is still where the bulk of my portfolio will be held as it is the safest for me as a Malaysian.

    The main reason for testing out Binance is to try out their savings and staking. If you’re new to cryptocurrencies and looking for a place to start, my advice is to stick with Luno as a Malaysian. Safety will be the biggest priority. My review and my cryptocurrency portfolio on Luno can be found hERE.

    Risks, risks, risks

    There are huge. huge risks to investing in cryptocurrencies. Even more when you’re moving them out of Malaysia’s regulatory space and into unknown, literal international waters. You then further risk it by staking/savings said coins. So please, understand the risks you’re taking before taking the dive.

    The above being said, I’m extremely excited right now and I feel like a kid all over again dabbling in a whole new world of finance. I’m still very new at this and would love to hear from experts or anyone with more experience with this.

    Onwards and upwards!

    A Review of CapBay – P2P Lending in Malaysia

    By
    Filed Under: FI/RE, Investment Portfolio, Other Investments 13

    CapBay Referral Code (RM100)

    If you’re signing up and registering with CapBay, don’t forget to use my code and link for a free RM100. To qualify, you’ll have to make the RM10K deposit and select one of the Auto Invest profiles (Conservative, Moderate and Aggressive). The full terms and conditions can be found here.

    Register hERE.
    Use my code: DIVMAGIC

    CapBay Portfolio Update

    An important note: First started investing in May 2021.

    November 2025

    It’s been a bit more than a year since my last P2P update with CapBay.

    Annualised return: 4.8%
    Total return: 35.2%
    Total net profit: RM3,518.64

    I’ve switched to a conservative auto invest profile. This has decreased default rates significantly but returns have also dropped.

    Default rates are getting better at only 0.14% now. Annualised returns on the other hand have dropped to 4.8% pa.

    I’ll continue to leave my money in there and let it roll, 4.8% isn’t bad at all considering risks have dropped considerably. If this is the mid point, I’m happy to leave my money and even add more here.

    CapBay is also having a few promotions on and off recently so if you’re looking to start investing, make sure to capitalise on that. Also, my code: DIVMAGIC, for an additional RM100.

    Register hERE.
    Use my code: DIVMAGIC

    If you’d like to read about my stock investments, my Freedom Fund can be found here.

    September 2024

    Unfortunately, we’ve been hit with a default this time around.
    RM1,305.68 to be exact. Of that RM1.3K, CapBay has managed to recover RM552.94.

    On a brighter note, returns are not too bad – we’re at 7% annualised return. In total, I put in RM10K, and I got RM2K back, invested since May 2021.

    July 2023

    No defaults yet on my side and it’s amazing that the portfolio has been maintaining 11.1% for like.. forever. I’m going to check how this is calculated or if it is a bug..

    As I only put in RM10,000 so far, since May 2021, this comes up to 17.95% returns in 2 years.

    Nov 2022

    Still happy with CapBay!

    CapBay is also having a few promotions on and off recently so if you’re looking to start investing, make sure to capitalise on that. Also my code above for an additional RM100.

    I’ll be adding in a little more money the next time they have a promo.

    June 2022

    I’m pretty happy and satisfied with CapBay. With the markets in turmoil, CapBay is the one that outshines my other investments for the year at an 11% annual return. A little lower of course once you take into account the fees.

    CapBay is also having a few promotions on and off recently so if you’re looking to start investing, make sure to capitalise on that. Also my code above for an additional RM100.

    May 2022

    Many of you have been asking for an update on my P2P lending portfolio on CapBay. The good news is that there are still zero defaults! And the even greater news is that the annual return is still above 10% right now.

    I prolonged the update a little because this month marks the 1 year anniversary of my investment in CapBay. We put in RM10K back in May 2021. And now, we’ve got a net return of RM780.51. That is a 7.8% return. Not too shabby compared to the markets now.

    In light of the decent returns and zero defaults, I’ll be placing another RM10K into CapBay. I wish I could spare a little more but I don’t want to spread myself too thin.

    If you’re thinking of giving CapBay a try, register hERE.
    Use my code: DIVMAGIC and get RM100 for freeee.

    Read on for the step-by-step guide to register and how to choose your portfolios.

    January 2022

    I invested RM10,000 in CapBay back in May 2021. The first update (as below) was in September 2021 in which I got RM262.77 back, amounting to a 2.62% ROI in 5 months.

    Fast forward to January 2022, from the same RM10K in investment, we’ve got a net return of RM525.15. That’s a 5.25% return in 8 months.

    Not sure if we’ll be able to reach 10% in returns at the end of one year. But we’ll check back again in May 2022! Still pretty happy with the returns AND of course, no bloody defaults.

    If you’re thinking of giving CapBay a try, register hERE.
    Use my code: DIVMAGIC and get RM100 for freeee.

    Read on for the step-by-step guide to register and how to choose your portfolios.

    September 2021

    I invested RM10,000 in CapBay back in May 2021. Here’s how the portfolio is doing almost 5 months after.

    I’ve gotten back RM262.77 which was of course reinvested again. That comes up to about 2.62% ROI in 5 months. It does seem a little low right now but bear in mind that due to the nature of financing, it’ll take a few months for each note to mature. We’re looking at an average time period of 6 months per note. Below is an example of a note that took about 2 months to mature.

    For now, I’m happy with the 2% return in 5 months. And I’ll probably keep the money in for 1 year or maybe 2 then re-evaluate CapBay’s performance.

    The best part, however, is the zero defaults so far. That has always been a concern when investing in P2P lending. With no defaults in 5 months, I’ll be continuing with CapBay for the foreseeable future.

    The P2P Lending Scene in Malaysia

    I’ve been receiving inquiries on and off on what P2P platform I’m currently in. And if you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’d know I had some money in Funding Societies. However, due to their increasing defaults, I’ve pulled out most of my capital.

    Over the past few months, I’ve been looking to re-invest in the sector. I’m on the lookout for lower risks and default rates, somewhere my money can grow steadily at a reasonable rate of return. Which lead me to CapBay.

    Types of Loans – Business Term vs Invoice Financing

    During P2P’s infancy days, the loans offered by most platforms consisted of mainly business term loans. Which is, of course, the essence of P2P financing i.e. You lend money directly to businesses for a fixed period, typically between 12 to 36 months.

    However, it is when the defaults came in that investors realized just how risky it was to hand out loans willy-nilly. And of course, the importance of really diversifying and not putting your capital into a few loans. Instead, when it comes to P2P financing, diversifying over many loans is advisable.

    Fortunately for me, my returns today are still in the positive region. I’ve almost withdrawn 100% of my capital with a net return of 10+% per annum.

    Right now, I’m looking to get back into the P2P scene as the industry as a whole matures. And I’m looking to lower my default risk by going for primarily Invoice Financing. There is lower risk here because investors are essentially lending money in the short term to SMEs based on a transaction.

    In short, when an SME sells their services to a buyer on credit, they often must wait up to 6 months to get their payment. Invoice Financing allows these SMEs access to upfront payment. With Invoice Financing, the SME has already made the sale and the risk of default is actually transferred to the corporate buyer. Typically, Invoice Financing is for the short term, you’ll normally see a loan term of not more than 6 months.

    Why CapBay?

    CapBay specializes in providing Invoice Financing to SMEs who supply to blue-chip companies and government-related entities. Among the few P2P players in Malaysia, CapBay currently has had no defaults SO FAR since their launch in February 2020. This is no easy feat and caught my attention right away and got me digging for more info about them.

    As reported by Fintech News Malaysia, CapBay is the fastest platform to hit RM100 million in P2P Financing. Typically, fast growth leads to problems with risk. The fact that they’ve managed to achieve this growth while still maintaining a 0% default rate is impressive.

    How CapBay Works

    CapBay works a little differently from the platforms I’ve used. They’re encouraging ”Auto-investing” whereby you let the platform pick the loans to invest in. As you all know, I’m a big fan of automating investments and so I will be using their Auto Invest feature all the way.

    You choose from 3 different Auto Invest Profiles based on their respective risk profiles and potential return – Conservative, Moderate and Aggressive. If however, you want to have better control of your capital, you can choose to customize.

    Within these 3 different profiles, you’ll find a further 3 categories of notes:
    1. Select: Safer and lower return notes
    2. Motor: Dealer financing notes
    3. Diversified: Riskier and higher return notes

    There’ll be a section for you to read up on these on the platform itself.

    Another thing to note: Your uninvested funds will earn an estimated 1.7% per annum. This is a special feature called CapBay Plus that ensures you continue to generate returns on uninvested funds if you utilize their Auto Invest.

    Simple Steps to Get Started

    CapBay Registration P2P

    You’ll need RM10,000 to start

    This one here got me thinking a little and I know RM10,000 is a huge amount to start with for many, myself included. But after looking at the 0% default rate for a year, as well as the expected net return of up to 10% per annum on their investment opportunities, I’ve decided to go ahead. I’ll be posting updates on the performance here, probably on a regular basis.

    Registration

    CapBay Registration

    Registration took me about 5 minutes. All the usual KYC are required. I.e. pics of your IC and a 5-sec video upload.

    If you don’t have a webcam, make sure you download the app and register there as you’ll need to upload a video during registration as part of their KYC requirements.

    CapBay Referral Code

    And finally, if you’re signing up and registering with CapBay, don’t forget to use my code and link for a free RM100. To qualify, you’ll have to make the RM10K deposit and select one of the Auto Invest profiles (Conservative, Moderate and Aggressive). The full terms and conditions can be found here.

    Register hERE.
    Use my code: DIVMAGIC

    End.

    My Portfolio

    CapBay Registration P2P

    I’ve added in RM10,000 to the Auto-Invest feature and selected the Aggressive profile.

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

    The Auto-Invest feature was quick and my funds are 40% invested in a few days. Returns range from 7.3% to 9.7% currently.

    Look forward to future updates to my P2P portfolio.

    Risks of P2P

    Please understand that I consider P2P investing a high-risk venture. Even with CapBay’s focus on Invoice Financing, I still consider this to be a risky investment. But how else can you expect a potential net yield of up to 10% per annum.

    This is why I’ve been doing a lot of research and looking around the Malaysian market. I’ll be testing the waters with CapBay and will let everyone know how it goes via my updates.