Dividend Magic

Saving and Investing towards Financial Independence in Malaysia

Dividends

Dividend Income Update 2021

By
Filed Under: Dividends 2

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

June

Freedom Fund as of June 2021
Dividend Income (June) –  RM1,040.65
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM8,900.41
Dividend Yield – 2.13%

A total of RM1,040.65 in dividend income for June.

Times are tough for everyone now and my income has been negatively affected by the prolonged lockdown in our country. The dividends from my portfolio are keeping me afloat right now. I guess this is why people always say cash flow is important.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

Sold off all MYEG.

Malayan Banking Berhad

June 2021 Dividends – RM1,040.65
June 2020 Dividends –
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM1,399.34
Dividend Yield – 6.80%

.

May

Freedom Fund as of May 2021
Dividend Income (May) –  RM1,497.86
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM7,859.76
Dividend Yield – 1.88%

A total of RM1,497.86 in dividend income for May. That is about a 71% decrease in dividends compared to May last year.

Acquisition and Disposals

Sold off all my DPHARMA.

Axis REIT

May 2021 Dividends – RM210.55
May 2020 Dividends – RM198.67
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM432.36
Dividend Yield – 2.49%

IGB REIT

May 2021 Dividends – RM442.07
May 2020 Dividends – RM645.75
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM1,133.58
Dividend Yield – 2.19%

Duopharma Biotech Berhad

May 2021 Dividends – RM381.24
May 2020 Dividends – N/A
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM381.24
Dividend Yield – 2.59%

Nestle (M) Berhad

May 2021 Dividends – RM184
May 2020 Dividends – RM280
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM184
Dividend Yield – 1.38%

CB Industrial Product Berhad

May 2021 Dividends – RM280
May 2020 Dividends – RM280
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM280
Dividend Yield – 1.26%

April

Freedom Fund as of April 2021
Dividend Income (Apr) –  RM2,460.20
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM6,361.90
Dividend Yield – 1.47%

A total of RM2,460.20 in dividend income for April. That is about a 46% increase in dividends compared to April last year.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

April 2021 Dividends – RM2,320.00
April 2020 Dividends – RM1,400.00
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM2,320.00
Dividend Yield – 4.92%

Sunway Berhad

April 2021 Dividends – RM129.80
April 2020 Dividends – RM389.39
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM129.80
Dividend Yield – 1.11%

In addition to the normal dividends, I also received RM10.40 in preferential dividends from SUNWAY-PA.

March

Freedom Fund as of March 2021
Dividend Income (Mar) –  RM1,582.50
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM3,901.70
Dividend Yield – 0.92%

A total of RM1,582.50 in dividend income for March. That is about a 138% increase in dividends compared to March last year.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

Nil.

Axis REIT

March 2021 Dividends – RM221.81
March 2020 Dividends – RM112.59
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM221.81
Dividend Yield – 1.28%

IGB Berhad

March 2021 Dividends – RM227
March 2020 Dividends – RM227
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM227
Dividend Yield – 2.15%

Sunway REIT

March 2021 Dividends – RM223.69
March 2020 Dividends – RM306.82
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM223.69
Dividend Yield – 0.48%

Public Bank Berhad

March 2021 Dividends – RM910
March 2020 Dividends – RM560
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM910
Dividend Yield – 3.74%

February

Freedom Fund as of February 2021
Dividend Income (Feb) –  RM691.51
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM2,319.20
Dividend Yield – 0.92%

A total of RM691.51 in dividend income for February. That is about a 17% increase in dividends compared to February last year.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

Bought a little more Scientex. Sold Dsonic and GenM.

IGBREIT

February 2021 Dividends – RM691.50
February 2020 Dividends – RM590.53
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM691.50
Dividend Yield – 1.33%

January

Freedom Fund as of January 2021
Dividend Income (Jan) –  RM1,627.69
Dividend Income (2021) –  RM1,627.69
Dividend Yield – 0.37%

A total of RM1,627.69 in dividend income for January.

Scientex came in higher compared to Jan last year. Maybank’s dividend is all over the place so there’s no comparing to 2020 right now. And Thong Guan gave me a measly 0.35% yield so far.

I’ll be looking at how the rest of the year go but it isn’t too bad of a start.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

No transactions made in the month of January.

SCIENTEX BERHAD

January 2021 Dividends – RM1,144
January 2020 Dividends – RM1,030
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM1,144
Dividend Yield – 2.81%

Malayan Banking Berhad

January 2021 Dividends – RM358.69
January 2020 Dividends – RM /-
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM358.69
Dividend Yield – 1.78%

Thong Guan Industries Berhad

January 2021 Dividends – RM125
January 2020 Dividends – RM /-
Total 2021 Dividends –  RM125
Dividend Yield – 0.35%

Dividend Income Update 2018

By
Filed Under: Dividends 0

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

December

The last month produced RM1,111.65 in dividends for me. A 14.78% dip compared to last year’s RM1,304.48. TENAGA paid out its dividends in October this year.

Also, I received AirAsia’s special dividend of RM5,320 just in time for the New Year.

I’ll refrain from adding that into my dividend yield for 2018 as that may skew and mislead you. 

Sunway REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM310.35

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,179.94

Total 2017 Dividends – RM1,204.55

Dividend Yield – 5.95%

A small drop in dividends from Sunway REIT this year. Still a solid 6% yield.

Axis REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM437.30

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,359.45

Total 2017 Dividends – RM1,619.51

Dividend Yield – 3.96%

Bad, bad performance from Axis. The price has slightly rebounded but I’ll continue to monitor their dividend payments for the first half of 2019.

Nestle Malaysia Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM140

Total 2018 Dividends – RM550

Total 2017 Dividends – RM540

Dividend Yield – 4.11%

A slight increase in dividends from Nestle. We should see stronger yields next year as the share price has shot up to RM147 per unit right now.

Scicom (MSC) Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM224

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,008

Total 2017 Dividends – RM756

Dividend Yield – 4.52%

A surprise coming from Scicom this year. Their share price has tanked.

I believe that it is trading at a huge bargain right now.

End.

2018-  RM18,072.25 (4.92%)
2017 – RM15,705.71 (4.69%)

Gross Investment – RM367,168.13
Market Value – RM443,435.79

A good year in terms of dividends. But with the current situation of the market, the Freedom Fund is actually making a slight paper loss this year.

PS. I decided against adding AirAsia’s special dividend into the fray. But just so you know, the yield would have come up to 6.37% if I had.

Here’s to reaching that 5% mark in 2019. 

Happy New Year everyone! Don’t drink and drive.

The Freedom Fund has been updated as of December 2018. The full list of dividend yields from my shareholdings can be viewed there.

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

November

What with the news of the bonus RM0.40 dividend per share announced by AirAsia last night, I am in an upbeat mood as I write this today.

The dividend income for November 2018 came up to RM1,806.62, compared to RM1,438.87 the same month last year. A 25.56% jump in dividends!

And of course, an equal 25% jump in satisfaction on my part.

Contributing partners to the dividend income: Malayan Banking Berhad (better known as Maybank), Aeon Credit Service Berhad and IGB REIT.

Maybank

This Month’s Dividends – RM813

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,853.64

Total 2017 Dividends – RM1,761.72

Dividend Yield – 6.99%

A 7% dividend yield from Malaysia’s largest bank is no easy feat. This amount materializes firstly from my low buy-in price and also from the bank’s financial performance.

The dividend yield has also increased, with the additional shares from Maybank’s dividend reinvestment plan taken into account.

If and when the share price dips to low levels again, I’d suggest investing here. Instead of the constant, tedious chase for 4% promo rates.

Aeon Credit

This Month’s Dividends – RM378.25

Total 2018 Dividends – RM718.25

Total 2017 Dividends – RM359.21 (comparison with RM378.25 as I bought end of 2017)

Dividend Yield – 3.18%

Give Aeon some time, the growth of their loan portfolio is strong for 2018 and I only see them moving forwards. That said, 3.18% ain’t too shabby.

IGB REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM615.37

Total 2018 Dividends – RM2,865.43

Dividend Yield – 7.09%

My all-time favorite REIT right now. (Sunreit is a close second)

I’ve always believed that IGB REIT is a no-brainer and investors new to dividend investing should drop some dough into this counter.

Bought at the right price, you’ll get a nice starting yield of maybe 5%? Hold it for a few more and a 7-8% yield is right around the corner.

A tip: Mall REITs like IGB REIT derive their income mainly from 2 sources – Rentals and parking. IGB has a huge waiting list of tenants and their parking bays are always full.

October

October was a relatively volatile month. And I’ve noticed most of you who started investing recently weren’t able to handle the dip in the market. Emotionally.

Reminder: You’re investing for the LONG term. Don’t let temporary dips or so-called financial crises shake you.

Remember to always do your research and have target prices for your stocks. And based off that TP, decide to buy or sell. I know most of you are just looking for re-assurances. And I’m more than happy to remind and reassure everyone again and again.

So, moving on. The tenth month brought in only RM599.64 in dividend income compared to RM1,454.52 last year. A 58.77% dip. The difference? AirAsia declared October last year but not this year. We did have TNB’s contribution this year though.

Sunway Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM296.94

Total 2018 Dividends – RM551.46

Dividend Yield – 4.84%

I’ve held Sunway’s shares for years now which is why I get good yields like these from them. Total yield is up from 4.59% last year. I always love it when yields increase y-o-y.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM302.70

Total 2018 Dividends – RM516.80

Dividend Yield – 3.66%

TNB has been a new addition to the portfolio. Up from 3.12% last year. Increasing yields? Check.

End.

Dividends from both companies are above the 3% mark and have been increasing every year. Keeping both companies for many years to come.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at October 2018
Dividend Income (October): RM599.64
Dividend Income (2018): RM15,153.98
Dividend Yield: 4.13%

We’ve almost crossed the 4.28% dividend yield mark for last year and we’ve got 2 more months to go. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it’s a solid year for the Freedom Fund.

Onwards and upwards! And remember, don’t panic during recessions. Save and always stay invested.

September

The 3rd quarter of the year comes to a close this time around with a total of RM1,799.63 in dividends for the month of September.

Compared to last year in September of RM1,136.30, we’ve got a 58.38% increase in dividends.

Freedom Fund has been updated to reflect 3Q numbers.

The handful of companies providing me with this rezeki are as follows:

Axis REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM373.35

Total 2018 Dividends – RM922.15

Dividend Yield – 2.69%

Sunway REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM274.18

Total 2018 Dividends – RM869.59

Dividend Yield – 4.38%

Public Bank

This Month’s Dividends – RM192

Total 2018 Dividends – RM396

Dividend Yield – 3.57%

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM140

Total 2018 Dividends – RM410

Dividend Yield – 3.07%

Homeritz Corporation

This Month’s Dividends – RM244.50

Total 2018 Dividends – RM782.40

Dividend Yield – 5.54%

IGB Berhad (formerly Goldis Bhd)

This Month’s Dividends – RM227

Total 2018 Dividends – RM227

Dividend Yield – 2.15%

Scicom Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM336

Total 2018 Dividends – RM784

Dividend Yield – 4.68%

End.

Solid performance from the businesses for September. The only exception being Axis REIT which has really been underperforming all year round.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at September 2018
Dividend Income (September): RM1,799.63
Dividend Income (2018): RM14,554.34
Dividend Yield: 3.96%

We’re only at the 3rd quarter for 2018 and already recording impressive numbers.

It’s safe to say we will be breaking last year’s record. Not enough to hit the 5% in yields mark. But a 4.5% would be sufficient.

Onwards and upwards! Thank you for reading.

August

The 8th month of 2018 brought me only RM574.55 in dividends compared to RM1,880.64 the same time last year. As mentioned in the previous post, this is due to most companies paying in July instead of June and August.

IGB REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM574.55

Total 2018 Dividends – RM2,250.06

Dividend Yield – 5.57%

These should be all the dividend income from IGB REIT this year.

Total Dividend (2018) – RM2,250.06

Total Dividend (2017) – RM1,785.70

Dividend Yield (2018) – 5.57%

Dividend Yield (2017) – 5.96%

I purchased additional shares in March 2018, giving me a higher total dividend but a lower yield.

I trust in the assets the management has invested in and foresee growth for IGB REIT in the distant future. As with properties, the growth would be a slow one.

End.

As a comparison to last year’s performance:

August (2018): RM574.55

August (2017): RM1,880.64

A 69.45% dip in dividend income. We should see dividend income normalize come September.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at August 2018
Dividend Income (August): RM574.55
Dividend Income (2018): RM12,754.71
Dividend Yield: 3.47%

July and June

This will be a combined Dividend Income Update for the months of June and July.

I decided to combine both because dividends this year have been pretty erratic in terms of ‘when’ they were distributed. You’ll see in a moment.

It’ll still be separated into individual months for easy reading.

June 2018 – RM1,613.94
June 2017 – RM3,750.74

A -56.97% decrease y-o-y.

Worry not, most of the dividends were distributed later in July.

Companies that paid out in June were – Nestle, Axis REIT, Sunway REIT, Cypark and Scicom.

Nestle Malaysia Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM270

Total 2018 Dividends – RM270

Dividend Yield – 2.02%

Nestle shares have been on a high this year. I’m up by a 120% in capital gains from my measly 200 units of Nestle shares.

Dividends from Nestle increased by 4% y-o-y. Received RM260 the same time last year.

Axis REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM362.63

Total 2018 Dividends – RM548.80

Dividend Yield – 2.27%

Axis REIT has been on a disappointing run. Both in share price as well as its dividend payouts.

Sunway REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM298.11

Total 2018 Dividends – RM595.41

Dividend Yield – 3.00%

A marginal increase in dividends this time around for SunREIT. No complaints there as the dividend yield has been increasing every year.

Cypark Resources Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM459.20

Total 2018 Dividends – RM459.20

Dividend Yield – 2.60%

An increase in dividends from Cypark this time around. It’s yield increased from 2.41% in 2017 to 2.60% this year.

Scicom (MSC) Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM224

Total 2018 Dividends – RM448

Dividend Yield – 2.01%

Big increase in dividends from Scicom compared to the same months last year. The share price has taken a beating though.

July 2018 – RM4,176.64
July 2017 – RM552.00

A 656.64% increase y-o-y.

So… That’s a 650% increase in dividends for July. However, combining both June and July, we will have a 34.58% increase in dividends. I’ll show you the numbers at the end of this post.

Companies that paid out in July were – Maybank, Scientex, AirAsia, AEON Credit and CBIP.

Malayan Banking Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM1,064.64

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,040.64

Dividend Yield – 3.92%

Huge, huge dividend payout from Maybank. A marginal increase from last year.

The final dividend should be paid out some time in October. We are set to see Maybank’s dividend yield go past the 7% mark this year.

Scientex Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM920

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,840

Dividend Yield – 5.19%

This should be all the dividends from Scientex this year. The increase in dividends compared to 2017? 40%.

Nuf’ said.

AirAsia Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM1,596

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,596

Dividend Yield – 3.85%

AirAsia more than doubled its dividends this year. I received RM780 this time last year.

Although a growth company, AirAsia’s dividends are one of the best in my portfolio.

Aeon Credit Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM340

Total 2018 Dividends – RM340

Dividend Yield – 1.51%

CBIP Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM280

Total 2018 Dividends – RM700

Dividend Yield – 3.14%

End.

As a comparison to last year’s performance for both June and July:

June & July (2017): RM4,302.74

June & July (2018): RM5,790.58

That’s a big 34.58% increase.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at July 2018
Dividend Income (June & July): RM5,790.58
Dividend Income (2018): RM12,180.16
Dividend Yield: 3.31%

The Freedom Fund’s dividend yield has already surpassed the 3% mark. And it is only July. Again, for the people that continuously ask me ‘Why not FD?’ I hope this answers your question. Again.

To recap, last year’s dividends were almost RM16K.

I know I’m aiming high right now, but we are in line to achieve RM18K in dividends this year. In fact, RM20K is entirely possible.

As always, thank you for reading! I’ll be updating the Freedom Fund page within the week or so. 

May

May 2018 – RM667.52
May 2017 – RM393.79

A 69.51% increase y-o-y. The increase is thanks to IGB REIT declaring its dividends in May.

Last year’s sole contribution came from Axis REIT, whose dividends came in June this year.

IGB REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM667.52

Total 2018 Dividends – RM1,675.51

Dividend Yield – 4.15%

IGB REIT is one of my portfolio’s largest contributor of dividends, consistently providing me with yields of 5% and above.

This year, we ought to see it break the 6% dividend yield threshold.

As I’ve often said, REITs are necessary defensive stocks to have in your portfolio. They act as an anchor during bad market conditions that still provide you with high yields.

End.

April and May has traditionally been slow months for the Freedom Fund. We should hopefully see June give us bigger returns this month in June. Really looking forward to it.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at May 2018
Dividend Income (May): RM667.52
Dividend Income (2018): RM6,389.58
Dividend Yield: 1.70%

As always, thank you for reading! Those of you who are heading to AirAsia’s AGM on 20 June, drop me a PM. 

April

April 2018 – RM483.02
April 2017 – RM277.20

A 74.25% increase y-o-y. The increase comes mainly from the addition of Tenaga Nasional Berhad in July last year.

And yes, congratulations to Pakatan Harapan on the GE14 win.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

Dividend Income April 2018
Tenaga Nasional Berhad April 2018 Dividends

This Month’s Dividends – RM214.10

Total 2018 Dividends – RM214.10

Dividend Yield – 1.52%

TNB has been performing really well since I’ve added it to the Freedom Fund last year. The risks moving forward will be the review of government contracts TNB has signed while under BN’s rule.

Sunway Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM254.52

Total 2018 Dividends – RM254.52

Dividend Yield – 2.23%

Sunway Construction Berhad

Dividend Income April 2018
Sunway Construction April 2018 Dividend Income

This Month’s Dividends – RM14.40

Total 2018 Dividends – RM14.40

Dividend Yield – 2.50%

Recent Buys

I’ve made a purchase 3,000 units of AirAsia shares at RM3.52 each. My average price is RM3.1189 currently.

End.

I apologize for the late dividend income update this time around. May’s post will be up soon.

April and May has traditionally been slow months for the Freedom Fund.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at April 2018
Dividend Income (April): RM483.02
Dividend Income (2018): RM5,722.06
Dividend Yield: 1.60%

Still waiting on AirAsia’s AGM notice. Anyone know anything about it? Will be interesting to see Tony after his recent debacle.

As always, thank you for reading!

March

March 2018 – RM2,166.98
March 2017 – RM455.37

That big jump in dividends is no April Fool’s joke. As mentioned in the previous post, Public Bank’s dividends came in March this year at RM204 instead of February.

However, the main reason for the increase in dividends is the one-off payment from my Goldis Preference Shares from the takeover offer a couple of months back. I received RM1,441.68.

So, did my dividend income actually increase?

YES! Even without taking into account Public Bank’s and the one-off payment from Goldis, my dividends increased by 14.48% y-o-y. Both SunREIT and Scicom paid out higher dividend amounts.

Sunway REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM297.30

Total 2018 Dividends – RM297.30

Dividend Yield – 1.50%

Scicom Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM224

Total 2018 Dividends – RM224

Dividend Yield – 1.34%

Public Bank Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM204

Total 2018 Dividends – RM204

Dividend Yield – 1.84%

Goldis Berhad / IGB Corp

As mentioned earlier, this is a one-off payment from Goldis’ takeover of IGB Corp. I opted to receive Goldis preference shares instead of a full cash payout. You can read more about it hERE.

Recent Buys

I’ve made a purchase of 7,000 units of IGB REIT shares for RM1.49 each last month in light of the cheap prices of REITs.

End.

I’m happy with March’s dividend income. As the 1st Quarter of 2018 comes to a close, I’ve updated the Freedom Fund to reflect my gains accordingly.

How has everyone’s 1st quarter been?

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at March 2018
Dividend Income (March): RM2,166.98
Dividend Income (2018): RM5,239.04
Dividend Yield: 1.51%

On a side note, I’ve received notices from Maybank and Public Bank on their upcoming AGMs. Anyone attending? Drop me a comment here or on Facebook and maybe we can arrange a small gathering.

As always, thank you for reading!

February

February 2018 – RM1,732.06
February 2017 – RM2,081.80

That’s a 16.8% decrease in dividends for me y-o-y.  This is mainly due to Public Bank declaring its second interim dividend late this year. I’ll be receiving it in March or April.

The RM1,732.06 this February came from IGB REIT, Axis REIT, and Homeritz.

IGB REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM1,007.99

Total 2017 Dividends – RM1,007.99

Dividend Yield – 3.36%

IGB REIT’s dividends increased from RM733.50 to RM1,007.99 y-o-y.

We should see IGB REIT’s dividend yield pass the 6% yield this year.

Axis REIT

This Month’s Dividends – RM186.17

Total 2017 Dividends – RM186.17

Dividend Yield – 0.54%

Axis REIT’s dividends decreased from RM271.20 to RM186.17 y-o-y.

I’ve had many many queries from concerned readers regarding Axis REIT’s performance.

Axis had been aggressively acquiring new properties lately, as many as 2 in 2017 alone. Coupled with new unit placements in November, this has seen a drop in share price for the REIT.

As a shareholder, I’m of course always happy to see the management acquire solid new properties. However, with new share placements, I expected a share price drop but not a drop in my dividends. Food for thought.

Also, Axis’ AGM is coming up in April. Anyone attending?

Homeritz Bhd

This Month’s Dividends – RM537.90

Total 2017 Dividends – RM537.90

Dividend Yield – 3.81%

Homeritz’s dividends decreased from RM733.50 to RM537.90 y-o-y.

Homeritz was buoyed by the decrease in value of the Ringgit last year and translated to huge gains for its exports.

Still, a 3.81% yield from its first dividends this year is good.

End.

February in 2018 has been disappointing compared to last year’s. Mainly due to underperformance by Axis REIT’s dividend distribution.

March should see some improvement. How has everyone’s February been?

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at February 2018
Dividend Income (February): RM1,732.06
Dividend Income (2018): RM3,072.06
Dividend Yield: 1.07%

I’d like to apologize for not replying some of your comments and messages on time as I’ve been away on holiday up till today – the 21st of March. Will be replying everyone real soon!! 

As always, thank you for reading!

January

Dividends, dividends, dividends!

January 2018 – RM1,340
January 2017 – RM1,180

An increase of 13.56%.

Same companies – Scientex Berhad and CBIP Berhad.  The increase was contributed by Scientex alone, giving out RM920 compared to the RM760 last year. CBIP’s dividends remained constant at RM420.

Scientex Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM920

Total 2017 Dividends – RM760

Dividend Yield – 3.14%

CBIP Berhad

This Month’s Dividends – RM420

Total 2017 Dividends – RM420

Dividend Yield – 1.88%

End.

Pretty straightforward stuff for the first month of 2018. Same two companies, one increasing its dividends while the other’s remained the same.

Scientex is expected to continue to contribute heavily to my portfolio’s dividend income this year.

Last year, with RM1,312 in dividends, Scientex’s dividends made up almost 10% of the Freedom Fund’s total dividend income. The 21% increase in dividends by Scientex came as a surprise as I only expected a small hike in dividends this time around.

To summarize,

Freedom Fund as at January 2018
Dividend Income (January): RM1,340
Dividend Income (2018): RM1,340
Dividend Yield: 0.4%

Last but not least, a Happy Chinese New Year to everyone! Onwards and upwards!

Invest Singapore by CGS-CIMB Securities

By
Filed Under: Dividends, Investment 2

InvestSG 2020

Interest in overseas investing has been huge lately as we look for bigger growth opportunities and higher yields. I know for a fact that Malaysian investors have always gone on to invest internationally, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, the EU, and the US are common countries.

We have one of the world’s most robust stock market right next door – Singapore. The equivalent of Bursa in Malaysia, Singapore’s stock exchange is operated by Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX).

CGS-CIMB Securities (formerly known as CIMB Securities) will be bringing us Invest Singapore on 18 November 2020. The event is aimed at Malaysians and to introduce Singapore’s stock market with many experts lined up.

Event details:

Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Time: 9am – 1pm

Link: http://bit.ly/InvestSingapore-DM

Invest SG

Invest SG Schedule

Updated as of 1 November 2020. Changes to the schedule can be viewed via the link above.

Invest SG Schedule

Slots I’m Interested In

Singapore’s Economy

Despite us being neighbors, I as a Malaysian am still unsure about Singapore’s economy and market conditions. Hoping to gain some insights during the 9.35 am session with Jamus Lim, Song Seng Wun, and Lim Say Boon.

It’ll be beneficial to those that plan to invest in Singapore stocks as well. Doesn’t hurt to have a macro view of a country as a whole before you invest there.

New Trends in the REITs Sector

I’m especially interested in the REITs listed on the SGX, specifically data center REITs.

At the 10.20 am – 10.45 am slot, there’ll be a topic on this moderated by CGS-CIMB Analyst Lock Mun Yee together with REITAS CEO Nupur Joshi, ARA LOGOS CEO Karen Lee and Keppel REIT CEO Paul Tham.

I know most Malaysian investors have already bought into some or are actually eyeing them. Data centers REITs like Keppel REIT has actually been doing well recently. So, if you’ve been wanting to invest in Singapore REITs, this will be the slot to watch.

Navigating Singapore 

CGS-CIMB Securities provides one of the most comprehensive research coverage of over 2,000 stocks in the SEA region. You can get limited access to these hERE. As a client of CGS-CIMB, you’ll be able to get full access.

The 12.00 noon session features investing strategies for stocks listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Geoff Howie from SGX will be talking about momentum and volatility. As for Lim Say Boon, Chief Investment Strategist for CGS-CIMB, he’ll be sharing his views on REITs, property, banks, and more.

CGS-CIMB Securities, a broker in Malaysia & Singapore

CGS-CIMB Securities International Pte. Ltd. (“CGS-CIMB”) is a 50-50 joint venture between China Galaxy International Financial Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd, and CIMB Group Sdn. Bhd.

Through a network of local offices, branches, and strategic partners, the Group has a global presence in over 20 countries. Well-positioned as Asia’s leading financial services provider, CGS-CIMB has a core focus on well-researched and in-depth analysis on financial products.

With a focus on value creation, CGS-CIMB Securities offer a suite of investment and financial solutions for retail and institutional clients.

Their businesses include:

– Derivatives (CFDs, Forex)

– Equities Trading

– Equities Research

– Fixed Income

– Institutional Equities

– Leveraged Products

– Prime Services

– Retail Trading & Investing

– Wealth Management

Zero Commission Promotion

CGS-CIMB Securities is offering ZERO commissions when you buy Singapore stocks from 19 November 2020 to 28 February 2021. There will be more information on this during the event so sign up for Invest Singapore to find out more.

Final Thoughts

I’ll be looking forward to InvestSG on 18 November 2020.

This isn’t another course offered by financial gurus you see on FB taking your money and telling you what stocks to invest in. Instead, you’ll be listening to experts speak and given a macro view of a new market and whole new industries to invest in. What’s more? It’s free.

So sign up, make time for it and I guarantee you’ll learn something from this.

The fully virtual event will run from 9 am to 1 pm. It’ll be half a day of learning. If you missed it earlier, registration can be done hERE.  

Also, you can stay updated with CGS-CIMB here:

Dividend Income Update 2020

By
Filed Under: Dividends, Investment 17

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

December

Freedom Fund as of December 2020
Dividend Income (Dec) –  RM351.47
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM15,415.64
Dividend Yield – 3.54%

You’ll notice a drop in dividend yield compared to November as I added and sold stocks.

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

Acquisition and Disposals

Added more QL Resources, TGUAN. Sold BURSA and some DSONIC.

Axis REIT

December 2020 Dividends – RM211.47
December 2019 Dividends – RM221.82
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM726.01
Dividend Yield – 4.18%

Nestle (M) Berhad

December 2020 Dividends – RM140
December 2019 Dividends – RM140
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM560
Dividend Yield – 4.19%

November

Freedom Fund as of November 2020
Dividend Income (Nov) –  RM960.04
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM15,064.17
Dividend Yield – 3.53%

Received RM960.04 for November from a total of 2 companies.

Acquisition and Disposals

Bought 1,000 units of TENAGA, lowering my average buy price to RM11.7950 per share.

Also bought a little more TGUAN as it went way down during November.

Bought MYEG for RM1.54 per share.

Bought and sold BURSA for some quick gain as it went above my valuation.

Sold off some MAYBANK and PBBANK shares, taking a little profit along the way.

Thoughts

As can be seen from my buy and sell transactions above, I’m still actively purchasing shares as they fall below my valuations. I’m also freeing up some money as I am building up and maintaining my cash position of about 10-15% of my portfolio right now.

IGB REIT

November 2020 Dividends – RM701.47
November 2019 Dividends – RM622.82
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM2,144.76
Dividend Yield – 4.14%

Sunway REIT

November 2020 Dividends – RM258.57
November 2019 Dividends – RM312.26
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM1,081.05
Dividend Yield – 2.32%

October

Freedom Fund as of October 2020
Dividend Income (Oct) –  RM1,530.48
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM14,104.13
Dividend Yield – 3.30%

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

Received RM1,530.48 for October from a total of 7 companies!

Acquisition and Disposals

Bought both Thong Guan (TGUAN) and Tenaga in October. The price and amount will be updated when I do the year end review.

I sold some Scientex AGAIN in October to lock in profit. Hoping to buy back if and when prices dip in the future.

Also sold off Aeon Credit to free up some cash. Including dividends received, a small gain of 2.78% was recorded.

Thoughts

Just like current market conditions, my portfolio and dividends have taken a hit in 2020. Looking to at least get close to last year’s RM16,322.27 in dividends. We’re only at RM14,104.13 today.

That being said, I am still grateful to be able to continue getting dividends this year. And also thankful that the portfolio is still in the green as of this moment. It’s a race towards the end of 2020!

Nestle Malaysia Berhad

October 2020 Dividends – RM140
October 2019 Dividends – RM140
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM420
Dividend Yield – 3.14%

Axis REIT

October 2020 Dividends – RM203.28
October 2019 Dividends – RM221.82
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM514.54
Dividend Yield – 2.96%

Datasonic Group Berhad

October 2020 Dividends – RM78.50
October 2019 Dividends – RM –
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM78.50
Dividend Yield – 0.40%

QL Resources Berhad

October 2020 Dividends – RM67.50
October 2019 Dividends – RM –
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM67.50
Dividend Yield – 0.46%

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

October 2020 Dividends – RM660
October 2019 Dividends – RM600
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM2,060
Dividend Yield – 5.50%

CB Industrial Product Holding Berhad

October 2020 Dividends – RM280
October 2019 Dividends – RM280
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM560
Dividend Yield – 2.51%

Aeon Credit (M) Berhad (SOLD)

October 2020 Dividends – RM101.20

September

Freedom Fund as of September 2020
Dividend Income (Sept) –  RM459.50
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM12,573.65
Dividend Yield – 2.84%

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

Received a total of RM459.50 in dividend income for September. A drop compared to 2019’s RM1,336.98. We missed out on PBB, Homeriz and Scicom’s dividends.

Note: Amended dividends and yield a little as I forgot to take into account dividend from stocks I sold. Also amended the Freedom Fund’s latest update.

I know many of you have been asking for my list of purchases and disposals. I’ll try my best to list them all down here as well as the reasons for said transactions.

Disposals

Duopharma

I sold 7,000 units of Duopharma stocks, taking an estimated 200% profit. Will be looking closely at this company in the coming weeks/months to maybe purchase more or dispose of all my holdings.

Homeriz

I’ve also disposed of all my Homeriz stocks with a 37% gain. I’ve been holding this one since 2014 and its been a pretty good ride with decent dividends. Reason for the disposal is that I want to free up some cash and cut my portfolio down a little.

Scicom

This one hurts. Holding Scicom since 2016, sold all for a 43% loss. I though I understood the company well and the industry but lesson learnt. Will not be looking at them any time soon.

Scientex

Scientex has always been my diamond in the rough. A true gem and I’ve recently disposed of some 2,000 units. Took a profit of around 125%. I still hold 9,800 units of Scientex and will continue to hold for the long term. Will of course be on the look out for when the price drops to add more to my portfolio.

Purchases

Bursa

Purchased 1,500 units of our very own bourse. Looking to hold this one for the long term and I’m hoping that the participation of retail investors will continue long after the pandemic is over.

Dsonic

Bought this one in anticipation of some projects. Dipping my toe in this new industry and learning a lot from my peers and members from our FB group.

QL Resources

I’ve been looking at QL for the longest time, if I recall I did actually own some shares of QL previously but sold it off. Would’ve made a handsome profit if I continued to hold the shares. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

I like the management, they’re in a very steady industry and you know – Family Mart.

Thoughts

So those are my disposals and my purchases from March to September 2020. I’ll be looking to start discussions on individual stocks on my YouTube channel very soon. If you haven’t already, please do subscribe and I’ll see all of you there.

Now on to September’s dividend income!

Genting Malaysia Berhad

September 2020 Dividends – RM228
September 2019 Dividends – RM288
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM760
Dividend Yield – 4.40%

Sunway Construction Berhad

September 2020 Dividends – RM4.50
September 2019 Dividends – RM12.60
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM4.50
Dividend Yield – 0.77%

IGB Berhad

September 2020 Dividends – RM227
September 2019 Dividends – RM227
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM454
Dividend Yield – 4.30%

August

Freedom Fund as at August 2020
Dividend Income (Aug) –  RM872.67
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM12,114.15
Dividend Yield – 2.71%

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

Received a total of RM872.67 in dividend income for August. A slight increase compared to 2019’s RM832.21. A 5% increase.

Thoughts

With Q4 closing in fast, I’m keen to see my investment portfolio reach the 3% mark in dividend yield. Pretty sure we won’t be able to surpass 2019’s yield of 4.16%, but you never know!

I think markets will continue to be volatile and stock prices do not accurately reflect the Malaysian economy right now. This is the first time I’m seeing such market enthusiasm during a pandemic and when businesses all around us are closing down.

I’ll continue to hold on to more cash as I sell off some positions. I’m looking to purchase more Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) stocks and a few good companies I’m currently holding right when the price is right.

As I’ve mentioned a few times, my Malaysian portfolio will be built and centered around dividends right now. While my US stock portfolio will be more focused on growth and capital gains.

Duopharma Biotech Berhad

August 2020 Dividends – RM500.00
August 2019 Dividends – N/A
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM500.00
Dividend Yield – 3.55%

I’ve been selling off this stock and taking profit over the past few weeks/months. All in all, I’ve probably made close to 200% profit on average from the aforementioned sell off.

IGB REIT

August 2020 Dividends – RM207.01
August 2019 Dividends – RM609.37
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM1,443.29
Dividend Yield – 2.78%

Sunway REIT

August 2020 Dividends – RM515.66
August 2019 Dividends – RM298.38
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM822.48
Dividend Yield – 1.77%

July

Freedom Fund as at July 2020
Dividend Income (July) –  RM1,722.67
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM11,241.48
Dividend Yield – 2.62%

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

Received a total of RM1,722.67 in dividends for July this year. Comparatively, in 2019, I received RM1,409.95. That’s a 22% increase.

To compare against last year’s performance, I’ve compiled and combined all 2019’s dividend income update hERE.

With the interest rates in Malaysia at an all-time low right now, conventional FD’s are no longer attractive. It is times like these that strong, stable companies with their consistent dividend payments shine. We are only in July and my yield is already above the board rate.

Aeon Credit Service (M) Berhad

July 2020 Dividends – RM154.00
July 2019 Dividends – RM379.95
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM154.00
Dividend Yield – 1.22%

Aeon Credit has been hit hard in Q2. Will be looking to maybe trim down a little to pounce on future buying opportunities.

Scientex Berhad

July 2020 Dividends – RM1,180
July 2019 Dividends – RM1,030
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM2,210
Dividend Yield – 4.05%

Dividends increased a little as I added more units of Scientex to my portfolio during the MCO period.

The company has managed to keep their dividend payments unchanged amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Axis REIT

July 2020 Dividends – RM198.67
July 2019 Dividends – RM221.71
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM311.26
Dividend Yield – 1.79%

Genting Malaysia Berhad

July 2020 Dividends – RM190.00
July 2019 Dividends – RM –
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM532
Dividend Yield – 4.73%

June

Freedom Fund as at June 2020
Dividend Income (June) –  RM112
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM9,518.81
Dividend Yield – 2.27%

Dividend for 2020 has also gone a little haywire I guess. May’s dividend income was exceptionally high and now in June, as expected, I’m experiencing an unprecedented low.

However, cumulatively, dividends for 2020 are still higher compared to 2019.

Scicom (MSC) Berhad

June 2020 Dividends – RM112
June 2019 Dividends – RM112
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM280
Dividend Yield – 1.25%

May

Freedom Fund as at May 2020
Dividend Income (May) –  RM5,155.98
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM9,406.81
Dividend Yield – 2.24%

As investing sentiment improves together with the gradual lifting of Malaysia’s MCO, my portfolio has seen some improvements as well.

I received a total of RM5,155.98 in dividend income for the month of May, a huge increase compared to last year. In fact, The Freedom Fund is at 2.24% in dividend yield right now. Companies that contributed were Maybank, TNB, Nestle and IGB REIT.

Malayan Banking Berhad

May 2020 Dividends – RM2,830.23
May 2019 Dividends – RM1,052.16
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM2,830.23
Dividend Yield – 4.77%

The increase in dividends was due to my additional purchase of Maybank shares. However, the amount and yield has definitely increased, the total yield for the whole of 2019 was 4.49%. We’ve already surpassed it with the first dividend of 2020.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad

May 2020 Dividends – RM1,400.00
May 2019 Dividends – RM230.00
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM1,400.00
Dividend Yield – 5.38%

TNB paid out more this time around as this round’s dividend includes a special dividend.

Nestle (M) Berhad

May 2020 Dividends – RM280.00
May 2019 Dividends – RM280.00
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM280.00
Dividend Yield – 2.09%

IGB REIT

May 2020 Dividends – RM645.75
May 2019 Dividends – RM647.04
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM1,236.28
Dividend Yield – 2.38%

April

Freedom Fund as at April 2020
Dividend Income (Apr) –  RM1,686.39
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM4,250.83
Dividend Yield – 0.97%

The Freedom Fund has taken a hit due to recent events. Capital wise, we’ve moved into the positive range as of 30 April and no longer in the red.

If you’ve been following my Facebook and Instagram, you would’ve been able to pick up on some buys I have made during the MCO.

The most recent being DPHARMA and additional units of MAYBANK and SUNREIT.

However, if you’ve missed it, I will be updating my portfolio in June as per usual. So fret not.

Scicom (Msc) Bhd

April 2020 Dividends – RM168
April 2019 Dividends – RM168
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM168
Dividend Yield – 0.75%

Same amount in dividends received as last year. Same amount of disappointment. Awaiting some good news from Scicom.

IGB Berhad

April 2020 Dividends – RM227
April 2019 Dividends – RM227
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM227
Dividend Yield – 2.15%

The same amount will be expected from IGB’s preference share every year. No surprises here.

Public Bank Berhad

April 2020 Dividends – RM560
April 2019 Dividends – RM222
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM560
Dividend Yield – 2.23%

The huge increase is due to my recent addition of 800 units of Public Bank shares.

Genting Malaysia Berhad

April 2020 Dividends – RM342
April 2019 Dividends – N/A
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM342
Dividend Yield – 3.04%

I bought the shares after April 2019 so there’s nothing to compare to.

Sunway Berhad

April 2020 Dividends – RM389.39
April 2019 Dividends – RM309.12
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM389.39
Dividend Yield – 3.34%

A 25% jump in dividends received . =D

March

Freedom Fund as at March 2020
Dividend Income (Mar) –  RM663.91
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM2,564.44
Dividend Yield – 0.61%

I received a total of RM663.91 in dividends for the month of March from the companies – Homeritz, Axis REIT and Sunway REIT.

The dividend schedule of companies are all messed up again thanks to the Covid-19 virus.

Homeritz Corporation Bhd

March 2020 Dividends – RM244.50
March 2019 Dividends – RM366.75
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM244.50
Dividend Yield – 1.73%

Axis REIT

March 2020 Dividends – RM112.59
March 2019 Dividends – RM243.74
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM112.59
Dividend Yield – 0.65%

Sunway REIT

March 2020 Dividends – RM306.82
March 2019 Dividends – RM281.52
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM306.82
Dividend Yield – 1.55%

All Aboard the Dividend Train

On a side note, our friends at Rakuten has been working on a page that provides information on companies and their dividend payment date. It can be found hERE. I’m also told the page will be updated monthly.

Please note that there is no merit to chasing dividends blindly. Especially yields. A company can show high yields because dividend yield is calculated based on their previous declared dividend.

Make sure you’ve done your research and the yields are backed by equally strong underlying assets.

Also, if you’re signing up for a new Rakuten Account, please do give the blog your support and use my referral link – hERE.

You’ll receive RT points signing up with my link and it’ll go a long way in helping keep Dividend Magic running.

February

Freedom Fund as at February 2020
Dividend Income (Feb) –  RM590.53
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM1,900.53
Dividend Yield – 0.46%

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

IGB REIT

February 2020 Dividends – RM590.53
February 2019 Dividends – RM487.48
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM590.53
Dividend Yield – 1.45%

January

Freedom Fund as at January 2020
Dividend Income (Jan) –  RM1,310.00
Dividend Income (2020) –  RM1,310.00
Dividend Yield – 0.33%

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

Scientex Berhad

January 2020 Dividends – RM1,030
January 2020 Dividends – RM1,030
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM1,030
Dividend Yield – 2.32%

Received the same amount from Scientex last year. Expecting a >4% yield again for 2020.

CB Industrial Product Holding Berhad

January 2020 Dividends – RM280
January 2020 Dividends – RM280
Total 2020 Dividends –  RM280
Dividend Yield – 1.26%

Same amount was paid out last year.

Rakuten Trade Review and FAQ

By
Filed Under: Dividends, Investment 12

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 500RT points upon successful activation of your account.

Thank you in advance for supporting me and the blog.

Rakuten Trade

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

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 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 that 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 payments 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 500 RT Points.  

My 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.

The Good

1. You earn RT points whenever you trade.
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 RM7 up to RM100.
For a quick comparison of all Malaysian stockbrokers, go hERE. Of all the brokers in Malaysia, Rakuten Trade offers the lowest commission rate at RM7 per trade for transactions below RM1,000. 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. Which 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 their website and social media accounts.

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

The Bad

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 stem 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 500RT points upon successful activation of your account.

Rakuten Trade has also recently created a personal page for Dividend Magic on their website. You can find it hERE.

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 brokerage and recommend it to all new investors.

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

What to Do During a Bear Market in Malaysia

By
Filed Under: Dividends, Financial Independence, Investment 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.

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