Cody Chuah

📊 iFAST Monthly Investment Meeting – Market Outlook & Strategy 2026

As always — everything shared was backed by data, research, and numbers. No market “feeling”, no speculation.

Key discussions:

🔹 Why Now Invest in Singapore?

We reviewed Singapore’s macro position — currency strength, capital flow trends, policy stability and sector outlook — all supported by comparative regional data.

🔹 The Price of Certainty: Market, Risk & AI in 2026

With AI accelerating productivity and reshaping valuations, investors are paying a premium for companies perceived as “certain”.

But the question is:
How much are you paying for that certainty?

🔹 Panel Discussion – Many topics were discussed.

But what I appreciated most was this simple question:

If equities are generating strong returns, why would anyone still allocate to bonds?

Because investing is not about chasing the highest return.
It is about managing risk.

Bonds help to:
• Reduce overall portfolio volatility
• Provide income stability
• Cushion downside during equity drawdowns
• Align portfolio with investor’s time horizon

A portfolio is not built for the best-case scenario.

It is built to survive the worst-case scenario.
Reminder from today’s session:

📌 Investment decisions must be supported by facts and analysis.
📌 Asset allocation is more important than market timing.
📌 Discipline beats emotion over the long term.

If you would like to review whether your current portfolio allocation is aligned with 2026 market outlook, feel free to reach out.

At our back-to-work celebration, we had a small lucky draw session 🎁🍊

It was split into two categories:

1️⃣ Pure luck
4 gift hampers — and I didn’t get any 😄

2️⃣ Effort + luck
Only those who achieved sales were eligible.
One case = one red packet draw.
Each red packet contained a random amount — some bigger, some smaller.

I had 4 cases, so I drew 4 times…
and all 4 happened to be the smallest amount available 😂😂

And that got me thinking.

In life, effort gives you the opportunity to participate.
Luck determines the outcome.

If you don’t put in the work, you don’t even get a chance at the draw.

But even when you do your best, the result may not always be the biggest reward.

That’s life.

Keep building your capability.
Keep showing up.
Keep increasing your chances.

Because while we can’t control luck —
we can always control effort.

Wishing everyone a year where preparation meets opportunity ✨

Kicked off the year with our “Back-to-Work Toast” 🥂🍊

Grateful for strong leadership and an amazing team who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Financial planning is never a one-man journey — it’s built on teamwork, trust, and shared vision.

This year, we continue to:
✔ Protect families
✔ Grow wealth responsibly
✔ Create long-term financial clarity

New year. Same mission. Higher standards.
Let’s make it a great one 💼✨

Everyone praying to 财神爷 every CNY 🧧

But remember —
财神爷 gives opportunities.
Discipline builds wealth.💰

May your 2026 be:
Less impulse spending
Less debt
More assets
More freedom

Wishing you prosperity with purpose.
Huat smart, not just huat fast. 💰🔥

I saw a lot of people posting this AI image —
so I followed the trend and made one too 😄

Trends are fun and nothing wrong with joining in. But it made me reflect on something deeper...

When we get used to following trends without thinking, that same mindset can slowly influence how we handle money.

💸 FOMO spending
📉 Hype investments
🧾 Debt traps

And that same “follow trend” mindset is often why many young people overspend, overborrow, and overinvest.

Really thankful for the trust and support that made this possible.

Being recognised as January’s Top 3 Sales Performer also reflects something more meaningful to me —
the opportunity to help a group of people with their financial planning,
secure their assets,
and move closer towards their financial goals with greater peace of mind.

A small milestone, and hopefully a good start to the year.

Onwards and upwards.

✨ Time flies! Already 1 year has passed… ✨

Exactly a year ago, I was on the ground at Malaysian Financial Planning Day 2024, soaking in insights, meeting colleagues, and connecting with aspiring planners. Today, I joined the Malaysian Financial Planning Day 2025 virtually — a reminder of how much has changed, yet how core our mission remains.

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📌 About Malaysian Financial Planning Day (MFPD)

Malaysian Financial Planning Day is an annual initiative led by MFPC (Malaysian Financial Planning Council), jointly organized with FPAM, AFA, and MFPAA.

Its goals:

Bridge students, career-seekers, and the public with the financial planning industry and potential employers

Provide expert talks, roundtable discussions, and interactive sessions on career paths, industry trends, and the evolving role of financial planners

Offer networking opportunities and exposure to real-world firms and opportunities in the financial services space.

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🧭 Why I Attend This

As a licensed financial planner, I believe in staying current. The financial world evolves fast — new regulations, shifting markets, digital tools, behavioral finance, ESG investing — and to serve my clients best, I make it a priority to learn, adapt, and engage.

Attending (in person or online) events like MFPD helps me:

Keep up with industry trends and regulatory updates

Network and exchange ideas with peers and experts

Reflect on how global/local shifts affect everyday financial planning

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Stay tuned — I’ll share key lessons and insights I picked up from MFPD 2025 (and how it shapes how I advise my clients).

If you're thinking of a career in finance, curious about financial planning, or just want to learn more about money and life goals — feel free to reach out or drop your questions below 👇

💡 Emergency Fund: Why Most People Fail to Build It

We talked about how important it is to have an emergency fund earlier. But let’s be honest — most Malaysians struggle to save. Why?

❌ Waiting until “got extra money”
❌ Spending first, saving last
❌ Thinking “nothing will happen to me”

🚨 The truth: when you don’t have savings, emergencies push you into credit card debt.

Here’s an example 👇
If you owe RM5,000 on a credit card at 18% interest and only pay the minimum (RM250/month):
👉 It takes almost 6 years to clear!
👉 You end up paying RM1,900+ extra in interest alone.

That’s why many fall into the debt trap. In fact, reports show credit card debt caused 89 bankruptcy cases among youths last year, and over 53,000 young Malaysians owe nearly RM1.9 billion.

✨ How to avoid this? Build your emergency fund first. Here are 3 tips:
1️⃣ Pay yourself first — save before spending.
2️⃣ Automate — set standing instruction into savings/FD.
3️⃣ Start small — even RM10/day = RM300/month.

👉 Question for you: If you suddenly get a RM5,000 bonus, what would you do first?
A) Pay off debt 💳
B) Build emergency fund 💼
C) Invest 📈

Comment A, B or C below ⬇️

💰 Why We Need an Emergency Fund

Many people ask: “Since EPF gives higher dividend, should I just put all my money there?”

❌ The answer is no. EPF is for our retirement.
✅ Our emergency fund is for LIFE right now.

Imagine this:

🚗 Car breaks down → RM1,500

💊 Medical bill → RM2,000

💼 Job loss → 3 months of no income

If all your money is in EPF, you can’t touch it easily. That’s why you need an emergency fund.

💡 Simple rule: Keep 3–6 months of expenses in savings/FD.

Easy to withdraw

Safer than investments

Gives peace of mind

👉 Question: How long do you think an emergency fund should cover?
A) 3 months 🗓️
B) 6 months 📅
C) 1 year 🗓️📅

Comment A, B or C below ⬇️

📢 EPF Dividend Is Higher — Should You Put ALL Your Money Inside?

Many people are asking: since EPF dividend is likely 5.5%–6% (higher than FD and ASB), should I just put everything into EPF?

Here’s the truth 👇
1️⃣ EPF is for retirement — it grows well, but you can’t touch it anytime you want.
2️⃣ Emergency fund is different — this must be in a place you can withdraw fast (like FD or savings account).
3️⃣ Diversification matters — spreading between EPF, ASB, FD, and other investments protects you from risk.

Imagine this: 🚗

EPF is like your engine — strong, but you can’t use it until the long journey is over.

Emergency fund is your spare tyre — you don’t need it daily, but when you need it, you’ll be glad it’s there.

Other investments are your fuel choices — they give you speed or efficiency.

✅ So no, don’t go all in. Balance is the key.

👉 Question: If you had RM10,000 today, how would you split it between EPF, ASB, FD, and cash? Share your mix in the comments 👇

📢 EPF Dividend: How Much Can You Get in 2025?

Every year, Malaysians wait for the EPF dividend announcement. It feels like a “bonus” on our retirement savings.

Here’s the latest:

EPF made RM38.9 billion in the first half of 2025.

Experts think this year’s dividend will be around 5.5% to 6% (last year was 6.3%).

So what does that mean in real money?
👉 RM10,000 savings = about RM550 dividend
👉 RM50,000 savings = about RM2,750 dividend
👉 RM100,000 savings = about RM5,500 dividend

Not small money! But since it’s likely a bit lower than last year, now’s a good time to ask:

Should we just leave our money in EPF?

Or should we put some into other options like ASB, FD, or PRS for better balance?

💡 Here’s a tip: Think of EPF as your “safe box for retirement”. Then decide if you want to keep all your eggs inside, or spread them out a bit for flexibility.

👉 If EPF pays 5.5%, would you:
A) Stay with EPF 💼
B) Diversify to UT / PRS / ASB / FD 📊
C) Keep more cash 💵

Drop your answer in the comments — A, B, or C!