The confusion part is where you are working but you are saying you are already FIRE, regardless or LEAN or not

FIRE means financial independence + retired early. It's not about green eye whether someone but it's entirely false assumption that one achieved FI while working, because you still have income which can be use to increase the investment value, thus increasing the future value and while FIRE mostly depending on the withdrawal strategy from the pot. In my own calculation, I also can FIRE due to the fact my current passive income enough to sustain my commitments, but without my income, my investment value will grow extremely slow.

In fact this was one of the question my manager asked me in recent layoff wave, IF I get the VSS, how long can I sustain without getting new job and when I told her that I'll do fine because my passive income (aka dividend from stock) is more than my monthly commitment + with some extra for other expenses, and she was quite surprise that my fixed commitment so low (not low, but low to her standard) because I just got a new car and I have few other properties. Having said so it would mean that I do not have extra to increase my investment, thus sort of like fixed my income for the next X years until I bid farewell to the world. And regarding the income from options, I would still think it's too slow to help me grow the networth.

So my confusion here is I agree some people can already reach FI without the RE, but it's actually not really similar. Once the RE come into place, the potentially of touching the goose will always be there.

Shouldn't financial independence mean that you can solely depends on passive income via dividend (EPF/stocks) or rental. This type of income, you don't even have to dip into the savings jar for as long as the goose can lay eggs for you. If we are drawing down from a fund entirely eventually it will be gone but in this case your assets are intact, just no longer growing.

Yeah. Relying on EPF dividend also from dividend, right? That's why I say need about 4M in EPF per pax (of course I'm hoping the dividend is 5%, so that I can splurge a bit)

This post has been edited by jasontoh: Nov 7 2025, 07:58 PM

It's hard to say really. I come to know of some colleagues fully focus in EPF, and normal savings via housing loan, but lack investment elsewhere. Eventually our resources are finite, so for them I think they focus on kids + housing loan + EPF. In fact one of them I just talked recently just leave like 1-2K inside just so that he can continue to claim interest subsidy for the house. Although I have higher investment elsewhere, but my property loans are high as well, but just redrawing the minimal I'll be able to serve my installment, but if I were to retrench, I'll actually withdraw some of my digital banks balance to dump in into the housing loan since no one else is helping me to pay, so try to reduce the total interest that I'm going to give to the banks.

I actually consider myself frugal, and people who are more extreme than me actually "stingy" in one sense. I still recall when I was in uni and also when I started working, my spending is consider stingy to many others, but then in this forum, there are others taking it to the next level.

For the bold-ed statement, I can really live within 1.7-2.5K, assuming I've settled all my fix commitments. So yeah, if I am to live just within 2-3% wr from 1M, I think I'll do fine, provided I've settled my fix commitments. I do hope that I don't have to touch my capital (EPF, local and oversea stocks, properties) by the time I really FIRE

Actually I don't count the income from options trading as spending budget, but also because my target income from options is low - although I think like many, this year the option trading income seems to be on the high side.

For those having >10M, just putting into the FD already can fund the expenses

Depends on his visa type right? If holiday (B1), by right you just need to show your assets here then will get approved.

Don't lie, esp US visa interview. Cause if they find you some hanky panky stuff, might get blacklisted as well. If the assets not enough to backup the application, then meaning better don't go or find guarantor. They worry people jump aeroplane. If you have friends/relatives there as guarantor, then most probably can get approved easier. Sometimes this visa application also depends on luck, the interviewer might be stricter (I noticed this on most ABC), so better pray that get ang moh instead.

Another method is use collateral.
Not sure if your EPF dividend can give ~100K, assuming 2.5%, can you get the loan based on 8.3K monthly as monthly income.

While I know banks are not going to give 0% car loan, I did a lot of 0% cash loan from banks (usually within a year) and I just parked somewhere with >3% interest which is secured and can withdraw anytime soon.
0% car loan actually slightly edge out vs discount, but I opt for more discount instead of 0% car loan since company is paying the interest for me.

Phone number. They offer then just take and pay installment.

While I'm not sure how getting loan will avoid raising red flag in LHDN, I personally don't think getting loan nor pay cash will cause the red flag. Almost every time of my big ticket item, I will get another audit from LHDN. Even the most recent my car also raising the red flag. I'm just employed and max out most of the reliefs, so almost no case for them to waste money on me. I'm not sure raising the red flag is called for audit or whether there is any other example of this.

And I think depends on which is your LHDN office only and unfortunately I use my hometown one and their officers seems to be having more time than should I change it back to where I'm working.

Card BT and EzyCashcash on call also got, still same like loan right, just put FD already earn. Some bankers actually got monthly credit quota, and they usually offer low interest, but sometimes 0% - so depends on luck. It's still just loan, you need to pay back. Once you cannot pay back within the stated time, then that is how banks earn money.

This post has been edited by jasontoh: Nov 25 2025, 04:27 PM

It's bank loan, not credit card - something like personal loan, I forgot what they usually call the name. This one usually depending on the banker whether they still have quota and call your phone or not. What I mean is credit card EzCash/Call for cash also got - which is about the same just that the credit card one will use the the card limit, but the loan one doesn't. It might however cause the CTOS/CCRIS not nice. Just in case you are wondering, the bank is RHB, I don't know how to get this type of kangtao though.

This post has been edited by jasontoh: Nov 25 2025, 08:25 PM

This will take up your card limit. I can't recall what it was called already, but not personal loan, although it's basically personal loan with fancy naming, and it is approved based on the income. Also this was before Covid, my 1st time with any account with the bank before I terminate the service, recently I don't have it anymore.

This post has been edited by jasontoh: Nov 25 2025, 09:34 PM