Ringgit and Sense

Tax season is coming to an end and for those who have filed their taxes, they can expect their deductions and returns to be sorted out in due time. But there are those who have yet to file their taxes and as the deadline closes, panic is setting in. Fret not as Sim Wie Boon speaks to Thanneermalai Somasundaram, Managing Director, Thannees Tax Consulting Services for some last minute tax filing tips as well as what are the consequences for missing the deadline. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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As the world marches on it post-pandemic recovery trajectory, many of us might think that this will be a return to "more of the same" but with a rise in inflation, a sudden outbreak of war in Europe and China's Covid-19 strategy, there’s no telling how the markets will shift. So how do you maneuver in these volatile times? Yap Ming Hui, Licensed Financial Planner, Whitman Independent Advisors shares some tips. 

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Higher education is widely seen as a key stepping stone in social and economic mobility, but it doesn’t come cheap. For almost three decades, PTPTN has helped many students with loans to help fund their education in order for them to get a good job. However, students must also be aware that financial aid isn’t free money, and that the repayment of PTPTN education loans is important to ensure the sustainability of the programme for future generations. Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid of PTPTN talks about PTPTN's efforts to help students with their financial situation, Simpan SSPN and the importance of repayment. 

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According to Bank Negara’s recently published 2021 annual report, Malaysian households have nearly 1.38 trillion ringgit worth of debt and a chunk of it are due to personal loans. Sim Wie Boon speaks to Idham Idris of Wealth Vantage Advisory to understand why people take it and get his thoughts on when personal loans are a good idea as well as when they are not. They also discuss the dangers of personal loans and how easy it can lead you into a debt trap. Image credit: Pixabay.com

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During times of volatility and uncertainty, gold is seen as a safe haven investment to protect your wealth. But apart from that, what real value does it really have to your investment portfolio and how should you position it? Sim Wie Boon speaks to licensed financial planner Eng Meei Yu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MyFP Services on why people buy gold during uncertain times and how we should value it. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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For a World Health Day special, Sim Wie Boon will be diving into the rising healthcare costs in Malaysia exploring how much it costs to visit a clinic or hospital and get treated there as well as the pros and cons of public vs private healthcare. He also touches on the importance of healthcare insurance and the considerations to have when getting it. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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Scams have been rising lately in Malaysia with complaints about financial fraud, especially Internet, investment and phone scams being the top five issues raised by the public in Bank Negara’s 2021 Annual Report. In fact, according to the Selangor police, a whopping 33.7 million ringgit was lost to online scams and cyber crimes in Selangor in the first two months of 2022 alone. Sim Wie Boon speaks to Kevin Neoh of VKA Wealth Planners on how to spot scams and what to do when you find yourself falling for one. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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For many of us, we spend our younger years working really hard to build a career and earn a decent living so we can afford to live a comfortable life in retirement. However, things are not as simple as just setting aside a sum of money for retirement. A factor many seldom take into account is inflation and the rising cost of living in the future. So how should you approach this? How do you inflation-proof your retirement? Tune in for more. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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Tax season is upon us and we all have slightly more than a month to file our taxes. So in conjunction with this, Sim Wie Boon speaks to Ang Weina, the global employer services leader of Deloitte Malaysia on what to look out for in your tax filings and the consequences of late submissions. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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Personal finance and investing has seen significant changes in the last century. Technology has saved us all an immense amount of time and money because everything is available through a click of a mouse, or the tap of a screen. It has also imparted a sense of control over the information you have, opened doors to forums for discussion and changed the way you budget and save, or spend your money. Vincent Fong of Fintech News Malaysia joins Sim Wie Boon for a discussion on the relationship between technology and investing. To learn more please visit www.franklintempleton.com.my/helloprogress.

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