1/ This is a thread on 11 Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investment options in Malaysia. Why DIY? Because it saves you money and time. Useful if you work a full-time job like me. Ranked from least risky to most...
2/ First up: good ol' Fixed Deposits. Safest of the safe, even your mother would approve. Sign up at your bank's online portal. Expect 3-4% per year.
3/ Bonds. You can directly invest in bonds from as low as RM 1,000 via ETBS -- which means you'll need a stockbroking account. Or invest via a platform like Fundsupermart. Bonds are traditionally promoted as the less-risky complement to stocks.
4/ Amanah Saham has always been underrated in my book. (If you can get your hands on them la, because you know... quotas.) Go for the fixed-priced ones -- could return you 6-10% per year.
5/ ASB definitely if you're Bumiputera -- consistent (like 7 to >10% per year) high returns over past decades. Also consider Tabung Haji if you're Muslim. (Jealous, cause I don't have...)
6/ Unit Trusts a.k.a. Mutual Funds. Makes it easy for a solo investor to invest into lots of different things (a.k.a. diversification). Be careful you don't get hit with high sales charges and annual fees -- which will really reduce your profits in the long run.
7/ Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Allows you to invest in property, but you don't have to wake up at 2 am to fix your grumpy tenant's toilet. Solves affordability/liquidity probs too.
8/ Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Similar to unit trusts, but bought/sold directly on the stock exchange. ETFs look to track the price of something, for example there's a local ETF that tracks the Top 50 Shariah-compliant companies in the USA.
9/ Stocks/Shares. The most widely-covered of all investments. Again, you'll need a stockbroking account to start investing, and it'll give you access to cool stuff like REITs and ETFs too. Not an expert on stocks but there's so much material to learn from everywhere!
10/ Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending. New, cool option where you can lend your extra money to small companies who need it. High returns (e.g. 15% per year), but of course comes with more risk too.
11/ Equity Crowdfunding. Invest your excess cash in growing companies. Instead of paying you back in cash (like P2P Lending), they'll give you shares in the company -- which who knows, could be worth A LOT one day?
12/ Gold, Silver and Precious Metals. People often buy a bit of precious metals as a "hedge" against uncertainty and inflation. Quite a few banks offer gold online now, so it's really convenient too.
13/ Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Super new and super sexy. Remember high risk, high return? Well, multiply that by 10x with crypto. I'm obviously a believer, but that's after doing TONS of research. Remember, never invest more than you can afford to lose.
14/ Want more info? Check out my article on all the options mentioned here. Comments and questions welcome too! mr-stingy.com/diy-investment…
