Author: Kat
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Reverse Culture Shock: Working Culture Japan vs Malaysia
Read time ⏲ After working in Japan for 4.5 years, I landed my first ever full time job in Malaysia. Six months in… and wow. I did not expect reverse culture shock to hit this hard. Here are 4 things that still confuse me daily: 1.Colleagues or… Friends? ” You can share anything…
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Rental Scam in Malaysia: My Friend Almost Got Tricked — Read This Before You Rent
Read time ⏲ A few weeks ago, my Korean friend, who was relocating to Malaysia for work, texted me that she found a perfect apartment. But something felt off. When she contacted the “owner”, she was immediately asked to transfer a booking fee to secure the unit. She hadn’t even viewed the property yet.…
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He Took Big Risks and Got Rich — Should I Do the Same?
Read time Last month, a Malaysian friend of mine working in Japan told me that he met his high school friend, Jay, who was visiting for a holiday. He was surprised to learn that Jay has already started several companies, a full time crypto trader and achieved financial freedom. Jay owns an apartment in KL…
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What Happens If You Miss a Credit Card Payment in Malaysia? (Real Story)
Read time ⏲ Missing a credit card payment is awfully painful. After a few months I returned to Malaysia and started a new job. Around the same time, my dad had a emergency health issue and had to be admitted to the hospital. I was overwhelmed. I was still adjusting to a new work environment,…
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How to send JPY from SMBC to Overseas Bank Account?
Want to send Japanese Yen (“JPY”) from your SMBC account to your overseas JPY account, but not sure how? Using Wise is the easiest way to transfer money, however, there are some situations where you would want to use your SMBC account to do so. For example, funding your IBKR Malaysia account in JPY. This…
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Rising Oil Prices from Middle East Conflict: No Impact on Malaysians👉 Don’t Get Fooled
Read time ⏲ Following the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East in late Feb, oil prices have started rising. “Resilience” is now the most trending word among experts, as analysts attempt to understand the potential economic impact of the conflict. Malaysia is a net energy exporter, meaning we sell more oil than buying…
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Personal Finance – Step 2 – Know how much you earn and spend each month
Read time ⏲ Now that you know what your net worth is, and how much money you want to have in the future… The next step is simple: If we don’t track our money, we won’t know where it goes. And if we don’t save, we can’t invest.And if we don’t invest, our money won’t…
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Personal Finance – Step 1-How to Calculate Your Net Worth
Read time ⏲ “Am I ready to start investing?”“Do I have enough savings?”Questions I get a lot from my friends. My first response is always:“Do you know how much money you have now? What is your net worth? How much money do you want to have?” Before investing, you must know two things: where you…
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Japan’s Investing Culture vs Malaysia’s
Read time Back In Japan,whenever I talked to my Japanese friends about the stock market, their reaction was usually: “I’m not sure… it’s too complicated for me.” The conversation would quickly end. But in Malaysia, once I started the conversation, the opposite happens —everyone suddenly has something to say. People start sharing opinions, strategies, hot…
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Japan vs Malaysia: Cost of Living Breakdown (Tokyo Edition)
Read time ⏲ ” Rent in Tokyo not expensive meh? The room is very small, right? “ ” Food in Malaysia is so cheap~! ” — things my friends in Japan and Malaysia often say. So… is Japan really that expensive, and is Malaysia really that cheap? In this article, I will breakdown my personal…