YOU: Companies | Trade, Personal Finance. Lifestyles Magazines | Websites | Blogs | NGOs

• busy managing and growing your business.

• looking for a writer specialising in personal finance, financial planning and business processes.

• need a writer that understands the business and be able to articulate and convey the message to its stakeholders.

• turn your readers into clients or subscribers.

• required well-researched contents, commentaries, articles, reports, white papers, blog posts, infographics, mind maps, flowcharts.

ME

• experienced finance professional (ACCA) and a member of the MIA (Malaysian Institute of Accountant).

• 25 years working experience in various industries namely external and internal audit, finance company, commercial bank, FMCG, commercial business, the music industry (copyright).

• Hire me to create original and well-researched business and financial content, reports, blog posts, trade magazine articles, white papers, essays, newsletters, website contents. 

• Please visit my LinkedIn account for my work experiences.

Who is Eric?

Eric is a chartered accountant/independent financial consultant/freelance financial writer. He helps and educates non-finance professionals to understand and solve their personal finances. His biggest regret is not having a lifetime financial plan early on in his career.  He has tasted financial difficulty and disliked how it feels like not having enough money. 

After 25 years working under different finance-related roles, he started his own consulting business. He is also a financial & business writer hoping to impart his experience and knowledge in personal finance.

Currently, he is a regular writer for MyPF.my, an online education provider voted #5 in the Top 15 Malaysia Personal Finance Blog and awarded as the Top Influential Finance Blogs 2018. 

He made many FINANCIAL MISTAKES previously and determined not to repeat them. That eventually spurred him to specialize in personal finances.

He is now living in Kuala Lumpur with Caren, his beautiful wife and loving mother to their two children, Ethan and Chloe.

My Financial Mistakes

• For my first job, I rejected a tax position offered by one of the big 4 accounting firms. Instead, I opted for an internal audit position in a now-defunct finance & leasing company due to a 50% more in salary

• My first car instalment is almost half of my salary.

• Got sucked into a get-rich-quick-scheme.

• Eating out every day is a norm. Besides being unhealthy it's also expensive.

• Buying things more than I need. I was a shopaholic with 15 pairs of shoes and a wardrobe that can rival a fashionista.

• I had 6 near-limit credit cards. The least amount of 5% is almost half my salary.

• I never did maintain or kept an emergency fund as I spend more than I earned. When there is an emergency, the credit cards will always save the day.

• Peer pressure and lifestyle resulted in me buying a luxurious condo I can't sustain.

• Refuse to seek help (egoistic) before the debts balloon up. Compounding interest together with the high interest.

• Too accommodating to the needs of others.

WHY AM I HERE?

I have seen friends, relatives and acquaintances who have it all but lost it all including myself. They are good at earning money but sucks at maintaining or growing wealth. These are professionals in their own right but a novice in handling their personal finances. Together with my own follies, these have heightened my interest in Personal Finances.

The right timing came in mid-2016 when my last employer offers me a Mutual Separation Scheme (MSS). I accepted. I took a year for a career break and in July 2017 started to learn more about Personal Finances. I took the route of Freelance Financial & Business Writer cum Consultant as my new career. This is a good avenue to impart my 2-cents knowledge on personal finances. This is the last key benefit or feature and it should mention another awesome thing you do.

Do You Need a Financial Plan?

In your quest for financial freedom, do you need a financial plan?

What is a “Financial Plan”?

“A financial plan is a comprehensive evaluation of an investor’s current and future financial state by using currently known variables to predict future cash flows, asset values, and withdrawal plans. Most individuals work in conjunction with a financial planner and use current net worth, tax liabilities, asset allocation, and future retirement and estate plans in developing financial plans. These metrics are used along with estimates of asset growth to determine if a person’s financial goals can be met in the future, or what steps need to be taken to ensure that they are.” ~Investopedia

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14 Red Flags: Why You are Selected for Tax Audit

What red flags trigger a tax audit? Here are 14 reasons that increase your odds of being selected for tax audit by the Internal Revenue Board (IRB) aka Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN).

What is a Tax Audit?

TAX AUDIT!!

The words “tax” already sends a shiver to the man-in-the-street and to add “audit” to it can totally immobilize a person.

Malaysia’s tax is on a self-assessment system since 2001 for companies and 2004 for individuals. The onus to declare tax lies with the taxpayers. A tax audit acts as an enforcement tool conducted by the IRB to check taxpayers’ business records and financial affairs that the tax reported and paid is correct.  READ MORE

Top 5 Personal Finance Books You Should Read

You need to urgently read and understand these personal finance books else you risk financial ruin from making expensive financial mistakes. Reading personal finance books is a great way to acquire financial education towards financial freedom.

My Story

Many of us never think of consciously managing our finances during our twenties or even in our thirties. We spend all of what we earn, and sometimes beyond what we earn. We also never had or sought a financial mentor to educate us. 

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Teaching Your Children Lessons About Money

You need to start early to teach your child about money. Financial illiteracy is a risk of lifetime poverty. Learn how you as a parent can help your child grow in the financial sense.

The Importance for Your Child to Start Early

Most Malaysians are lacking in financial literacy. In a report commissioned by the Capital Market Development Fund to investigate Malaysians’ financial capability the following was found:-

• 40.0% do not plan ahead financially.

• 55.3% save less than 10% of their monthly income.

• 26% do not save at all.  

​​Read More