“More important than the how we achieve financial freedom, is the why. Find your reasons why you want to be free and wealthy.” –Robert Kiyosaki
Welcome to drgohhk interview series #2, today I am happy to introduce to you Dr. Fiholic , a Malaysian doctor who is currently on his journey to financial independence (FI).
I got to know Dr. Fiholic from his blog and twitter account because his tweets are always inspiring and educational.
He started his blog back in 2017 and is always one of my favourite Malaysian bloggers.
I strongly believe saving as the first step into FIRE, Dr. Fiholic thinks maximizing income is the more important step. Well, let us welcome him onboard to drgohhk interview series,
1) Tell us your background
I’m currently a practising occupational health doctor in a government hospital. I hail from Kuching, Sarawak.
2) Could you tell us how did you get into FI journey?
I’ve always been interested in money matters and would buy books on investing and personal finance ever since I was young. Financial independence has always been my dream as it appeals to me. I don’t see myself working for other people as it will wear me out.
3) What advice would you give to other doctors who are starting their career?
Bear with the process and go through the grind. Pick up skills along the way that will make you indispensable in the labour market to increase your active income, or something that will allow you to build a side income. Most importantly you’ll have to know if being a doctor for your whole life is what you want to do.
4) What kind your investment strategy are you currently using?
Mixture of passive investing in Robo advisory like StashAway, and actively picking stocks in sectors that are in favour at the moment. I also believe in diversification. I do this by keeping 10% of my portfolio in gold, and also dumping a portion of my investable assets into riskier things like cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer lending.
5) Are you planning to retire early and why?
I probably WON’T retire early if I love what I’m doing. Right now my goal is to reach financial independence first – free from the daily grind and commitment of a job. Reaching financial independence will allow me the freedom to pursue what I really enjoy doing. If I enjoy doing something and can make a living out of it, then I guess I’ll never have to retire.
I also don’t advocate the RE part of FI/RE movement as I believe working actively gives human lives meaning. The key to a fulfilled life lies in working on something that gives your life purpose.
6) I know you have a blog and tell us what motivated you to start a blog?
I’ve always been blogging ever since my teenage days. In the beginning it was embarrassingly all about myself, sort of a public diary. As I grew into adulthood, I wanted to share what I learned about personal finance to my friends, and thus Fiholic was born.
7) What are three important articles in your blog you would like your readers to read?
Passive income in Malaysia ,P2P lending , Best cashback credit card
8) What is one best financial advice you would like to share with others?
Start as early as possible and let compounding work its magic.
