u/calvinnator

Hi all,

Looking for advice from anyone with a Maybank conventional home loan. My objective here is to pay off my loan as soon as possible, which i am currently exploring to make an extra payment a year, to hope to clear of my loan faster than usual timeline of 35 years.

I have a few questions:

1. For Maybank conventional housing loans, if I make extra payments through the app, does it automatically reduce principal? Or does it simply go into "Payment in Advance" and get used for future instalments? Currently the amount is parked under payment in advance.
2. Do I need to visit a branch or submit a request to specifically perform a principal reduction? Will Maybank entertain me for such small amount repayment?
3. Has anyone here successfully shortened their loan tenure by making extra payments?

Hi everyone, I'm 31 and currently a manager in audit at a Big 4 accounting firm. My annual package is around $110,000 (+/- 5%), and I’ve spent roughly 9 years in the profession, with short stints in internal audit and financial reporting under secondment arrangements.

My busy season is packed in the first half of the year, but the second half is much calmer, giving me more time for family. The thing is, many of my friends have moved into commercial roles as finance or senior finance managers. They earn about 20 to 50% more, but they also work extremely long hours, often 9 to midnight plus weekends and travel. Some are earning even more at higher positions and C suites as well (not sure how they made it so fast).

I know job hopping every one or two years can bring bigger pay jumps, but I'm not sure if it's worth the trade-offs that i am currently having like work from home, flexible hours as long as I complete my tasks..

My wife is already in a demanding commercial finance role with heavy workloads and long hours, so I’m wondering, should I prioritize higher pay and move into commercial myself, or does it make more sense for one of us to maintain a role with more balance, especially if we’re thinking about family and kids? Having children is part of our plans.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve faced a similar situation, especially couples where both partners are in finance or accounting. Was it worth having both chase the higher pay despite the stress, or was balance ultimately more valuable?

Hey guys, looking for some real-life advice here.

I'm planning a major renovation and appliance purchase totalling around RM30–50k. I can afford to pay in full, but since I'm spending such a large sum, I want to make sure I'm squeezing every benefit out of it.

Specifically looking at:

1. **Air miles** — ideally KrisFlyer (SIA). Is it worth using a miles card for such a large local spend, or is the earn rate too low to justify? I work in Singapore, so flying with SQ is quite regular to me.

2. **Cashback** — which cards actually pay out meaningfully on renovation and appliances?

3. **0% instalment (EPP)** — which banks/cards have the best EPP coverage for renovation contractors and appliance stores? Would like to know if there is any that offers instalment at the lowest rates.

A few specific things I'd love input on:
- Has anyone used an Amaze card (linked to a SG credit card) for large Malaysia purchases? What FX spread did you actually get?
- Is the Maybank KrisFlyer Amex Platinum worth applying for specifically for this spend?

Open to any card recommendations. Appreciate any firsthand experience!