• All blog entries
    • Calculators
    • Case studies
    • Cost of living
    • CPF Are You Ready?
    • CPF Matters
    • Credit Management
    • e-Learning
    • Estate Planning
    • Events
    • Financial advisers
    • High Networth
    • Insurance
    • Investments
    • Letters to the Press
    • Magazines
    • Others
    • Retirement Planning
    • Scams
    • Surveys
    • Tragic Stories
    • Unethical sales process
    • Videos
  • Legal
  • Testimonies
    • Individual testimonies
    • Gallery
  • My Account
Hi, looking for a fee-based financial planner in Singapore? Read this article now!
  • Home
  • About
    • About Wilfred Ling
    • Why do you run your own professional financial planning practice?
  • FAQs
    • FAQs on Wilfred Ling’s Financial Services
    • FAQs on Financial Planning
    • FAQs on Investments
    • FAQs on Insurance
    • FAQs on Estate Planning
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Create a financially secure plan for your young family (package details)
    • Retirement Planning
    • Investment Portfolio Management
    • Insurance Planning
  • Fees
  • Cool Tools
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Videos / Message from Malacca – Avoid the Common Investing Mistakes That Keep You Stuck—and Start Building Passive Income Today 🌍✈️

Message from Malacca – Avoid the Common Investing Mistakes That Keep You Stuck—and Start Building Passive Income Today 🌍✈️

22, April 2025 by Wilfred Ling Leave a Comment

I’m Wilfred, and I’m currently in Malacca, Malaysia—a place that holds two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and boasts a rich cultural history. It’s one of those destinations where the past and present blend seamlessly, where you can stroll through Dutch colonial buildings one moment and enjoy vibrant night markets the next. The food, the people, the history—everything here is a beautiful reminder of why I love traveling.

You see, I travel half the time.

Sounds like a dream, right?

But here’s the truth—this lifestyle isn’t about luck, or some random windfall. It’s about strategy. It’s about planning. It’s about execution. Years ago, I made a deliberate decision to change how I approach money and work. I was tired of trading time for money, tied to the same routine, and watching life pass me by while I was stuck at my desk. I realized there was a better way.

That’s when I started working on building multiple streams of passive income. Today, those income streams allow me to fund these perpetual holidays while still growing my wealth. Even as I’m sitting here by the river in Malacca, sipping coffee and watching the boats pass by, my money is working hard for me in the background. It’s not magic—it’s a well-thought-out strategy.

Here’s the thing—passive income isn’t just for the ultra-rich. That’s one of the biggest myths out there. You don’t need to inherit a fortune or sell a million-dollar business to enjoy financial freedom. Passive income is achievable for anyone who is willing to put in the effort, invest in the right strategies, and stay consistent. But make no mistake—passive income doesn’t come automatically. It has to be planned ahead.

A lot of people hear the term “passive income” and think it’s easy money. Like it’s something that just shows up in your bank account if you think about it hard enough. But the truth is, passive income requires intentional planning, financial literacy, and the discipline to stick with your strategy over time. You have to build it. You have to design it. And you have to nurture it.

One of the most common strategies people use to create passive income is investing. Specifically, by investing into a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. But here’s the key word—diversified. Too many people make the mistake of putting all their eggs in one basket. Maybe they hear about a hot stock tip or they think they’ve found the next big thing, and they go all in. That’s not a strategy—that’s gambling.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Stocks can be an excellent tool for growing wealth and generating passive income. But stocks carry risks, especially if you don’t know how to pick the right ones. If you simply chase the latest trends or rely on hype, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. A stock isn’t just a ticker symbol—it’s a slice of a business. If you don’t understand the business, its financial health, its competitive advantage, and its long-term potential, then you’re basically throwing darts in the dark.

And what about bonds? People often think bonds are the safer, more stable option. In many ways, they can be. Bonds can provide steady income through interest payments, and they’re often seen as a counterbalance to the volatility of stocks. But bonds are not risk-free either. If you choose the wrong bond—perhaps one from a company with shaky finances or a government with unstable credit—you run the risk of default. That means they can fail to pay you back, and your capital could be at risk.

I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Investors, without a clear strategy, make emotional decisions. They buy high because they see an asset that seems to be appreciating and they fear missing out. They jump in at the peak, thinking the good times will never end. But when the market inevitably turns—and it always does—they panic. They sell low because they can’t stomach the loss, locking in their losses forever.

And then there are those who do the opposite. They buy something, watch it decline, and instead of cutting their losses or re-evaluating their strategy, they hold on indefinitely. They hope that somehow, someway, the price will recover. But here’s the harsh truth: hope is not a strategy. Hoping a bad investment will magically turn around is the same as gambling. It’s like holding a losing lottery ticket and expecting it to suddenly become a winner. Smart investors don’t operate on hope—they operate on informed decisions, grounded in research and strategy.

That’s why building passive income streams that actually work takes knowledge and competency. You need to understand how to allocate your assets properly. You need to know how to analyze a stock, read a balance sheet, and understand a bond’s credit rating. You need to stay updated on market trends without being swayed by hype. It’s not rocket science, but it does require education and diligence.

The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve spent years studying, learning from my mistakes, refining my strategies, and building a system that works. And I can do the same for you. If you’re someone who dreams of having the freedom to travel whenever you want, to spend more time with your family, or to pursue your passions without worrying about money, I can help you build a plan to make that dream a reality.

Imagine not having to trade your time for money anymore. Imagine having enough passive income flowing into your accounts every month that your bills are covered, your future is secure, and your lifestyle is fully funded. You could be exploring incredible places like Malacca, enjoying the sights, smells, and tastes of a new culture. You could be spending quality time with your loved ones, knowing that your financial foundation is solid. Or you could be pursuing the hobbies and interests you’ve always wanted to explore—but never had the time.

It’s possible. It’s not a fantasy. But it starts with a plan. And it starts today.

If you’re keen on living a life of financial independence and perpetual holidays, just like I do, let’s have a conversation. I invite you to sign up below for my newsletter, where I share practical tips on financial planning, investing, and building multiple streams of passive income. You’ll also get my personal contact information so you can reach out directly.

Let’s start planning your future today.

Because if you don’t build your own passive income streams now, you’ll always be trading time for money later.

And life’s too short for that.

Like this article? Subscribe to my newsletter below for more.

Get regular Tips on Financial Planning. Free subscription for 3 years. Covers all aspect of financial planning such as 'How much salary you should have?', 'How to avoid insurance that is not suitable?", 'What are the retirement planning methods?", etc

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

Related

Filed Under: Investments, Videos

What do you think? Leave a comment. Cancel reply


WILFRED LING, CFA

WANT TO GET REGULAR TIPS ON FINANCIAL PLANNING?

JOIN with thousands of other subscribers in getting tips on all aspect of financial planning such as "What is the minimum salary required?", "How avoid insurance that is not suitable", etc.


WILFRED LING IN THE NEWS

Click HERE to find out more.


THE KIND OF CLIENTS I AM LOOKING FOR

NEW TO US?

Learn how you can fully benefit from this massive website: HERE

For Registered Users Only (free)

  • Webinar on 7 Real Stories To Achieve Your Financial Freedom 6/6/2023
  • Webinar on Major change in cancer treatments in your integrated shield plans 3/9/2022
  • How and what to invest now? (Webinar) 28/7/2022
  • How to identify high performing unit trusts in 3 steps (Webinar) 3/9/2021
  • Financial Planning – Christian Perspective Part 2 (Webinar) 14/8/2021

View All

For Clients Only

  • Video Message to Clients 30/12/2021
  • Exclusive client-only Investment Update Webinar by Wilfred 26/11/2021
  • JPMorgan Guide to Market Q2 2020 15/4/2020
  • JPMorgan Perspective Q2 2020 15/4/2020
  • JPMorgan Guide to Market Q1 2020 5/2/2020

View All

Recent comments

  • Dipokdas on Travel Without Financial Worries: 3 Tips to Achieve Financial Independence (Sydney)
  • Nay Nay on Is PruSelect Vantage plan a good or bad product?
  • Basil on Question on Manulife InvestReady
  • mah weng kong on Is PruSelect Vantage plan a good or bad product?
  • Rafi on Wilfred Ling’s Story, the beginning
  • ECE7 on Wilfred Ling’s Story, the beginning

To be notified of new blog post, like this facebook page

To be notified of new blog post, like this facebook page

Read articles based on different categories

Chartered Financial Analyst

CFA

Chartered Financial Consultant

ChFC

Featured Blogger

IM$avvy

© Copyright 2006-2025 Wilfred Ling

This advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore

hollow-nasty
hollow-nasty
hollow-nasty
hollow-nasty