Passive Income
- 2019: RM27,942
- 2020: RM29,976
- 2021: RM36,163
- 2022: RM49,226
- 2023: RM51,753
Before the end of 2023, I happened to come across a news article stating that the KLSE index closed at a multi-year low. Upon checking, it indeed appears to be the lowest in at least 10 years. Honestly, as a Malaysian stock investor, I haven’t been closely monitoring the KLSE index myself, considering that it represents only 30 stocks. Setting aside the index, the stock market in 2023 was quite volatile, though in my opinion, there were still plenty of opportunities to make money in the stock market.
In 2023, my passive income saw some growth compared to the previous year, but the increase was not substantial and did not meet my target. One of the reasons was the sale of an apartment I had in 2023. The process, from vacating, searching for a buyer, completing the transfer procedures, to finally receiving the funds, lasted from the beginning of the year to the end. My calculation of passive income included rental income from the apartment minus housing expenses. Therefore, there was a shortfall in rental income in 2023 compared with the previous year. Considering only dividend income, it increased by around 13% compared to the previous year, which is decent but not outstanding.
Looking forward to the new year, I hope I can properly utilize the proceeds from selling the apartment to optimize my investment portfolio and boost my passive income. Besides passive income, selling the apartment was one of my financial goals set for 2023, and I managed to achieve my set net asset goals as well. With two out of three goals reached, it can be considered satisfactory.
In 2023, I also began to learn more about U.S. stock ETFs. Unfortunately, just as I was about to allocate some funds, the U.S. stock market started to recover, ending the year at / near historic highs. Unfortunately I did not invest and earn from the US market in 2023. Nonetheless, I congratulate the US stock market investors for finally making it through the bear market since 2022.