Investment tips from the Moomoo Money Master Top 3
Have you heard of “FIRE”? It stands for “Financial Independence, Retire Early”, and it’s all about saving aggressively, cutting back on expenses, and investing wisely to retire sooner than most people expect.
While the concept might sound daunting, it’s gaining traction, especially among those eager to break free from the 9-to-5 grind.
Singaporeans Cheryl Lim, Terence Lim, and Jay Tan are firm believers that investing is the key to financial independence — and they sure know a thing or two about it.
After all, they’re the Top 3 finalists of ‘Moomoo Money Master’, TheSmartLocal’s investment-themed reality show, now streaming on YouTube.
If you’ve been thinking about diving into the world of investing or stepping up your game, you’re in luck, because MS News recently caught up with them to get some helpful tips.
What are their personal financial goals?
While Cheryl, the winner of ‘Moomoo Money Master’, doesn’t necessarily plan to retire early, her ultimate goal is to live a life free from financial worries.
“My definition of ‘retiring’ early is being able to do whatever I like,” said the 26-year-old financial consultant, who also has a passion for acting and filmmaking.
Beyond her personal aspirations, Cheryl hopes to support her parents, who are in their 60s and continue to work long hours despite reaching the traditional retirement age.
Early retirement is an attractive prospect for Terence as well, though he’s mindful that it “requires a lot of discipline and adaptability”.
Ideally, the 35-year-old Senior Technical Specialist at Microsoft hopes to retire within the next 10 to 15 years, allowing him to focus on passions such as travelling and exploring new experiences.
Meanwhile, Jay, 42, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Financial Engineering, adopts a pragmatic yet hopeful approach to retirement.
While he doesn’t anticipate retiring before the government-mandated age (set to rise to 64 in 2026) due to Singapore’s high cost of living, he remains committed to achieving financial independence.
Stay disciplined & think long-term
When it comes to building financial security, staying consistent makes all the difference. While early retirement might sound exciting, it’s not just about dreaming big — it’s about having a clear plan and sticking to it.
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Jay knows this well. His focus is on smart, steady investments to secure his future, with a strategy centred around well-established, globally recognised firms with strong cash flow and sectors with solid long-term growth potential.
Cheryl shares a similar philosophy. Describing herself as a “long-term value investor,” she prioritises carefully selecting assets and avoids frequent trades or impulsive portfolio changes.
For Terence, consistency comes down to following this advice from a mentor:
Invest for the long term, not the headline.
Chasing trends, he explained, often leads to emotional decisions and costly mistakes. Instead, he advocates building a diversified portfolio that aligns with one’s goals and risk tolerance, allowing time and compounding to do their work.
Learn from mistakes & manage risk
Investing, like many things in life, has its ups and downs, but the important thing is to learn from the experience.
Terence recounted an early lesson, where emotional decisions and lack of preparation led to a margin call — an undesirable situation where a broker demands extra funds or sells your investments because your account’s value has dropped too low.
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It was a wake-up call, teaching him the importance of patience, preparation, and long-term strategy.
Cheryl, too, emphasised the importance of managing risks. Early on, the pursuit of quick gains led her to impulsive decisions, often driven by market hype.
She soon realised that greed and shortcuts only increased her exposure to losses. Over time, she adopted a more patient, disciplined approach to investing.
Consistency over quick gains
When it comes to investing, the idea of “getting rich quick” is one myth that needs to be dispelled.
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Terence is clear that there’s no shortcut to true financial success.
“Real financial success comes from consistency, patience, and learning over time,” he said, adding that rushing things only leads to poor decisions and unnecessary risks.
Jay also pointed out that investing isn’t about working yourself to the bone crunching numbers or predicting every market move. The goal is to make informed choices and stay focused on the bigger picture, rather than hoping for sudden windfalls.
Cheryl echoed this sentiment, sharing that chasing quick returns often leads to mistakes. “You’re just buying because others are buying, not because you know the stock,” she said.
Shifting to a well-researched, long-term approach, Cheryl found that steady, informed decisions ultimately yield better outcomes than seeking rapid gains.
Use the right tools
Advancements in technology have made entering the world of investing easier than ever.
Tools and platforms like moomoo make investing simpler by helping you make smarter, more informed decisions, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor.
Cheryl, who’s been using moomoo since 2022, appreciates the app’s “SmartSave” feature. It automatically invests her unused cash into money market funds, allowing her money to grow while remaining accessible for trading.
Data as of 29/11/24. Past performances are not indicative of future performances.
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Terence also believes that moomoo is a great platform for those looking to get started with investing.
What stands out most to him is the supportive community, where investors of all experience levels can learn from each other and share ideas. Inspired by this, he’s even thinking about starting his own community to help others invest more wisely.
Jay, too, values moomoo for its ease of use, which helps him stay informed and execute his investment strategy confidently.
Always do your own research before jumping in
Investing can be overwhelming at first, but the right tools can help.
Moomoo simplifies the process by offering powerful features that support trend visualisation and letting you trade anytime, anywhere, while saving you money by cutting out the middleman.
Plus, with features such as Cash Plus and the Regular Savings Plan (RSP) for investing in US stocks through a dollar-cost averaging strategy, your money can work harder for you.
That said, it’s crucial to do your own research. Everyone’s financial goals and investing styles are different, so take the time to figure out what works best for you.
With moomoo, you have the resources to make smarter, more confident decisions — but ultimately, the choice is yours.
To learn more about moomoo and open your Moomoo SG universal account (and grab an awesome starter bundle if you’re a new sign-up), head to the official website.
Also, be sure to follow Moomoo SG on YouTube and Instagram for helpful investment tips, insights, and updates.
Also read: I bought an investment plan from a ‘friend’ & lost S$10K. Here’s what I learned.
I bought an investment plan from a ‘friend’ & lost S$10K. Here’s what I learned.
This article was brought to you in collaboration with Moomoo SG.
All views expressed in the article are the independent opinions of the interviewees. Neither Moomoo Singapore or its affiliates shall be liable for the content of the information provided. This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Featured image by MS News. Photography by Hui Wen Chan.
