Three Courses, Three Distinct Topics
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How Each Course Is Structured
Every Ironquill course follows the same teaching principle: begin with an actual document, work through it systematically, and connect each component to broader context only once the document itself is understood.
Sessions run in small cohorts. Questions are welcomed throughout rather than held to the end. The facilitator is the same person who wrote the material, so answers are authoritative and specific.
Courses are offered in person at the Kuching office and online via video call. The course materials — workbooks, annotated samples, reference sheets — are the same in both formats.
Document-first
Begin with the actual document, not with theory.
Small cohorts
Capped numbers. Space to ask questions without hesitation.
Working materials
Workbooks and annotated samples included in every course.
Malaysian context
EPF, SOCSO, LHDN, Ringgit — throughout, not adapted from elsewhere.
Course One · 3 Weeks · RM 690
Plain Reading of a Payslip and EPF Statement
A three-week introductory course that walks adults through their own payslip and EPF statement line by line. Lessons cover gross versus net pay, statutory deductions, the various employer contributions, the difference between Account 1 and Account 2 in the EPF, the dividend credited each year and how it is calculated, and the small but important details that often go unread.
The tone is calm and the material is taught from the document outward rather than from theory in. Suitable for adults who have never paused to read these documents in detail. Includes annotated samples.
What the Course Covers
- Gross pay, net pay, and the deductions between them
- Statutory contributions: EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and income tax
- Employer contributions and how they accumulate
- EPF Account 1 vs Account 2 — purposes and withdrawal rules
- Annual dividend: calculation method and historical rates
How the Three Weeks Run
Week one: the payslip. Reading every line, understanding the deductions, and what to check each month.
Week two: the EPF statement. Account structure, contribution history, the dividend calculation, and projected balance.
Week three: putting it together. How your payslip and EPF statement relate, what changes to watch for, and questions to ask your employer.
Course Two · 6 Sessions · RM 1,420
The Honest Cost of Borrowing in Midlife
A six-session course examining the realities of household borrowing for adults in their forties and fifties — mortgages with twenty-year horizons that now overlap retirement, refinancing decisions, hire purchase on family vehicles, credit-card revolving balances, personal loans for adult children's education, and the slow accumulation of small obligations.
Lessons cover effective interest-rate calculations, the asymmetry of compound interest on borrowing versus saving, and how to consider any new borrowing in light of a shorter working horizon. The course is non-judgemental about existing borrowing. Includes a debt-mapping workbook.
What the Course Covers
- How effective interest rates are calculated and why they differ from advertised rates
- Compound interest on borrowing — how revolving balances grow
- Mortgage refinancing: when it makes sense and when it does not
- Mapping all current obligations against remaining earning years
- Framework for evaluating any new borrowing decision
The Six Sessions
The loan documents you already have — reading the terms, the rate, the schedule.
Effective interest rate calculations — flat rate vs reducing balance explained with examples.
The mortgage — remaining balance, refinancing considerations, and the retirement overlap.
Revolving credit — how balances persist and what minimum payments actually pay off.
Mapping all obligations — working through the debt-mapping workbook together.
Decision framework — how to evaluate any future borrowing against your specific position.
Course Three · 10 Modules · RM 2,250
Long-Term Care Planning Without Anxiety
A ten-module course examining how a Malaysian household might think about long-term care for ageing parents and, eventually, for themselves — without alarm and without pretending the question can be deferred indefinitely. Lessons cover the realistic costs of home care, day care, and residential care across local options, the role of medical and critical-illness insurance, the practical financing arrangements families have used, and the documentation required when one party can no longer manage their own affairs.
The course handles the topic with care. Includes a planning workbook and a closing consultation.
What the Course Covers
- Realistic costs of home care, day care, and residential care in Malaysia
- Medical and critical-illness insurance — what they cover and where gaps exist
- Financing arrangements families have used in practice
- Legal documentation: lasting power of attorney and related instruments
- How to have the conversation with other family members
Choosing a Course
Which Course Suits Your Situation
The three courses serve different needs. This table may help with the decision, though an email enquiry is always welcome.
| Your Situation | Payslip & EPF RM 690 |
Borrowing in Midlife RM 1,420 |
Care Planning RM 2,250 |
|---|---|---|---|
| You have never read your EPF statement carefully | Best fit | – | – |
| You have multiple existing loans and want to understand the real cost | – | Best fit | – |
| You are beginning to think about ageing parents or your own care | – | – | Best fit |
| You are new to any structured financial reading | Start here | Later | Later |
| A parent's situation has recently changed | – | – | Relevant now |
Across All Courses
Standards That Apply to Every Course
Pricing
Course Fees
All prices in Malaysian Ringgit. Fees include all course materials. Payment by bank transfer before the first session.