She kick-started ambitious plan to retire at 48 when she was 30

Financial content editor is clear-eyed about investing and the risk she's willing to take on

- Sue-Ann Tan

Most people at age 30 are embarking on their careers, starting families and making grand life plans, but financial content editor Angela Teng used that milestone to kick-start her ambitious plan to retire at just 48.

Ms Teng, now 36, has crunched the numbers and kept that lofty goal uppermost in her mind: "I have calculated a conservative expenditure of $1,500 a month for my daily needs after I retire.

To do so, I have counted backwards on how to achieve this and how much I need to save now each month to reach that retirement savings goal.

This is because I am working towards financial freedom. Financial freedom for me means being able to work in the manner you would like without compromising your lifestyle and quality of life."

Ms Teng adds that her retirement lifestyle will be simple, allowing her to pursue her interests, including social work, and contributing to schools and societies with her communication skills.

Retirement also will not mean sitting at home doing nothing as she plans to seek part-time or freelance work to keep her mind busy and for additional income.

"Travelling will be something I will consider but less frequently, as I will have to set aside a sum of money annually for it," she added.

Ms Teng is head of editorial for The Simple Sum, a financial literacy content provider that aims to help young people better understand their finances.

It was founded and headquartered in Singapore in 2018, and now also operates in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines with more than 700,000 followers on board.

Her work also stems from her own clear-eyed ambitions when it comes to investing and the amount of risk she is willing to take on.

One of her top tips is to never succumb to the fear of missing out (Fomo) over your friends' investments and the money they can make.