EPF i-Invest lets you move part of your Account 1 savings into approved unit trust funds — without withdrawing from EPF entirely. You keep your EPF membership, your employer contributions continue as normal, and the invested portion sits in funds you choose rather than earning the EPF dividend rate.
This guide covers the full process: who qualifies, how much you can invest, how to do it online, and what to consider before moving your retirement savings into market-exposed funds.
What You Need Before Starting
Before you can use i-Invest, confirm you have these in place:
- Active EPF membership — you must be an EPF member (i-e-Akaun registered) with savings in Account 1
- Age requirement — you must be below 55 years old
- Savings above the Basic Savings threshold — only the amount exceeding your age-specific Basic Savings in Account 1 is eligible for investment (see the threshold table below)
- i-Akaun access — you need a registered i-Akaun (EPF's online portal) with a valid login. If you haven't activated yours, do that first at my.epf.gov.my
Note
Basic Savings is the floor. EPF requires you to keep a minimum amount in Account 1 based on your age — this ensures you have a baseline retirement sum even if your investments underperform. You can only invest amounts above this floor. The Basic Savings increases as you get older because EPF expects your total savings to grow over time.
Basic Savings Threshold by Age (2026)
The amount you must retain in Account 1 before you can invest the excess via i-Invest:
| Age | Basic Savings (RM) | |-----|-------------------| | 20 | 5,000 | | 25 | 17,000 | | 30 | 42,000 | | 35 | 75,000 | | 40 | 120,000 | | 45 | 178,000 | | 50 | 228,000 | | 55 | 240,000 |
Source: KWSP Basic Savings table. The full table is published on the EPF website under "i-Invest" — check for the latest figures as EPF reviews these periodically.
Example: You are 32 years old with RM95,000 in Account 1. Your Basic Savings requirement is approximately RM55,000 (interpolated between the 30 and 35 bands). That means approximately RM40,000 is available for i-Invest.
How i-Invest Works — The Mechanics
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You choose a fund. EPF maintains a list of approved External Fund Managers (EFMs) and their approved unit trust funds. As of 2026, there are over 40 fund management institutions and several hundred approved funds — conventional and Shariah-compliant.
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EPF transfers the money. When you place an investment via i-Akaun, EPF transfers the amount from your Account 1 directly to the selected fund manager. The money does not pass through your personal bank account.
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Units are allocated. The fund manager allocates units in the chosen fund at the prevailing NAV (Net Asset Value) price on the transaction date.
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Returns are market-dependent. Your investment returns depend entirely on the fund's performance. Unlike EPF's annual dividend (which has historically averaged 5–6% p.a. for conventional, 5–5.5% for Shariah), unit trust returns can be higher, lower, or negative in any given year.
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You can switch or redeem. You can switch between approved funds or redeem your units back into EPF Account 1 at any time (subject to the fund's redemption terms, typically T+3 to T+7 business days).
Step-by-Step: How to Invest via i-Invest
Step 1 — Log in to i-Akaun
Go to my.epf.gov.my and log in with your MyKad number and password. If you use the EPF mobile app (i-Akaun app), you can also access i-Invest from there.
Step 2 — Navigate to i-Invest
From the dashboard, click "i-Invest" in the left sidebar or under the "Investment" section. The system will display your Account 1 balance, your Basic Savings requirement, and your investable amount (the difference).
Step 3 — Browse approved funds
Click "View Fund List" to see all approved funds. You can filter by:
- Fund type: equity, balanced, fixed income, money market
- Shariah compliance: conventional or Shariah-compliant
- Fund manager: specific institutions (e.g., Public Mutual, Eastspring, AHAM Capital, Affin Hwang)
- Performance: historical 1-year, 3-year, 5-year returns
Each fund listing shows the management fee, fund factsheet link, and risk category (low, moderate, high).
Step 4 — Select a fund and enter the amount
Click on the fund you want to invest in. Enter the investment amount — this must be within your investable limit. The minimum investment per transaction varies by fund manager but is typically RM1,000 for the initial investment and RM100 for subsequent top-ups.
Step 5 — Confirm the transaction
Review the summary: fund name, amount, estimated units (based on the last available NAV), and the fund's sales charge (if any). Click "Confirm" to submit.
Step 6 — Wait for processing
EPF processes the transfer to the fund manager. This typically takes 3 to 7 business days. You will receive a confirmation in your i-Akaun transaction history once units are allocated.
Tip
Check the fund factsheet before investing. Every approved fund has a factsheet on the fund manager's website showing asset allocation, top holdings, benchmark, and historical performance. Do not invest based on the fund name alone — a "Growth Fund" can mean very different things across different managers.
Fees and Charges
i-Invest transactions may involve these fees:
Sales charge (upfront fee): Some funds charge 0% to 3% of the investment amount as a sales charge. Equity funds typically charge more than money market or fixed income funds. Some fund managers waive the sales charge for EPF i-Invest transactions — check the individual fund terms.
Annual management fee: All unit trust funds charge an annual management fee (typically 0.5% to 1.8% p.a.), deducted from the fund's NAV daily. This is not a separate bill — it reduces your returns. Higher fees do not guarantee higher returns.
Redemption fee: Most funds do not charge a redemption fee for i-Invest, but some may charge a small fee if you redeem within a short holding period (e.g., within 90 days). Check the fund prospectus.
No EPF fee: EPF itself does not charge you for using i-Invest. The fees are from the fund managers.
What to Consider Before Using i-Invest
The EPF dividend is your baseline
EPF has delivered a conventional dividend of 5.00% to 6.40% p.a. over the past decade (2014–2024), and a Shariah dividend of 4.75% to 5.65%. This is not guaranteed, but the track record is strong.
Any fund you invest in via i-Invest needs to consistently beat this rate — net of all fees — to justify the move. A fund returning 7% gross but charging 1.8% in management fees gives you 5.2% net, which barely edges out the EPF dividend while exposing you to market risk.
Market risk is real
Unit trust returns can be negative. In a bad market year, your i-Invest portion could lose 10%, 20%, or more — while the EPF dividend for that same year stays positive. Your Account 1 savings that remain with EPF continue earning the dividend. Your i-Invest portion does not.
The long-term argument
Over 20–30 year horizons, a well-chosen equity fund has historically outperformed EPF's dividend rate — but with significantly more volatility. If you are under 35 with a long runway to retirement, the maths may favour equity exposure. If you are 50 and retiring in 5 years, the stability of the EPF dividend is worth more than potential upside.
Diversification matters
If you invest via i-Invest, do not put everything into a single fund. Consider splitting across:
- An equity fund (growth exposure, higher volatility)
- A balanced or fixed income fund (lower volatility, steadier returns)
- A Shariah-compliant option if that aligns with your requirements
This is the same principle behind robo-advisors like StashAway and Wahed Invest, which diversify across asset classes automatically. The difference: with i-Invest, you pick the funds yourself.
i-Invest vs External Robo-Advisors
If you are considering investing your EPF savings, you have two main paths:
| Factor | EPF i-Invest | Robo-advisor (StashAway, Wahed) | |--------|-------------|-------------------------------| | Source of funds | Directly from EPF Account 1 | Your personal cash (bank account) | | Fund selection | You choose from EPF-approved funds | Platform allocates across ETFs/funds | | Fees | Fund-specific (0.5%–1.8% p.a.) | Platform fee (0.2%–0.8% p.a.) + fund fees | | Minimum | RM1,000 (typical) | RM100 (StashAway), RM100 (Wahed) | | Risk management | Your responsibility | Platform rebalances for you | | Shariah options | Yes (Shariah-compliant funds available) | Wahed is fully Shariah; StashAway offers Shariah portfolio | | Tax | No tax on EPF-to-fund transfers | No capital gains tax in Malaysia |
The key difference: i-Invest uses money that is already locked in EPF — you cannot withdraw it freely anyway. Investing via a robo-advisor uses cash you could otherwise spend or save elsewhere. If you have limited investable cash but a large EPF balance, i-Invest gives you market exposure without needing additional capital.
For a broader overview of how to start investing in Malaysia, see the How to Start Investing pillar guide.
How to Redeem (Move Money Back to EPF)
- Log in to i-Akaun at my.epf.gov.my
- Go to i-Invest → "My Investments"
- Select the fund you want to redeem from
- Enter the number of units or the full amount to redeem
- Confirm the redemption — proceeds go back into your EPF Account 1 (not your bank account)
- Processing takes 3 to 7 business days depending on the fund manager
Once redeemed, the money returns to Account 1 and earns the EPF dividend again from the next dividend calculation period.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Chasing last year's top performer. A fund that returned 25% last year may return -10% this year. Past performance does not predict future returns — this is not a disclaimer, it is the single most important fact about investing.
Ignoring fees. A 1.5% annual management fee compounds over time. On RM50,000 invested for 20 years at 7% gross return, the difference between a 0.5% fee and a 1.5% fee is approximately RM25,000 in lost returns. Read the fee schedule.
Investing everything above Basic Savings. Just because you can invest RM40,000 does not mean you should invest all RM40,000 at once. Consider starting with a smaller amount (RM5,000–10,000), monitoring the fund's performance for 6–12 months, then increasing if you are comfortable.
Not reviewing annually. Set a calendar reminder to review your i-Invest holdings once a year. Check: is the fund still performing in line with its benchmark? Have fees changed? Does the asset allocation still match your risk tolerance?
Related Guides
- EPF Complete Guide 2026 — everything about EPF: contributions, accounts, dividends, withdrawals
- EPF Contribution Rates 2026 — current employee and employer contribution rates by salary band
- How to Start Investing in Malaysia — the beginner's guide to investing beyond EPF
- StashAway Malaysia Review — robo-advisor alternative to i-Invest
Data sourced from KWSP (kwsp.gov.my) and approved fund manager disclosures as of April 2026. EPF policies, Basic Savings thresholds, and approved fund lists change periodically. Confirm current terms on the EPF website before investing. money.com.my is not a licensed financial adviser — this guide is informational, not financial advice.
This guide is AI-assisted with editorial review. Every factual claim is checked against primary sources (KWSP/EPF, fund manager prospectuses) before publication. If you find an error, email editorial@money.com.my — corrections are published with a dated amendment note.