I'm Michael Garcia, a Private Wealth Manager in Kuala Lumpur with an unconventional journey. I'm originally from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and began my working life as a golf caddy at 16. I had no idea that being a golf caddy would lead to receiving the Evans Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin, where I earned dual degrees in finance and insurance.

Not quite ready to join the corporate world, I pursued my passion for guitar at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, then taught guitar for 2 years in Seoul, South Korea. Returning to Wisconsin, I decided to utilize my degrees and found a job in wealth management in Kuala Lumpur after realising how much I loved living abroad.

The first 7 years were like most other international advisors over here, I was helping expats of all different nationalities. Despite being American myself, I didn’t work with other Americans because what worked for just about everyone else did not work for us.

When I joined Melbourne Capital Group in 2021, they introduced me to an international investment platform that was actually US compliant. As the only American advisor in Malaysia, it made sense to become the US expert and start helping Americans. We’ve since expanded what we can offer Americans can help in so many more ways now. I still work with clients of all nationalities, but it has been great getting to meet and help so many Americans in this part of the world.

Malaysia has become my home and I love traveling around Southeast Asia. The white sand and warm water of a nice beach in Thailand sure beats the dead fish and ice-cold water of the “beach” on Lake Michigan that I grew up enjoying. And I still get to go out on the golf course, only now as the golfer and not the caddy. I’ll even hop on stage to join a band and play some guitar every now and then too. Somehow my love of golf and guitar led me to a job in wealth management in Malaysia, and I’m very happy that it worked out that way.

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