BT Correspondents

While having a family office has often been looked at as a status symbol, is it really all it is? Beware, it can be costly to set up. Genevieve Cua gets the ins and outs from Angie Han, head of wealth planning, Pictet Wealth Management Asia. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for affluent individuals, hosted by BT wealth editor Genevieve C...

What is happening in the leasing markets for private homes and HDB flats? What should tenants and landlords look out for? How will co-living spaces and long-stay serviced apartments fare? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from ERA’s Eugene Lim. Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Leslie Yee, PropertyBT from The Business Times shares insights on all things Singapore property to hel...

SGX RegCo is trying to remove impediments to shareholder-requisitioned EGMs, to subject companies to greater market discipline. Its CEO Tan Boon Gin talks to BT’s Ben Paul about how this aligns with the larger goal of boosting shareholder value and creating a more vibrant market. Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends and corporate issues in Singa...

Are you paying much more in property tax on your beloved home? What is the impact of property taxes on owner-occupiers and non-occupiers of homes? Will property taxes on homes rise even further? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from CBRE’s Tricia Song. Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Leslie Yee, PropertyBT from The Business Times shares insights on all things Singapore proper...

What’s the secret to a successful retirement? According to Christopher Tan, founder of advisory firm Providend, it’s not just good investing and financial planning, it’s also about contentment. Christopher shares his personal wisdom with BT’s Genevieve Cua.  Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for affluent individuals, hosted by BT wealth e...

Higher interest rates and the reduced availability of debt is weighing on the whole Reit sector. Should investors look for winners among the biggest losers in the sector? Or, among the ones that have sustained their performance? BT’s Ben Paul and Raphael Lim offer some answers. Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends and corporate issues in Singapo...

What attributes make a home a good investment buy? Is there value in buying landed homes? What are returns like for housing developers? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from Fraxtor’s Samuel Lee.  Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Leslie Yee, PropertyBT from The Business Times shares insights on all things Singapore property to help you on your property investment journey. Epis...

Some CPF members feel stopping the practice of “shielding” the Special Account is unfair, because they have lost the opportunity of a higher interest rate. But investing your CPF savings is more important than ever. What does this mean for your CPF returns? BT’s Genevieve Cua gets insights from Samuel Rhee of Endowus. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times p...

A group of minority shareholders at Great Eastern have put through three resolutions to address their assessment of Great Eastern's shares. Their attempt to table these resolutions at the upcoming AGM has been rejected. What is next? BT's Ben Paul sits down with independent investor Ong Chin Woo to discuss his concerns and breakdown the resolutions proposed. Synopsis: Listen to senior corresponden...

Private debt offers a stable, generally floating-rate income. But credit risks are elevated as financing conditions remain tight. Defaults are expected to rise. But some types of private debt carry lower risks than others. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for affluent individuals, hosted by BT wealth editor Genevieve Cua. Highlights of t...

What are the pros and cons of buying property-related listed equities versus physical property? Should we hone in on real estate investment trusts? How will interest rate movements affect our investments? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from Morgan Stanley’s Wilson Ng. Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Leslie Yee, PropertyBT from The Business Times shares insights on all thing...

Cordlife Group is in big trouble. Last November, the Ministry of Health suspended the company’s operations after it found significant issues with its cord blood storage system. How did things get so bad? Can the company really come back from this crisis? Ben Paul sits down with reporter Megan Cheah to break it all down.   Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on...

How will Singapore property fare in the year of the wood dragon? Where are the winners and losers? What will Budget 2024 hold for Singapore’s property sector? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from Wong Xian Yang of Cushman & Wakefield. Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Leslie Yee, PropertyBT from The Business Times shares insights on all things Singapore property to help yo...

What is the outlook for interest rates and the impact on stocks and bonds? What is the outlook for Singapore and China? And is it time to exit fixed deposits and invest in what, exactly? Genevieve Cua interrogates Kelvin Tay from UBS Wealth Management. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for affluent individuals, hosted by BT wealth editor...

How can Singapore’s Reits and property trusts adjust to the “new normal” of higher interest rates and slower growth? Especially since the outlook for economic growth - after all the monetary policy tightening that took place over the last two years - is rather uncertain. Ben Paul has some suggestions.   Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends and c...

What’s driving some resale buyers to make a beeline for restriction-lite HDB resale homes in popular locations? Does it even make sense to pay top dollar for existing HDB resale homes in choice locations? Are tighter restrictions on Plus and Prime flats excessively burdensome? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from veteran Singapore property market analyst Nicholas Mak of Mogul.sg.  Sy...

Markets are on a tear since the Federal Reserve signalled a pivot towards cutting interest rates in 2024. How should you position your portfolio? Here are some thoughts on bond yields; geopolitical risk in 2024; investing in value equities; and keeping faith in balanced portfolios. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for affluent individual...

Minority investor fury at Manulife US Reit, Sabana Reit and Dasin Retail Trust has turned the spotlight on the effectiveness of the statutory protections under the external-manager model adopted by most Singapore Reits and business trusts. But switching to an internal-manager model is not a simple matter.  Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends an...

Philanthropy can be a source of catalytic and patient capital, and as such, can play a big role in the net zero transition. Blended finance is an avenue where philanthropists can join forces with public and private funds. Genevieve Cua speaks to Anthony Gao, head of philanthropy services Asia with Pictet Wealth Management for more insights.  Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this...

Reits have become unstuck by rising interest rates. Investors may be losing faith in Reits. Are Reits good alternatives to buying physical property? Should Reits be part of investment portfolios of retirees and the young? How can one get an edge as a Reit investor? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights and tips from a veteran Reit investor and commentator Gabriel Yap of GCP Global. Synopsi...

The Singapore market’s poor performance and lack of exciting new listings are multifaceted problems that require simultaneous action on different fronts. Senior correspondent Ben Paul gets to grips with issues, and offers some possible solutions.  Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends and corporate issues in Singapore in this podcast series based...

What do we make of the new HDB model of Standard, Plus and Prime flats? With more emphasis on homes for living and not investment or speculation, can one still build wealth from homeownership? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from Professor Qian Wenlan, director, Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies, National University of Singapore. Synopsis: Hosted by senior correspondent Lesl...

Why are couples entering into prenups, and sometimes at the urging of their families? A prenup or post-nup may potentially be an important tool for families who have multigenerational wealth in mind. Genevieve Cua speaks to Ivan Cheong, head of the divorce and family team with Withers KhattarWong in Singapore for more insights. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Busine...

Rising oil prices and stubbornly resilient economic activity may prompt the Fed and other central banks to keep monetary policy tighter for longer than expected. This could be bad news for US tech stocks, Singapore real estate investment trusts and regional economies with weak current accounts.  Synopsis: Listen to senior correspondent Ben Paul's analysis and insight on market trends and corporate...

What is driving the popularity of Executive Condominiums (ECs), which are a hybrid between public and private housing? Maybe more ECs can be built, including in prime areas, to meet the private housing aspirations of young locals. Is buying a new EC home a wise choice for young couples? Senior correspondent Leslie Yee gets insights from Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics, Huttons Asia...