Money and Me

A niche corner of real estate is quietly delivering strong income - but is it built to last? Michelle Martin explores whether purpose-built worker and student housing can offer investors stable, resilient returns in uncertain markets. Hosted by Michelle Martin, with insights from Centurion Accommodation REIT’s Chief Investment Officer Ginny Ang, we unpack how the REIT beat its DPU forecast and what’s driving demand. We examine why worker housing may behave differently from offices and malls - especially during economic slowdowns. With occupancy already near full, the big question becomes: where does future growth come from? Plus, how rising interest rates and a focus on community well-being could shape long-term returns for investors.

Oil above $110, war risks rising - yet markets are climbing… what’s really going on? Michelle Martin explores the surprising resilience of equities as the Fed holds rates steady despite inflation and geopolitical shocks. We unpack how Middle East tensions - from Iran to Qatar - are reshaping energy markets and reigniting inflation fears. At the same time, capital is rotating into AI, with Nvidia at the centre of renewed chip flows into China. Plus, a bold new frontier emerges: chips in space - could this redefine the next phase of computing and investment? All this and more, hosted by Michelle Martin.

If you want to bank on the picks and shovels play behind the AI Capex spend, you need to understand growth drivers.  Investors have been piling into semiconductors but what if you wanted to look beyond NVIDIA? As computing demands grow, bottlenecks are springing up like traditional copper wiring slowing data transfers because of their heat constraints.  Enter photonics: a whole field devoted to controlling photons or light. We also ask What if the biggest AI winners aren’t the ones building it - but the ones powering it? Michelle Martin explores the $700 billion AI infrastructure surge reshaping markets, from hyperscaler spending by Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Oracle to the hidden bottlenecks in power and data centres. The conversation with Alvin Chow unpacks who really profits from this capex explosion. Michelle and Alvin also explore OpenClaw, the open source viral AI agent phenomenon in China; if OpenClaw boosts productivity, which companies are set to benefit really?

The era of “set it and forget it” ETF investing is being challenged - are passive ETFs no longer enough? Michelle Martin dives into the shifting ETF landscape with Aman Pujara, Director of Quantitative Research and Portfolio Construction at Syfe, as investors rethink the classic “VOO and chill” strategy. Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode explores why active ETFs are rapidly gaining ground, now accounting for over 80% of new launches in 2026. We examine how  market volatility has exposed the limitations of passive index tracking. Aman explains why active strategies are attracting a growing share of inflows and offering investors more flexibility. The conversation also tackles the hidden opportunity costs of staying fully passive during turbulent markets and the fees involved in active ETF investing. How investors can distinguish true active skill from trend-following products?

Cheap mortgages, a flood of resale flats, and a widening condo price gap - is 2026 the year to buy, sell, or refinance your property? Michelle Martin explores Singapore’s unusual property moment and what it might mean for you. Daniel Sim, Founder, Golden Goose Properties and Michelle unpack whether owners should sell ahead of rising competition, refinance their loans while rates are low, or upgrade to private property. Could ripple effects could extend into executive condominiums and resale condos as more homeowners consider upgrading? With new launch prices climbing and the gap with resale condos approaching 50%, buyers and sellers face a complex set of decisions. We also explore what Singaporeans who bought overseas property should do if those investments are underperforming in today's market.

Are investors focusing too much on headline DPU when evaluating Singapore REITs? Michelle Martin examines why the familiar distribution-per-unit number may not tell the full story. In this episode of Money and Me, we explore whether investors should shift their focus from the quantity of distributions to the quality and sustainability behind them. REIT specialist and Wealth Advisory Director Kenny Loh introduces a new framework - the Management Efficiency Index (MEI) - meant to help investors evaluate how effectively REIT managers generate and protect long-term income. The conversation also unpacks the risks behind 100% payout strategies, accounting optic moves, and the impact of management fees paid in units. With AGM season approaching, Kenny shares the key questions retail investors should ask management teams to better understand the resilience of distributions. Any investor heading to a REIT AGM would benefit from knowing the right questions to ask to dive beyond the numbers to get at management "sweat equity".

There will soon be a new way to grow your CPF savings, what do you need to know? In this episode of Ask CPF! Michelle Martin puts your questions to Wu Meei, Director of Investment Schemes at CPF Board. Will you still have access to CPFIS? What sort of products might you be able to invest in? How does portfolio rebalancing happen? Has this scheme been successful elsewhere? What sort of returns are possible? We also explore how the “glide-path” strategy works to grow your wealth, the fees and the key risks involved with using the scheme.

When markets shake, your instincts may tell you to run  and turn your equities into cash - but history suggests, that action may be an expensive mistake. Michelle Martin speaks with Tim Phillips, Founder of TimTalksMoney, about why investors instinctively flee equities during turmoil - and why that move may actually be self-sabotage. What separates disciplined investors from panicked sellers in turbulent times? We find out in this episode of Money and Me hosted by Michelle Martin.

What if inflation isn’t an accident - but a feature of the system? In this episode of Money and Me, hosted by Michelle Martin, we dive beneath the headlines with Paul Musson, author of Capital Offence: Why Some Benefit At Your Expense. Musson argues that the modern monetary system quietly redistributes wealth - often from savers and wage earners to asset owners. We unpack why many investors confuse money with real capital, and why that matters. The conversation explores declining trust in systems, the role of central banks, and whether gold or cryptocurrencies are rational responses. Finally, we examine what a future might look like in a world of rising debt, deficits and monetary expansion.

A Singapore retiree has sparked a lot of conversation after revealing she receives roughly $4,600 a month from CPF payouts. We examine the numbers behind her strategy For listeners turning 55 today, the key question is whether replicating this strategy is still possible under today’s CPF rules. We explore the role of the Enhanced Retirement Sum (ERS), annual top-ups and the powerful impact of compounding. We also unpack what meaningful retirement payouts mean for different life circumstances in this episode of Money and Me, hosted by Michelle Martin, with guest Elijah Lee of Phillip Securities.