Money and Me

If ETFs are becoming the “backbone” of investing, what does that mean for the future of portfolios in Asia? Asia-Pacific’s ETF market has crossed the US$2 trillion mark, and investors are no longer using ETFs simply to track indices. Hosted by Michelle Martin with guest Ahmed Ibrahim, Head of ETF Solutions, APAC at State Street, this episode explores how ETFs are evolving into gateways for AI investing, income strategies, active management and digital assets. Michelle and Ahmed unpack what’s driving explosive ETF growth across China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia - and how APAC is increasingly shaping global ETF innovation.

Many financially successful women remain passive participants in their own financial lives until a crisis forces visibility. Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode explores the issue of women and  financial disengagement  with Grace Tay, Associate Director at Finexis Advisory and a lawyer-turned-financial consultant. The conversation examines “financial infidelity,” emotional manipulation, and how women can regain financial visibility, confidence and agency.

Markets are shrugging off virus scares, rising bond yields and fragile US-China tensions - but are investors becoming dangerously comfortable with risk? Hosted by Michelle Martin with Arun Pai, Partner at Monk's Hill Ventures, this episode unpacks why Wall Street appears increasingly willing to “buy the dip” even during moments of geopolitical and health uncertainty. Michelle explores what it means when figures like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg travel alongside US President Donald Trump to China - and whether corporate America is now shaping diplomacy as much as governments. The conversation also dives into the quiet but important rise in bond yields and why markets may be losing faith in imminent rate cuts. From biotech names like Moderna to tech giants and global capital flows, discover which sectors could win - or suffer - if higher rates and geopolitical uncertainty persist. Hosted by Michelle Martin.

On Money and Me, Michelle Martin speaks with a former banker who channeled his ADHD into a “superpower”, transforming a restless "lack of focus" into a relentless drive to master a legendary Thai recipe and engineer a tech-forward F&B ecosystem. He proves that neurodiversity is a competitive financial asset, turning a classroom label into a mission-driven business that disrupts the status quo.  Here's the full conversation with Lawrence Tang, Founder of Co+Nut+ink.

Singapore’s financial advisory industry is changing fast - with consolidation, rising compliance costs and larger platforms reshaping the business of advice. Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode with Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend, explores what happens when financial advice becomes increasingly concentrated in the hands of fewer, larger players. Both also discuss the part of retirement few talk about - spending wisely in retirement.

What’s Money Trauma and how can you heal from it?  Michelle Martin finds out in this insightful conversation with Gail Wong, Professional Coach and Investor, Livetrue. 

Passive income goes head-to-head as ETF investing battles dividend growth investing in a lively showdown, as we ask which investing style might be best suited to be the main pillar for anyone's portfolio? Tim Phillips argues for the long-term power of ETFs, while Willie Keng makes the case for intelligent dividend investing. The debate dives into whether ETFs are still good diversifiers given market concentration, why dividend investing may not just be for retirees, and what really grows wealth over time. There’s also an unexpected “easter egg” in the episode, as both guests reveal a powerful investing moment from their own journeys. Hosted by Michelle Martin with guests Tim Phillips, Founder, TimTalksMoney (https://www.timtalksmoney.com) and Willie Keng, Founder, Dividend Titan. (https://www.dividendtitan.com)

Author John Coleman spent his early years in a single-wide mobile home in the USA. When it rained in Florida, the family would buy movie tickets, and wait out the storm safely in the theatre. Today he is Co-CEO of Sovereign's Capital which invests in public equities, private equities and venture capital. Michelle Martin finds out how John's six-step framework in his book "Good Money, Six Steps to Building a Financial Life with Purpose" can help us change our relationship with money, so we can design a richer life across dimensions that we know, map to living well.

Investors, what if one of Asia’s biggest ageing-investment opportunities is a healthcare problem few people even talk about? Asia’s ageing population is quietly fueling a surge in demand for urology care - and investors may be underestimating the scale of the opportunity In Money and Me we meet the largest medical device company in Southeast Asia Michelle Martin speaks with Wong Yau Chung, CEO of Temasek-backed Advanced MedTech Holdings, about a possible listing, how the Singapore-grown MedTech is using acquisitions and its strategy to compete globally and a key question. Could urology become one of the next major long-term investment themes tied to ageing demographics?

Imagine a few thousand consistently deposited into your account, every month for life! Our guest received a letter reminding him this financial instrument he chose 5 years ago, came to fruition with a sweet four figure gain. Listen to this episode to hear how to figure out if putting money in annuity is a smart move. How much can you expect monthly? What are the range of riders involved? What's guaranteed and what's not? How does this financial instrument compare with buying a REIT, ETF or topping up your SRS?  Michelle Martin finds out with Phillip Securities' Elijah Lee.