Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

 AI is now at the heart of Singapore’s economic strategy. From supercharging adoption to building talent pipelines and reshaping how businesses operate, what does this mean for you, your job, and your company’s future? Are businesses ready, and will workers keep up? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Kwek SoCheer, Partner, Digital Solutions at PwC, to unpack how Budget 2026’s AI push will shape business strategy, workforce transformation, and Singapore’s position in the global AI race.

Nearly US$99 trillion in private wealth is set to flow across Asia by 2029, but shockingly, almost half of first-generation wealth holders haven’t planned who gets what. Why do so many families avoid the conversation about succession? And what happens when wealth is left unmanaged? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sissi Goh, Legacy Planner, Wealth Advisor, & Author, for the latest.

Planning a trip across the Causeway for Lunar New Year or Ramadan? You may want to pause and take stock. Malaysia has reported 10 new tuberculosis clusters so far this year, including a recent outbreak in Kota Tinggi involving 37 cases. With thousands of Singaporeans expected to travel in the coming weeks, concerns are growing. How serious is the situation? Should you postpone your trip or simply take extra precautions? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Professor Hsu Li Yang, Director of the Asia Centre for Health Security at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, to break down the risks, explain how tuberculosis spreads, and share practical steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones.

The Singapore market pulled back today following Budget 2026 announcements, even as the government unveiled measures to boost existing equities, startups and new listings. The Straits Times Index (STI) crossed the 5,000-point barrier before the statement was delivered yesterday, buoyed by a strong 43.5 per cent net profit increase for Singtel.  The momentum did not hold, though. In the first hour of trading today, the STI fell 1.1 per cent back below the 5,000 mark to 4,963.68 points.  In terms of counters to watch, we have iFast, after the digital bank and wealth management platform’s net profit rose 70.4 per cent to S$32.9 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2025, up from S$19.3 million in the year-ago period.  Elsewhere, from the potential winners and losers from Singapore’s Budget 2026, to how Anthropic raised US$30 billion in its latest funding round, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.  On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

Retirement brings reflection, and perspective. After 15 years in Singapore football, Emmeric Ong sits down with Sports Minutes to reflect on stepping away, the realities players can’t always say out loud, and what he hopes the future holds for Singapore football. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, for their final thoughts on this year's Budget announcement, the hits and misses, and what to expect in the next couple of months as the Budget measures are being implement. 

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to overcome structural constraints and turning AI adoption into a strategic advantage for the country. That’s the goal for Singapore in Budget 2026 plans laid out by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.  On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian looked at Singapore's plans to realise its AI ambitions with Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore. Among the measures discussed - a new set of national AI Missions targeted at driving AI transformation in key sectors of the economy, and a new National AI Council to be chaired by PM Wong to drive coordinated efforts.

A major theme of Budget 2026 was to support businesses negotiating a changing global operating environment, where economic flows are becoming more selective, partnerships are being more strategic, and where resilience now matters as much as efficiency.  On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian unpacked the suite of measures aimed at helping businesses capture growth opportunities and mitigate short-term challenges with Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore. These measures ranged from tax rebates and deductions to the enhanced Market Readiness Assistance grant to help companies internationalise.  The team also dived into the expansion of the Startup SG Equity scheme along with the launch of the second $1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund to attract and anchor high quality public listings in Singapore.

Budget 2026 is putting a spotlight on helping workers navigate the shifts brought forward by AI and automation, with support for reskilling, career transitions and manpower planning. This includes government plans to expand the TechSkills Accelerator to help workers build more practical capabilities.  Meanwhile, more support will be given to lower income workers, with the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme has been extended for 2 more years, to 2028, while co-funding support for 2026 has been raised from 20% to 30%. Budget 2026 has also included updates to Singapore’s foreign worker policies.  What does this all mean for our Singapore workforce? How do the new measures aim to equip Singaporeans for the future of work? On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, to find out more. 

About 1.4 million Singaporean households will each get $500 in CDC vouchers. There will also be additional U-Save rebates to help households with their utilities expenses.  On top of this, 2.4 million eligible adult Singaporeans will receive a $200-$400 Cost-of-Living Special Payment in September 2026 to ease expenses. But are these all enough for Singaporeans to tide through the rising cost of living?  And what more support are given to families with children, lower income families and our ageing population? On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, to find out more.