Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

From Secret Santa shockers to Robin Hood Santas and a nativity that’s gone to the dogs, today’s What's Trending stories cover the full naughty-to-nice spectrum. Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss a student in the Philippines that was left distressed after receiving a wrapped hollow concrete block as a Secret Santa gift, sparking outrage online over cruelty disguised as a prank. In Canada, a group dressed as Santas and elves stole thousands of dollars’ worth of groceries from a Montreal supermarket, later redistributing them to those in need to protest the rising cost of living, raising the question of whether that lands them on Santa’s naughty or nice list. And finally, a wholesome note from the UK, where a dog day care centre has gone viral for recreating the Christmas nativity scene with 12 dogs and even a pony, proving that sometimes the best holiday cheer comes with fur and four legs.

Cambodia and Thailand are on the brink of returning to a ceasefire, but only after weeks of intense fighting that has left dozens dead and nearly a million displaced. The renewed hostilities, sparked by accusations over landmines and long-standing border disputes, have escalated into airstrikes and heavy shelling along critical border towns. Now, all eyes are on the Christmas Eve meeting of the General Border Committee, a high-stakes negotiation co-chaired by the two countries’ defense ministers, backed by ASEAN, China, and the US. Can this latest round of talks finally stop the bloodshed? Or is mistrust and nationalist rhetoric too high to overcome?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to May Wong, Indochina Bureau Chief at The Straits Times, to find out more. 

Tequila has been on fire in the global spirits scene, but 2025 tells a more nuanced story. Growth has slowed, inventories are piling up, and investors are getting picky. So, if you’ve ever thought of tequila as more than just a drink, maybe even as an investment, what really worked this year, what stumbled, and what’s next for the market? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jacob Daniels, Sales and Marketing Director, Gordon Premium Spirits, to find out more. 

Singapore shares rose today to track gains seen in regional markets. The Straits Times Index was up 0.39% at 4,628.44 points at 12.44pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$606.52M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have CapitaLand Investment, after the firm said Bursa-listed CapitaLand Malaysia Trust (CLMT) has agreed to buy five high-specification industrial facilities in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone for RM220.8 million (S$69.2 million).  Meanwhile, from how Singapore’s consumer prices held steady in November, to how Indonesia is set to sign a trade tariff agreement with the US in January, with US tariffs on Indonesian goods set at 19 per cent, more economic and international headlines remained in focus. Also on deck – how Nvidia reportedly told Chinese clients it aims to start shipping its second-most powerful AI chips to China before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Too Jun Cheong, Dealing Manager from Moomoo Singapore.  

Today on What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss a breakup that ended in court after a man in China sued his ex-fiancée over dating costs, a Canadian student who went viral for falling in love with Singapore’s neighbourhood bakeries, and a US graduation ceremony that ditched tradition for memes as students turned their big walk across the stage into internet gold.

It’s been one year since the introduction of HDB’s Prime, Plus and Standard classification framework. But while Prime flats continue to attract strong interest, demand for Plus flats has been more uneven, with some buyers appearing cautious about taking on tighter resale conditions, without a clear location premium. So what does this tell us about buyer behaviour, affordability, and the effectiveness of the new framework so far? And as more flats come on stream, what could this mean for future demand across different locations? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nizam AR, Associate at ERA Realty Network, for more insights. 

After two years of declining global art sales, 2025 didn't shape up as a rebound, but a reset. High-end auctions slowed, while more accessible works held their ground, and newer categories like digital art found an audience. So what really drove investor behaviour this year? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Grace Lau, Founder & CEO, ArtWise, to find out more. 

Singapore shares rose today in line with movements seen across regional markets. The Straits Times Index was up 0.65% at 4,599.43 points at 3.14pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$785.39M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have CNMC Goldmine, after a Malaysian unit of CNMC was hit with an additional income tax and penalty by the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, amounting to RM29.6 million (S$9.4 million), for the assessment years 2019 to 2024.  Elsewhere, from how China’s central bank unveiled a one-off credit repair scheme to allow overdue personal debts of up to 10,000 yuan (S$1,835) incurred since 2020 to be removed from credit records once fully repaid, to how Uber Technologies is teaming up with Baidu to trial driverless taxis in the UK – more international and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the key developments to watch for the day.

Welcome to another episode of What's Trending! To start the week, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss how much to give in an angbao from market-rate dinners at five-star hotels to keeping it stress-free or not even bothering to show up. Then, we switch gears to something holly-jolly - from tiny snowmen made while traveling abroad to a colossal 19-metre snowman in Harbin, China.

It’s back to the financial services industry as we speak to a financial advisory firm that’s wholly owned by Singlife.  Founded in 2016, Singlife Financial Advisers seeks to empower individuals to achieve financial freedom with its team of digitally enabled advisers, through innovative solutions that support its clients at every stage of their life.  The firm primarily looks at four areas: (1) Protection through insurance, (2) Savings and retirement, (3) Investment, and finally (4) Legacy planning, and is now seeing increased demand for services across the board in Singapore given a growing number of high-net worth individuals and an ageing population in the country.  According to numbers by data analytics provider GlobalData out in early 2025, Singapore’s general insurance industry is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (or CAGR) of 6.2% to hit S$8.1 billion in gross written premiums by 2029.  That’s supported by regulatory developments, economic expansion as well as a rise in market demand. So what will the numbers mean for the firm’s growth roadmap in the medium to longer term?   And as demand for insurance coverage increases, the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (or Fidrec) in Singapore is also seeing consumer complaints against investment-linked insurance policies or (ILPs) increase.  So what does this mean for the firm, and how will the firm ensure transparency in the selling of its products amid consumer concerns across the industry? At the same time, more support is also provided for the industry, with Singlife Financial Adviser’s parent Singlife setting up a shared service hub in Singapore earlier this year to help financial advisory firms with services like electronic financial need analysis, client onboarding and more. So how is Singlife Financial Advisers tapping the shared resource then? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Justin Ho, CEO, Singlife Financial Advisers.