Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The insurance industry is in focus today. Chartered in Canada back in 1865, Sun Life is a financial services organisation with over 118,000 advisors and offices in 27 markets. It has also been present in Asia since the 1890s.  The firm has a reputation for serving high net worth insurance markets and has CAD 1.33 trillion in assets under management as at the end of last year. Sun Life now sees strong growth potential in the high net worth insurance business in Asia, particularly in Singapore due to the country’s reputation as a global wealth hub.  But what does it mean in terms of investments put into its Singapore business?  Also – what types of insurance products are in demand among Sun Life target customers and what does it mean for Sun Life’s Singapore branch in terms of product offerings?  Meanwhile, the firm collaborated with high net worth specialist brokers who work with private banks and family offices in a move to sink its roots into the local high net worth insurance market. But how effective is this as a customer acquisition strategy?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Michael Wei, Chief Partnership and Marketing Officer, Sun Life Singapore.

Singapore stocks declined today after global markets ended Tuesday mixed. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) headed down 0.4 per cent to 3,148.96 points after 22.6 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of economic data points to watch, Singapore’s inflation both continued to fall in July, with the headline figure down to 4.1 per cent year-on-year.  Elsewhere from Meta Platforms releasing an artificial intelligence model capable of translating and transcribing speech to Japan’s Nikkei expected to rise nearly 8 per cent by year-end, more international headlines are in store.  On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked these developments with Robert St Clair, Managing Director and Strategist, Fullerton Fund Management.

FAS' acting President Bernard Tan is in the hot seat on this episode, as we talk about the return of the Lion City Cup after a 7-year hiatus. Why now, and what does this do  in line with the Unleash the Roar campaign to spruce up the football scene here in Singapore? Tickets available here: https://www.fas.org.sg/tickets/ Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

When it comes to creating breathtaking outdoor spaces, Singapore is a city that knows no bounds. From innovative designs to impeccable execution, we have mastered the art of transforming spaces into natural masterpieces. Today, we speak with a landscape designer who has recently won Singapore’s highest design accolade, the 2023 President*s Design Award. Leonard Ng, Country Market Director, Henning Larsen, APAC shares with us how he isreshaping Singapore’s urban environment, one captivating landscape at a time.

What comes to mind when you think of delivering newborn babies? Well, the baby comes out, and the umbilical cord is clamped, cut and discarded. As we know today, cord blood is a very good source of blood stem cells and can be used in transplants to treat blood disorders and cancers.  So instead of throwing the umbilical cord away just like that, more parents are requesting to harvest cord blood from their newborn’s umbilical cord during delivery.  According to Health Hub, the blood is stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at about negative 180 degrees Celsius at a cord blood bank, and can be retrieved for use by the newborn when he or she grows up, or even by the newborn’s siblings.  But how do cord blood banks work exactly? What is the difference between some of the terms we hear, say private versus public cord blood banks? And to what extent is cord blood banking a business that generates long-term recurring revenue?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to  Tan Poh Lan, Group CEO and Executive Director, Cordlife. Founded in 2001, the SGX-listed firm is a pioneer in private cord blood banking in Asia. It operates the region’s largest network of cord blood banks and is an industry leader in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. 

The Singapore’s Business-Improvement District (BID) Plan was introduced to improve specific defined areas and enhance the vibrancy of each precinct.  With 10 such BID precincts in Singapore, the Singapore River especially, is one of the most iconic one as it commands a significant share of footfall, whether from locals or tourists and investments from businesses. Michelle Koh, Executive Director, Singapore River One (SRO) shares more on SRO's efforts to keep the Singapore River precinct alive.

From Pheu Thai Party's Srettha Thavisin being elected as Thailand's new prime minister to the possibility of Malaysia suing Goldman Sachs over the 1MDB scandal.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood will leave the club by mutual agreement after a six-month internal investigation into his conduct. Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 following allegations surrounding material which was published online. Charges against the 21-year-old England international, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023.  Did the club make the right decision? And what about the way the matter was dealt with? Elliott and Raushan are joined by Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times, to discuss.  Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore stocks opened stronger today following overnight gains on the global market. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.3 per cent to 3,162.71 points after 32.3 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch for today, we have Dasin Retail Trust after the Singapore Exchange Regulation issued a “trade with caution” alert for the trust yesterday.  Meanwhile, from India’s soaring food prices amid harsh weather conditions to computer chip company Arm filing for a NASDAQ listing, and S&P joining Moody’s in dimming its outlook on US banks – more international headlines remain in focus.  On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked these developments with Matthias Chan, Head of Research at SAC Capital.

Do you remember the 1992 film 'The Bodyguard' starring Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston in her movie acting debut? Did it give you an impression that being part of a security team is ‘glamorous’?  Our next guest is in a company that provides services in the realm of executive protection and risk consultancy solutions. And not only that, he was also part of the security detail team for former PM Goh Chok Tong.  Aron Chew, Assistant Manager, AETOS VP International shares more of his experience in the industry and his approach when it comes to assessing the unique security needs of high-profile clients seeking close protection service