Your Money with Michelle Martin

After years in the penalty box, S-REITs are staging their strongest comeback since before COVID - but the real question is: who’s thriving, and who’s just surviving? The iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index delivered a standout 16.3% return in 2025, its best annual performance since 2019, signalling a shift in momentum as rate pressures ease. But this recovery is uneven, with pockets of strength emerging while weaker balance sheets continue to lag. We break down which property types are leading the rebound, and why yesterday’s winners may not be tomorrow’s. With Singapore Budget 2026 just around the corner, expectations are building around policy support, funding costs, and growth catalysts for the sector. Kenny Loh, REIT Specialist and Wealth Advisory Director, shares what investors should watch - hosted by Michelle Martin.

Asia-Pacific markets are flashing mixed signals - from softer bank profits to roaring equity rallies, so where is the opportunity for investors? DBS’ Q4 earnings remind investors that even best-in-class banks aren’t immune to margin pressure as interest rate tailwinds fade, even as wealth and fee income show resilience. Japan’s markets surge as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secures a decisive election victory, fuelling optimism around fiscal stimulus, tax cuts, and a renewed equity bull case. Wall Street stages a powerful comeback, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq jumping as chipmakers rebound and investors debate whether this is a genuine reset or a classic dead-cat bounce. Goldman Sachs spotlights selective opportunities - from nuclear energy plays linked to Meta’s power needs to under-the-radar biotech bets after a bruising year. Closer to home, Singapore stocks hold onto weekly gains, with Keppel Corp and Singapore Airlines leading, even as Yangzijiang Shipbuilding drags. All this and more - hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang.

Gold and silver just gave investors a brutal reminder: safe havens can still whipsaw. After blistering rallies into early 2026, both metals have plunged as a stronger U.S. dollar, ETF unwinds and crowded positioning collide. Silver’s extreme swings  highlight how fragile liquidity can be when sentiment turns. Gold has fared better, but even it is facing its sharpest pullback in years as rate expectations reset. So is this a temporary correction - or the end of the precious-metals bull case? Should we still all be lining to buy gold? We break it all down, hosted by Michelle Martin who speaks with Nirgunan Tiruchelvam, Head of Consumer and Internet at Alethea Capital.

What if the real risk in buying a home isn’t interest rates - but your job? In early 2026, AI disruption, shifting HDB policies and volatile careers are forcing buyers to rethink what “affordable” really means. Shorter BTO waiting times promise relief for young couples, but could trigger unexpected ripple effects across resale. At the same time, the long-standing price gap between RCR and CCR or prime and slightly beyond prime districts has narrowed to levels that are seeing some sit up. What does this all mean for you and your wealth journey? Ivan Cai, CEO of Crestbrick, breaks down what this new property cycle means for buyers and investors, hosted by Michelle Martin.

Amazon which posted solid headline profits, but saw a market recoil as expectations collide with a US$200bn AI spending plan. So why did Wall Street blink? AWS shines with robust margins and growth, underscoring where Amazon’s real engine lies — the cloud and AI arms race. Meanwhile, Bitcoin sinks deeper into correction territory and silver struggles to stabilise after sharp volatility. Earnings season delivers mixed signals as Reddit and Roblox surge while tariff pressures crush consumer brands. All this as US and Singapore markets wobble, unpacked hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang. Hear about :Amazon, Amazon Web Services, Alphabet, Qualcomm, Reddit, Roblox, Ralph Lauren, Estée Lauder, DBS, CapitaLand China Trust, Elite UK REIT.

Many Singaporeans treat SRS as a “set it and forget it” tax tool, leaving cash idle at 0.05% while inflation does the damage. Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode explores why investors are waking up - with ETF holdings in SRS accounts surging 380% to over S$800 million. We break down how SGX-listed ETFs can transform SRS from dormant savings into a long-term growth engine. From local STI anchors to global equity, bond, REIT and gold ETFs, we unpack what SRS investors are actually buying. Founder of TimTalksMoney, Tim Phillips, dives into popular choices with investors and takes us beyond the ETF wrappers for choices for someone looking to China, US and even gold! Plus, practical steps for anyone with idle SRS cash who wants to start investing confidently in 2026 and beyond

Alphabet’s blockbuster quarter puts AI back in the spotlight as the tech giant delivers surging profits and resilient ad growth, even as markets turn jittery. Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang, this episode unpacks what’s powering Alphabet’s earnings and why its results still sparked a sell-off. We explore how AI spending is lifting hardware winners like Nvidia and Broadcom - while software stocks face mounting skepticism. The conversation widens to Wall Street’s uneven session, where tech drags on the S&P 500 and NASDAQ despite broad-based market strength. Our UP or DOWN game runs through big earnings from Eli Lilly, GSK, Uber, UBS and Yum Brands. Plus, Singapore markets hit fresh highs and a cultural “Last Word” on the Melania documentary and brand power.

China’s investment narrative is shifting from old economy giants to new-generation growth engines. Michelle Martin speaks with Dr Wealth cofounder Alvin Chow, to explore whether the new CSI A500 index could replace the CSI 300 as investors’ core China exposure. We unpack why CSOP’s new SGX-listed ETF makes it easier for Singaporeans to “buy China” in one trade. Then, attention turns to China’s Six AI Tigers - startups positioning themselves as local rivals to OpenAI and Nvidia. With MiniMax and Zhipu AI surging after their Hong Kong debuts, are investors spotting the next tech champions or chasing hype?

Big Pharma’s report cards just rewrote the market mood. Market View dives into why Pfizer slipped into a quarterly loss, why Novo Nordisk plunged double digits, and how Merck managed to buck the trend. We also unpack Singtel’s rally on acquisition chatter and what it signals for Singapore’s telco strategy. Across the Pacific, tech stocks drag Wall Street lower as Nvidia and Microsoft weigh on the NASDAQ. Plus, our UP or DOWN game covers PayPal, PepsiCo, Walmart and Intel’s GPU ambitions. All this and more, hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang.

Danielle Lim, author of The Sound of S-C-H, joins READ with Michelle Martin to discuss the newly reissued edition of her Singapore literature prize-winning book that chronicled her uncle’s life with schizophrenia and her mother’s years of caregiving. She reflects on who Uncle Seng was beyond his illness, the memories that stayed with her across decades, and how stigma in 1960s and 70s Singapore shaped her family’s silence and survival. Danielle also explains how conversations around mental illness have evolved since the book’s first release. At its heart, this is a story about dignity, endurance, and what families carry when illness becomes part of everyday life.