Your Money with Michelle Martin

Dr Kevyn Yong, Chief Learning Officer at the Singapore Institute of Management shares why he thinks AI is a tool for innovation and why companies should use AI to make consumers' lives easier and simpler, quoting Spotify as one of the examples he provided. He has previously tailored customised leadership and innovation programmes for many organisations, including Amazon and ATOS in France, eBay and Nike in China, Deutsche Bank, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and UOB in Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 25% of people aged 15 to 62 who have disabilities are employed, this according to the annual Comprehensive Labour Force Survey. The sectors employing most of these people are community, social and personal services, food services, administrative and support services, and manufacturing. But what can we do to increase this number and encourage more companies to hire PWDs? And how can PWDs seek the training and grants they need to help them to get employed? We discuss with Winnie Lewis, Manager at SG ENABLE (Employment & Employability division), Rachel Yeo, Content Strategist at Seedly and Kenneth Lou, Co-founder of Seedly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you think about your portfolio as a football club, how can you better structure your investments? If central banks start issuing digital foreign currencies what could this mean for the future of banks and FX? Benn Ng, Managing Director and Head of Southeast Asia at Raffles Family Office debunks the myths and common mistakes retail investors make when approaching not only FX but their entire portfolio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is perhaps the most important book on climate change to read. David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth takes us to life after warming and how climate change is likely to transform how we all live on the planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curated shopping platform L’effet is helping you to accumulate travel miles while you shop at luxury brands like Temperley London, Penhaligon’s, Ettinger London and George Cleverly. L’effet has also recently inked a partnership with Singapore Airlines and shoppers can now collect Krisflyer miles when shopping at these luxury brands in London. Ulrike Pohl, Co-founder of L’effet shares more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most Singaporeans think that buying a property makes more financial sense in the long-term than to rent, which explains why majority of Singaporeans own a property. What are some factors to take into consideration when deciding between owning or renting a property? We find out with Mohamed Ismail Gafoor, Chairman and CEO of Propnex Limited ( who also shares which of his own apartments was completely paid off recently).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Avid comic collector Brighton Yap has been collecting comics for 29 years, spent some $200,000 which has paid off. His copy of 'Amazing Fantasy 15' bought at a 2015 Comic Convention for US$17,000 has gained three times its value. Brighton shares his top pick for the comic that could gain and you could get your hands on at the upcoming Singapore Comic Con in December.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When his university pal turned up in a car he bought from money made in the stock market, Ethan Ho decided it was time to learn about investing. Ethan is Director of Business Development and Marketing at InvestingNote. We find out if the "social" factor at this site helps investors uncover the hidden gems, and if the connections at the social networking site for investors can lead to better outcomes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong shopping centre, Festival Walk, faced great damage after protesters attacked the mall. The mall is also owned by Singapore-listed Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust (MNACT). We ask Krystal.AI's Chief Kristals officer who leads investment on the platform what is on his stocks to watch list in Hong Kong and for his views on the biggest headlines investors are digesting. Saudi Aramco, Alibaba, DBS, and the real efforts being laid down to avoid a dark future of AI in Singapore are discussed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yale or Wharton? A seat an elite school could be within reach for you. We get to know the CEO and Founder of ExecOnline, Stephen Bailey.  ExecOnline collaborates with top business schools, including Berkeley-Haas, Chicago Booth, Columbia, IMD, MIT-Sloan, Stanford GSB, Wharton, and Yale, to rapidly deliver online leadership development programs that generate lasting organizational impact. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much money should you prepare when getting your first home and how does this amount differ when you’re considering a BTO, EC or a resale flat? Kenneth Lou, CEO of Seedly, Kenneth Fong, Editor at Seedly and Darius Cheung, Co-Founder and CEO of 99.co weighs in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online platform Workana connects freelancers to businesses looking to hire highly-skilled talent for projects and continues to foster ongoing relationships between the two parties. What are they doing to create the right match? Tomas O'Farrell, Co-Founder of Workana shares more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may think it's all about what you say, but sometimes you need to stop talking to make what you want happen. Tim Castle, author of 'The Art of Negotiation' shares how you can position yourself for more possibilities in life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the future of driverless cars in Singapore? CapitaLand is teaming up with NavInfo DataTech and TPG Telecom to build a 5G smart estate trial site to test 5G-enabled Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies. Navinfo is backed by Tencent and is currently creating detailed digital maps for up to 30 million self-driving cars in China alone. We speak to map service provider NavInfo - Jonathan Ng, CEO and Ivan Ng, COO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you buy an HDB in a distressed sale? You want a real deal but there are several different auction platforms to consider in Singapore. What are the pros and cons of buying a property through an auction? We break it down with Mohamed Ismail Gafoor, Chairman and CEO of Propnex Limited.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From social buying, complex promo schemes, selling apartments via auctions, to getting you to "game" and donate your points in red packets, Alibaba has generated in one day, more online gross merchandise volume than all US retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday since 2013. E-commerce players like Alibaba, JD.com, Lazada and Shopee all want you to buy with them. We take you behind the schemes with Wang Xiaofeng, Senior Analyst at Forrester.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a chart that tracks the spread between the 10-year Treasury and the 2-year Treasury yields, but what does the yield curve really tell investors? What are contrarian calls and how has StashAway made decisions to do with Gold and European Equities? Freddy Lim, CIO of StashAway shares more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget 5G, China said yesterday that it is working on 6G networks. Author of 'Tech Titans Of China', Rebecca A. Fannin takes us beyond the page of her gripping and extensively researched book to describe China's grab for superpower status in tech, mobile and e-commerce. Besides Alibaba and Tencent, Rebecca shares who the new important players in China's enterprise scene are today. Host Michelle Martin says this "addictively readable" book is her pick for book to read in November.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Arun Pai, Chief Kristals Officer, Kristal.AI about TransferWise’s partnership with Asian e-wallets and the outlook for a potential 2020 recession.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He is widely recognised as one of Singapore’s most prolific composers, whose works draw upon Singapore’s rich musical traditions and cultures. Eric Watson learnt to play the piano and violin growing up in the UK, and have since moved to Singapore in 1991 and successfully fused diverse musical and cultural sources. We’re talking to composer, conductor, music technologist and educator Eric Watson, Cultural Medallion Recipient 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Kenneth Lou, CEO, Seedly, Kelvin Lam, Singapore Country Manager, YouTrip, Dhruv Arora, Founder & CEO, Syfe and Kelvin Teo, Co-Founder & CEO, Funding Societies about FinTech in Singapore, its future and how it impacts the operations of multicurrency management, robo-advisors and peer-to-peer lenders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, the Singapore Writers Festival honours the work of Rex Shelley as the Literary Pioneer for 2019, who is best known for his novels centered around the lives of Eurasians in Singapore and Malaysia. We get to know the author Rex Shelley through the eyes of his children - Michael, Linda and Martine Shelley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He joined a gang when he was 13, tried drugs three months later, and was addicted to heroin by the age of 15. He’s been imprisoned five times and have spent 20 years in jail. Now at 50 years old, he was recently conferred a Certificate Of Merit by Yellow Ribbon and is an anti-drug advocate and motivational speaker doing preventive drug education in schools with the Central Narcotics Bureau, volunteer welfare organisations and social agencies. Bruce Stevens Mathieu, an ex-convict, anti-drug advocate and motivational speaker talks about his journey of getting back on the right path.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Willie Chang, CEO at Wowoo Exchange Singapore & Ashish Varma, COO at Wowoo Exchange Singapore about the growing ecosystem of leading cryptocurrency solution providers in Singapore and the challenges that come with mainstream acceptance of this revolutionising form of currency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brexit was supposed to happen last Friday, but was once again delayed and as the UK enters its third election campaign-period in four years. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had apologised for failing to deliver his “do or die” pledge to leave the EU by October 31 and blamed the Parliament for hindering his Brexit plan and said an election is the only way to break the deadlock. Patrick Bourne, Irish Ambassador to Singapore weighs in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you need to know when buying properties overseas in emerging markets like Vietnam, Cambodia, The Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia or in countries like Australia? Can you get a loan in these markets? Do you have an exit strategy and who can you sell your property to? Are you aware of the tax implications? We find out with Mohamed Ismail Gafoor, Chairman and CEO of Propnex Limited.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Anna Vanessa Haotanto, Advisor & Former CEO, The New Savvy about the biggest financial challenges facing modern women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, the 31st of October, was supposed to be the day that Britain exited the European Union. But Brexit has been delayed and the country is facing one of its most highly-staked elections yet on December 12th for key party leaders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn as they could face extinction. With Brexit once again delayed, what would it take for Britain to leave by the extended deadline of January 31st? Dr Jikon Lai, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University shares more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore first multi-currency mobile wallet, YouTrip, is the first multi-currency fintech issuer in Singapore to be granted the Mastercard prepaid license. Having partnered with Mastercard and EZ-Link to launch in Singapore in August last year, YouTrip will take over from EZ-link as issuer and stored value facility holder of YouTrip accounts. What are the fees for this prepaid YouTrip card with Mastercard, and how do the fees compare to similar cards offered by companies like Transferwise, Revolut and Instarem? Caecilia Chu, Co-founder and CEO of YouTrip shares more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Chubb's Cyber Preparedness Report 2019, nearly two-thirds of Singapore SMEs reported experiencing a cyber incident in the past 12 months, up from 2018. Yet, Singapore SMEs are less worried about the impact of cyber risks on their businesses. Moreover, over half of cyber incidents were caused by a risk SME leaders had already identified but failed to prevent it from happening, showing a clear gap between perceived and actual preparedness. Andrew Taylor, Cyber Underwriting Manager at Chubb Asia Pacific shares more. You can find out more about the Cyber Preparedness Report 2019 at Chubb’s website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Kenneth Lou, CEO, Seedly, Samuel Rhee, Founding Partner & CIO, Endowus and Terence Tan, Head of Education & Business Development, IG Markets about their Epic Guide to Short-Term Investment Strategies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Carlos Lee, President Elect of Insurance and Financial Practitioners Association of Singapore (IFPAS) about what we need to know about the importance of acquiring financial literacy at a young age and the ways our millennial community can go about achieving such knowledge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Erik Lundberg, Author of ‘Most Excellent and Lamentable: Selected Stories’ talks about his new book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Liyana Dhamirah, Founder, Virtual Assistants Singapore and Author, Homeless: The Untold Story of a Mother’s Struggle in Crazy Rich Singapore about how she emerged a successful entrepreneur in the face of immense adversity and how we can go about planning our budget plans more effectively.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While more women aged 50 and above in Singapore are going for their first breast cancer screening, a majority still do not get a second check-up until two years later. How can women take charge of their health? Anna Pak Burdin, Vice President & General Manager for Southeast Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific weighs in. She also talks about what she's doing to expand Discovery Networks in APAC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has launched its new strategic vision called the “City of Good”, where individuals, organisations and leaders in Singapore work together to build an inclusive society and foster a culture of others-centeredness. Melissa Kwee, CEO of NVPC shares what NVPC is doing to build advocacy and how you can play a part in creating an inclusive society in Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Arun Pai, Chief Kristals Officer, Kristal.AI about how the Brexit delay will impact global markets, as well as his perspectives on whether Hong Kong will lose its position as Asia's Top Financial Hub and the latest developments in the Libra Saga.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investors look at a changing world in terms of opportunities in thematic investing. Where are the possible value areas if we looked at regions, industries or sectors? Three investors weigh in on healthcare stocks, last-mile delivery companies, FANG stocks and even take  listener questions on how to get started investing in the China market.  Guests: Kenneth Lou, CEO, Seedly, Sudhan, Seedly Content Strategist & Investment Lead, Ex Motley Fool (Singapore) and Elijah Lee, Philip Securities Independent Financial Advisor, Seedly Top Contributor speak with Michelle Martin  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the hot mega-trends ahead for the property sector? Michelle Martin speaks with Darius Cheung, Co-Founder and CEO of 99.co to find out. We also learn about 99.co's binding agreement to take over operations of ASX-listed REA Group’s consumer brands iProperty.com.sg in Singapore and Rumah123.com in Indonesia and how 99.co plans to position itself for market leadership in Singapore and Southeast Asia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wong Lai Chun, Senior Assistant Director at the Samaritans of Singapore and Author of ‘Do I Matter? A Journey to Building Your Self-Esteem’ talks about the journey of building our own self-esteem and why it is a work in progress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No dental subsidy, no sick leave, no insurance or wait.... is there a way to change that? Michelle Martin, speaks to Grace Ng, Director, Education & Development, National Arts Council and Edward Choy ( last seen in Urinetown) about the realities of  freelancing and plans the NAC has to support freelancers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to World Bank estimates, Singapore sent around US$6.2 billion overseas last year, exclusive of remittances coming into Singapore. You’re likely to have sent money overseas at some point but have you been doing so at the low costs while still getting highly competitive rates? We find out what CurrencyFair offers with Paul Byrne, CEO of CurrencyFair.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it a good time to buy your first landed property now? What are some factors to consider before you buy a landed property?  Mohamed Ismail Gafoor, Chairman & CEO of Propnex Limited even breaks down the sums for a couple earning $15 000 jointly if they are aiming for a landed freehold property.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Crystal and Dr Greg Lim-Lange, Co-Authors, Deep Human: Practical Superskills for a Future of Success  about their new book and the skills held within that can be applied when it comes to making big financial decisions that can grow one’s wealth in big ways.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A target to have women fill 20 per cent of board seats in Singapore by 2020 was set in 2017, but the latest figures have shown that only 15 per cent of board seats in the top 100 listed companies are filled by women. At Hilton Asia Pacific, diversity and inclusion has been key to its success as Asia’s top multinational workplace, with Lara Hernandez, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Hilton Asia Pacific taking the lead to provide a supportive physical and cultural environment for women at Hilton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Arun Pai, Chief Kristals Officer, Kristal.AI about developments in the financial markets investors should take note of.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How prepared is Singapore for the next wave of technology disruption? Guest: Tan Lee Thong, Regional Financials Lead for ASEAN & North Asia at Workday weighs in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started by a group of young entrepreneurs and came from one of its co-founders’ late grandmother’s original fried chicken skin recipe, and has since turned this family recipe into a business. Cemani is also Singapore's first homegrown direct-to-consumer brand for chicken chips, as they procure the chickens directly from Andrew’s family-run chicken farm. Andrew Goh and Lim Jing Xi, Co-founders of Cemani Chicken skin snack shares more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Kenneth Lou, CEO, Seedly, Yeap Ming Feng, Head of Content & Growth of Seedly and Alvin Chow, Co-founder and CEO of DrWealth share how the current Sandwich Generation can end the pressures for the next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is for everyone - rich or poor. If you love those around you, this is one of the best things you can do for them. Unlike a will, that kicks in when you've passed, this one, kicks in while you are alive.... Michelle Martin, as she speaks to Lim Fung Peen, Director, Yuen Law & Author of 'Lasting Power of Attorney: A Guide to LPA and How to Set It Up' about the Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, and why it is vital for all Singaporeans to start thinking about arranging for one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.