Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The Singdollar had a good run so far. But post-US elections - the Singapore currency has been hit by the dollar rally, falling as much as 1.7 per cent. So can we now expect more downside for the SGD? What does this mean for those holding the SG dollar? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Yen Nee Lee, Senior Country Risk Analyst, BMI (a Fitch Solutions company), to find out more.

China’s healthcare policies have not kept up with its rapidly ageing population, since its hospital-centric approach to care makes it difficult to manage an increasingly large number of patients.  Moreover, a shortage of doctors – exacerbated by low pay making the profession unattractive – has led to endemic corruption.  Singaporean Professor Wong Tien Yin is looking to transform China's healthcare problems.  So how exactly is he doing it?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Professor Wong Tien Yin, Chair Professor & Senior Vice-Chancellor, Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University; Vice Provost, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; and Senior Advisor at SingHealth & Singapore National Eye Centre, to find out more. To read more, do also check out The Straits Times article:  How a Singaporean doctor-scientist is transforming China’s healthcare system https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/how-a-singaporean-doctor-scientist-is-transforming-china-s-healthcare-system

This year’s Singapore Fintech Festival surrounds six major themes that will frame 2025.  At the front and centre of discussions is the Roadmap for AI and Quantum. Of particular focus this year is the boom in generative AI, which uses algorithms to identify patterns within existing data to come up with new content, ranging from text, images, videos and even codes.  The technology is said to hold the potential to radically change the financial services industry, with an EY analysis suggesting that rethinking the financial institution with Gen AI at its core has the potential to create US$200 billion to US$400 billion by 2023, with productivity gains reaching up to 30 per cent by 2028.   In this panel discussion on the Roadmap for AI and Quantum, we looked at where fintech players are at right now when it comes down to generative AI adoption and what the road to achieving an AI-embedded future looks like for them.  We also dived into emerging risks surrounding AI and challenges surrounding the adoption of quantum computing.  Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Lim Him Chuan, Group Head of Strategy, Transformation, Analytics & Research (GSTAR) and Group Executive at DBS, as well as Phoram Mehta, Senior Director and Chief Information and Security Officer, International Markets at Paypal for more, as part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024.

Did you know that despite what appeared to be a tough time for funding and valuations, the global fintech report coauthored by Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors in June this year noted that the global fintech market remained a hotbed for innovation and growth.  The firms expect fintech to reach a market size of US$1.5 trillion in revenue by 2030. That’s about a five times growth from numbers seen at the time the report was written. However, the report, which was based on interviews with over 60 global fintech CEOs and investors, noted that the rules of the game are changing, with growth at all cost, in their words, “no longer the watchword”. So what are the major themes shaping the financial technology sector in the longer term? What are the headwinds facing the industry right now and how far are they short-term corrections?  And more importantly, what role will Singapore play in the growing fintech space for startups and industry heavyweights? As part of MONEY FM’s on the ground coverage of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, Money Matters’ Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Shayan Hazir, Chief Digital Officer of ASEAN at HSBC and Reuben Lim, CEO at the Singapore FinTech Association.

Singapore shares began the day trading in positive territory, mirroring overnight gains in markets abroad. The STI ended the day in the green as well, closing up 0.6%.  With investors taking a close a look at the US presidential election, which is in full swing, how will the Singapore markets be impacted by the ongoing US elections? And what’s driving AI startup valuations? On Market View, Willie Keng speaks to Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital, to find out more on the latest market movements.

What is the ‘SGX Cares’ initiative, and how it aims to bring the financial industry together to uplift and empower our communities? Pol de Win, SGX Cares Bull Charge organising chairperson & senior managing director and head of global sales and origination at SGX, tells us more about this inspiring initiative that sees money meet a mission! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Republican candidate Donald Trump is set to be elected as US president for the second time, US media has reported, defeating US Vice-President and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris. The former president will return to the White House with an assured simple majority of more than 270 Electoral College votes, AP and CNN have projected. What fuelled Trump’s victory? And what might Trump 2.0 look like for the US and the rest of the world?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to find out.

The United States plays an undeniable role in leading the global economy, and the presidential elections are slated to be a watershed moment both domestically and globally. So does that mean Singaporean investors need to pay attention to the US elections? Are there any sectors that stand to benefit from the US election results?  It’s been well understood that a victory for Trump would be more beneficial for investors holding US stocks. Would that be the same case for those holding Singaporean stocks as well?  On The Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Market Strategists at the SGX, to find out more.

Businesses today face the challenge of effectively engaging and retaining their deskless workforce, which has lead to high turnover and low morale in sectors like retail, logistics, and hospitality. And Mercu addresses this by creating a platform tailored for these employees, using popular messaging apps to streamline onboarding, enhance communication, and boost engagement without the need for additional software. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Elliott Gibb, Co-founder of Mercu, about how their platform is transforming workforce connectivity, reducing churn, and helping businesses thrive by meeting employees where they are. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Meng Choon Chua Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

It's decision day in America as we keep track of the biggest political showdown of 2024. In the US,  more than 82 million people have already cast their ballots to elect their next president. The big question now is: will America get its first woman president or a second Donald Trump term? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Emeritus Professor Joseph A. Camilleri OAM, La Trobe University, Melbourne; Fellow, The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia; Convener, Conversation at the Crossroads to find out.