Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Paul Kalogirou, Multi-Asset Client Portfolio Manager, Manulife Investment Management explains why markets have made a sharp reversal giving up gains from the post-Fed rate hike rally, and how investors should navigate the rising rates environment. 

In today's TheBreakfast Brief, the rule for investors is usually buy low and sell high. But now investors seem to be continuously selling their stocks, as Thursday was only the fourth day in 20 years in which stocks and bonds each posted 2%-plus declines. As predicted, the England Bank is raising rates to the highest in 13 years, making people worried that the already high cost of living is going to worsen. Coffee prices' increase and durian prices' decrease is a result of the Ukraine Crisis and China's zero Covid policy respectively.  

From moving from Malaysia to Singapore alone at a young age, to selling jewelry at Shaw Theater McDonalds, Amanda Koo, Founder, eClarity has seen her company evolve into one of the region's most promising online and instore diamond jewelers. She shares how she altered her business model and employed different strategies to cater to different demographics and adjust to different timelines. From humble beginnings, she shares how she has grown her online jewelry rental business, the first in Singapore.

The aging demographic of Singapore calls for a change in the residential aged care landscape as well. With news of Singapore’s first assisted living public housing development, co-living could be a possible solution. Joshua Goh, Founder & CEO, Red Crowns Senior Living shares how his company's model allows interaction and closeness with other like-minded people as well as for caregivers to be on hand, while still allowing for privacy.

With the Federal Reserve recently announced its biggest rate hike since 2000, and inflation at the highest rate in four decades, how will the Singapore currency and businesses be affected? This is all whilst the Ukraine Crisis is happening, which could have unpredictable effects on the economy. Jeff Ng, Senior Currency Analyst, MUFG shares his thoughts on this.

Synopsis: The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe every month. They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. In this episode, she chats with ST's India correspondent Debarshi Dasgupta.  In December 2021, passengers boarded the Shri Ramayana Express, a special train that covers pilgrimage destinations associated with Hindu god Lord Ram over 17 nights. They were on what was billed as the "world's first train" to get a vegetarian certification. Everything served to them during the journey was vegetarian, so the pilgrims had nothing to fret about when it came to food. Highlights (click/tap above): 01:20 World’s first vegetarian-certified food served on train in India; about the vegetarian food safety regulator Sattvik Council of India, a private initiative of entrepreneur Abhishek Biswas 04:21 Sattvik council - the meaning behind Sattvik and its diet 06:52 Demand for certified vegetarian food in India and also, around the world 14:26 Common misconception that majority of Indian population are vegetarians 16:11 When choice of being a vegetarian becomes a political issue Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar (bhagya@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa'izah Sani Edited by: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Websites:  https://www.moneyfm893.sg/ http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s stories: https://str.sg/whNo Read Debarshi Dasgupta's stories: https://str.sg/wtmh Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m SG Extra: https://str.sg/wukR #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsider

Extra charges when travelling overseas, namely when it comes to currency exchange, is a common frustration among us. However, multi-currency cards seem like a convenient and efficient option for travelers. Surendra Chaplot, Global Head of Product (Cards & Wise Platform), Wise discusses with us how his company saves these overseas travelers from unnecessarily spending money.

Understanding employees and making work-life more meaningful for them is pivotal in order for HR to be most effective. Juancho Jerusalem, Vice President & Head of APJ Expansion, Darwinbox shares how his company epitomizes these values as well as the future, of HR digitisation in Singapore.

In The Breakfast Brief, Fed has introduced rate hikes of 50 basis-points, in an aggressive attempt to combat inflation. This will push the federal funds rate to a range of 0.75%-1%, and current market pricing has the rate rising to2.75%-3% by year’s end. We are also seeing these hikes in India and Australia, and possibly England in the near future. In addition, Covid-related lockdowns in China are likely to worsen supply chain disruptions, in turn increasing inflation risks.

Howe Chung Wan, Head of Asia Fixed Income, Principal Global Investors breaks down the implications of the FOMC's biggest rate hike in 22 years, and how it will shake up markets and currencies in the year ahead.