Friday, May 23, 2014

Asia Investor Sentiment Buoyed by Equities and Mutual Funds

Asia Investor Sentiment Buoyed by Equities and Mutual Funds -- Manulife Survey


  • Rising optimism seen in Malaysia, Indonesia and China
  • Hong Kong and Taiwan sentiment also improves, but still in negative territory
  • Drivers include China stimulus, Indonesia election fever, pre-tax consumption in Malaysia
  • Family, friends and colleagues the main influence on investor decisions
Investor sentiment across Asia rose in the first quarter of 2014, buoyed by equities and mutual funds, along with a rise in optimism among investors in Malaysia, Indonesia and China, according to new research from Manulife.
The Manulife Investor Sentiment Index* for the region rose from the fourth quarter of 2013 (+2 to 24), driven mostly by sharply higher sentiment towards equities (+7 to 16) and mutual funds (+13 to 21). The improved sentiment in these sectors offset modest declines in attitudes towards property.
The higher sentiment was driven upward mostly by China, Indonesia and a surge in investment optimism in Malaysia. In Malaysia, investor sentiment rose on stronger economic growth and the belief that market conditions are improving. Investors there share the top spot with the Philippines as the region's most positive.
Investors in Hong Kong and Taiwan remained negative -- but there was an improvement on the previous quarter, with Hong Kong at -11 (+2) and Taiwan at -6 (+5). In only three markets did sentiment fall: Japan, the Philippines and Singapore, albeit in each case remaining positive.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Is money the main motivator for Singapore's talent?

What is the main motivator for Singapore's top talent?

According to a survey by Morgan McKinley, a global professional services recruiter connecting specialist talent with leading employers across multiple industries and disciplines, MONEY IS NOT THE MAIN MOTIVATOR FOR SINGAPORE’S TOP TALENT.

So what must Singapore businesses do to retain top talent?

It said that Singapore businesses need to consider more than boosting basic salary levels if they want to keep their top talent.

So what are Singapore job seekers motivated by?


Morgan McKinley’s latest Singapore job seeker survey shows that professional job seekers are motivated more by opportunities for career progression than by money – nearly two thirds cited lack of career progression as their main reason for leaving a job

What proportion of job seeker leave solely based on dissatisfaction with basic salary?

Only 12% surveyed were motivated to leave solely based on dissatisfaction with their basic salary.

How much salary hike does it take for an employee to job hop or jump ship?

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Break the 12 worst money habits

A recent Business Insider article talks about the below 12 worst money habits:

1) Buying lunch... and coffee and snacks everyday
2) Neglecting to get the best rate
3) Not prioritising high-interest debt
4) Neglecting to take advantage of a 401(k) match (while US-relevant, it can be applied to things like the CDA account match in Singapore)
5) Carrying a credit card balance
6) Paying a premium for your vacation
7) Saving your savings goals for last
8) Overpaying on entertainment
9) Setting and forgetting about your savings
10) Dining out to the detriment of your budget
11) Paying the price for last-minute holiday purchases
12) Forgetting about gift cards

For how much you can save and how to break them,