Jeremy Chan

Uncertainty about the ongoing Middle East conflict and a desire for stability and investment opportunities are leading more Asian high net worth individuals to look towards Thailand as a haven to park their assets for the long term, wealth management leaders told Asian Private Banker. While hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore continue to attract HNW investors, the need…

A confluence of factors is redirecting wealth towards Hong Kong, which will further stoke competition between independent wealth managers and private banks for a larger share of capital and talent, Kenny Ho, founder and managing partner, Carret Private, told Asian Private Banker. The strong Hong Kong IPO market has minted many wealthy Chinese individuals. Meanwhile, Taiwan's AI and chip-led boom…

Not enough Asian ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals put adequate care or thought into the post-retirement process, Tony Chan, partner, Lioner International Group, told Asian Private Banker. While they excel at running their businesses and creating wealth, some of them are “still at an early stage” in wealth planning, he said. Tony Chan, Lioner International Group “They are unsure…

Private banks that put mass affluent clients in front of an artificial intelligence bot rather than a real person will see them walk away and flock to those that prioritise the human touch, independent wealth managers told Asian Private Banker. “As big institutions push the mass affluent toward automated channels, clients who value human judgment [will] migrate to independent platforms,”…

Wealthy families and professionals are returning to Hong Kong, driven by competitive local tax incentives and rising geopolitical volatility abroad, according to BMP Wealth CEO Howard Clark-Burton Speaking to Asian Private Banker, Clark-Burton highlighted the city's recently gazetted tax bill as a decisive factor for asset managers escaping high-tax regimes in London and Singapore. Howard Clark-Burton, BMP Wealth “Without a…

Private bankers transitioning to Asia's independent wealth sector are demanding record salary hikes, but external asset manager (EAM) leaders warn that many struggle to shed legacy “product-pushing” habits. This, Kelvin Leong, CEO, Merliance Capital, told Asian Private Banker, applies especially to senior private bankers with established books and skills, such as Mandarin proficiency and cross-border structuring experience. “We've seen base…

Asian boutique external asset managers trying to break the elusive “US$1 billion in AUM” status are competing in an overly crowded environment that makes it difficult to scale because of increasingly cautious investors and a mixed bag of EAMs – some good, and some not so, Wayne Mo, CEO of AL Capital, told Asian Private Banker. Wayne Mo, AL Capital…

Frictions will remain a constant in the relationship between private banks and external asset managers, said Kelvin Tan, market head, Singapore market and external asset management, UOB Private Bank. This, however, he tells Asian Private Banker, is fine so long as the partnership continues benefiting both parties. Kelvin Tan, UOB Private Bank “You continue to see some partners work very…

A revised framework announced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to tighten regulations on new and existing single-family offices (SFOs) could cause SFOs to come banging on the doors of multi-family office (MFO) firms for help, Tim Walter, CEO of JAR Capital, told Asian Private Banker. Tim Walter, JAR Capital “It is positive from a Singapore, or broader jurisdictional,…

Multi-family office firms in Singapore are turning to more creative ways of working with relationship managers (RMs) who want to leave but cannot due to increasingly bureaucratic processes found at private banks, Simon Hopkins, chairman of East West Private Wealth, tells Asian Private Banker. Simon Hopkins, East West Private Wealth “The sad reality is that, unsurprisingly, private banks are making…