Your Money with Michelle Martin

Money and Me: The MOP Wave - Property Opportunity or Warning Sign?

Cheap mortgages, a flood of resale flats, and a widening condo price gap - is 2026 the year to buy, sell, or refinance your property? Michelle Martin explores Singapore’s unusual property moment and what it might mean for you. Daniel Sim, Founder, Golden Goose Properties and Michelle unpack whether owners should sell ahead of rising competition, refinance their loans while rates are low, or upgrade to private property. Could ripple effects could extend into executive condominiums and resale condos as more homeowners consider upgrading? With new launch prices climbing and the gap with resale condos approaching 50%, buyers and sellers face a complex set of decisions. We also explore what Singaporeans who bought overseas property should do if those investments are underperforming in today's market. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Market View: How oil shockwaves are spreading, potentially pressuring REITs, and who is taking a big move forward in Big Tech’s AI Spending Race?

Oil above $100, war in the Middle East, and AI spending from Big Tech are colliding to reshape the global market outlook. On this episode of Market View, hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang, we unpack how the Iran conflict and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz are pushing oil prices sharply higher and unsettling investors worldwide. Brent crude’s surge toward US$103 is raising fresh inflation fears just as the U.S. Federal Reserve prepares for a key rate decision. Closer to home, the ripple effects could hit Singapore’s REIT sector, which faces pressure from rising financing costs and property valuation risks. Meanwhile, corporate headlines span Meta’s AI-driven layoffs, Berkshire Hathaway’s buyback signals, and Singtel’s ambitious US$250 million AI investment fund. We also check in on the STI movers, with Wilmar International surging while ST Engineering and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding face selling pressure. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Money and Me: Is Headline DPU Hiding the Truth About Your REIT?

Are investors focusing too much on headline DPU when evaluating Singapore REITs? Michelle Martin examines why the familiar distribution-per-unit number may not tell the full story. In this episode of Money and Me, we explore whether investors should shift their focus from the quantity of distributions to the quality and sustainability behind them. REIT specialist and Wealth Advisory Director Kenny Loh introduces a new framework - the Management Efficiency Index (MEI) - meant to help investors evaluate how effectively REIT managers generate and protect long-term income. The conversation also unpacks the risks behind 100% payout strategies, accounting optic moves, and the impact of management fees paid in units. With AGM season approaching, Kenny shares the key questions retail investors should ask management teams to better understand the resilience of distributions. Any investor heading to a REIT AGM would benefit from knowing the right questions to ask to dive beyond the numbers to get at management "sweat equity". See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Market View: Oil at $100, China’s AI Lobster Craze & Adobe’s AI Reckoning

Are you “raising a lobster”? A new open-source AI agent called OpenClaw - created by an Austrian developer - is sparking a frenzied wave of experimentation across China. The AI agent can draft reports, organise your inbox and even book you a flight. Its rapid adoption has spawned a cottage industry of small businesses helping Chinese households set up the software (you need a cloud server to run OpenClaw). Michelle Martin steers the show with markets on edge as oil surges past US$100, with tensions around the Strait of Hormuz threatening global supply and rattling investors. Meanwhile in the US, Adobe faces a leadership transition as markets question whether generative AI could disrupt its long-dominant creative software business. In our UP or DOWN segment, we take a closer look at CrowdStrike and PayPay. And in today’s Last Word, Michelle spotlight's the global rise of K-pop storytelling. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Money and Me: What you need to know about CPF’s 2028 new investment scheme today!

There will soon be a new way to grow your CPF savings, what do you need to know? In this episode of Ask CPF! Michelle Martin puts your questions to Wu Meei, Director of Investment Schemes at CPF Board. Will you still have access to CPFIS? What sort of products might you be able to invest in? How does portfolio rebalancing happen? Has this scheme been successful elsewhere? What sort of returns are possible? We also explore how the “glide-path” strategy works to grow your wealth, the fees and the key risks involved with using the scheme. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.