Jonathan Chua

In his Budget speech this year, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam emphasised that Singaporeans must "retain a deep sense of responsibility for their families and seek every opportunity to improve themselves and do better". This year is an auspicious year and said to be a good time to plan for life's biggest moments. Before making that commitment, take a step back and review your current financial health to see if you are in good stead to proceed. Adjust your plans according to your priorities and needs as you journey through the various life stages and seek professional financial advice to review and map out a plan to achieve your financial goals. I'm starting work! Sally is 22 years and will be graduating soon. Her parents will stop giving her monthly allowances and will expect her to help pay the household expenses. While she has some savings, it is not enough to last her for long. She is currently job-hunting so that she can start wo...

As Singaporeans, we are all about family. Compared with other Asia-Pacific countries, Singaporeans are more motivated to keep themselves healthy for family-related reasons, according to the results of AIA's healthy living index survey last year. Singaporeans attach a high importance to reasons such as "not relying on others" and a desire to "take care of my family longer" for leading healthy lives. Up to 62 per cent of respondents also indicated that good family relationships are an important driver of their health. While many Singaporeans rightly want to keep healthy for their families, some tend to overlook the importance of ensuring that they have adequate protection for themselves and their family members in the event of a serious illness, injury or disability. Many remain concerned about costs, with 84 per cent of Singaporeans saying they would go for more frequent health checks if they were made more affordable. Given the rising costs of...