Hong Kong’s MPF Authority has suspended eKYC registration on the eMPF platform after fraudsters used forged smart identity cards to impersonate scheme members, chairwoman Ayesha Macpherson Lau said. She said no personal data was leaked from the system. The suspension of Hong Kong MPF eKYC registration follows the discovery that about 80% of users had registered via the government’s iAM Smart digital identity app, with the remainder using eKYC. With enhanced authentication bei

Hong Kong has approved 14 company re-domiciliation applications under its new regime, signalling growing interest from global financial institutions, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said. The approvals include French insurer AXA, which has completed the transfer of its regional insurance unit from Bermuda to Hong Kong. AXA Hong Kong and Macau said AXA China Region Insurance Company (Bermuda) has re-domiciled to the city and been renamed AXA China

Raffles Family Office has appointed former BNP Paribas banker Pradinan Arkarachinores as managing director for relationship management, strengthening its advisory capabilities for ultra-high-net-worth clients. The Singapore-based multi-family office said Arkarachinores will lead a team overseeing portfolios for Asian UHNW families, with a focus on relationship management, strategic advisory and the delivery of tailored wealth solutions. She will report to Kendrick Lee, the gr

Wisdom Group multi-family office has appointed banking and external asset management veteran Arthur Fong as managing director and senior adviser, strengthening leadership for its UHNW client base. Wisdom Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based platform with about USD7bn in assets and a presence in Hong Kong and Singapore, describes itself as an independent asset management and multi-family office business serving ultra-high-net-worth families and their advisers. Fong said he joined

An IMAS survey of Singapore fund managers suggests the industry is entering 2026 expecting persistent volatility, while looking for selective opportunities in Asia as rate cuts and wider adoption of artificial intelligence reshape portfolio construction. The Investment Management Association of Singapore said about 69% of respondents expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut rates by more than 0.5 percentage point by year-end, while 60% worry political pressure could increasingl

HKMA inclusive banking guidance is being updated as Hong Kong’s banking industry moves to strengthen support for elderly customers and people with impairments, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks said. A refreshed “Guideline on Elderly-friendly Banking Services” sets practical standards aligned with government efforts to promote the “silver economy” and aims to improve financial literacy and digital adoption through enhanced financial educa

APAC CEOs wealth and asset management expansion is gaining momentum as chief executives increasingly look beyond their core businesses, PwC said, citing its 29th Global CEO Survey. PwC found that 37% of Asia-Pacific CEOs plan to expand outside their traditional industries over the next three years, targeting adjacent and fast-moving sectors such as asset and wealth management, technology, health services, transportation and logistics, retail and industrial manufacturing. Amon

SC Capital Japan hotel strategy has secured a major capital commitment as investors position for a tourism rebound. Singapore-based real estate investment manager SC Capital Partners said it has secured backing from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for its Japan hospitality strategy, supported by a consortium including an existing institutional investor. The initial commitment totals up to USD330m, with capacity to scale to USD719m, while CPP Investments will invest up to

Thailand tokenised funds and digital assets are set to take centre stage under the securities regulator’s 2026 capital market roadmap, as oversight is tightened to protect investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission said the plan will prioritise tokenised funds and bonds, crypto exchange-traded funds including spot products, and upgraded digital market infrastructure. Secretary-General Pornanong Budsaratragoon said the roadmap aims to cut costs for intermediaries and br

Family offices are being urged to scrutinise evergreen fund terms as managers expand access to private markets through perpetual-life vehicles, according to a senior executive at a London-based family office. Evergreen funds, which allow subscriptions at net asset value and periodic redemptions, have grown rapidly as family offices seek income and flexibility without long lock-ups. Assets in evergreen funds have more than doubled to USD500bn since 2022, according to PitchBook

A Hong Kong billionaire has sharply increased his gold allocation, highlighting a shift in family office portfolio construction amid rising geopolitical risks. Value investing veteran Cheah Cheng Hye has lifted gold exposure to about a quarter of assets at his USD1.4bn family office, up from roughly 15% a year ago, according to people familiar with the matter. Cheah said he mainly buys and holds physical gold and highly liquid vehicles, avoids derivatives and borrowing, and f

Hong Kong is accelerating a paperless trade finance push as regulators seek to modernise documentation and improve credit access for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has released a 20-measure roadmap under Project CargoX to expand paperless trade finance across the city. The plan focuses on using cargo and trade data to speed up automation, upgrading digital infrastructure to enable paperless documentation, and strengthening connecti

Asian UHNWIs cross-border mobility is accelerating, and family offices are emerging as the primary structuring response as ultra-wealthy families adapt to increasingly mobile wealth, according to a commentary by Ocorian. Wealth growth in Greater China has outpaced Southeast Asia, with the UBS Global Wealth Report 2025 showing China’s millionaire population rising by more than 380 people a day in 2024. Ocorian said younger Chinese entrepreneurs are driving outward mobility foc

Hong Kong is accelerating plans to build a Hong Kong gold central clearing system and aims to launch a pilot this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said. Chan said demand to diversify away from U.S. dollar assets has lifted gold’s role as a reserve and hedge. Spot trading on the Hong Kong Gold Exchange more than doubled year on year to HKD2.9bn (USD372m) a day by November 2025, but many deals still settle bilaterally over the counter, creating inefficiencies, he said. At th

Multi-family office Farro Capital has strengthened its sustainable investing capabilities with the appointment of a new impact and sustainable finance head, as family offices increase allocations to responsible strategies. Singapore-based Farro Capital said it has hired Priyaka Dhingra as head of impact and sustainable finance to mobilise capital from family offices into projects spanning climate change mitigation and adaptation, new technology deployment and social developme

Fiera Capital is expanding Japan private markets distribution with a senior hire as it builds its local presence and targets institutional and family office investors. The Canadian asset manager said it has appointed Chinatsu Aoyama as director and private markets specialist in Japan, based in Tokyo, to support distribution of strategies across real estate debt and equity, natural capital, infrastructure, private credit and private equity. She reports to CJ Morrell, managing

HSBC Private Bank is bolstering its Asia wealth planning capabilities through a series of senior hires aimed at deepening client coverage and advisory strength. HSBC Private Bank said it expanded its Global India coverage team in Singapore by appointing Phaneendar Bhavaraju and Rangan Krishnan as senior relationship managers reporting to Manoj Ramarao, senior desk head for Global India in Singapore and Hong Kong. Bhavaraju brings more than 28 years of experience across privat

The Family Office will convene Saudi royals and global investors at its annual Red Sea investing summit, highlighting the growing role of the region in global family office portfolios. The Gulf-based wealth manager said its Investing Is a Sea summit will be held from Jan 29 to 31 on Shura Island on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, under the framework of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme. Discussions at the Red Sea investing summit will cover global macro conditions, portfolio

MAS-linked GFTN plans a USD200m fund to support growth-stage fintechs navigating the gap between late-stage venture funding and IPO markets, deputy chairman Neil Parekh said. Global Finance & Technology Network, a nonprofit set up by Singapore’s central bank in 2024, will partner with Japan’s SBI Holdings and SBI Ven Capital to back fintechs with proven traction seeking to expand into new jurisdictions or extend product offerings. The MAS-linked GFTN fintech fund is targeting

KKR has raised USD2.5bn for an Asia-Pacific performing private credit strategy as investors, including family offices and institutions, seek yield outside public markets. The capital includes USD1.8bn for KKR Asia Credit Opportunities Fund II and USD700m from separately managed accounts targeting similar opportunities, the firm said. KKR described ACOF II as the region’s largest pan-regional performing private credit fund, following its first Asia-dedicated vehicle that close