Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates and chairman of the Dalio Family Office, highlighted the importance of family office AI adoption, urging investors and advisers to embrace artificial intelligence to remain competitive as it reshapes investment decision-making. Speaking at the WMI Global-Asia Family Office Summit, Dalio said AI could support research, the definition of decision criteria, back-testing, portfolio construction and execution. Investors should challenge

Family offices in Malaysia are emerging as a potential growth area as wealthy individuals and business owners seek more sophisticated structures to manage and deploy capital, contributing to Southeast Asia’s expanding private markets, according to industry executives. These offices are increasingly looking beyond traditional assets towards private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and direct investments, mirroring developments in Singapore and Hong Kong. Supportive gove

New MAS AI risk guidelines set supervisory expectations for Singapore’s financial institutions, with implementation beginning in October 2027. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the guidelines cover all financial institutions and AI technologies through a principles-based, risk-proportionate approach. They address four areas: board and senior management oversight, management of AI risks throughout the technology life cycle, risks associated with third-party AI ser

South Korean retail investors have lost an estimated KRW2.3tr (USD1.7bn) through leveraged ETFs and other single-stock exchange-traded products linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Financial Supervisory Service data showed. The cumulative losses were recorded across 10 major brokerages, including Mirae Asset Securities, Kiwoom Securities, Samsung Securities and NH Investment & Securities, between 27 May and 14 August, according to data released by opposition lawmaker C

Singapore family office tax exemptions could be expanded to include digital payment tokens and insurance policies as authorities consider giving single family offices greater flexibility in managing investment portfolios. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the Monetary Authority of Singapore will update the designated investment list covered by the family-office tax exemption framework, although no implementation timetable or detailed changes have yet been announced. Spe

Asia-Pacific family office returns are outperforming global peers, with more than a quarter reporting portfolio gains above 15% through mid-2026, according to Citi Wealth’s annual survey. The research covered 351 family offices across 41 countries and found around 22% of Asia-Pacific respondents targeted annual returns above 15%, nearly twice the global proportion. Direct investing is particularly prominent in the region, with 79% of respondents participating in direct invest

The Chubb Wealth investment outlook is encouraging investors to reduce reliance on cash and diversify towards bonds, artificial intelligence-related assets and alternatives as uneven global economic conditions create differing opportunities across markets. In its fourth-quarter 2026 outlook, the Hong Kong-based wealth manager said elevated starting yields make fixed income attractive for income generation. It favours high-yield debt, Asian bonds and US dollar-denominated emer

South Korea bank data breaches have prompted President Lee Jae Myung to order a comprehensive investigation following hacking attacks that exposed customer information at major financial institutions. Shinhan Bank said personal information belonging to around 25,000 customers was leaked, including names, telephone numbers and annual income. Hana Bank reported a separate breach affecting 89 customers, while Woori Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank experienced hacking attempts but preve

Asian family office succession planning is failing to keep pace with anticipated intergenerational wealth transfers, according to research from the Wealth Management Institute. Its study of 146 family offices found that 71% plan to transfer wealth to future generations, but only 49% believe their successors are prepared to engage effectively with the family office. Cross-generational involvement appears to make a substantial difference. Family offices where different generati

A proposed Hong Kong corporate tax incentive would give qualifying companies preferential rates of 5% or 8.25% for up to five years as the government seeks to attract high-value businesses. Financial Secretary Christopher Hui said the regime would target advanced manufacturing, innovation and technology, headquarters operations, logistics and supply-chain management, and finance. The preferential rates would represent a substantial reduction from Hong Kong’s standard 16.5% co

Singapore investment banking fees increased 9% to USD693.8m during the first nine months of 2026, reaching their highest level for the period since 2021 as stronger mergers and acquisitions activity boosted advisory revenues. Singapore generated 69.3% of Southeast Asia’s investment banking fee pool, according to LSEG Deals Intelligence. M&A advisory fees increased 23.7% to USD256m, while equity capital markets underwriting revenue rose 11.5% to USD159.8m. Syndicated lending f

APAC banks digital services are becoming increasingly important to customer retention as consumers demand more personalised financial advice and AI-enabled banking capabilities, according to research by Temenos and Celent. The study found 72% of Asia-Pacific consumers were only moderately satisfied or less satisfied with their primary financial institution. Better online and mobile banking would persuade 43% of APAC consumers to switch institutions, while 58% want more financ

Singapore next-generation wealth hub credentials have been strengthened after the city-state ranked first in Asia-Pacific and sixth globally in Savills’ Next Generation Wealth Hubs Index. The index assesses more than 100 wealth centres across business, governance and connectivity, wealth management and taxation, wealth clusters and lifestyle. Singapore led six Asia-Pacific cities that placed among the global top 30. Savills said investment patterns among wealthy people under

Hong Kong fundraising reached a record USD47.5bn during the third quarter as the artificial intelligence boom encouraged Chinese companies to raise larger amounts and return more frequently to equity markets, Bloomberg data showed. Share sales pushed Hong Kong’s 2026 total above USD92bn, bringing the market within reach of the USD112.5bn annual record established in 2021. Alibaba’s USD10.2bn follow-on offering was the quarter’s largest transaction, while optical-networking eq

Singapore private bank account opening times are shortening, with nearly half of new accounts opened between June and August completed within one month, according to the Association of Banks in Singapore. The improvement comes as the Private Banking Industry Group targets a median account-opening time of one month by the end of 2026. The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the industry group established a working group in 2025 to tackle onboarding delays, which can extend fro

Malaysia SME borrowing is increasingly shifting towards short-term loans as smaller companies face shrinking cash buffers, higher operating expenses and greater working-capital requirements, according to Bank Negara Malaysia data. Short-term facilities accounted for a growing proportion of new SME borrowing as companies sought financing to bridge cash-flow gaps rather than fund longer-term expansion. The trend provides an important indicator of financial pressures within Mala

SEI Singapore asset management operations have launched as the US asset management technology company seeks to expand its services and investment products across Asia-Pacific. The new Singapore office will initially provide asset servicing, professional services and distribution of SEI’s UCITS funds. The company expects to add locally relevant products and broaden its enterprise asset management, technology, operations and professional services as regional demand develops. SE

Singapore seniors digital payments are increasing rapidly as older customers become more comfortable using mobile banking for online shopping and overseas travel, according to OCBC. Digital payment transactions made through OCBC’s mobile app by customers aged 60 and above increased nearly 60% in the year to June 30, 2026. The number of senior customers using the app for digital payments rose almost 30%. PayNow transactions by seniors on e-commerce and livestream shopping plat

Hong Kong and Malaysia dual listings will become simpler under a new regulatory framework designed to reduce duplication and compliance costs for companies seeking simultaneous access to both equity markets. The Securities and Futures Commission, Securities Commission Malaysia and Hong Kong’s stock exchange have introduced streamlined procedures covering companies pursuing a primary listing on either Hong Kong’s Main Board or Bursa Malaysia’s MAIN Market alongside a simultane

Samsung AI agents could fundamentally change workplace practices and corporate culture as artificial intelligence moves from conversational tools towards systems capable of independently performing tasks and making decisions, according to Samsung Electronics co-CEO Jun Young-hyun. Speaking as Samsung hosted its annual AI Forum in Seoul, Jun said the impact of AI agents would extend beyond technological innovation to reshape how companies operate and employees work. The event