Korea social finance model discussions are gaining momentum as policymakers and industry groups explore how cooperative finance can revive struggling local economies. The National Credit Union Federation of Korea said about 300 officials, industry participants and overseas representatives attended an event on social and solidarity finance. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said such initiatives need stronger financial and institutional backing to function effectively. Speakers po

Ba Shusong Hong Kong developments have drawn attention after the former Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing managing director and chief China economist disappeared from public view, according to sources familiar with the matter. Mainland media speculated he had been detained for investigation, though no official confirmation was available. HKEX said Ba was no longer employed by the exchange operator and had left his part-time adviser role in late 2025. Ba, who frequently spoke o

Philippines private capital funding growth accelerated in 2025 as total capital raised rose 34% year on year to USD1.5bn, according to a Foxmont Capital Partners report. Debt financing jumped 144% to USD490m, while equity funding rose 10% to USD1.01bn. Although total deal volume fell, average deal size increased 64% to just over USD20m, indicating a shift towards larger transactions. Fintech remained the most active sector by deal count, while healthtech posted the biggest ri

Asia family office demand is accelerating as growing private wealth and rising intergenerational transfers push affluent families towards more structured approaches to succession and governance, Raffles Family Office said. Chief executive Kendrick Lee said the firm recognised the shift early and built a presence across Singapore and Hong Kong to capture cross-border investment opportunities and diversify regulatory exposure. He said family offices increasingly complement priv

Asia real estate private credit fund commitments have reached USD165m for Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management and Aravest Private Funds, marking the first in a planned pipeline of private credit products under SMBC Group’s private markets platform. The strategy launched in 2025 with USD120m and expanded after additional commitments, Sumitomo Mitsui DS said. The fund can invest across the property asset life cycle, including construction, bridge and stabilised stages. The laun

Hong Kong eMPF complaints reached about 11,500 as of end-February, with 76% handled by the eMPF Platform Company in an average of 18 working days, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said. He said some employers and Mandatory Provident Fund members encountered difficulties when schemes first migrated to the platform, including delays in payment tagging and in identifying voluntary contributions, which meant records were not updated promptly. Hui said

Vietnam international financial centre plans are prompting domestic lenders to expand into the country’s new hub as they seek to attract foreign capital and build cross-border financial services. Nam A Bank has won shareholder approval to establish a wholly owned subsidiary under the centre’s framework, while Vietcombank and VietinBank are also moving to set up entities there. The centre, launched in Ho Chi Minh City on Feb. 11, is expected to focus on sustainable finance, gr

Hong Kong family offices growth 25% underscores the city’s attraction for wealthy families, with Chief Executive John Lee saying more than 3,380 single-family offices are now based in the city, up 25% from two years ago. Speaking ahead of the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit on March 24, Lee said more than half of these family offices had second-generation or later family members in leadership roles, showing long-term confidence in the city. The summit drew about 130 famil

Singapore family office talent risks are increasing as opaque pay structures and weak benchmarking make it harder to retain professionals in areas such as technology, AI and cybersecurity, according to a report by 101 finance. The report said Singapore’s family-controlled corporate landscape and lack of specific shareholder inspection rights helped sustain opaque pay practices, while firms were more vulnerable to poaching as employees compared compensation with more transpare

Berkshire Tokio Marine stake plans will see Berkshire Hathaway buy a 2.49% holding in Japanese insurer Tokio Marine Holdings for about USD1.8bn as part of a strategic partnership in reinsurance and global investments. Tokio Marine will sell about 48.2 million treasury shares to National Indemnity, one of Berkshire’s reinsurance units, while Berkshire may lift its stake to 9.9% through market purchases without board approval. Tokio Marine said it would use up to JPY287.4bn of

Asia Pacific private equity exits rebound in 2025 as exit value rose 24% to USD150bn and net distributions turned positive, according to Bain & Company. Bain said IPO and open-market exits jumped more than 70% from 2024, while trade exits rose 60%, helping ease pressure on distributions despite ageing portfolios from 2020 to 2022. Exit values increased across most regional markets, though Southeast Asia fell to USD4bn from USD6bn. Fundraising dropped 37% to USD58bn, marking a

Dubai safe haven family offices are facing a meaningful stress test as prolonged conflict in the Gulf prompts some Asian family offices to reassess the emirate’s role as a neutral base for assets. Advisers said enquiries about shifting portfolios or setting up secondary offices in Singapore and Hong Kong had risen sharply as US-Israeli strikes on Iran stretched into a third week. Families were said to be prioritising contingency planning, liquidity and downside protection, wh

Bank of Korea governor Shin nomination marks a significant leadership change as policymakers confront inflation risks from the Iran conflict and uneven domestic growth. President Lee Jae Myung nominated South Korean economist Shin Hyun-song, currently head of the economic department at the Bank for International Settlements, to succeed Governor Rhee Chang-yong when his term ends on April 20. Shin is expected to face a parliamentary hearing but the nomination cannot be blocked

Taiwan investors active ETFs demand remains firm as a majority of respondents in a joint survey by Line Bank Taiwan and JPMorgan Asset Management’s Taiwan unit said they were optimistic on local equities despite volatility. About 58% said they were positive on Taiwanese stocks and planned to increase holdings, while 55% said they had added actively managed ETFs to their portfolios. Among investors with more than five years’ experience in local shares, nearly 69.7% planned to

China outbound investment quotas QDII expansion is planned as regulators prepare to raise quotas under the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor programme, allowing approved mainland institutions to channel more money into overseas assets. Zhu Hexin, head of China’s top currency regulator, said the move would better meet domestic institutions’ cross-border investment needs and support progress toward capital-account opening. He added that more than 90% of China’s capital-

Family office geographic shift Europe Asia accelerated in 2025 as new wealth creation became more diversified, according to a FINTRX report. The report said real estate accounted for a smaller share of new family office wealth, while financial services gained modestly and investment activity broadened across sectors including technology, healthcare and specialised property. FINTRX tracked more than 1,500 direct investments in private companies and over 150 real estate deals a

Hong Kong wealth legacy academy board appointments have expanded as the institution added four new members from real estate, education, investment and hospitality. The academy named Sino Group chairman Daryl Ng Win Kong and YK Pao School co-founder Philip Sohmen as vice chairmen, while Chartwell Capital founder Ronald Chan Wai-yan and Dorsett Hospitality International chair Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan joined as board members. Chairman Adrian Cheng said the appointments would deepen

Singapore MAS policy tightening inflation expectations are rising as economists increasingly expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to raise its 2026 inflation forecasts and tighten policy in April. Core inflation accelerated to a 14-month high of 1.4% in February, while headline inflation eased to 1.2%, but MAS and the trade ministry warned imported cost pressures could rise as energy prices increase. Several banks, including Maybank, Bank of America and Standard Charter

IBK family office service Korea has been launched by IBK Investment & Securities to target high-net-worth clients, with a focus on business succession for small and mid-sized enterprises. The IBK family office service Korea targets individuals with at least KRW5bn (USD3.6m) in financial assets and offers consulting on succession planning, inheritance and gifts, legal and tax matters, and real estate, alongside investment products linked to IBK Industrial Bank’s network. Chief

Middle East banks Hong Kong expansion is accelerating as geopolitical tensions push institutions and investors to diversify into Asia. InvestHK said more regional banks are considering setting up in Hong Kong, attracted by its low-tax regime and gateway role to China. Only four of the city’s 150 licensed banks are currently Middle East-based, but enquiries are increasing. The Middle East banks Hong Kong expansion trend is also supported by government efforts to attract family