Rising sea levels and property are highly pertinent topics for Singaporeans. But how are the two linked?

In this episode, Professor Ang Swee Hoon examines the impact of impending sea level rises on both public and private housing in Singapore, following announcements made by the then-Prime Minister in a National Day speech in 2019. Research revealed a reduction in the monetary value of sea-facing properties by S$20,000 in response to the announcements, but interestingly, it was only for public housing.

Picking off a U.S. study on a credit card promotional campaign where the bank offered 1% cashback, Professor Ang Swee Hoon looks at how it increased user spending by 32% and even incurred greater debt by not making prompt repayments. She also touches on the impact of the campaign on “revolver users” and inactive, no-debt cardholders.  

Left to their own, consumers may not make the most sustainable choices. This is where regulations and policies may have to come in to manage usage. In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal looks at the reactiveness of water usage in response to pricing changes in Singapore, triggered by government policies implemented to encourage conservation, by examining 10 years’ worth of water consumption data. Also, he examines if these pricing policies and rebates work differently for people in different income segments.

As part of its Smart Nation vision, Singapore introduced the QR code in April 2017 as a mode of payment to merchants and vendors. Three months later, this was followed by PayNow.

In this episode, Marketing Professor and co-author of the Kiasunomics book series, Ang Swee Hoon, examines the impact of these new payment features on consumption and business creation, rate of ATM closures, and even credit card spending!

The detrimental short-term effects of haze on physical health and productivity are undisputed. But what about its long-term impact on academic performance even wages? Looking at local university admissions score data gathered during the Singapore haze crises of children that were born both during and after these episodes, Professor Sumit makes interesting observations that seem to suggest a definite impact on the cognitions of children whose mothers were exposed to haze particles.

The real estate market has long been a prime destination for individuals seeking to launder illicit wealth. It is one of the oldest-known ways.

In this episode, citing the infamous Panama Papers that took the world by storm in 2020, Professor Ang Swee Hoon dives into the mechanics behind money laundering and offshore secrecy. Based on transactions that took place in Singapore, she shares interesting findings about the types and locations of property that were purchased. More interestingly, she reveals insights about the profiles of those involved in these transactions.

In September 2020, a global investigation involving major dark data leakage revealed suspicious financial movements amounting to $2 trillion dollars across financial institutions and real estate industry. These leaked transactions have since become widely known as the Panama Papers.

In this podcast session, real estate Professor Sing Tien Foo interviews Professor Sumit Agarwal for a change, to zero in on Sumit’s research on financial transactions that took place in Singapore. Together, the inquisitive duo teases out surprising insights into the premiums paid for properties in these illicit transactions as compared to non-Panama linked transactions. 

Distinction, merit and pass. Now just three ways to pass a course for postgraduate students at NUS Business School.

In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal engages the Dean of NUS Business School, Distinguished Professor Andrew Rose in this exclusive dialogue, to understand the rationale behind his bold changes to the School’s postgraduate grading system, to adopt a coarser scale, reducing the importance ascribed to academic grades in favour of co-curricular achievements.

The common yet unromantic Singaporean marriage proposal: Do you want to BTO with me? 

In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal, with Professor Fan Yi continue to delve into the public housing policy schemes in Singapore, specifically for young couples planning for marriage, and for singles above 35 years. 

Looking at both micro and longitudinal data sets, she examines the impact of policy shocks on young couples, and whether it has a positive or negative impact on the quality of marriages.

In the spirit of fostering harmony and better social integration, Singapore’s Housing Development Board has intentionally implemented an ethnic household mix across all blocks and estates.

In this episode, Professor Sumit chats once again to Professor Sing Tien Foo about how this policy has inadvertently influenced public housing prices, and the reasons why. Analysing home sale transaction data, they also identify the ethnic buy-seller pairings that command a premium, and the pairings that command a discount!