Kiasunomics

As Housing Development Board (HDB) flats get on in their years, their cash value potentially drops more quickly. Does this create a negative downward spiral, and why?

In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to fellow colleague Professor Sing Tien Foo from NUS’ Department of Real Estate about this issue to better understand the mechanics behind the economics of this phenomenon.

Do discounts and good bargains really save us money, or do they instead trigger unnecessary purchases? By looking at the spending of people in Singapore, Professor Sumit Agarwal assesses if the favourable exchange rate drives Singaporeans up the causeway to shop there, particularly those who live closer to Johor Bahru.

How do Singaporeans respond to “free money” aka tax rebates, in the main? Using bank account transaction data from a leading local bank during the time of a special government budget surplus payout, Professor Sumit identifies differences in the way different income groups respond, and questions if payouts should be available to everyone in order to effectively boost economic growth.

It is a known, evidence-based fact that the lifestyle choices of our peers have a strong bearing on our own. Does this hold true when it comes to bankruptcy? In this episode, Professor Sumit looks at the spending behaviours of people living in close proximity to individuals who have been declared bankrupts. Interestingly, he observed a reduction in the consumption of the neighbours of a bankrupt by 3%!

The world is seeing a widening income gap, where the rich enjoy more comfortable lives and flexibility. Income tax policies are designed to narrow this gap, but do these measures harm higher income earners more than they help lower income earners? 

Regardless of where, inflation has corrosive implications on people’s lives.

In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to NTU’s Assistant Professor Chua Yeow Hwee about the “upgrading channel”, which tests if an individual’s inflation expectations are linked to the way they spend, i.e. the quality of products they buy.

Asst. Professor Yeow Hwee shares his findings from an interesting experiment based on the prices of Wall’s and Haagan Daz ice cream brands. He uses data from Nielsen’s Home Scan panel to corroborate the evidence that he found in his own survey data to tease out the quality versus price effect that could be on inflation itself.

Clearly the pandemic has exacerbated  inequality throughout the world.

In Asia, three new billionaires are created every week now, and over 97% of the world’s wealth is concentrated among the top 5% of the population. Much research has gone into the analysis of this issue, to devise plausible solutions moving forward.

In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal chats to Professor Fan Yi about her research on inter-generational housing wealth mobility, and whether factors like policy and housing types (i.e. public or private) have a bearing on how the next generation fares, property wise.

In this episode, Professor Sumit and Finance Professor Ruan Tianyue analyse the Silver Support Scheme – one of Singapore’s policy measures, instituted in 2015, to provide better support to retired individuals in an increasingly aged society. 

How have the elderly of Singapore used these payouts since, and would this be an effective means to manage the tension between longer life expectancy and rising healthcare costs?

In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal delves into the topic of aging in Singapore, and the use of its Central Provident Fund. From research done by finance Professor Allaudeen Hameed on the way funds are used by Singaporeans who reach 55 years of age and are eligible to withdraw a proportion of their retirement savings, Sumit shares interesting insights on how the money is spent, or not spent.

In Singapore, the raising of the Minimum Occupancy Period of Housing Development Board (HDB) flats from three to five years presented a game-changer for home owners. In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to finance professor Qian Wenlan about the effects this policy shock has had on the wealth management and consumption of Singaporeans.