The Financial Coconut Podcast

Why is it that in one of the wealthiest nations on earth, we still feel like we’re never quite 'safe'?

Sit down with a true legend in the Singapore literary and academic scene. Eight years ago, she changed the national conversation with her bestseller This Is What Inequality Looks Like. Now, she’s back with a new project that might be even more uncomfortable…because this time, it’s about you.

Introducing our guest: Teo You Yenn

A sociologist, Associate Professor at NTU, and Director of the Centre for the Study of Social Inequality. You Yenn has a unique gift for taking heavy academic research and turning it into stories that resonate with every Singaporean, from the low-income to the high-flying professional.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why her old book shot back to the top of the charts the moment her new one was announced.
• Beyond Poverty: Why her latest research shifted from studying "them" (the low-income) to studying "us" (the middle and upper class).
• The Concept of "Unease": We’ve all felt that nagging anxiety about our finances and our future, even when the numbers say we’re "fine." You Yenn explains the systemic reason why this feeling is collective, not just personal.
• Why she chooses to "chase the thing down" and bring academic research out of the ivory tower and into the public square.
• The Shared Struggle: How inequality isn't just a problem for a small group, it’s a system we are all entangled in, and it’s affecting our mental health more than we realise.

"I thought I was an outsider looking in... until I read this. Then I realised, I’m right in the middle of it."

Tune in to find out why you feel the way you do about your life in Singapore.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

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⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The traditional marketing funnel, awareness, consideration, conversion, is dead. Real buyers don't move in straight lines. Some jump straight to purchase. Others sit on the bench for six months. And some only buy because their friend did.

Recorded live at the UOB FinLab SME programme, we dig into what actually moves people from curious to converted.

From community-led growth to founder content, nano influencers to post-purchase loyalty, this episode covers the full picture.

Meet the Guests

• Laura Kantor Hero Marketing, Southeast Asia, Canva - Building community without a single paid ambassador, and why Canva's growth engine isn't ads, it's people.
• Vanessa Tan CMO, STRYV - From launching POCO phone at Xiaomi Indonesia to competing with Dyson and Philips, lessons in brand-building for challenger brands.
• Don Siah Founder, Diamond Ateliers - From random Instagram videos to a flagship store on Orchard Road, how radical trust-building converts high-ticket buyers

Key Takeaways:

• The 3 things buyers always look for before they pull the trigger (it's not more information)
• The trust formula for big-ticket purchases
• Why nano influencers (under 5,000 followers) can outperform celebrity endorsements
• The difference between content that attracts and content that converts, and why you need both
• Founder-led content: why putting your face on the brand is your biggest unfair advantage
• How to extend customer lifetime value even for products people only buy once

Whether you're running a small business, scaling a startup, or trying to compete against the giants, this episode is packed with real, battle-tested strategies you can steal today.

If you're still marketing like it's 2015, this episode will change everything.

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

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🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's 26, single, and just bought a near $1 million condo on a freelance income. The internet refused to believe it.

Meet Chris Chross, Producer & Sound Recordist, Continuum Creatives - the Singaporean millennial whose TikTok went viral when she filmed her parents' reaction to her solo condo purchase. But the headline misses the actual story. Behind the viral moment is a brutal practical playbook: why she went condo over HDB (singles can't BTO), how she saved and earned $20K in 10 weeks for the down payment, the mortgage haircut every non-9-to-5 worker needs to know about, and why she still doesn't feel rich.

Reggie sits her down to unpack the strategy, the sacrifices, and the parts the algorithm doesn't show - from bank loan SOPs to family dynamics to what she'd actually do differently.

If you're a single millennial wondering what your real options are, this is required watching.

Follow Chris for more of her journey: https://www.instagram.com/chrissiechrossie/

https://youtube.com/@chrissiechrossie?si=JVzv8TVJhhneL35F

#TFC #ChillsWithTFC #Singapore #PropertyJourney #MillennialMoney

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• YouTube

🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Telegram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you leave Singapore at 21, move to Vietnam, and start life from scratch?

Sit down with Sheereen Amran, Founder, Baked and Friends, a Singaporean entrepreneur who built one of Hanoi’s most loved bakeries after taking a leap into the unknown.

Her journey wasn’t simple.

She faced job rejections, cultural shocks, and even launched her bakery during the COVID lockdowns. But a simple cookie experiment at home eventually became the bakery’s signature product and helped build a loyal following.

This episode explores what it really takes to build a business overseas, and how stepping outside Singapore can completely reshape your perspective on life, work, and success.

👍 If you enjoy stories of entrepreneurship, travel, and building a life outside your comfort zone, subscribe for more conversations like this.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• YouTube

🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Singaporeans don't realise our neighbour up north has been quietly building a franchise empire for over three decades, and 2026 might be the biggest edition yet.

We sit down with Kairul Azman Mohd Yusoh, Secretary General of the Malaysia Franchise Association, at the Marrybrown Sentosa flagship to unpack why FIM (Franchising International Malaysia) 2026, happening 21–23 May at KLCC, is officially the longest-running franchise event in the region. 

We're talking 150+ companies, 250+ exhibitors, and a 70/30 local-international mix.

From homegrown icons like Marrybrown (45 years strong), Manhattan Fish Market, US Pizza, Global Art and Smart Readers, to the National Franchise Policy 2030 with its five strategic pillars, this is a masterclass in how a country systematically scales SMEs into global brands.

If you've ever wondered whether franchising is a smart, lower-risk way to start a business, this conversation is your starter pack. Watch now.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
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🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global shifts. Local wages. SMEs on the brink. What does it actually mean for your paycheck when elephants fight and grass gets trampled?

We got a senior policymaker to cut through the noise and get straight answers on Singapore’s job market, foreign talent, and who really pays the price of growth.

Guest:

Dinesh Vasu Dash (Singapore’s Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) & Manpower (MOM), and Mayor of South East District)

What you’ll hear:

• Singapore’s “job shortage” vs. skills mismatch
• How MOM investigates unfair hiring practices and foreign talent quotas
• Why SMEs are struggling despite rising costs and stagnant revenue
• The real effectiveness of upskilling, Place-and-Train, and grit programs
• What the government is doing to protect local wages in a volatile global economy

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• YouTube

🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does retirement actually look like when you've done it right? In this episode, we sit down with Nicole and Edward, a Singaporean couple in their early fifties who've been fully retired for four years. They didn't inherit wealth. They didn't go all in on crypto. They built their exit the slow, boring, brilliant way, and now they travel 120 days a year, ski across Japan, and still have the financial runway to prove it works.

But here's what makes this conversation different: they're not selling you a formula. Nicole spent decades in banking, watched every major financial crisis unfold, and used that fear to build something bulletproof. Ed? He wrote poems about his job, and then one day decided it wasn't worth it anymore.

We dig into:

• How they set their retirement target in the 1990s with zero internet and no Google - and why the number they picked still holds up today
• Their 50/35/15 portfolio split - and why they don't think you need to be a stock-picker to win
• The "UAT" approach to retirement - how they tested living abroad in Bangkok and Japan before committing to the lifestyle
• Why they don't believe in retiring too early - and the age bracket they think is the sweet spot
• Post-retirement identity, purpose, and what actually keeps you fulfilled when the title and the payslip are gone

This isn't a story about being lucky or childless or rich. It's about making decisions consistently over 20 years, and what that actually buys you.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
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🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This audio is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation for sale or subscription of or solicitation or invitation of any offer to or recommendation to buy or subscribe for any securities. Any person wishing to subscribe for and/or acquire any securities in Kin Global Limited will need to make an application in the manner set out in the Offer Document dated 14 April 2026 registered by the SGX-ST, acting on behalf of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. You are responsible for your own investment choices. A copy of the Offer Document is available on the SGX-ST’s website, https://www.sgx.com. Copies of the Offer Document and the Application Forms may also be obtained on request, subject to availability during office hours, from SAC Capital Private Limited at 1 Robinson Road, #21-01 AIA Tower, Singapore 048542. Please refer also to the disclaimers at 00:00 - 00:04 of the video for more information.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
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🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Telegram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could you actually "quit" the Singaporean rat race and still pull in a massive annual income?

Meet Evan Koh, the "nerdy engineer" and Founder of Stocks.cafe, who did exactly that. After a PhD and a decade-long stint in Japan, he returned to Singapore with a $200,000 annual passive income and a new mission: hitting the gym and living life on his own terms.

From building tools for investors to creating a life funded largely by passive income, Evan shares pieces of a story that might challenge how you think about work, money, and freedom.

If you’ve ever wondered whether financial freedom is about earning more, investing smarter, or designing a completely different lifestyle… this episode might make you rethink the path.

🎧 Tune in to hear Evan’s full story, and the lessons hidden between the numbers.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• YouTube

🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
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• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Markets are volatile. Headlines are everywhere.

Oil prices are rising, geopolitics is heating up, and investors everywhere are trying to predict what happens next.

But what if trying to predict the market is the biggest mistake investors make?

How should you actually invest in a world that feels unpredictable?

Sit with Wei Dai, Global Head of Research, Dimensional Fund Advisors, to break down the science behind investing and why long-term strategies often beat trying to outguess the market.

Wei Dai leads a global research team studying how markets behave and how academic insights translate into real investment portfolios. In this conversation, she explains why disciplined, research-driven investing may matter more than reacting to headlines.

We discuss:

• Why market prices already contain more information than most investors realise
• The difference between active investing, passive investing, and systematic investing
• The real drivers of long-term stock returns: size, value, and profitability
• How professionals avoid value traps and falling knives
• Whether geopolitics and oil prices should affect your portfolio
• The truth about global diversification (and why many investors aren’t truly diversified)
• Why predicting markets is far harder than people think

Whether you're a beginner investor or someone building a long-term portfolio, this conversation offers a deeper look into how markets work and how disciplined investors navigate uncertainty.

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🎧 The Financial Coconut:

Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.

Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut

📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• YouTube

🔗 CONNECT WITH US

Get daily tips, insights, and community:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Telegram
• Whatsapp
• Newsletter

📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORK

Discover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.

Learn about our events

Help us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.