vanessah.nah

Articles by Vanessa Nah

Vanessa likes her personal finance articles the way she likes her sitcoms—funny, entertaining, and leaving people knowing a little more about life. In another life, Vanessa was the biggest nerd in class and was *this* close to doing a PhD. That researcher is still in her as she now digs out the ins and outs of personal loans, T&Cs of credit cards, and ups and downs of alternative investments. When Vanessa’s not debunking finance myths, you’ll find her attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, or fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled kitty in the world.

citi-ultima-card-review-moneysmart
Credit Cards
Citi Ultima Card: Luxury Private Island Access, Supercar Drive Experiences—MoneySmart Review 2023
There’s 1 Citi credit card that 99% of us will never even see in real life, much less hold in our hands. The odds of meeting a Citi Ultima Card...
23 August 2023
national-day-rally-2023-highlights-housing-bto-plus
Property
5 Housing Highlights from National Day Rally 2023: New HDB BTO Plus Category, More Housing Options for Singles, And More
Over the weekend, PM Lee delivered his National Day Rally 2023 speech. These National Day Rally Speeches can bear pretty big news. Just last year, PM Lee announced that masks...
21 August 2023
answering-reddit-questions-about-digital-banks
Invest
“What Can Digital Banks Provide That Regular Banks Can’t?”: Answering Reddit Questions About Digital Banks
Are digital banks the new way to bank? Since the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) began issuing digital bank licences, digital banks have been popping up on our feeds and...
dbs-40-million-commitment-
Budgeting
DBS is Giving Out Transport Rebates and Cashback at Hawkers—Here’s How It Benefits You
You might remember the Singapore government handing out cost-of-living relief payments in Jun 2023. About 2.5 million Singaporeans received a one-time payment of up to $400 to help cushion inflationary...
16 August 2023
hsbc-travelone-card-review
Credit Cards
Is the HSBC TravelOne Card the One and Only Travel Card You Need?—MoneySmart Review 2023
Let’s talk about the HSBC TravelOne card’s name—“Travel One”. It aims to be the 1 travel card you need. HSBC says so as well: “Unlock instant travel rewards and elevated...
11 August 2023
barbie-guy-jian-yang-asia-largest-barbie-collection-personal-brand
Career
“I Own Over 12,000 Barbie Dolls, But Barbie Isn’t My Favourite Toy”—Singapore’s ‘Barbie Guy’ on Personal Branding and Authenticity
Meet Jian Yang—the Barbie Guy. He owns over 12,000 Barbie dolls, which inhabit his 1,050 sq ft walkup terrace, 2 storage units, and 4 bedrooms of his parents’ home. He’s...
10 August 2023
national-day-promotions-food-deals-discounts
Dining
National Day Promotions 2023: What are NDP eCoupons, Up to 58% Off Food and Delivery
Singaporeans love a good deal. It’s part of our national identity. So for a nation of money-savvy, food-loving folk, there’s no better way to celebrate National Day the Singaporean way...
8 August 2023
cashback-king-uob-absolute-cashback-card-masthead
Credit Cards
Is Cashback Still King? 5 Reasons Why Unlimited Cashback Credit Cards Remain a Wallet Essential
Post-COVID, the travel bug in all of us is back with a vengeance. As the travel tidal wave continues to surge, air miles cards have been the talk of the...
japan-travel-save-money-miles-credit-card
Credit Cards
I’m Planning A Trip To Japan This Dec: Here’s How This Miles Card Is Going To Save Me $605
You know what I miss? I miss the days when June and December meant an automatic, month-long break. School was out for 4 blissful weeks—no teachers, no homework, no nothing....
smartrewards-moneysmart-rewards-programme
Announcements
MoneySmart Launches Rewards Programme SmartRewards—Easy-to-Earn Points, Flexible Gift Redemption
There’s a swanky new rewards programme in town—MoneySmart’s very own SmartRewards. In a nutshell, this programme lets you earn points when you use  MoneySmart to apply for  financial products. These...
3 August 2023
This Charge Card Comes with Up To S$8,157 Worth of Benefits. Can This Writer Maximise Every Dollar?
Credit Cards
This Charge Card Comes with Up To S$8,157 Worth of Benefits. Can This Writer Maximise Every Dollar?
When it comes to money, I embrace my inner savvy spender. I rarely check out my online shopping without using a voucher. I watch plane ticket prices like a hawk...
barbie-dolls-investment-jian-yang
Invest
Are Barbie Dolls Good Investments? We Spoke To A Barbie Enthusiast With 12,000 Dolls To Find Out
It’s a Barbie world. An era of pink domination. An uproar of Barbiecore. With the Barbie movie fresh out in cinemas, the world’s gone gaga over all things Barbie—everything from...
25 July 2023
hdb-bto-sep-2023-review-prices-application-rates-locations
Property
HDB BTO Sep 2023 Launch: Locations, Expected Application Rates, Prices, and More
The third HDB Built-to-Order (BTO) flat launch of the year is almost upon us. If you didn’t like what you saw or didn’t get to book a flat during the...
24 July 2023
foreigners-singapore-bank-accounts
Savings Accounts
Can Foreigners Overseas Open a Singapore Bank Account 100% Digitally?
Say goodbye to endless paperwork and long queues at bank branches—OCBC has become the first bank in Singapore to fully digitalise the account opening process for foreigners. That means foreigners...
11 July 2023
travel-insurance-claim-rejected-reason
Travel
Top 5 Reasons Why Travel Insurance Claims Are Rejected, According To Insurance Providers
In an ideal trip overseas, no flights are delayed, no luggage is lost, and no one falls sick. For the most part, the majority of our holidays do play out...
28 June 2023
flight-delays-cancellations-singaporean-travellers-moneysmart-study
Travel
These Are The Airlines With The Most Flight Delays and Cancellations, According to Singaporean Travellers: MoneySmart Study
Have you ever heard travel horror stories from your friends and family about flights being delayed for hours? Or worse, cancelled? These tales of travel terror get us all nervous,...
27 June 2023
lgbtq-couples-housing-william-tan
Property
An LGBTQ+ Real Estate Expert’s Top 10 Home Ownership Tips For Queer Couples
As a gay man in Singapore, William Tan didn’t have an easy time buying his first home. In his own words, he made some mistakes. At the time, he didn’t...
22 June 2023
nus-ntu-freshmen-undergraduate-scholarships-benefits-eligibility-application
Education
The Ultimate Guide to NUS and NTU University Scholarships in Singapore
Weird brag: I volunteered at my university programme’s Open House practically all my undergraduate years. No, you don’t get paid to talk to prospective students and/or their parents. Aside from...
20 June 2023
best-safe-low-risk-investments
Invest
Fixed Deposit Alternatives in Singapore—5 Easy, Low-Risk Investments
Remember when fixed deposit rates in Singapore hit 4% at the start of 2023? What a way to start the year! To put things into perspective, the last time 12-month...
15 June 2023
best-fathers-day-deals-promotions-singapore
Entertainment
15 Father’s Day 2023 Deals and Promotions for Every Kind of Dad
There are cool dads, and there are corny dads. There are sporty dads, and there are, well, “dad bod” dads. However you’d describe your own dad, if you clicked into...
7 June 2023
standard-chartered-journey-credit-card-review
Credit Cards
What Happened To The StanChart X Card?—SCB Journey Credit Card Review
“Spend your way to your next getaway”, Standard Chartered (SC) proclaims of their newly rebranded Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card. The idea they’re trying to sell you is simple: Charge...
6 June 2023
amex-singapore-airlines-business-credit-card-review
Credit Cards
American Express x Singapore Airlines = The Best Credit Card for Business Owners?
As far as credit cards go, Amex cards are probably as prestigious as you can get in. And as far as airlines go, Singapore Airlines is one of the most...
1 June 2023
hdb-bto-may-2023-application-rates-prices
Property
HDB BTO May 2023 Launch: Locations, Expected Application Rates, Prices, and More
Nothing caught your fancy in the HDB Feb 2023 Built-To-Order (BTO) launch? Or maybe something did, but your application wasn’t successful? Good news: your next chance to apply for a...
31 May 2023
hsbc-everyday-rewards-programme-review
Savings Accounts
HSBC is Giving You Cashback For Paying Your Taxes? We Review HSBC’s Everyday+ Rewards Programme
Wouldn’t it be great to get cashback on our taxes like how we get cashback on our shopping? Hang on a second. We actually can! HSBC’s Everyday+ Rewards Programme gives...
19 May 2023
hdb-flat-eligibility-guide-application
Property
What is the New HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter? HFE vs HLE Letter, Application Process, and More
Whether you’re buying a Built-To-Order (BTO) flat or a resale flat from HDB, there’s one slightly leh chey thing you’re gonna need to prepare. It’s not a four letter word...
12 May 2023