Retrenchment is like naked mud wrestling. While you can’t avoid humiliating exposure or eating dirt, you can at least win the match. It’s about making the best of a bad situation. Retrenchment...

Parking fees are bogus. Living space I understand…but paying for a space for your car? That’s as close as you’ll ever come to paying for nothing. Yep, thanks to parking lots,...

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to a Ministerial pay cut this week. Singapore’s political leaders, who are the highest paid in the world, are facing pay reductions of 37%...

With the economy deflating faster than my ego at a school reunion, I’ve been thinking about padding my income. That means a side business, and one that won’t get me...

The Toyota Prius is hybrid-electric car. Like most Singaporeans, my knowledge of it extends to: “Every time you drive it, a dead tree comes back to life. Or something.” The...

Ever since my family perished on Krypton, I’ve had a soft spot for elderly parents. They aren’t who they used to be, because apparently time sucks. And while most Singaporeans would...

Christmas is around the corner, and I’ve got about 200 presents to get. It’s my gift and my curse: everyone loves my presents. Except the police and fire department. But...

Forex trading is like driving too fast without a seatbelt: intoxicating, sexy, and potentially lethal. It promises fast cash, a 24 hour market, and easy access. With brokers accepting lower...

Getting a cab in town requires a booking, with an added fee and a long wait, or supernatural powers. If you’re new in Singapore, you’ll also be confused; this might...

Yesterday I discovered two great perks of working for MoneySmart: First, I have a convenient excuse to annoy people with endlessly amusing (to me) questions. Second, it means not having...

They say finding a mechanic is like interviewing a job applicant. Which is a total load of horse dung. Job applicants don’t have a wrench clamped around your… carburettor. And what questions...

Ever since the fall of Lehman Brothers, structured deposits have been the financial world’s equivalent of leprosy. If you’re selling them, no one even wants to inhale near you. But as of...

Before we get started, a warning: the following list, if properly adhered to, will result in (1) a good bachelor party, (2) you being branded a cheapskate for life, and...

It’s cool to diss education these days. Every other week, I find at least one tweet espousing the glory of ignorance. It’s bad advice. And hypocritically, it often comes from people...

Who doesn’t love a fuzzy-wuzzy puppy or kitty?! Especially for the kids. So cute! Until you realize that Spike or Meow-Meow eats more canned food than they stock in Changi prison...

Car insurance: it’s mandatory. I don’t know why they print brochures with people holding up car keys, spouting phrases like “love your ride” or “smooth drive”. As if they need...

It’s been four years since the progressive payment scheme became the norm. By now, property buyers have been frowning so long their faces could fit in a raisin commercial. But...

Credit cards give you access to money that isn’t yours. It’s the same as borrowing money, except without the crying and impassioned pleading (that part comes later). Debit cards just...

Finding a wedding venue sucks. With few exceptions, they are all insanely expensive. Their prices have numbers you’d expect to see somewhere else entirely, like on a population census of mainland...

Because home loans aren’t confusing enough, banks offer two different kinds of interest rates. We’re talking about fixed and floating home loans, and how to pick the one that best suits...

The last time I got on board an MRT train, it was packed tighter than a can of sardines. I squeezed in nonetheless as I was rushing to the hospital. By...

Car insurance premiums are fun and easy to calculate, assuming you have a PhD in accounting. Seriously though, there are huge differences in premiums, even between one owner and the next....