Issue #34: What’s Happening This Week? BlueSG Hits the Brakes, HL Bank’s Hello Kitty Game Set Giveaway

From transport shake-ups to wealth wins, this week’s headlines cover plenty of ground.

One homegrown car-sharing service is hitting the brakes—temporarily—while a bank’s turning savings into something far cuter. A major giving campaign is back, bigger than ever (with a familiar MoneySmart connection), and a luxury travel operator just made your next getaway more rewarding. Traders are showing their risk-taking stripes, global chipmakers are eyeing new tariffs with caution, and Singapore’s banking heavyweights are taking different tacks for the year ahead. Oh, and our little red dot just earned a rare triple crown in a global wealth ranking.

Here’s the week in 7 stories—let’s dive in.

TLDR; BlueSG will halt operations from 8 Aug for a “strategic pause” ahead of a 2026 relaunch with a new platform, upgraded fleet, and expanded network. HL Bank is giving away a $200 Hello Kitty Family Travel Game Set to new or topping-up iSavings customers who deposit at least $18,000 by 30 Sep. MoneySmart is a platinum partner for Endowus’ six-month SG60 Endowus Gives Back campaign, which supports 15 charities and launches a new Straits Times Index fund with Amundi. Scott Dunn has partnered with KrisFlyer to let guests earn miles on bespoke luxury trips booked via its Singapore office, with rewards tiered by loyalty level. Singapore is the only city to rank top 5 globally for tax efficiency, wealth preservation, and future readiness in Multipolitan’s 2025 Global Wealth Report. A CMC Markets survey finds Singapore’s top traders embrace calculated risks, trade more actively, diversify portfolios, and often share distinctive lifestyle traits like pet ownership. The US’ new 100% semiconductor tariff could impact Singapore chipmakers and related sectors, though details on exemptions remain unclear. DBS kept its 2025 outlook after a modest Q2 profit rise, while UOB trimmed growth forecasts following weaker-than-expected earnings.

Psst, missed last week’s issue? View all past editions of What’s Happening This Week? to catch up.

 

BlueSG to pause car-sharing service from Aug 8, plans 2026 relaunch

Electric car-sharing provider BlueSG will halt operations on 8 Aug at 1159 pm, giving just 4 days’ notice to users. The company calls this a “strategic pause” ahead of a full relaunch in 2026, featuring:

• A new platform
• Refreshed fleet with a wider range of vehicles
• More pick-up/drop-off points
• Improved reliability and user experience

User impact:

• All subscriptions and rentals stop from 9 Aug
• Full refunds for unused credits/subscriptions by 31 Aug
• Refunds via PayNow-linked number; update details by 16 Aug
• Customer support until 31 Aug (phone/live chat/email), then email-only until 1 Oct

The pause will also affect “a portion” of staff, with fair severance and possible redeployment offered.

While some users support the upgrade, others question the need to cease operations entirely and worry about future prices. BlueSG is currently the only point-to-point car-sharing service in Singapore, so the hiatus leaves a gap in the market until its return.

 

HL Bank: Hello Kitty travel game set giveaway for new iSavings customers

If you’re a Hello Kitty fan or know someone who is, listen up: HL Bank Singapore has just launched a fun new giveaway. From now until 30 Sep 2025, anyone who opens or tops up an iSavings account with at least $18,000 can redeem a limited-edition Hello Kitty Family Travel Game Set, worth $200. There are only 1,000 sets available, so Hello Kitty superfans will need to act fast.

What’s in the set?

• Durable, compact Hello Kitty case (31 x 25 x 6 cm, about 2.5 kg)
• 152 melamine tiles featuring Hello Kitty designs
• Portable tile racks and a matching game mat
• Two custom red dice

How to get yours:

1. Open or top up an iSavings account with $18,000 by 30 September.
2. Add “HK18” as a comment during your transfer.
3. Maintain your balance for 8 months.

Great for collectors, families, or as a unique gift, this playful promo puts a new spin on a classic game, and helps you build your savings at the same time.

 

Endowus launches SG60 giving campaign and STI fund launch

MoneySmart is proud to be a platinum partner for Endowus’ expanded Endowus Gives Back campaign, celebrating Singapore’s 60th year of independence. Running from August 2025 to January 2026, this year’s Invest In Our Home theme supports SGSHARE and 15 charities across arts, education, healthcare, animal welfare and more, with donations boosted by the SG Gives Matching Grant of up to $250 million.

Campaign highlights:

• Duration: 6 months, which is the longest yet
• Other partners: Airwallex, Azimut, First Sentier, ANAPI
• How to give: Donate via 27 “giving machines” at MRT stations, Golden Village cinemas, Raffles City, and bus stops
• Impact so far: Over $300,000 raised for 45 charities since 2021

Endowus is also teaming up with Amundi to launch the first unit-trust-based Straits Times Index fund by a global asset manager. Offered exclusively on Endowus, it features low fees, trailer fee cashback, and lets investors grow with Singapore’s market.

 

Scott Dunn teams up with KrisFlyer to make luxury travel even more rewarding

Luxury travel specialist Scott Dunn has partnered with Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer programme, letting guests earn miles on bespoke trips booked through its Singapore office. The collaboration, launched on 22 July, applies to travellers from selected Asia-Pacific countries and rewards them based on loyalty tier:

• First-time guests: 1 mile per $5 spent (cap: 60,000 miles/year)
• Returning guests: 1 mile per $3 spent (cap: 80,000 miles/year)
• Scott Dunn Private members: 1 mile per $2 spent (cap: 100,000 miles/year)

Scott Dunn is known for its tailor-made itineraries, from safaris in South Africa to overwater stays in the Maldives and scenic train journeys in Switzerland. With Singapore Airlines’ network making these destinations more accessible, travellers can now collect KrisFlyer miles while enjoying carefully curated experiences.

The partnership blends two brands focused on premium service and personalisation—turning dream holidays into trips that also bring you closer to your next flight upgrade or getaway.

 

Singapore named only triple top-5 city in Multipolitan’s 2025 Global Wealth Report

Singapore has emerged as the only city in the world to rank in the top 5 for tax efficiency, wealth preservation, and future readiness in Multipolitan’s Wealth Report 2025: The Taxed Generation. The study assessed 164 jurisdictions on more than low tax rates, looking also at long-term stability, asset protection, and climate resilience.

Singapore’s rankings:

• Tax Friendly Cities Index: 3rd globally, praised for moderate but stable tax rates, no capital gains or estate tax, and strong treaty networks
• Wealth Preservation Cities Index: 5th, buoyed by currency strength, inflation resilience, and robust asset performance
• Smart & Sustainable Cities Index: 3rd, credited for climate action, digital innovation, and political stability

Multipolitan says Singapore’s edge lies in predictability and foresight, qualities drawing global wealth migration and solidifying its position as a safe harbour for both capital and families.

 

CMC Markets survey: Singapore’s top traders take risks, diversify—and own cats

A new CMC Markets survey of over 500 Singapore investors has revealed what sets the most successful traders apart—and it’s not just sharp market skills.

High performers, which made up roughly 1 in 5 surveyed, are big on taking calculated risks, with 83% saying it’s key to their success. They balance this with a methodical approach, keeping emergency funds, following trading plans and even using hedging strategies.

What sets them apart:

• Mindset: More confident, calculated and organised than lower performers
• Trading habits: More likely to trade daily, especially at market open or pre-opening
• Portfolio mix: Hold more forex, ETFs and commodities than others
• Lifestyle: Often married, own pets (especially cats), play golf or martial arts, and join community activities

The findings suggest that for these traders, long-term success is as much about discipline and lifestyle as it is about spotting market moves.

 

US’ 100% chip tariff could hit Singapore makers, with ripple effects beyond tech

Singapore’s chipmakers are bracing for possible turbulence after the US announced a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports. The move, unveiled by President Donald Trump, won’t apply to firms committed to manufacturing in the US, but it’s still unclear exactly who qualifies.

The Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association says the mood is one of “cautious watchfulness” as companies wait for more details. Semiconductors are a big deal for Singapore’s economy (about 29% of exports to the US fall under electronics) so any broad tariff could bite.

Economists warn the impact could spill over to other industries:

• Precision engineering (many SMEs)
• Logistics, especially airfreight, since chips are typically shipped by air

Some big players with US ties, like Micron and GlobalFoundries, may be treated differently depending on how exemptions are defined. For now, most firms are taking a wait-and-see approach, while industry groups and the government keep talking to partners to navigate the uncertainty.

 

DBS holds steady, UOB scales back on 2025 targets after mixed Q2

Checking in on Singapore’s big banks, we saw a mixed set of results for the April–June quarter, with DBS keeping its 2025 outlook intact while UOB took a more cautious stance.

DBS, the region’s largest bank, reported a $2.82 billion profit, up 1% from a year ago and slightly above forecasts. Shareholders will enjoy an 11% boost in the ordinary dividend to 60 cents per share, plus a special 15-cent capital return. Still, profitability metrics dipped a little, with return on equity and net interest margins easing.

UOB’s profits slipped 6% to $1.34 billion, missing expectations. The bank trimmed its growth forecast, now expecting loan growth in the low single digits and fee income in the high single digits.

Both banks flagged global uncertainties, from tariffs to interest rate moves, but stressed they’re ready to support customers and invest for long-term growth.

 

That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s What’s Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond. 

This article was first drafted with the help of AI and later reviewed and refined by the author.

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About the author

Vanessa Nah likes her finance articles the way she likes her sitcoms—light-hearted, entertaining, and leaving people knowing a little more about life. She believes money—like life—should be made simple. Outside of work, you’ll find Vanessa attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, and fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled kitty in the world.

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