Hugh Chung, Chief Investment Advisory Officer at Endowus, was on Money Hacks to share insights about expected market profitability and performance in 2024. As the market is still uncertain of the fight against inflation and economic growth, it is likely to shift unpredictably, and increasing volatility will pose a potential challenge for investors in 2024. Healthcare and biotech sectors are emerging and poised for growth as they are essential businesses that will remain resilient towards recession in 2024.

Demand for investments in CPF & SRS accounts is expected to increase towards year-end . Hugh Chung, Chief Investment Advisory Officer of Endowus, shared that more than one-third of Endowus' clients use SRS funds to invest and that he expects a surge in demand in December, as investors usually deposit their money in SRS at the end of the year to receive tax deductions. It was also noted that the number of Endowus clients using SRS funds to invest in Dec 2022 has doubled from Nov 2022.

As public markets are expected to be more volatile in 2024, Samuel Rhee, co-founder and CIO of Endowus, shared that accredited investors, HNWIs, and UNHWIs are diversifying and putting greater emphasis on private and alternative assets. Regardless of the environment, investors are advised to consider adopting a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) strategy as a passive investment approach to remove any emotional mistakes and minimise market timing risk.

Hugh Chung, Endowus Chief Investment Advisory Officer, noted that alternatives could potentially optimise overall portfolio risk and returns if they were introduced into the SRS product range. Inflation-adjusted returns on SRS cash at 0.05% are negative and it would be more prudent to invest idle cash in diversified portfolios to potentially earn higher returns. Younger SRS investors should consider investing in higher-risk asset classes such as equities, and shift their investments into lower-risk products such as T-bills and SSBs closer to SRS withdrawal age.

Endowus Private Wealth clients can now build institutional-quality portfolios through Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions on the Endowus platform. The wealth strategy applies a flexible approach across the private and public debt spectrum, allowing for dynamic allocation in response to changing market conditions.

Endowus' partnership with Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions expands alternative offerings for clients on its private markets platform. Accredited individuals and family office clients in Singapore and Hong Kong can gain access to Brookfield Oaktree's private credit platform and semi-liquid funds. The collaboration reinforces Endowus' commitment to offering a holistic range of investment opportunities to professional and accredited investors.

Fixed deposit rates are better than they have been for a while, but comfortably sitting in fixed deposits means missing out on global equities that are up 18 per cent YTD, opined Gregory Van, CEO of Endowus, while discussing the pros and cons of equities and fixed deposits. Investors need to be patient to harvest the equity-risk premium, disciplined to stay diversified and manage their costs, and have the stomach to tolerate more volatility.

Why are investors afraid of losing money and how can they overcome the fears that hinder them from investing? Hugh Chung, Chief Investment Advisory Officer, shared that not utilising risk capacity effectively would lead to wasted investment potential and the best way to overcome this fear is to commit to long-term investing and reap the benefits sustainably. Investors are encouraged to diversify stocks and it is an effective measure to prepare for unexpected circumstances while eliminating the fear of short-term losses.

Endowus’ co-founder and chairman, Samuel Rhee, shared with Nasdaq TradeTalks how investor access can be solved through the digitisation of wealth management. Endowus focuses on empowering individuals by equipping them with the right investment opportunities while building financial literacy among investors to familiarise them with the various asset classes and how they can adjust risk to achieve better returns. Endowus is working with larger financial players to provide greater access to a broader suite of investments to retail investors at lower minimums and lower costs.

Should AI be integrated into your investment portfolio or wealth management plans? In this radio broadcast, Samuel Rhee, co-founder and CIO of Endowus discussed the impacts of AI on future investments. Before investing in AI, investors should note that AI stocks are volatile and may not suit all investors’ portfolios. AI also cannot help us beat the market but instead make investors more efficient in the way they study markets and invest. Investors are encouraged to invest long-term and take advantage of diversified exposure to the tech market to optimise investment outcomes.

Endowus' partnership with Carta aims to provide greater transparency and liquidity for Endowus employees and minority shareholders of their startup equity holdings on the Carta platform. To foster a collective sense of responsibility and ownership among employees, the majority of the company is owned by employees through direct investments and the Employee Stock Ownership Programme (ESOP). The partnership helps to facilitate regular secondary transactions, addressing challenges associated with owning private securities, such as limited liquidity and access.

Following Endowus' partnership with EQT to provide its clients with access to EQT funds, Hugh Chung, Endowus’ Chief Investment Advisory Officer, together with Sueann Yeo, Head of APAC Private Wealth Client Relations & Capital Raising at EQT, shared more on the benefits of private market funds in offering higher return potentials and greater diversification from traditional portfolios. Capital that is invested in private companies tends to be longer-term and hence investors can demand better terms, driving higher returns. At the same time, private investors get marked to market less frequently hence reducing the volatility of their investments.