Perpetual bonds have become a popular investment among private investors. In this yield-hungry environment, investors have been enticed by the headline coupons offered by perpetual bonds.

Happy days are here again for equity investors. That's the message from a growing number of folk in the investment business, and they are putting their money where their mouths are.

Everyone knows Hong Kong is an expensive town. But you might be surprised by the total costs for even generic expenditure, such as owning a dog. The cost of owning a car or raising a child takes...

The market for Chinese antique export silver is having a dramatic reversal of fortune. Export silver, as the name suggests, originally catered to a Western audience, and included royalty and...

Whether you're constantly moving flats due to soaring rent or you've finally coughed up your life savings on that perfect property, outfitting with suitable furniture is tricky. Ikea and Pricerite...

Stock Quotes

Wealth

It had to happen. Chateau Lafite, the Bordeaux worshipped by mainland Chinese wine collectors, has finally fallen from grace. Top wines plummeted in value by 12 per cent over the 12 months to...

It made me smile last November when Patrick Odier, group chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association, observed that “we have an image problem.” Understatement of the century.

It was good to finally meet style icon, columnist and media entrepreneur Tyler Brûlé. It was very un-Hong Kong - a Saturday afternoon walkie-talkie, mingling with the Canadian for drinks and eats...

It’s not looking good for Asia’s retirees, according to HSBC. They face eight years of hardship after their savings run out, according to the bank’s Future of Retirement Survey 2013. And many...

Just when you think you’ve thought of everything you might ever want, someone thinks of something really expensive and pointless that you really don’t need. This of course makes it a must-have for...

Battling Portfolios

See how the experts manage two imaginary HK$50million portfolios.

  • HK51.17m
  • HK53.28m

Money News

While the United States and other nations review various austerity proposals and automatic spending cut provisions, officials in Hong Kong are proposing stimulus programs for the local economy.

Spending

Whether you're constantly moving flats due to soaring rent or you've finally coughed up your life savings on that perfect property, outfitting with suitable furniture is tricky. Ikea and Pricerite...

The market for Chinese antique export silver is having a dramatic reversal of fortune. Export silver, as the name suggests, originally catered to a Western audience, and included royalty and...

With supermarkets selling overpriced groceries and local fast food joints endlessly competing with their HK$20 lunch boxes, Hong Kong is a classic example of a place where dining out is often...

Hong Kong shares rebounded from the previous day’s tumble to a one-month low, helped by strength in China Mobile and other defensive counters that showed investors remain cautious.

"Thirty-eight hundred in the room. Four thousand on the net, 5,000, 6,000! Bid, bid, bid!" the auctioneer calls out.

Clothes certainly make the man (or woman), but the fashion faux pas of wearing the same jacket as your friend may have you wondering: "Where can I get affordable but unique luxury clothes?"

Markets & Investing

Asian markets were lower on Friday as traders took a breather after healthy gains in the previous session while Chinese data showed growth in manufacturing activity had slowed.

Internal rate of return, or IRR, is one of those concepts bank staff wheel out when they are selling investments, particularly savings and pension plans involving a series of contributions.

The terms and conditions in the standard account opening agreements between banks and customers have been the subject of litigation when things go wrong. Some of the most common clauses are looked...

For all the gloom, some may overlook the fact that 2012 was a great year. Virtually all asset classes scored gains, with even equity markets venturing into positive territory thanks to a second-...

Fixed income was the hot asset of 2012, producing equity-like returns for debt-like risks. Within it, Asian bonds issued in US dollars produced stellar returns for investors.

Economy

Growth in China’s increasingly important services sector expanded at its slowest pace in five months in February, reinforcing the view that the recovery in the world’s second-largest economy...

Investment banking, after five long, hard years of negative or anaemic growth, job cuts, pay cuts and public lashings, is on the verge of a comeback. Really, it is - if the data can be believed....

The mainland economy may continue to rely on investments this year, going by the development goals laid out by leaders from more than 30 provinces and municipalities.

China’s factory growth cooled to multi-month lows in February as domestic demand dipped, weighing on firms already hit by slack foreign sales and underlining the patchiness of the country’s...

Q&A With Our Experts

My husband and I have owned our flat here for more than 35 years. For succession planning, we would like to add the names of our two children (living and working abroad) to the title deeds of the property. Would this involve any duty or tax at any stage and, if so, would it be wise to do it in the current financial climate? We are about to start making our wills.

Full answer

We plan to retire to Australia in five to 10 years. Should we transfer our monthly surplus to an Australian superannuation fund so we don't pay as much tax when we're there?

Full answer

My wife and I are equal owners of our company. My will provides for my share of the company to pass 50 per cent to my wife and 50 per cent to my three children. Our home is in both our names. If something happens to me or my wife what happens to the company's assets?

Full answer

Login

SCMP.com Account

or