All articles by Meghna Mukerjee

Meghna Mukerjee

Features

Citizens of tomorrow

Robo Advisors have infiltrated the wealth management industry in an unprecedented fashion and are forecasted to grow robustly – giving traditional wealth managers a run for their money. Meghna Mukerjee speaks to some of these firms about what ‘Robo Advisors’ actually do, their advantages, and why they have hit the sweet spot, especially in the US

Comment

Editor’s comment: Keeping the big picture in mind

Simply put, investors do not like instability. Prosperous markets are all about steady development and confidence, and recently, the situation in Hong Kong – as well as the sentiments around it – have been anything but stable.

Company related

Strategising for Asia

The private banking landscape in Asia Pacific is unlike any other – each country throws up distinct opportunities and challenges that players need to adapt to. Temenos’ head of APAC, Martin Frick, who was appointed in the role only in April 2014, tells Meghna Mukerjee how the software vendor plans to stay relevant in the competitive region.

News

Banks continue to dominate Asian wealth planning

Banks will remain the primary providers of investment services in East Asia and will continue to have huge competitive advantages in Asian wealth planning, new research from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) has revealed. The 2011 Future of Asian Trust and Estate Practice report said despite the prominence of banks in wealth planning, independent asset management boutiques are expected to increase their share. Some banks will offer reduced fees to clients for trust services in order to enhance their asset management business. Banks can afford to run a trust company within a private bank because of the income from asset management fees, one of the industry expert interviewed for the report told STEP.

News

KBC to sell KBL for $1.4bn to Qatari investor

KBC is to sell its Luxembourg-based private-banking unit, KBL, for 1.05bn ($1.41bn) to Precision Capital, a company in Luxembourg representing a Qatari investor’s interests.