By Chuin Ting Weber, CFP, CFA, CAIA 
CEO & Chief Investment Officer, MoneyOwl 

“Go ahead of me, please. I’m scared.” 

Said the lady who stopped at the top of the Dhoby Ghaut MRT escalator this evening, somewhat sheepishly. 

I silently held out my hand at almost her chin level. She took it immediately.  

I counted 1, 2, 3 and we stepped onto the escalator together. 

She explained that she was scared because she had fallen on an escalator before and had suffered blue-black bruises.  

“It’s quite fast, isn’t it?” I acknowledged.  

We stepped off nicely and said goodbye.  

The truth is, I used to be scared, too, when I was a young schoolgirl.  

Singapore escalators are fast! We have no time to lose, to get to school or work.  

In personal finance, too, I’ve encountered many across the spectrum of education and income, who have said, “I’m scared.” 

😰Scared to invest because my friend, or family or I have lost buying the wrong stuff or selling at the wrong time or following a hot tip.

😫Scared to buy insurance because I got upsold something I don’t understand by a salesman. 

🙁Scared to do anything because I don’t understand what’s going on.  

Sometimes people ask me what MoneyOwl by Temasek Trust hopes to achieve when we offer free guidance and advice online, down to checklists by life stage, rubrics, product and solution sets, but without selling, and when we offer free corporate financial programmes. 

I guess it is like offering that hand, and not just high-level principles, without condescension.  

We ask for the privilege of coming alongside with you, and maybe we can do steps 1, 2 and 3? 

But at the end of the day, the real hero is still you – the one who takes the step to go where you want to go in life’s journey! ⭐️ 

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Disclaimer:
While every reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information provided, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss or inconvenience caused by any error or omission. The information and opinions expressed herein are made in good faith and are based on sources believed to be reliable but no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to their accuracy, completeness or correctness. The author and publisher shall have no liability for any loss or expense whatsoever relating to investment decisions made by the reader.