Singapore is Paris is Tuscany is Naples US

Winston H., 56, Singaporean, former regional APAC Chairman of a Global Management Consulting firm. The picture thows him at a wine tasting in a Chateaux near Bordeaux. Xploring done by Charles Hsieh in Singapore.

Winston has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today. To thrive is to have wealth of life, more family time, more vacations and more luxuries. Career wise he has already risen to the highest level that he could possibly achieve. Its an interesting time for him, as he ponders what more he can accomplish in his lifetime. His first thoughts are of retirement, possibly publishing a book, or even becoming a guest lecturer/professor. At this point he could do anything. Why not go shopping in Paris to day at the Champs-Élysées? His current project is a restored 4-bedroom farmhouse/villa in Tuscany, Italy.

The most important factor in banking today is stability. It means having downside protection should anything further happen to the economy. Banking in Singapore lacks privacy, as he believes that much information can be disclosed to the government. Banking through Switzerland is in his opinion the most secure and most private. Any losses he incurred this year were mere paper losses and he is confident that such losses will eventually be offset by eventual improvements in the overall economy. He doesn’t blame his bank, or his private banker.

He does indeed enjoy some of the perks that his private banker gives him. Like tickets for the formula 1 race in Singapore (see the photo taken by him from the grand stands 2008), wine & gourmet dinner invitations etc. But has never asked for them.

Communication with his banker is frequent via his personal e-mail or phone conversations because it is convenient, since Winston travels quite a bit. In fact he sometimes also live in his beachfront property in Naples, FL USA. Would he move to another bank with better performance? Some banks have better products or services for specific assets and would therefore be the better choice in select situations. As such, not all of his assets are managed by one bank, in fact his wealth is allocated across three separate banks.









Thought: When any luxury is affordable – which to choose next? Adapt to life after career.