Investing made easy? It almost sounds too good to be true but with Endowus, you can grab a hold of investing your everyday cash, Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) and even your Central Provident Fund (CPF). As the first digital advisor for CPF in Singapore, you get to combine all your wealth using one platform. With just a few easy steps, you get to grow your wealth with personalised advice to meet your financial goals, getting access to the best products such as the world’s top investors according to your needs all within the lowest cost.
Diving a little bit more into investing with Endowus, here’s the process that you will be going through if you choose to approach them. Firstly, it’ll be good to be transparent about your goals, risk tolerance and the timeline of your investment. This will allow you them to tailor their portfolio accordingly. You will then move on to generating your personalised plan whereby you will get a scientifically recommended model portfolio. Once you’ve got your plan ready, you will get to the next stage of getting your personal information solely to onboard you online and get started with your journey!
Over at Endowus, Ee Chien is currently heading the business development and partnerships. Entailing the b2b side of the business, he works with his clients and companies on corporate benefits which include educating them about financial literacy and education. He also helps companies to invest their cash as well as strategic partnerships where he works on scaling together with them to give both companies equal benefits.
Previously working with Grab, Uber, Goldman Sachs and many others, he has honed his skills and paved his way to success. Now on to bombarding Ee Chien with our questions!
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What is the competition like?
We definitely have competition like the local banks where we are always competing. However, to each their own, they all have their own selling point which makes them stand out to their customers depending on what they are looking for. Hence, I would say the competition is alright and not too intense.
Why did you decide to join Endowus?
Personally, I really liked to be in a company that I can make a bigger impact in such as a smaller company as compared to my previous jobs in Uber and Grab where I was the operations and logistics manager and Investments Manager respectively. The mission of the company of getting to help people and investing well to have a better future really spoke to me. I also really enjoy working with a smaller team of people to try new things with as well as help to expedite the process of investing much faster.
Prior to joining Endowus, did you have any similar experience?
Yes, I was working at Goldman Sachs previously as an Equity Derivatives Analyst where I worked with clients by training them and educating them on products. I was working at Grab under the financial group where my colleagues and I launched Grab Invest to invest in products. So I would say I have been working in a similar industry which has to do with investing.
Expectation vs Reality?
I think in terms of expectations, I thought we were quite forward in our tech. However, that was not the case as one way or another every tech firm was still behind time in reality. I feel like we would want all these different things that one can build out but then again there’s a long list of things that we can do a little a time which is definitely a challenge to overcome.
What is a common misunderstanding that your clients have about Endowus?
Our clients often do not know that we can invest cash and SRS. Many of them only know that we can invest CPF instead, so we usually have to educate them accordingly to ensure they are aware of other option in case they were interested in investing them.
Could you share with us more about the goals Endowus has currently in the next 2 to 5 years?
Currently we are focusing on scaling the company. While we are in Singapore, we are just getting started so we plan to go different ways in terms of geographically. This will open doors and bring us to other markets overseas. Within Singapore, we’re touching on the foundation of cash, CPF and SRS only. We definitely have a long way to go in terms of growth and Assets of Management (AUM) that we can have. Hence, the main goal is to expand geographically but also to grow depths within the market we are currently working with.
What is one thing that you look forward to every day?
I look forward to working on a better version of myself every day. I try to work hard and be kind. While intelligence is great and all, working hard is equally important to me. I believe that at the end of the day, attitude is important as well as working on being nice which I try to do each day.
What is one thing you would like to look back and remember?
I would like to reflect back on how I contributed meaningfully to team and bonding with my team members by making them happy. I would also like to look back on the meaningful connections I have made with the people who invest with us are happy and doing meaningful things with the money we have helped them grow.
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As we wrap up our conversation with Ee Chien, who is currently at the helm of business development and partnerships at Endowus, we've delved into the intricate world of corporate benefits. His role involves collaborating with clients and companies, offering financial literacy and education. Through this enlightening interview, he has shared invaluable insights into his professional journey and the dynamics of his working life. Ee Chien's experiences offer a unique perspective on the realm of corporate benefits and underscore the significance of financial education in today's business landscape.
Stay tuned for more inspirational stories on local entrepreneurs and businesses!
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