Kiasunomics – Season 4
Kiasunomics Podcasts are back with new and exciting economic insights! In conjunction with the launch of Kiasunomics 3, Professors Sumit Agarwal, Sing Tien Foo, and Ang Swee Hoon explores the fascinating world of practical economics to gain insights into how economic principles impact our daily decisions! This season of the podcasts covers topics including the effects of climate change on property prices, effects of parental bankruptcy on children, purchasing behavior when there is an online security breach, and many more!
In September 2020, a global investigation involving major dark data leakage revealed suspicious financial movements amounting to $2 trillion dollars across financial institutions and real estate industry. These leaked transactions have since become widely known as the Panama Papers.
In this podcast session, real estate Professor Sing Tien Foo interviews Professor Sumit Agarwal for a change, to zero in on Sumit’s research on financial transactions that took place in Singapore. Together, the inquisitive duo teases out surprising insights into the premiums paid for properties in these illicit transactions as compared to non-Panama linked transactions.
The real estate market has long been a prime destination for individuals seeking to launder illicit wealth. It is one of the oldest-known ways.
In this episode, citing the infamous Panama Papers that took the world by storm in 2020, Professor Ang Swee Hoon dives into the mechanics behind money laundering and offshore secrecy. Based on transactions that took place in Singapore, she shares interesting findings about the types and locations of property that were purchased. More interestingly, she reveals insights about the profiles of those involved in these transactions.
The detrimental short-term effects of haze on physical health and productivity are undisputed. But what about its long-term impact on academic performance even wages? Looking at local university admissions score data gathered during the Singapore haze crises of children that were born both during and after these episodes, Professor Sumit makes interesting observations that seem to suggest a definite impact on the cognitions of children whose mothers were exposed to haze particles.
As part of its Smart Nation vision, Singapore introduced the QR code in April 2017 as a mode of payment to merchants and vendors. Three months later, this was followed by PayNow.
In this episode, Marketing Professor and co-author of the Kiasunomics book series, Ang Swee Hoon, examines the impact of these new payment features on consumption and business creation, rate of ATM closures, and even credit card spending!
Left to their own, consumers may not make the most sustainable choices. This is where regulations and policies may have to come in to manage usage. In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal looks at the reactiveness of water usage in response to pricing changes in Singapore, triggered by government policies implemented to encourage conservation, by examining 10 years’ worth of water consumption data. Also, he examines if these pricing policies and rebates work differently for people in different income segments.
Picking off a U.S. study on a credit card promotional campaign where the bank offered 1% cashback, Professor Ang Swee Hoon looks at how it increased user spending by 32% and even incurred greater debt by not making prompt repayments. She also touches on the impact of the campaign on “revolver users” and inactive, no-debt cardholders.
Intro to the episode: Rising sea levels and property are highly pertinent topics for Singaporeans. But how are the two linked?
In this episode, Professor Ang Swee Hoon examines the impact of impending sea level rises on both public and private housing in Singapore, following announcements made by the then-Prime Minister in a National Day speech in 2019. Research revealed a reduction in the monetary value of sea-facing properties by S$20,000 in response to the announcements, but interestingly, it was only for public housing.