Of good schools and level playing fields

"CLOSE to good schools" is a marketing ploy commonly seen in property advertisements. And new primary school registration rules aimed at improving access will effectively give more weight to proximity to the school, than alumni or other advantageous links.

Stack this against the distinct trend of higher home prices near "desirable" schools, and you would be staring at a widening gap between the haves and have-nots. In Brunch in The Business Times Weekend, we take a close look at this and other factors that unlevel the playing field for education in Singapore.

In the last two decades the use of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) has grown tremendously, from less than US$100 billion to over US$7.7 trillion now. ETFs offer an easy way to get the only free lunch in investing: diversification. In This Time is Different, our columnist shows how an ETF portfolio can greatly simplify the investment process, without giving up any returns compared to a traditional portfolio of stock picks.

A coupe-SUV mashup with a hybrid drivetrain, the Renault Arkana is what happens when several automotive trends come together. The Steering Column assesses whether it's a fusion of good ideas, or merely a thing of confusion.

And in Fit To Lead, Golden Gate Ventures partner Michael Lints shares how his first Ironman drove him to go deeper and get better.

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