Stop waiting for the ‘right time’: why micro-investing is the new wealth superpower

Remember the old saying: the best time to start investing was twenty years ago and the second best time is today? Most people know this. Yet most people still do not start. The reason is rarely money. Instead it is decision fatigue, jargon, the paralysing weight of ten thousand fund choices and the quiet conviction that you need to know more before you begin.

In this episode of Money Hacks, a podcast from The Business Times, Howie Lim speaks with Jenn Ong, group head of retail at GXS Bank, about what it actually takes to remove those barriers and whether digital banking has finally made investing genuinely accessible for everyday Singaporeans. Ong is direct, practical and refreshingly honest about where the trade-offs lie.

Why listen

• Why analysis paralysis is the real enemy of first-time investors and what GXS did about it  Ten thousand funds is not a choice, it is a wall. Ong explains how curating down to five funds based on risk appetite changes the entire experience of getting started.

• Why starting with ten dollars is not a gimmick but a genuine on-ramp to compounding  The math of time is on the side of younger investors. Ong explains why the size of the first investment matters far less than the act of making it.

• What embedded finance actually means for how you manage money day to day  Banking used to be a separate errand. Ong explains why the future of investing is woven into how you spend, save and move money without ever switching apps.

• Why the best feature any investing platform can build is an intentional pause  Speed creates mistakes. Ong makes the case for friction as a feature, not a flaw, especially when real money is involved.

What emerges from this conversation is that the biggest barrier to investing is not capital. It is inertia. This episode gives you reasons to get moving. Listen now.

Discover more episodes at bt.sg/podcasts. Got feedback? Email us at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.

---

Written and hosted by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)

With Jenn Ong, group head of retail at GXS Bank

Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

---

Follow BT Money Hacks podcasts every Monday:

Channel: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

Amazon: bt.sg/mham

Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/oeXe 

Spotify: bt.sg/oeGN 

YouTube Music: bt.sg/mhyt

Website: bt.sg/moneyhacks

Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice. 

---

Discover more BT podcast series:

BT Correspondents: bt.sg/btcobt

BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus

BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/pcOM

BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson