'Buy now, pay later' deals changing the landscape for lending

FOR the cash-strapped, the offer of "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) is hard to pass up. Interest-free instalment payments give those on a budget the opportunity to piece out spending in a manageable way. But what a new crop of BNPL service providers now offer goes beyond making a big-ticket item affordable. The big draw of providers like Rely, hoolah, Atome and Octifi lies in how they offer access to easy-credit terms to those who do not have or are unable to get a credit card.

In Brunch this Saturday in The Business Times Weekend, we look at how this is changing the landscape for lending, and the risks involved for both consumers hooked on the "pay later" idea, as well as for the easy-credit business model.

In today's world, international relations is growing ever more complicated, with the spectre of geopolitical conflict and the threat to global security rising due to an increasing number of cyber attacks by both state and non-state actors. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, discusses the new paradigm for disarmament in The Raffles Conversation.

Surveys by private banks have shown that investors adjusted their asset allocations before the US presidential elections. Are these jitters warranted? Endowus looks at the data and finds out, in The Science Of Investing.

In The Finish Line, our columnist previews the weekend's big match in the English Premier League between Manchester City and defending champions Liverpool.

And on our Health page, why belly fat is the biggest enemy in the fight against obesity.

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