DBS Is Making Banking Effortless Because Really, “Where Got Time?”
Just a week ago, I realised that my debit card was nearing its expiry date.
Immediately, I thought about finding a good time to brave the typically long bank queues and renew it…and then it hit me.
When was the last time that I actually queued at a bank branch?
Not trusting my bad memory, I asked colleagues around me about the last time they queued (or even visited) a bank branch.
“Wow…I really think the last time was 5 years ago, when I went to get my debit card set up. I had a POSB kids account, and I needed to changed it to my current account,” said one.
The others, like myself, couldn’t remember the last time they even visited a bank.
Sure, withdrawing cash from an ATM is still pretty old school, but many bank-related transactions can now be done by starting up your iBanking app.
Take for example the transferring of funds.
I still remember when buying an item from an online shop meant heading down to an ATM, carefully keying in the account number, getting the transaction receipt, taking a photo of the receipt, sending over the photo to the vendor, and waiting for confirmation of payment.
Now, all you need is the recipient’s phone number to make a transfer!
What’s more, you’ll even get the digital receipt sent via SMS to your phone as well.
Checking in on my savings and financial health has also never been easier. I can’t imagine how tedious it might have been a decade ago, when the only way you could check your funds was by updating your passbook!
DBS Bank has just revealed plans to make banking even more convenient for customers, and it’s doing this by going ‘invisible’.
The Very Visible DBS Bank Goes…Invisible?
Just 2 weeks ago, DBS Bank unveiled that it’s ditching the decade-old, well-known tagline “Living, Breathing Asia” for a brand new one.
Said DBS CEO Piyush Gupta during the event, “In the last 10 years, we have successfully established ourselves as a leader in Asia banking. While we remain rooted to Asia, Asia is rapidly changing, like the rest of the world.”
With the ubiquity of the smartphone, the explosion of data and the rise of the sharing economy, customer behaviours are dramatically different from what they were before. Customers want a new kind of banking.
Thus, it wants to evolve from simply being a bank that understands the region it’s in, to being one that reimagines how banking is done and perceived.
And it’s doing so by, ironically, going ‘invisible’.
But how does a bank that serves a few million customers and that’s almost as old as Singapore go ‘invisible’?
Its new ethos, “Live more, Bank less”, is the answer.
Evolving With Singapore And Its Customers
Just like how Singapore has evolved and grown over the years, DBS Bank has similarly followed suit since inception in 1968.
First established by the Singapore Government as The Development Bank of Singapore (yes, that’s where the ‘DBS’ comes from!) to take over industrial financing activities from the Economic Development Board (EDB), it has since grown not just locally, but across various markets in the region as well.
Currently, there are over 280 DBS branches across 18 markets.
With a market capitalisation standing at about S$75 billion currently, it is among the top 40 most valuable banks globally, and has been the most valuable bank brand in ASEAN for the past six years.
Named the “Safest Bank in Asia” by Global Finance for nine consecutive years, and “Asia’s Best Bank” by publications like The Banker, Euromoney, IFR Asia, and Global Finance, it has also been the pioneer of many firsts in the industry.
For example, it was the first bank in Singapore to adopt cloud-based productivity technology, Office 365, in its workplace in 2016. DBS also became the first bank in Singapore to launch a cloud-based data centre in the following year.
While these 2 ‘firsts’ might not be very applicable to a regular Singaporean, I’m sure you’ve heard of another Singapore-first initiative that they launched last year.
Called “NAV Hub”, it is Singapore’s first financial planning centre by a bank which offers free advisory services, with – get this – no financial products being sold.
Targeted at millennials, they launched phase 2 of the initiative just last month – “NAV – Your Financial GPS“, a digital financial advisor that can be found in customers’ DBS/POSB iBanking and digibank apps.
Integrating all customers’ banking transactional activities, users can set budgets and goals, and no expenditure goes unaccounted for – making it the perfect solution for those who aren’t sure about whether or not they’re on the right track – financially-wise.
Not Just Chasing ‘Firsts’
But more than just chasing ‘firsts’, DBS Bank’s main driving force lies in enabling more customers to, like its new tagline, “Live more, Bank less”.
“Live more, Bank less” encapsulates many aspects and DBS is intent on enabling its customers to:
1. Live Hassle-Free With Invisible Banking
One way it plans to do this is by embedding banking in customers’ financial journey.
To do this, DBS has launched car, property, and electricity marketplaces on its website in the last 9 months, making browsing and purchasing these items even more seamless.
DBS iWealth, its platform for the higher-end consumer segment, also allows customers in Singapore and Hong Kong manage, trade, and transact via their mobile phones 24/7.
2. Seize Life’s Opportunities
iWealth also provides insights to these customers to better seize investment opportunities.
This includes having access to sophisticated portfolio and performance analysis, as well as curated research and investment views.
For the entrepreneurs among us, SMEs with DBS BusinessClass can get access to the latest market trends, a knowledgeable community of Asia’s business leaders, and also attend industry-specific events to gain more information and contacts.
As a means to give back to society and encourage customers to live more fulfilling, socially-conscious lives, AsiaForGood.com, was launched as a first-of-its-kind lifestyle portal to help social enterprises in Asia gain greater visibility.
3. Live Larger Than Themselves
More than just giving them a platform to showcase their goods and causes, DBS has also been helping social entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life since 2014 through the DBS Foundation, which is actively supporting social enterprises through funding, mentorships, and training.
Banking, Like Living, Should Be Effortless
Having made reimagining banking a priority in the last few years, we believe we are well-placed to personify and embody banking of the future. – DBS CEO Piyush Gupta
Doing bank-related transactions have become so effortless that there’s no more excuses for any inertia – be it in paying any bills, signing up for any new cards, or even getting a head start on investing.
More than just effort saved, it’s also a whole lot of time saved, and while I’m speaking mainly as a DBS Bank customer, I’m pretty sure this is the same for customers of other banks as well.
For banks, freeing up time and energy for customers doesn’t just make them more bold to do more with their account – it also gives them time to do more non-banking stuff.
Like having fun with friends over food and conversation.
Like building a home and loving relationship with your partner.
Like witnessing your child’s first words and steps.
And that’s exactly what DBS wants to help its customers do.
For more information on “Live more, Bank less”, please visit: www.dbs.com/livemore. This article was written in collaboration with DBS Bank.
This article first appeared on Vulcan Post.
We Found Out How We’ll Look Like In 30 Years’ Time – We Didn’t Like It
Apps that distort and enhance (some both, oddly) your face are aplenty, and it’s safe to say that we would have had fun with them at some point in the past.
AgingBooth, an app that been around for a few years now, is one that I’ve heard of, and seen photos of plastered on my Facebook feed.
Aimed to give an insight on how one will look when they’re older, the results usually see deep-set wrinkles and sagging jawlines added to a current photo of the user.
The good thing is that the results aren’t absolutely ridiculous, and while it’s impossible to confirm that the results are what we’ll look like 30, 40 years down the road, it still makes for good fun.
At our office, we’re always raring to try out interesting apps and services. So, we decided take a peek into the future, and tested it out ourselves!
The Results Were…
[caption id="attachment_26073" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Us in 2050?[/caption]
…but they definitely generated a lot of laughter in the office.
Ranging from too exaggerated to actually plausible, comments on the photos ranged from amused to pensive, and many were left wondering if this is the face they’d be seeing in the mirror down the road.
“I just look sad. Makes me wonder if anyone would want me when I’m older…”
“I look like an amiable grandma! But I wish I could do something about those wrinkles.”
“Actually, if I cross the road it looks like people will help me.”
With most of us in our mid to late 20s, the concept of ageing can sometimes seem far away, but there’s no need for the simulation from this app to know that our skin, hair and bodies would not be as young and healthy as before.
With most of us also spending most of our waking hours in the office, and the stress that comes with it, a stringent skincare routine and regular exercise can be challenging (albeit not impossible).
To add on, factors like a sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, the glare from the screen and ceiling lights, as well as the drying effect of the air conditioning aren’t your friends when it comes to looking youthful.
How Working In An Office Ages You
It’s common knowledge that people in manual labour, and those constantly out in the sun are more prone to ageing prematurely. Dirty air and relentless sunshine plague their days, giving rise to sunspots, dry skin, and clogged pores. But did you know that working in a cushy office isn’t that great a deal either?
Here are 2 of the main ways that office life ages you.
Stress At Work, Lack Of Sleep
[caption id="attachment_26074" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Image Credit: Confessions Of A Someday Somebody[/caption]
First of all, one of the most obvious factors – stress and exhaustion.
As we all know, the frowning and poring over our screens can induce the formation of wrinkles, but did you know that our workload can also affect our DNA negatively?
And not to mention, having a heavy workload also usually leads to less downtime to pamper ourselves. This leads to sloppy (or no) skincare, no time for proper sleep or exercise (which 
Image Credit: The Prospect[/caption]
Yes – while being under the blazing hot sun exposes you to UV Rays, you’re no safer under the fluorescent lights of your office.
Most lights are relatively harmless but there are some which, according to a study by the European Commission, emit blue light and ultraviolet radiation. In the long run, study by Stony Brook University also found that compact fluorescent lights, aka energy-saving lights, also have the potential to damage skin cells and make you look older than you are.
Ageing Is Unavoidable, But Looking Haggard Isn’t
[caption id="attachment_26076" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Image Credit: Beautyhaven[/caption]
While stumbling across a fountain of youth is clearly an impossible feat, there are definitely steps you can take to make your age actually look good on you.
For those with the luxury of time, investing in good skincare and maybe even a gym membership can help alleviate some effects, but what about problems like a sagging neckline, ageing skin, or deep set wrinkles?
This is where award-winning aesthetic clinic
Amaris B. Clinic’s Dr. Ivan Puah[/caption]
Providing a wide range of treatments ranging from facelifts, to even a weight management programme for those struggling with weight issues, customers are assured the best in aesthetic treatments.
In the fight against the ravages of time, customers can get to choose from a , both of which utilise the latest FDA-approved ultrasound technology to reintegrate new collagen, which eventually tightens and lifts the skin in those areas.
Ageing is unavoidable, but looking haggard isn’t – so the best time to start preserving your youth is now!
Tiny Pieces Of Paper & Quirky Imagination Was All It Took For Instagrammer To Make SG Fun Again
Albeit filling his Instagram feed with beautiful shots of landmarks unique to each country, Rich McCor is not your typical tourist.
The 29-year-old Londoner who works as in a creative agency goes the extra mile and incorporates intricately designed paper cutouts, which transform what we usually see on tourism sites and Facebook feeds into works of art.
His Instagram popularity soared after his feed was featured on .
In the 2015 interview, he mentioned, “I would love to somehow make this hobby into a career, and if it involves travelling to places to shoot these images then that would be a dream come true.”
As if a fairy godmother of Instagram took a liking to him after the article, his wish came true not long after, when Lonely Planet took an interest in his work and sponsored part of a round-Europe trip to feature landmarks in places such as Stockholm and Copenhagen.
Not only around Europe, he has also gotten the chance to travel around the world (Singapore, Hong Kong, China, the US) and worked with their country’s tourism agencies, so it looks like his brand of Instagram photography has definitely caught on.
Humble Beginnings
His start in his unique brand of Instagram postings began humbly enough – his feed was filled with personal shots of daily life and his paperart projects, and that background makes the situation all the more endearing because you see someone who just happened to get famous doing what he loves.
Isn’t that the dream?
He had also started experimenting in his brand of travel paperart on a weekend trip to Lisbon in Portugal and around London, and even from those early photos, his distinct style and unique way of looking at common sights can already be seen.
A photo posted by Rich McCor ?? (@paperboyo) on
In an
This caught the attention of crowd-sourced recommendation ‘Little Black Book’ website Great Little Place – London, who challenged him to come up with 10 unique photos for them, and in all of them, McCor decided to include paper cutouts. And as they say, the rest is history. In collaboration with @visit_singapore, Singapore Tourism Board’s official Instagram account, our sunny island has also been paperboyo-fied! What’s special about each of his 14 posts is that each contain a tidbit of information about the landmark which will astound even us locals! His work didn’t seem to impress one of the residents at our Jurong Bird Park though… A video posted by Rich McCor ?? (@paperboyo) on Regardless, his beautiful shots of Singapore were not only gorgeous, but also inspires us to look at these ‘common’ sights in new and creative ways. Personally, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of his quirky cutouts changing perceptions of how we look at the world. Interested? Follow him on Instagram for updates! Also, read A Peek At NDP 2016 – What You Can Expect And Look Forward To!
@paperboyo In Singapore
NUS Clinches 1st Place In Asian University Ranking For Third Year Straight; NTU Rises To 3rd
Three local universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) had a stellar performance in an annual ranking of Asian universities, released by education and career consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) this morning, 
NUS re-clinched the top honours at 1st place for the third year running, while NTU moved up one place to 3rd, and SMU entered the rankings at 60th place.
The rankings included Asia’s 350 best universities and this is 50 more than the previous annual ranking.
The QS ranking uses 10 key performance indicators in its judging – academic reputation (30%), employer reputation (20%), faculty-student ratio (15%), citations per paper (10%), papers per faculty (10%), proportion of international faculty (2.5%) and students (2.5%), and proportion of in (2.5%) and outbound (2.5%) exchange students. This year, the number of staff with a PhD (5%), was also included as another metric of judgement.
NUS, NTU Achieved Perfect Scores
QS gave NUS and NTU perfect scores for four metrics each – academic reputation; employer reputation; citations per paper, and international faculty for the former, and employer reputation; citations per paper; international faculty; and the proportion of outbound exchange students for the latter.
NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan cited strong government support as the key to local universities’ success, and states that NUS’ priorities are preparing “future-ready graduates”.
NTU president Bertil Andersson prides the university’s good performance in being the No. 1 in Asia for citations per papers, which measures the impact NTU-based research has on the world of academia.
SMU’s 60th Placing A “Great Achievement”
As a relatively young university (16 years old, compared to 25 year old NTU and 36 year old NUS) with much fewer degrees on offer (7 vs. over 50 for the other two), QS has called its 60th placing a “great achievement.
SMU provost Lily Kong has also stated said the university “is highly committed to delivering high-quality teaching and research, for which ranking is only one possible – if imperfect – indicator”.
Singapore, An Attractive Education Hub
With such good performance, it is not wonder that there is an influx in foreign students coming to local universities.
Local parents also find the importance of university education, with a
