What it takes to be financially resilient: Yip Pin Xiu applies sports discipline to money management

Decades of endurance training in the pool honed Yip Pin Xiu’s discipline. As she inches closer to the next phase of her life, the same steady rhythm is guiding her in wealth management.

Speaking alongside chocolatier and entrepreneur Janice Wong at HSBC’s Premier Elite Mid-Year Market Outlook, the seven-time Paralympic gold medallist reflected on how lessons from sport, like goal-setting and daily discipline, are equally relevant to financial planning.

The transition to life after elite sport, she noted, is as much about mental and emotional readiness as it is about financial preparation.

She shares that as athletes, their lives revolve entirely around their sport, making it easy to feel lost when they step away from the competitive arena. Having spoken with other retired athletes, she sees the importance of planning early, even at the height of one’s sporting career.

“When it comes to sports, it takes years to set your goals and work towards them. It is the same for financial planning. Once you know you have a plan and you’re ready, it’ll be much easier to transition into the next chapter of life,” she said.

As for Wong, wealth planning is essential in preserving what she has built in the fast-paced food and beverage industry. As a business owner who has been in the trade for almost two decades and established a name for herself beyond Singapore’s shores, she has grown to approach wealth with the same creativity and discipline that fuel her culinary art.

“Having built businesses from the ground up, I’ve learnt that true wealth isn’t just about accumulating assets, it’s about creating diversified income streams and investment portfolios that can weather any storm,” she said.

Resilience and diversification were key themes discussed at HSBC’s Premier Elite Mid-Year Market Outlook. At the event, experts from the bank provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of investment opportunities, helping investors navigate the unpredictable market. Over 200 clients and guests attended the event, which was held at Andaz Singapore.

Speaking at the event, Ms Ashmita Acharya, HSBC’s head of International Wealth and Premier Banking for Singapore, highlighted the importance of wealth strategies that align with the increasingly global lifestyles of Singapore’s affluent.

“Our clients are not just investing. They’re planning for global mobility, multi-generational legacy and long-term resilience,” she said.

Ms Acharya shared that over half of HSBC’s wealth clients in Singapore are international, with many choosing the bank for its ability to support them seamlessly across markets.

Positioning for the next wave of growth

Meeting complex needs requires comprehensive wealth conversations – a key reason behind HSBC’s significant investments in client-facing capabilities to strengthen its presence in Singapore’s wealth management sector.

This includes three new wealth centres that are designed to offer premium and bespoke services spanning the wealth continuum. Two have already been opened at Marina Bay Financial Centre and The Star Vista, with a third set to open in the east of Singapore later this year.

“We see ourselves as more than a bank. We’re a long-term partner to our clients as they grow, preserve and pass on their wealth across generations and geographies,” she added.

Through its Premier and Premier Elite propositions, HSBC offers tailored solutions that are designed to support client needs as they evolve over time, helping them stay on course across all life stages and access long-term opportunities across markets.

These solutions range from managing wealth and planning for future goals, to growing a business, preparing for retirement, and leaving a lasting legacy.

Presenting HSBC’s investment outlook for the months ahead, Mr James Cheo, chief investment officer for South-east Asia and India, pointed to diversification and quality as key investment themes.

“Diversified and actively managed multi-asset portfolios focused on quality are well-positioned to capture opportunity and withstand short-term turbulence,” he said.

The speakers also highlighted structural trends such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and Asia’s domestic growth engines as potential drivers of long-term capital appreciation. Despite global market volatility, HSBC maintains a mild risk-on stance, especially in China, India and Singapore.

On staying adaptable in a fast-changing world, Yip said she makes a conscious effort to stay curious and keep learning, drawing insights from fellow athletes, industry experts and advisors to understand trends and how to move with them.

“I think change is inevitable and the person who can adapt the best to changes will be the one that rises up at the end of the day,” said Yip.

As the event concluded, the overarching takeaway was that navigating uncertainty requires more than just market insight and calls for a trusted partner who understands the full arc of a client’s financial journey.

Said Ms Acharya: “For our clients, financial resilience goes hand in hand with quality of life. Our focus remains on delivering propositions that are not only holistic but deeply attuned to what matters most to our clients across a lifetime.”

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