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TMA provides in-depth understanding of Hong Kong laws and taxation for companies looking to set up investment projects not only in the city but also in other parts of China.

A 1998 TGT innovation, GIG allows the company to place optical fibres within gas pipes providing up to 100Gbps point-to-point fibre links and dedicated bandwidth services.

Cutting-edge technology, global partnerships and exclusive product offerings are Standard Chartered Bank’s weapons of choice.

Shama Island North has a total of 121 rooms, with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom configurations.

PrimeCredit, established in 1977, has for the past 40 years focused on being a friendly ‘brother’ to Hong Kongers and their day-to-day financial needs. Since starting out as a provider of consumer durable and cash loans, the company has been through many changes both in itself and in its business environment, testament to the durability of its relationships with customers and ability to stand the tests of time. Amongst several landmarks since its foundation, the company in 2005 became the first consumer lender to offer a credit card; in 2010 acquired GE Capital’s consumer finance business in Hong Kong; and in 2015 was acquired by a consortium comprising China Travel Services (CTS), specialist lender Pepper Australia, and York Capital Management. “If you look back since 1977, the company has come a long way. We have gone through business changes, but what makes us most proud is we have come through the economic cycles and are still standing strong,” says Susanna Liew, PrimeCredit’s Chief Executive Officer. “Today, the top five personal loan lenders constitute about 80%-85% market share, and PrimeCredit is clearly the leader. We have grown with our customers.” One of the key market environment changes has been the advent of more onerous regulation across financial services, but rather than fighting against this change, it’s something PrimeCredit, with its long-held focus on customer relationships, has welcomed.“The introduction of new conditions on money lenders issued in December last year to monitor the use of intermediaries, is a really good move,” Liew explains. “It is not just the lenders that have to be disciplined. Borrowers also have to be educated that they should not go to intermediaries and pay them a fee, which is entirely unfair to consumers.” Staying ahead of the pack PrimeCredit has also maintained its leading position despite the challenge of low interest rates over recent years bringing more competition. It is always conscious of this and other factors which impact its clients’ daily lives, enabling it to achieve market leadership despite the number of competing lenders increasing to more than 1,800 from just 700 five or six years ago. As Liew puts it: “I have been blessed to see the cycles effect our industry, and have learned to expect the unexpected. We always keep on our toes to see the trends that are emerging, or any opportunity we have as a company to ourselves shape trends.” The rise in property prices in Hong Kong over recent years is one trend the company has tracked, as it has given many people a propensity to spend rather than save. This is particularly true of the “after 90s” generation, who have a growing taste for dining, travel, meeting with friends and enjoying life. But rather than just rush in offering everything this young generation desires, PrimeCredit always emphasises its services must have three characteristics – affordability, availability and accessibility – to ensure it grows with customers, not at their expense.“When customers need something, whether it is for the short- or long-term, they want to know a lender is helping them. We make sure every transaction or interaction with a customer makes their life more comfortable. It is part of our definition of affordability,” says Liew. Availability, meanwhile, is testament to the longevity of PrimeCredit in the market. Where some lenders come and go, PrimeCredit has been around for its clients in good times and bad. Accessible, meanwhile, is a more modern take on what has made PrimeCredit so successful over nearly half a century serving the people of Hong Kong. Over the past two years the company has built an innovative, interactive mobile platform for the “after 90s”, who often need short-term borrowing to serve their active lifestyles, and in the same spirit last year introduced credit card, WeWa. The card offered a special lucky draw on every spend of more than HKD400, with prizes ranging from an ice cream experience to a cup of coffee, or even a bill-free evening. To boost the attraction, PrimeCredit also this year introduced its ‘Share a Million’, where its customers can give them and their friends a chance of sharing HKD1 million, and began to offer up to three-month interest free installments without having to go through merchant approval. “We are entering a whole new space – it is very direct, very social, and viral – and we are planning more initiatives for next year. We need to become more social, more digital, our whole ecosystem has to live and breathe the life of these people,” adds Liew. PrimeCredit believes technology will enable it to provide more personalised sevice customisation for clients. It has proven over the past 40 years its ability to pivot to new developments, and in coming months will introduce an instant payment service and 24-hour, Artificial Intelligence chatbot which will converse with customers after learning from more than 400,000 hours of digital conversations on record. PrimeCredit intends to use this technology to forge closer links with merchants in Hong Kong, and its own clients, suggests Liew:“Technology will enable us to tie everybody together. We need to keep working on being first choice, so when people think about shopping, they think about WeWa credit card.” Warning: You have to repay your loans. Don’t pay any intermediaries. Complaint Hotline: 2111 2999 Money Lender’s Licence Number: 599/2017  

Mercedes-Benz has been the leading premium car brand for several years in Hong Kong.

Mayfare’s mantra of running the restaurant is simple, the Guest is God.

In a fast developing world, MassMutual Asia emphasizes innovation in their products and professional services. “We are living the vision of “MassMutual – where dreams are made”, says Jeanne Sau, Chief Marketing Officer of MassMutual Asia. “We place great emphasis on innovation and developing flexible solutions in risk- and wealth-management to help customers realise their long-term goals and dreams through professional financial planning services”. MassMutual Asia’s unique market positioning and distinct branding strategy are extremely important in helping the company meet the competitive challenges of and make itself stand out in the highly competitive market environment. Flexible Innovation MassMutual Asia is an energetic and progressive company that has been able to grow steadily with double-digit average annual growth in new individual business. Back in 2002, MassMutual Asia was the first insurer in Hong Kong to offer a guaranteed lifetime annuity plan. The company remains at the forefront of the industry, enjoying around 50% share of the local annuity market in policy count. This success is largely down to its unique product design. MassMutual Asia’s Target Lifetime Annuity Saver is an innovative product specifically designed for the purpose to help customers hedge the financial impact of longevity risk. It is the only annuity plan on the market that offers a guaranteed lifetime annuity payout, without any pre-set period, even the insured lives until 100 years old or even longer. This effectively counteracts the costs incurred due to an unexpectedly long lifespan. These can be compared to other annuity plans on the market that only provide pre-set installment payments for up to a 10- or 20-year period and, as these do not provide a lifelong income guarantee, thus they may not be able to adequately cover the risk of prolonged life expectancy. “One of our business strategies is to maintain our market leading-position in the retirement market by offering the market unique lifetime annuity and a comprehensive suite of retirement solutions,” says Jeanne, adding, “this allows us to fully cater for customers’ varying risk appetites and retirement needs.” To respond to customers’ ever-changing insurance needs, MassMutual Asia introduced the very first universal life insurance plan to the Hong Kong market in 1995. Unlike traditional life insurance plans, the revolutionary universal life insurance offers flexibilities to increase the coverage. Best of all, the premium rate for new coverage will be based on the insured’s age when policy was first issued instead of current age. And it offers a number of financial flexibilities to cope with emergencies. The number of hospitalizations due to critical illnesses has shown a steadily increasing trend, and critical illnesses are also striking patients at a younger age. On average, one in every five women or four men may suffer from cancer. Worst of all, up to 40% of those newly diagnosed with cancer range from people in their 20s to 50s, and are often in the middle of their careers. Hong Kong people are increasingly concerned about health protection and many have critical illnesses insurance plans with coverage ranging from HK$500,000 to HK$1 million. “Cancer treatment can be extremely costly,” explains Jeanne adding, “especially if the newest treatments and drugs are used, and treatment is usually lengthy. In order to secure adequate benefits to cover the costs of cancer treatment, it is advisable for customers to take out a comprehensive critical illness protection plan.” MassMutual Asia adopted a blue-ocean strategy by identifying unfulfilled risk- and wealth-management needs. “Taking a ‘breadth and depth’ approach in designing PrimeHealth Extra Care as an innovative solution, we bundled critical illness and life protection as well as savings into a single policy,” says Jeanne, “The plan allows multiple claims for common illnesses such as cancers.” MassMutual Asia goes the extra mile with their PrimeHealth Extra Care enabling multiple claims for cancer. “Benefits are paid no matter whether the cancer is a recurrence or metastasis of the preceding cancer, or is an existing or a new cancer,” says Jeanne, “provided that the period elapsed between the diagnosis dates of the respective cancers is three years or more, which is substantially shorter than the 5-year period required by similar critical illness plans in the market. PrimeHealth Extra Care also offers the market-unique extension of life protection, which enables customers diagnosed with a critical illness to take out a permanent life insurance plan, without the need to provide proof of insurability. This provides protection to the insured and his/her family, just when they need it most. The Way Forward Traditionally, insurers have limited interaction with those insured because a considerable proportion of communication relies on intermediaries. “Our solution for this is leveraging mobile technology, with specially designed mobile applications. We will be able to maximise more direct and effective touch points between our company and policyholders, and to create more opportunities to gain insight into customer needs,” says Jeanne. Commenting on MassMutual Asia being named “Innovative Insurance Company” in the Hong Kong Business High Flyers Awards 2017, “It is a great honor for us to receive this award for four years running. The award means that we have taken the right direction in terms of product design and positioning, and is a great compliment to our product innovation capabilities and a tremendous endorsement of our business-development strategy.” says Jeanne. With MassMutual Asia’s innovative products and responsiveness to customer needs, the company will no doubt be able to meet the challenges ahead.   

It takes twenty years to build a reputation, and just five minutes to ruin it. Professionals should keep this old adage in mind when offering their services to clients, as they expose themselves to the possibility of litigation should anything go wrong. A lawsuit can make or break a business, with rising litigation costs that cannot be easily shouldered by most professionals. “In today’s world, in which litigation is increasing, people are eager to take advantage. A lawsuit can be brought against any professional for alleged or actual mistakes and even if no error was made, simply defending these suits can be very costly,” warns Neil McCormick, Senior Manager, Insurance & Estate Planning, Platinum Financial Services. “Any claims against you, be they legitimate or unfounded, will typically require significant funds to investigate, defend and settle. The damage to reputation can also take a financial toll on your balance sheet.”   All-around protection This is where a Professional Indemnity (PI) or Professional Liability Insurance policy comes in handy. Professional Liability Insurance will indemnify insured parties for losses that they become legally liable to pay as a result of claims alleging a breach of their professional duty in the provision of their professional services. It also covers associated legal costs in defending these claims. Professional indemnity insurance provides protection for businesses, sole traders or freelancers that offer advice or services to third parties including both the general public and other businesses. “As a result of the professional service that you offer you owe a duty of care to those who might rely upon what you tell them. This means that a vital part of your insurance will be Professional Indemnity cover,” says McCormick. The PI policy can offer coverage for compensation which a professional might need to pay to correct a mistake. It covers any legal costs due to negligence, such as giving incorrect advice or making a mistake in one’s work. Traditionally, the coverage was closely connected with high-risk professions such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants and financial advisors. At present, however, the term “professional” is applied broadly and as such many different professions should have Professional Indemnity in place. There are a variety of ways in which professional services providers can make mistakes from which a lawsuit can arise. For instance, professionals can overlook a critical piece of information, misstate a fact, or be misunderstood. They may also be sued by their clients over allegations such as: error, omission, or negligence in providing a service; failure to provide a service, fraud, improper documentation, malpractice, nondisclosure, violation of state and federal law. “We now live in a world with ever-increasing demands being placed upon the services that we offer and mistakes are not easily forgiven. Place this against a backdrop of a stricter regulatory and contractual framework that we must all work within and the risks are clear. No professional is safe without the right PI insurance to protect them from civil liability as well as financial and reputational loss,” McCormick notes. Backed by the best Professionals should absolutely not take the chance that litigation costs might cripple their company. Consider, for instance, the experience of an Interior Designer who accepted a contract for the design and fit-out of a boutique hotel. When the configuration of the lift and lobby area did not meet the original project specifications as there was not sufficient room within the concierge and reception area, the client was saddled with additional costs, materials and overall delays to the project. The interior designer was held liable for this breach. With professional indemnity coverage, the interior designer can rest easy knowing that the insurance policy will address litigation costs. When providing a quotation, insurers consider a number of factors in determining the type of coverage and terms and conditions that will be imposed. Considerations include (but not limited to): scope of professional services provided; annual fee income or projected revenue; split of activities across different jurisdictions; claims history; the scope of coverage including the limit of liability and deductible required. “Policies may vary according to the insurer but a professional indemnity insurance policy would typically not cover the following: Insolvency, Terrorism, Intentional damage or wrongdoing, pollution, general liabilities including property damage or bodily injury, pending or prior circumstances and/or claims,” McCormick adds. Platinum Financial Services offers a number of policies from top institutions, to cover virtually all requirements. Lifestyle Insurance is the dedicated independent General Insurance arm of Platinum Financial Services. Lifestyle Insurance aims to provide a first class, impartial, comprehensive General Insurance service that provides value for money and reliable, straightforward service to save clients both time and money. Platinum Financial Services is the ideal financial services provider of the 21st century - combining core traditional values of excellent service and sound independent financial advice with innovative client-oriented products and services. It guarantees some of the most competitive premiums available anywhere, and offers a diverse range of tailored financial and investment products, such as capital investment, retirement planning, life insurance, general insurance, offshore banking, international income protection and mortgage repayment, amongst others. Platinum Financial Services is a member of the Business Class Group. The Business Class Group consists of a number of specialist operating brands providing a comprehensive range of quality services to the professional expatriate and high-net worth local community across Eastern Europe and Asia. Headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in China and Thailand the Business Class Group assists both private individuals and corporate businesses.  

It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong for travellers, that standing out may seem like a hopeless cause. But Lan Kwai Fong Hotel @ Kau U Fong has done just that – become a haven for comfort, art, and style for the young and young-at-heart who need a break from the city noise. Located somewhere between the bustling urban district and the culture-rich Sheung Wan, the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel caters to discerning travellers who are seeking a boutique hotel that can keep up with their fast lives. Immerse in culture “We aim to offer a taste of arts décor, interior design and amenities provide a unique experience that put our guest deep into lifestyle and culture. We continue to stand out ourselves with its attention to details and passion for inspiring travelers,” says general manager Rebecca Kwan. She says they keep these in mind as they strive to differentiate their services and strengthen the loyalty of their customers, 32% of whom are European, 23% Chinese, 12% American, 8% Australian, and the rest hailing from Japan, Korea, and other Southeast Asian countries. “Nowadays, travelers appreciate a place for people to co-mingle and bring them together for interaction. We constantly create unique experience and activities that make our guests interest to coming back, and have different experiences that could share with the others,” says Kwan. The Lan Kwai Fong Hotel’s daily happy hour features complimentary wine and snacks as well as other evening activities for guests at the Breeze Lounge, for example, wine tasting events, cocktails, and live music. Hotel also partnered with The Hong Kong Arts Centre to invite well-known artists to the Hong Kong, where talked and shared their art projects, and discussed their philosophy to our guests; and Professor Wong from the Old Master Q to sign autographs and present his original drawings to the hotel guests. The master pieces of a famous French street muralist can be discovered on the façade of hotel, and now it becomes a popular tourist spot to take pictures. Various art pieces have also been displayed in Hotel lobby. For example, a Fine Chinese Painting which is one of the most famous collections from Sotheby’s Auction, and “Lost City” ; a designer lamp from a well-known local artist. Kwan says nowadays travelers want to experience the authentic local instead of just a place to stay. “We have prepared a hand drawn travel guidebook with local advice about the neighbourhood of our hotel. This is a unique guidebook that specially selected and designed by our Team,” she says. Being a neighborhood in the area for 12 years, our team has tried out all of the restaurants and knows all the best and up-to-dated local recommendations. “It has been shared with all our guest and they are really impressed with that. In between those skyscrapers, travellers may discover that there is actually a cosy coffee shop hidden at the corner, an extraordinary designer shop on the alley, a quintessential dai pai dong in the centre of a street,” says Kwan. Unique partnerships Hotel also has strong partnership with restaurants, unique shops in the area, associations and arts & cultures organizations etc … which offer discounts or special promotions, and we are also able to secure complimentary tickets for some of the major events in town for our in-house guests. “We do make sure we are part of the conversation in the city’s scene, also providing experience that the guest couldn’t otherwise get,” says Kwan. These elements, she explains, make the boutique hotel attractive to the adventure-hungry young crowd that prowl the streets of Hong Kong. “The hotel industry is rapidly changing to reflect the travel trends of this hip, youthful generation. It is this desire for authenticity that drives millennial travellers to seek out hidden gems, local food, and gathering places,” says Kwan. “We are geared more towards millennial crowd because of our design, central location in an amazing neighbourhood,” she adds. This kind of philosophy even extends to the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel’s own employees. If creativity in service is the goal, then it begins with an empowered crew, says Kwan. “We recognize our staffs have more to offer in skills and talent than they are currently being asked to demonstrate at work, we have created platforms for our associates to further develop their talents,” she says. She then shared the case of their bell captain in the concierge team, who plays the saxophone during his off-work hours. Upon learning about their worker’s musical talent, the hotel management invited him to perform live performances at the Breeze Lounge. He has the passion and feeling more engaged when interacting with our guests,” Kwan says. Now, the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel is on the lookout for more dynamic events on arts and culture so that they can enrich their guests’ experience even further. Kwan says they aim to connect people “with the ideal place to stay through sharing stories about hotel and the local culture.”  

While the second-hand luxury market is in full swing in the West, it is yet to be recognised in most parts of Asia.

Hang Seng Insurance’s diverse range of products provide customer-centric service for all ages and backgrounds.

Hang Seng Bank has a market capitalisation of HK$312.2 billion.

The Gold Discovery offers 16 new flavors, from nutty pralines and smooth caramels to intense ganaches and lively, fruity pieces.

Flawless customer service is at the core of FTLife’s leadership of the Hong Kong insurance market. Everyone in the company is committed to ensuring clients receive the best possible insurance and wealth management service. In fact, FTLife’s products and services have earned a glowing reputation locally and abroad. Best-in-class products FTLife offers a range of products to suit different clients and lifestyles, and the “MediCare” Medical Insurance Plan is one of the latest such examples. It provides comprehensive medical coverage with first-in-market1 features such as double major medical benefit when diagnosed with common severe urban chronic diseases, upfront no-claim discount for successful applications and a “Loss of Income Medical Booster” to suit clients changing jobs or going through involuntary unemployment. The plan also offers home-care benefit to help take care of domestic issues during hospitalisation. FTLife has also unveiled two flagship products – the “Regent” Insurance Series2 and “HealthCare 168” Critical Illness Protector. “Regent” is renowned for several market-first features, including a long protection period up to the age of 128, flexibility in changing the insured person and a high rate of return, offering policyowner an ideal wealth succession solution whilst making provision for future generations to have the means to realise dreams in life. The other flagship product of the company “HealthCare 168” also boasts a number of first-in-market3 features, including full coverage of 168 illnesses. The plan also provides coverage up to 160% of the sum insured on respiratory diseases and all future premiums will be waived after diagnosis and claims made in respect of severity level 2 or 3 critical illnesses. “HealthCare 168” provides critical illness protection and a means for savings to stand out in the market in both coverage and customer return. Tip-top service A powerful manifestation of the company’s commitment to clients is the HK$60 million FTL Prestige Customer Service Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, which is believed to be the first of its kind to be offered by Hong Kong’s insurance industry. Covering 14,000 square feet, this luxurious facility combines wealth and health management with advanced facilities and tip-top customer service. Elegance, comfort and hospitality are hallmarks of the FTL Prestige Customer Service Centre, which provides panoramic cityscape views over Victoria Harbour. Facilities include a concierge, business centre, meeting rooms, multi-function rooms, children’s play area, massage chairs and a tea spa. Complimentary refreshments and beverages are always available to visitors. FTLife takes its responsibility as “Health Manager” seriously and encourages customers to maintain healthy lifestyles. To this end, it launched two new initiatives - free health consultation and self-service health check station. Customers can consult registered dietitians, western medicine and Chinese medicine practitioners. The free service enables customers to get a professional explanation on their medical reports, as well as medical and health advice on healthy diets, nutrition, weight management, exercises, and other personal health issues. Devices for measuring bone density, blood pressure and BMI, along with a portable ECG, are all in place at the Self-service Health Check Station in the FTL Prestige Customer Service Centre, for customers to get an instant general analysis of their health conditions. FTLife was previously known by its Chinese name,. It underwent a branding exercise after becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tongchuangjiuding Investment Management Group (JD Group) in September 2016. Headquartered in Beijing, JD Group is a well-established investment management company with offices in China, North America and Asia. Its main lines of business are investment, Internet finance and insurance. JD Group’s investors include respected financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, foreign funds and high-net-worth clients. Capitalising on a heritage of excellence stretching back 30 years, FTLife seeks to become a world-class customer-centric insurance company that achieves long-term growth by flourishing in Hong Kong, thriving in mainland China and expanding throughout the rest of Asia. It maintains prudent investment strategies, a fact recognised by the high ratings awarded by relevant global agencies. FTLife is served by some 2,800 highly-skilled financial consultants and staff. Outstanding performance amongst consultants has been honoured on a global scale because many are members of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), a premier international association for financial professionals. Remarks: 1. Compare with similar medical insurance plans. 2. The Regent Insurance Series includes Regent•Prestige Insurance Plan and Regent•Premier Insurance Plan. 3. Compare amongst critical illness insurance plans of the same type.  

yè shanghai was created to celebrate the nostalgia of Shanghai’s glorious past heyday.