En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents

[mr funny]

March 10, 2008

En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents


I REFER to Thursday's letter, 'Wooing en bloc residents: One bank does it right' by Ms Lucy Chong Oi Peng. My family, too, has suffered harassment from all types of agents purporting to help us with our 'problem' of managing our finances.

On Thursday afternoon, two representatives of Manulife Financial rang our doorbell and asked my maid for my and my husband's mobile phone number. My maid refused and informed them that we were only tenants and not the targets they were interested in. They were very persistent and refused to leave. While one of them engaged my maid, the other tried to persuade my son to give up our phone number.

Koh Hui Hoon (Mdm)

[mr funny]

March 13, 2008

Manulife says sorry over actions of financial planners


WE REFER to Monday's online letter, 'En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents', by Madam Koh Hui Hoon. We would like to publicly apologise for the actions of our two financial planners.

Manulife places great emphasis on professionalism and integrity. All our dealings are characterised by the highest levels of honesty and fairness and we take pride in maintaining the highest ethical practices. We would like to assure Mdm Koh that Manulife Singapore takes the incident seriously and are investigating thoroughly.

We will not tolerate such behaviour from our financial planners and we thank her for bringing this to our attention. We will not allow this to happen again.

Nick Czolak

Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer

Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd

[Unregistered]

Banks woo cash-rich en bloc residents

2 Mar 2008

Talks held at Farrer Court to promote financial services to residents after estate’s $1.34 billion collective sale

WHERE there is money, businesses will pursue it. So it is not surprising that at least two financial players, Citibank and IPP Financial Advisers, have held talks at Farrer Court to woo residents with their services.

CITIBANK STAFF posted in the void decks of Farrer Court blocks invited residents to finance-related talks after the estate was bought by developer CapitaLand. At the talk, the Citibank officers spoke about financial management services for affluent customers. IPP Financial Advisers also held a talk there. — ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

Residents netted $2.15 million on average after the estate had a collective sale in June last year. The 618-unit estate in Farrer Road was bought by developer CapitaLand for a record $1.34 billion. The original owners paid a little over $100,000 for their units 31 years ago.

The wooing of the Farrer Court community began four months ago with the unusual sight of Citibank officers posted in the void decks. They invited residents to two finance-related talks, complete with a free buffet dinner, in the estate’s function room.

When The Sunday Times attended one talk last Wednesday evening, we saw bank staff handing out booklets to more than 150 residents. The staff spoke about financial management and Citigold services targeting more affluent customers.

Citibank said such talks were held on an ongoing basis in private residences, including The Berth by The Cove in Sentosa Cove in January.

Many residents liked what they saw. As Mr Aeden Tang, 49, a bank officer, said: ‘Other banks didn’t take the trouble to reach out to us, unlike Citibank.’

Another resident, a 56-year-old retiree who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan, agreed: ‘It’s a win-win situation because many residents are old and can’t shop around for a good bank.’

Independent financial adviser IPP also held a talk there yesterday which drew about 25 people.

Residents said Citibank’s more aggressive tactics worked better than IPP’s. The latter had put up a banner to advertise its talk.

Other banks such as Standard Chartered have also reached out to those living in private residences.

None of them or IPP wanted to reveal how much business the talks had generated. OCBC, however, stopped such roadshows two years ago as it felt that they encroached on residents’ privacy.

[Unregistered]

March 13, 2008

Manulife says sorry over actions of financial planners


WE REFER to Monday's online letter, 'En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents', by Madam Koh Hui Hoon. We would like to publicly apologise for the actions of our two financial planners.

Manulife places great emphasis on professionalism and integrity. All our dealings are characterised by the highest levels of honesty and fairness and we take pride in maintaining the highest ethical practices. We would like to assure Mdm Koh that Manulife Singapore takes the incident seriously and are investigating thoroughly.

We will not tolerate such behaviour from our financial planners and we thank her for bringing this to our attention. We will not allow this to happen again.

Nick Czolak

Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer

Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd

The highest standard of answer with a differerece. Fresh air. Yippie!!

[Unregistered]

March 13, 2008

Manulife says sorry over actions of financial planners


WE REFER to Monday's online letter, 'En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents', by Madam Koh Hui Hoon. We would like to publicly apologise for the actions of our two financial planners.

Manulife places great emphasis on professionalism and integrity. All our dealings are characterised by the highest levels of honesty and fairness and we take pride in maintaining the highest ethical practices. We would like to assure Mdm Koh that Manulife Singapore takes the incident seriously and are investigating thoroughly.

We will not tolerate such behaviour from our financial planners and we thank her for bringing this to our attention. We will not allow this to happen again.

Nick Czolak

Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer

Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Selling insurance? WTF, i really really hate insurance agents!

[Unregistered]

Selling insurance? WTF, i really really hate insurance agents!

Have u ever imagine sale personnel hating u ???????

[Unregistered]

March 10, 2008

En-bloc deals and irritating financial agents


I REFER to Thursday's letter, 'Wooing en bloc residents: One bank does it right' by Ms Lucy Chong Oi Peng. My family, too, has suffered harassment from all types of agents purporting to help us with our 'problem' of managing our finances.

On Thursday afternoon, two representatives of Manulife Financial rang our doorbell and asked my maid for my and my husband's mobile phone number. My maid refused and informed them that we were only tenants and not the targets they were interested in. They were very persistent and refused to leave. While one of them engaged my maid, the other tried to persuade my son to give up our phone number.

Koh Hui Hoon (Mdm)

This ppl always complain, gt ppl no ppl also complain. better for them to stay island with no ppl.
everybody trying to make a living, no need to be so heated up. tatic might no be the same but intention is to sell u prouduct. a service to ur doorstep, like tat also cannot.