Need help with long-term financial goals?

The availability of self-serve investment platforms and “robo advisors” has made it easier than ever for first-time investors to start their financial journey. But the human touch from a financial advisor can make all the difference for long-term financial planning. GROW with Singlife is aiming to flip the role of investment platforms. The Singapore-based company aims to be a powerful enabler for the success of financial advisors.

Through GROW, advisors can access a curated ecosystem of investment solutions, insights and tools on the investment platform. This helps them in delivering more informed and impactful advice to their clients, giving clients the confidence in achieving their financial goals. Find out more about this, below – and hear how a seasoned investor turned his losses around and achieved his financial goals with the guidance of his financial advisor, supported by GROW with Singlife.

The advantage of a financial advisor over a robo advisor

When it comes to navigating the complexities of investing – understanding market volatility to having a holistic and long-term view of financial planning – technology alone often falls short.

Financial advisors can bring structure, insight and strategy to wealth planning, offering deeply personalised advice that robo advisors cannot replicate.

A word from Farooq Lone, CEO of GROW with Singlife, on robo advisors vs financial advisors:

“Robo advisors leverage technology to deliver low-cost, one-size-fits-all investment solutions. They work well for first-time investors as an easy way to get started on their investment journey.

“Financial advisers provide deeply personalised service across a broad spectrum of financial planning needs. Capturing the nuances of your unique circumstances and various life stages allows for holistic planning that goes far beyond investment, into areas such as insurance, tax and estate planning.

“Our focus at GROW with Singlife has been on ensuring that financial advisers have the knowledge, products and tools to provide a seamless experience for clients to achieve their financial goals through this route.”

From losses to a resilient portfolio with the help of a financial advisor

Singaporean Andrew Lim is 65; he began his investing journey back in 2000. He didn’t have an advisor at the time, so he made investment decisions on his own. In 2008, he suffered significant losses, which left him extremely cautious and more risk-averse when investing. Then he met Jessie Leo from Professional Investment Advisory Services (PIAS).

How did your financial advisor help you in restructuring your investments?

Jessie helped me adopt a disciplined regular savings plan of contributing a fixed amount each month. This strategy has worked well, especially during periods of high market volatility. She also recommended strategic lump-sum investments, when opportunities and market conditions allowed. My portfolio is now structured with a well-balanced mix of equities, bonds and money market instruments. It now suits my risk profile and financial goals.

How does she continue to guide you in your financial planning?

To help reduce concentrated risks and exposure to any single market or sector, she has diversified my investments across various industry sectors and geographic regions. During our quarterly reviews, she provides clear, well-informed advice on any necessary adjustments. I also value her ability to highlight good investment opportunities without applying any pressure.

Her thoughtful and strategic planning has been instrumental in helping me build a more stable and resilient financial foundation. Jessie has even taken the time to educate my wife and me on investment strategies, as well as the broader economic and geopolitical trends that may affect the portfolio.

Over time, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of investing, and my confidence in her advice has continued to grow. I truly value her guidance and expertise as a financial advisor. Most importantly, Jessie’s support has given us peace of mind and confidence that we’re on track toward a secure retirement.

How do you use GROW with Singlife to manage your investment portfolio?

Over the years of working with Jessie on GROW with Singlife, I’ve become increasingly familiar with the investment platform. I use it to manage my unit trust portfolio. I’ve found it to be intuitive, reliable and easy to navigate.

Tools that help financial advisors in enhancing advice for clients

Jessie has been with PIAS for 15 years. She continues striving to empower investors with investment recommendations and advice grounded in both technical analysis and real-world knowledge.

How does GROW with Singlife help you in supporting your clients on their investment journey?

The investment platform provides seamless access to a broad range of unit trust funds. It also enables efficient switching between funds within the same fund house, or across different fund houses and asset classes.

The platform’s powerful daily generation of historical valuation reports has served me well throughout the years. Those reports provide critical insights into how the portfolio has fared in light of market conditions, making portfolio evaluation across different periods possible.

GROW with Singlife is enhancing its platform to provide more reliable resources to support financial advisors. The new integrated investment solution will combine a tech-forward investment platform, flexible multi-asset trading and advisor guidance to help clients reach financial goals. This will enable advisors to deliver more personalised and holistic wealth guidance.

I’ve also experienced a human touch from all levels from the company – from the management team and senior executives to the support staff and operations crew. Advisor support like this – with direct and open access, plus close rapport – is not easy to come by. It makes a whole lot of difference when it comes to delivering better outcomes for our clients.

What’s your assurance for anyone who’s hesitant about working with a financial advisor?

A person’s finances are deeply personal and often emotional – an advisor brings structure, insight and strategy to each client’s financial journey. Personally, I help my clients avoid costly mistakes, stay focused on long-term goals, and make decisions with clarity rather than emotion.

How GROW with Singlife partners with advisors and investors

Hear from CEO Farooq Lone…

“We have three key pillars to our value proposition. Firstly, our seamless digital platform provides a wide array of investment options that are purposefully curated for advisors to meet diverse client needs. We also offer exclusive IPO-style fund launches, in partnership with top global asset managers like BlackRock and Fullerton Fund Management. This gives advisors and their clients access to differentiated investment opportunities.

“Secondly, our advisor and customer enablement ecosystem, ELEVATE, provides upskilling opportunities for financial advisors. Through curated market research and insights, training and certification courses, and thought leadership and networking events, they stay on top of their game and form stronger partnerships with us.

“Third is customer success and support, which delivers operational excellence without losing the human touch. We also have FUTURA, our one-of-a-kind annual convention that combines having fun, celebrating success, building meaningful networking and experiences, with overseas learning. This enables advisors to expand their perspective while forming stronger connections within the ecosystem.”

Hear from COO Aditya Sood…

“Advisors need digital infrastructure that works for them, so that they focus more on their clients and less on admin. They also need access to relevant, high-quality investment solutions that add value – we offer a wide array of products to meet different client needs. Lastly, through insights, training and networking experiences, we help advisors sharpen their edge and build confidence to serve clients across different life stages and market conditions.”

Find out more at grow.singlife.com.

This article  first appeared in the October 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy! Head to our Living in Singapore section for more stories on work and finance, and the best things to do in Singapore with the family.

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