Over 20 years of “understanding the true mission” of Hong Kong’s most discerning customers has proved Mr. ARNOLD YEUNG chairman of AMG FINANCIAL GROUP has got what it takes to cater to the astute clients, and more.
Arnold Yeung, Chairman of AMG Financial Group.
Tougher industry regulations, rapidly changing financial markets, Internet-influenced-work force, confused investors and competition from banks are merely a few of the challenges facing the wealth management experts in Hong Kong. But, in a sense, this is nothing new. Nearly 20 years ago when Arnold Yeung founded AMG, Hong Kong was awash with speculators – all wanting to ‘get rich quick’. This spawned a whole army of financial cowboys, born to cater to this lucrative market.
In those early days, Yeung prophesied (in the pages of this very magazine) that the market would eventually see the wheat from the chaff. Investors would see the unstably of their ways and embrace the pragmatic approach AMG was committing to – a steady, controlled, informed wealth management methodology targeted at its client’s long term financial goals.
“Our real business is in growing with satisfied customers – this is the “SHORTEST” cut to success.” – Arnold Yeung, Chairman of AMG Financial Group
What Investors Need…and Want?
Traditionally, aggressive investors have always wanted to be money jockeys – racing, blindly to financial goals, one after another. Two decades back the economy was far healthier. People had more disposable income, were less investment-savvy (than today) so the territory was fertile ground for the best wealth managers to take root. Alongside, many weeds cropped up too and together the good, bad and ugly basked in the summer they thought would never end.
In Hong Kong, Mr. Yeung set up a financial firm with quite a different agenda. His purpose was simple – to design the most pragmatic wealth management strategy for whomsoever walked though his doors. “I simply want to maximize their reasonable potential for gains while reducing their potential for loss, while leaving margins for unexpected events that may impact the strategy. With this approach, in the long term they either fulfill their target or achieve very close to it, of course sometimes even exceed it. On the way, financial turbulence does not impact them too much because we have prepared for it.”
This simple, customer-centric approach was nearly unheard of then but it hit the sweet spot with serious investors – people who understood the ‘value of foresight’ better than ‘short term success’. Mr. Yeung began building his customer base way back then and what started as a boutique financial advisory firm two decades ago and grew into one of Hong Kong’s largest wealth management companies with a difference, successfully making the case for, integrity.
Consumers Dictate Trends
On the insurance front, increased competition has brought the consumer better cash value and shorter breakeven points. Leading insurers are competing on service standards and many are looking at online-automated/robotic service possibilities. That is not unusual and explained why there are growing number of young talents joining this industry that is full of challenge and prospect.
On the wealth management landscape, we see companies offering their own fund or financial product that is not regulated in Hong Kong. They are also diversifying into the overseas property market arena.”
“In this tightened regulatory environment, transparency is vital and this is why we don’t want to carry un-regulated product. The Internet is educating the consumer everyday and buyers have the power of choice now. People are now more vigilant and conservative in their investment outlook. Coupled with that, regulatory bodies are well for the customer and for Hong Kong as a regional capital for quality financial services, it requires us to work harder within this tighter regulatory framework.”
Sincerity is Crucial
Arnold Yeung: “We offer a one-stop-shop for private and institutional clients based on this guarantee of sincerity of service.”
“As I said from the start, you will earn the business when you grasp the customer’s interest at heart and you can only do that when you see your client as your family. Offer those that you would purchase yourself as customer,” says Yeung, insisting that sincerity of service is the only way forward.
“At the end of the day, it is always the customer to make the choice. We gather the appropriate financial tools and present the best possible solutions for the customer to choose. This is where the bond of trust comes into the picture.”
He explains: “The customer is paying for our industry knowledge, product expertise, views on financial market trends and experience in risk management. Customers want to buy products in their interest and not ours. This happens with trust that takes time to build upon. We understand that particularly in this business referrals matter. Our real business is in growing with satisfied customers – this is the “SHORTEST” cut to success.”
Greater Challenges
As every wealth manager will agree, curbing customer excitement is easier said than done. Investors are always looking for the quick buck and today, we have to deal with enquiries about crypto currencies and speculation on precious metals prices etc, Mr. Yeung says.
“Often we risk losing the business because the investor wants to take risks on un-regulated products and we don’t agree. We see it as our duty to do the right thing and safeguard them. It is undesirable if they don’t listen but at the end of the day we have to stay on the path we started at – the foundation of AMG – to do our best for our client, hand on heart, true to our conscience and that’s all that matters for us. This is our pledge to all our customers overseas and local. We are seeing a growing increase in China and overseas clients coming to live and work in Hong Kong. This is the new reality. They have great expectations of our expertise and we have to serve them just as well. At the end of the day AMG moved ahead only by being true to our principles, our convictions. This philosophy extends through all sectors of our business from insurance, to wealth management to trust and estate planning etc. We offer a one-stop-shop for private and institutional clients based on this guarantee of sincerity of service, and of course, our professional knowledge and experience as well. If there is a formula for AMG’s success, this is it,” Mr. Yeung concludes.
For additional information, please visit www.amgwealth.com
Hong Kong’s Business Leaders share market and interest intelligence in the pages of HKMVC 2020
知識煉就智慧 客戶增長的金鑰匙
安柏環球金融集團主席楊學超深明香港最精明消費者的真正需要，這二十多年的歷練印證了他的能力，為精明睿智的客戶提供比其他同行做得更好的服務。
楊學超，安柏環球金融集團創辦人。
越趨嚴緊的監管，瞬息萬變的市場，受着互聯網影響而感到困惑的投資者，與銀行的激烈競爭，種種都是對香港財富管理專業面對的挑戰。不過，這都不是甚麼新鮮事。早在二十年前楊學超先生成立安柏的時候，香港就已經充斥着希望「一夜致富」的投機者。大量金融業界 “非常積極人士”也因以迎合市場的需要而應運而生。
當時，楊先生已（正正在本刊中）預言市場最終有去蕪存菁的一天。“積極的”投資者將會意識到他們的高度進取投資方法不穩妥，轉而採用安柏一貫堅持的穩實的理財方法。安柏的理財策略比較平穩、受控，配合市況，能對準客戶長遠的財務目標。
投資者需要甚麼，想要甚麼？
傳統上，積極的投資者往往都急功近利，向着一個又一個的短期財務目標追求。回想過去二十年，經濟有序地持續增長，一般人的手頭資金亦相對寬裕，但卻對投資比較外行（對比今天來說），因此，這造就了香港成為一片豐饒之地，亦令最優秀的財富管理人都在此植根。伴隨而來的是浮現出莨莠不齊的景象，所有人彷彿活在一個沒有風險及波幅的景況中。
回想開業當初，楊先生懷着堅毅的態度，在香港成立了安柏環球金融集團。他的目標很簡單，就是為所有客戶設計出最踏實的財富管理策略。他表示﹕「我希望能為客戶合理地提升收益，同時盡量減少風險，也會為有可能影響策略的意外情況預留空間。策略長遠湊效，我的客戶能接近目標，達致目標，甚至超越目標。因為我們已作準備，理財過程中的風浪對我們没有太大的影響。」
以客為先這簡單做法雖然在當時可算新鮮事，但卻能打動認真的投資者。我們的客戶重視長遠利益，而不會把目光放在短期回報上。楊先生在很久之前就把顧客群建立起來，由一家精品理財顧問公司 (boutique financial advisory firm)發展成以誠信見稱的一站式財富管理公司，其規模更是全港數一數二。
消費領導潮流
在保險領域中，競爭劇增，消費者因行業競爭而得益，除了獲得更理想的現金價值外，亦能更快達致損益平衡。於行業屬領導地位的保險公司在服務水平方面競爭，不少公司更向網上自動化方向尋找機會。正因如此，我們見到越來越多年輕人才有興趣加入這個富競爭及有前景的行業。
而在財富管理業界中，我們留意到一些公司在發行自己的不受香港監管機構監管的基金或理財產品，而他們的業務更會涉及海外物業的投資。」
「在越趨嚴謹的監管下，透明度相當重要，我們不願意提供不受監管的金融產品。消費者每天都在互聯網上吸收新資訊，並有著絕對的選擇權。投資者現在更為謹慎，投資展望亦更保守。再者，有了監管機構保護消費者，保護香港作為提供優質金融服務的區域中心角色，種種因素都意味着我們在嚴密監管框架下需要下更多苦功。」
「只有客戶滿意，我們的業務才得以真正發展，這是達致成功的最佳“捷徑”。」- 楊學超，安柏環球金融集團創辦人
真誠守護顧客
楊先生堅持真誠服務才是唯一出路，他認為﹕「正如我開始所說，倘若你可以待客如親人，就能抓緊客戶心意，以真誠贏得客戶的信任，並提供那些你自己也會購買的產品給客人選擇。」
「決定權最終還是在客戶手裡。我們所做的是蒐集合適的理財工具，並介紹在可能情況下最好的方案給客戶選擇。這是互相信任的體現。」
他解釋﹕「顧客的信任是建基於我們的行業知識、產品知識、對金融市場走勢的見解、風險管理的經驗。他們想購買的產品需要符合他們的利益，而非符合我們的。信任並非一朝一夕可以建立起來，有了顧客的信任，他們才會選擇我們的服務，尤其在這行業中，客戶推介非常重要。只有客戶滿意，我們的業務才得以真正發展，這是達致成功的最佳“捷徑”。」
挑戰與日俱增
楊先生說﹕「任何一位財富管理經理都會同意，安撫顧客高漲的情緒是知易行難的事。投資者都想賺快錢，我們現在不免要處理有關加密貨幣及貴金屬投資等等的查詢。」
楊先生總結﹕「很多時候，客戶想冒風險購買不受監管的產品，可是我們不同意這種做法，這亦是我們對香港、國內及海外客戶的承諾。換而言之，我們可能會失去這宗生意。但做正確的事，捍衛正確的事，我們視之為職責。若他們不願接受我們的意見，那當然不理想，但我們最終還是要貫徹始終，忠於安柏的根本精神，以客戶利益為先，至真至誠，忠於良心。這才是我們關心的，亦是我們對香港、國內以及海外客戶的承諾。我們亦都觀察到越來越多中國內地及海外客戶來港定居及工作，形成了一番新景象。這些客戶對我們的專業知識很有期望，所以我們亦要為不同的客戶提供優質的專業服務。忠於安柏的原則和信念是我們賴以繼續向前的動力。這種思維脈絡伸延至每個業務範籌，包括保險、財富管理、信託以及家族資產傳承策劃等。我們憑藉豐富的專業經驗與真誠的態度為個人及機構客戶提供一站式服務。若是說安柏有甚麼成功秘訣，這就是我們的秘訣。」
如欲知悉更多資料，請瀏覽: www.amgwealth.com
