Negative sentiments dominate over one-third of money talks amongst Hongkongers

Younger people are more cautious indiscussing financial matters.

More than one-third of money conversations on social media that mention parents (34%), children (37%), and spouses (42%) contain negative sentiment, according to an SJP Asia report.

The report found that younger interviewees from more traditional Asian families are more cautious in discussing financial matters such as spending and higher-risk investments.

Meanwhile, expats expressed a reluctance to disclose financial information about their friends and family in their homeland due to differences in financial status.

Moreover, some people turn to professional advisers yet misconceptions about financial advice, such as the belief it is only for high-net-worth individuals, remain prevalent online.

On social media, people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to them about money decisions, impacting their comfort in talking about money topics.

Influencers, social media, and even the news media are consumed with scepticism, leading to misconceptions about information from trusted sources such as professional financial advisers.  

SJP’s social media analysis found that posts about lotteries and get-rich schemes get nearly ten times the engagement on social media as traditional media articles on financial management.

Further, retirement is a leading topic, generating more than 12,000 mentions over the past year. SJP said this shows how people link retirement with financial freedom and lifestyle flexibility.