About Alson Kong
Alson Kong
Senior Financial Advisory Director SingCapital Pte Ltd |
I might not be born with a silver spoon, but I can create my own silver spoon, and coach others on how to do it as well. With his motivation and passion to help others, Alson is now a powerful force in the company. As one of the top consultants in SingCapital for 5 years running, he is now a Senior Financial Advisor Director, mentoring a group of dedicated Financial Consultants and helping his clients reach financial freedom. He is a well-known trainer in financial and mortgage planning courses and is a certified Real Estate Salesperson (RES) trainer, guiding aspiring Salespersons in their understanding of property mortgages. Today, Alson has become the go-to person for his clients whenever they need any financial planning advice. With his strong rapport, Alson has clients who have stuck with him for the past 15 years, and it is the moments when he manages to change lives for the better that make him proud of his career. Coming from a very humble background where making ends meet was a daily struggle, Alson could only look on while other kids his age were flaunting their G-shock watches and Walkmans. His father was a painter, who despite toiling day and night, could only provide his family the basic necessities of life. Alson had to rely on himself if he wanted anything, and work was the only avenue through which he could get the objects of his desire. Thus, while other students were enjoying their school holidays, Alson would have to work part-time if he wanted to buy anything for himself. Over the years, he took on many odd jobs during the school vacations, but one of the most memorable involved working at an orchid nursery belonging to the father of a friend of his. “The nursery was situated at Lim Chu Kang, an absolutely ulu (remote) location even by today’s standards. I had to wake up during the wee hours of the morning to take a bus there, and I would only be able to return home late at night. In short, the job was not only back-breaking, it was tough.” And like the conundrum that his father was caught in, the gruelling job did not pay well, but young Alson could only persevere in this, since there were not many money-making opportunities for youngsters like him in those days. Those years also taught Alson first-hand the importance of money. A hand-to-mouth existence meant that his father had to toil tireless day and night; his elder sister had to forgo the chance of a higher education after her ‘N’ levels so that she could work and help her father provide for her younger brothers’ education. Till today, Alson is forever grateful for his family’s selfless dedication to move the family forward despite their tough living conditions. He also vowed – at that point in time – that he would become financially sound, so that he could repay his family for their kindness, and also turn his life around for the better. Turning Point While he was serving his National Service (NS), Alson was approached by an insurance agent, who started introducing him to the various insurance policies and encouraged him to start saving from young. Even though his NS salary was very little, the importance of money and saving led Alson to buy his first policy – the start point of his journey towards understanding wealth, as well as his eventual career in the financial advisory industry. Staying in contact with his insurance agent, the two frequently met up and these meetings triggered Alson to adopt the right direction. “Each time we met, there seemed to be a vast improvement in his life! His car kept getting bigger and he seemed to be living a good life doing insurance sales. I wanted the same for myself.” With the possibility of a “limitless income” in the insurance industry, Alson took the plunge to join insurance sales in 1998. Learning The Ropes With zero sales background and no knowledge whatsoever in economics, Alson had a challenging first two years. He had to learn the ropes from those around him and find his footing in the industry. On top of this, Alson also faced a financial setback – he committed to a car which he could not afford. At one point, he even had to play a “cat and mouse” game with the bank when he could not pay his car instalments on time. Unable to keep hiding, his car was ultimately towed away. Realising that this was not how he should be living his life, and with the goal to be financially sound, Alson was propelled to do the right things, and to charge on. “In my third year, I started to be more open-minded about the things around me, and that’s when I started to have more solutions when I’m dealing with my clients.” Alson started grabbing opportunities to meet more people and learn new things whenever he could, resulting in a vast improvement in his insurance sales. From someone who was struggling to find his footing, Alson no longer needed to cold call by his 5th year, as he had already established a string of repeat and referral clients. By 2005, Alson was one of the top performers in the company. He also formed his own agency with 20 agents under his wing. The efforts of his labour had finally paid off and he managed to taste the financial freedom he had been aiming for all his life. Next Milestone With SingCapital Things would have remained the same for Alson had he not had a paradigm shift in 2006. Tired of having to change the direction of his business each time there was a regional or international change in leadership, Alson also realised that the majority of his clients were already protected with their respective insurance. They were now venturing into alternative investments for wealth creation, and Alson wanted to be the one that they turned to. “I want to have a holistic, well-rounded business instead of just leading my clients to the right insurance policy. Being a wealth coach is my ultimate dream – to help my clients and those under me to achieve their financial freedom.” Alson chose SingCapital Pte Ltd after meeting Alfred Chia. With the idea of providing a financial service of a more holistic nature – a concept that was virtually unheard of in Singapore – SingCapital presented Alson and his team opportunities to deal with property owners and investors, giving them the chance to learn more about property as an asset class and to serve clients in mortgage planning. Alson saw how his team could make it big with the company, and in 2007, he joined SingCapital as a Financial Consultant, with his entire team of agents following suit. With his motivation and passion to help others, Alson is now a powerful force in the company. As one of the top consultants in SingCapital for 5 years running, he is now a Senior Financial Advisor Director, mentoring a group of dedicated Financial Consultants and helping his clients reach financial freedom. He is a well-known trainer in financial and mortgage planning courses and is a certified Real Estate Salesperson (RES) trainer, guiding aspiring Salespersons in their understanding of property mortgages. Today, Alson has become the go-to person for his clients whenever they need any financial planning advice. With his strong rapport, Alson has clients who have stuck with him for the past 15 years, and it is the moments when he manages to change lives for the better that make him proud of his career. Alson recounts how he managed to change a family’s life with the right advice: Mr Borhan And His Family
Having been Alson’s client since 2000, Borhan approached Alson for his advice about buying a bigger home. A Salesperson had told him that it was the best time to buy a bigger house, and that he would profit from the sale. To answer his question, Alson sat down with Borhan and went through his financial status thoroughly. He realised that if Borhan sold his house, he would profit in the short run; but he would have to carry the burden of a higher mortgage instalment in the long run. As Borhan was the sole breadwinner of the family and his current mortgage was affordable for him, Alson advised him not to commit to the bigger house. Borhan decided to follow Alson’s advice. Unexpectedly, in 2009, Borhan passed away. His wife approached Alson and sought his help with CPF claims, the distribution of assets, and other financial matters. Alson then realised that because of his advice, the family would be able to cope financially. With the CPF savings plan he initially recommended, and with the advice to not move to a bigger property, the family was neither burdened by an expensive mortgage, nor strained on their finances. The experience has motivated Alson to impact more lives like Borhan and his family with his financial advice for the long run. With a genuine concern for the lives of others, Alson has pushed himself far. His zest and passion for financial planning have definitely put him on the road to success, and Alson looks forward to more fruitful years of training and mentoring more like-minded individuals in the industry.
“If you only think about making money out of your clients, your passion will fizzle and you will not last long in the industry. So always ensure that you put yourself in their shoes and advise them the best way you can.” |