Premier family office and real estate experts revealed best practices for managing investments in times of uncertainty and market shifts at CTBC Bank’s annual year-end event yesterday. CTBC Bank’s signature Customer Appreciation Luncheon, which invites top clients and leading community members, was held at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles.

“While some of our peer banks are leaving the U.S. market, we are here to stay,” said Morris Li, Chairman of CTBC Bank, in kicking off the event. “With the recovery of the U.S. economy, we are optimistic about the business outlook. We can assure you that CTBC will continue to invest more in the local communities to better serve our customers and stakeholders.”

The program included remarks by Noor Menai, President and CEO of CTBC Bank USA, and findings from the bank’s recently released survey on managing risk (video link). Menai then led a Q&A “Fireside Chat” panel on navigating market uncertainty with Wendy Paskin-Jordan, Founder and CEO of Paskin Capital Advisors and Commissioner of San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System, and Timothy Ballard, Co-Founder and CEO of real estate investment firm Buchanan Street Partners.

Highlight remarks from the panel included:

  • Wendy Paskin-Jordan: “Using baseball terminology, we believe we’re in ‘extra innings’ — the overtime of this U.S. market expansion. Thus, for our clients, we are investing in uncorrelated or cheaper asset classes around the world that offer more upside potential and limit public market downside exposure. In particular, we are focused on distressed credit opportunities, hedged public market strategies, and illiquid alternatives including private equity.”
  • Timothy Ballard: “Concern over rising interest rates is not an immediate worry. Historically, we haven’t seen a tremendous negative correlation between rising interest rates and real estate values. Generally speaking, interest rates rise during times of economic expansion and increasing inflation. Both of those factors tend to benefit real estate investments.”
  • Noor Menai: “While, surprisingly, more than half of the wealthy people we surveyed for our report are optimistic about the economy’s direction, an overwhelming 76 percent are concerned about geopolitical risk and another 68 percent are concerned about political uncertainty. Still, even with these factors at play, savvy investors are often able to mitigate many of these risks by making the necessary adjustments based on the right data and right knowledge.”

Last month, the company released its CTBC Bank Survey: Managing Risk report, which examines financial and investing sentiment connected to the economy, equity markets, real estate, commodities, interest rates, national policy, geopolitical issues, technology disruption and whom respondents trust with investment decisions in uncertain times.

The survey included responses from 508 high-net worth individuals with $1 million or more in investable assets residing in California, New York and New Jersey, with no direct connection to the bank. The CTBC report also included insight on the survey findings from economic, wealth management and real estate experts.

About CTBC Bank Corp. (USA)

CTBC Bank USA is a trusted and established institution providing commercial and retail customers with a real financial bridge to the next state of their lives and businesses. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Los Angeles, CTBC Bank operates branches in California, New Jersey, and New York. The bank’s operations include deposits, loans, credit cards, foreign exchange, letters of credit, wealth management, mobile, and electronic banking services. Customers benefit from access to large bank resources coupled with individual attention and customized service of a small bank. Its parent company, CTBC Bank Co. Ltd., is supported by $120 billion in assets and is among the largest banks in the world in terms of capital. For more information about CTBC Bank, visit www.ctbcbankusa.com.

For CTBC Bank:Dan Margolis+1 (213) 452-6472dan.margolis@fticonsulting.comorSean Liao, for Chinese Media+1 (424) 277-4531sean.liao@ctbcbankusa.com