Sharp rise in illegal loans: Singapore police

Feb. 8 | AFP SINGAPORE — Illegal loans rose almost 60 percent last year as Singaporeans reeling from the economic crisis turned to loan sharks to tide them over the tough times, a senior police official said Monday. There were 18,600 cases of illegal loans made...

Employees need to be protected from unethical employers in bad times

Dec. 26 | The following is a letter to TOC from Max Chua. Dear people at TOC, First of all, thank you for being such a fabulous site!! :) Currently, there is a situation that I feel needs to be promptly addressed or looked into, at this present moment of economic...

How to stay lean in these tough times?

Dec. 21 | Gilbert Goh This statement is, I am afraid, easier said than done. When one decides to downsize due to financial constraints, it is always tough as we are used to a certain lifestyle that has become a part of us. The basic necessities such as groceries,...

10 ways to raise cash during hard times

Dec. 12 | Gilbert Goh / Writer During recession, especially when one is jobless, finances become a critical need that will become an emergency item when one is very short. I wrote in my previous article, “Facing joblessness – a personal account”...

Networking your way to a new job

Dec. 7 | Excerpts from Quint Careers: Career experts estimate that the vast majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word-of-mouth or networking — known as the “hidden job market.” The likelihood...

48 years old, jobless for 5 yrs and badly burnt out in stock market and totally depressed

Nov. 30 | Question from a Singaporean to Mr Gilbert Goh: Any advice for a 48 yr man, jobless for 5 yrs and badly burnt out in stock market and totally depressed. ——– Mr Goh’s reply: I empathise with your situation. Five years of unemployment...

Coping with joblessness: A personal account

Nov. 27 | The following is a personal account by Mr Gilbert Goh. The article was first published in the Straits Times forum page in October 2008. We thank Mr Goh for giving us the permission to re-publish it here. We hope that the article will help those who are...

A corner where we band together in bad times

Nov. 26 | This is your space – to share your views or stories about the recession, being retrenched, how to cope with everyday living. You may be going through it, or may have some good advice for those going through it. You may be an employer who has jobs for...