Prudential Corporation Asia releases its Prudential Relationship Index (PRI) for 2017, revealing strong personal relationship levels, along with financial worries.
Running its second year, the PRI is a study reveals core insights including the key attributes of healthy relationships and how they could be disrupted by factors such as money and technology. The study helps uncovers the dynamics between partners, children, friends and relatives, and explores the strengths and weaknesses of the primary relationships in our lives. Nine markets were part of the re gion-wide study this year, including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The overall average PRI score for 2017 is 71/100, a one-point increase from 2016. This indicates that relationships in Asia meet a significant 71% of people’s needs and expectations. People in Cambodia are the most satisfied with their personal relationships, with a PRI score of 86/100, followed by Vietnam and the Philippines in joint second (79/100).
Mr. Anthony Shaw, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Insurance, at Prudential Corporation Asia said, “The level of relationship satisfaction remains at a high level this year across Asia. Money continues to be the leading source of tension for couples in Asia and the findings reveal that greater transparency regarding financial affairs benefits relationships. Whilst the advancement of technology has made financial planning easier, attentiveness to their partner is the major source of arguments for one-third of couples in the region.”
The report concluded that Asians tend to desire a partner who is “easy to get along with”; someone who allows them to relax and is fun to be around. Given the pressures of daily life, they are likely to seek a companion who makes them laugh and enjoy doing things together. Loyalty and honesty are also highly desired traits across all the markets surveyed. The ideal partner would be a person who respects their individuality and is honest with them.
PRI also found that most people in Asia bear the responsibility of financially supporting their loved ones. 53% of adults surveyed say they currently cover their parents’ daily expenses. However, only a third of Asians (32%) expect their children to support them financially in their old age. The majority of Asians (83%) plan to rely on their own personal savings and assets in their senior years. Saving for future retirement is the highest-ranked goal (50%) in the region, followed closely by travelling with family (47%).
Findings show that more than a third of couples in Asia argue about money (37%) — the most common cause for argument in the region. The report notes that couples who pool all their financial resources together have a better relationship (with a PRI score of 74/100) than those who keep their finances separate (PRI score of 58/100). Additionally, the majority of couples in Asia (56%) say that working with a financial agent to plan their finances helps improve relationships. People in emerging markets like Cambodia (70%) and Thailand (69%) are more likely to agree with the benefits of professional financial help than those in developed markets like Hong Kong (28%).
The study also explores the effects of technology on people’s lives. More than three-quarters of people in the region (79%) say technology growth has made financial planning easier and better. In Cambodia, almost all the people surveyed (90%) agree that their financial planning has improved as a result of advancement in technology.
Despite its positive impact on quality of life, people are conscious of the effects of technology on relationships. Findings show that time spent on digital devices is the fourth-leading cause for argument between couples in Asia (29%), most prominently affecting relationships in the Philippines (37%) and Thailand (36%).
Overall, the majority of people in the region are optimistic about the state of their relationships and personal finances, with expectations for improvement in their love life (56%) and personal finances (67%) over the next few years.
Anthony concluded, “In line with our business credo of ‘Always Listening, Always Understanding’, the PRI provides another tool for Prudential to stay in touch with the needs of our customers and ensure we are able to help them protect their most valued relationships.”
