Tag: Singapore Savings Bonds

Guide to My Savings Bonds Portal

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If you didn’t know yet, the My Savings Bonds portal is ready. This means that you no longer have to log in to Central Depository Pte Limited (CDP) to view your Singapore Savings Bonds holdings. I am currently using Stocks Cafe to manage my stock portfolio and Singapore Savings Bonds but the My Savings Bonds portal will serve handy if I only want to view my Singapore Savings Bonds holdings excluding my stock purchases.

When you purchase Singapore Savings Bonds (E.g. via internet banking), the portal automatically gets updated with your purchase once the ballot results are announced.

Through My Savings Bonds, you will be able to:

  • View your total holdings of Savings Bonds, purchased using both cash and SRS funds;
  • See how much more Savings Bonds you can buy before you hit the Individual Limit;
  • Keep track of upcoming interest payments; and
  • Compare the interest rates across different Savings Bonds.

Here is a quick pictorial guide that I have done up. Read More

May 2019 Singapore Savings Bonds is 2.16%

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The effective interest rate for May 2019 Singapore Savings Bonds (GX19050A) is 2.16% if you held it for 10 years. The interest rate remains flat which is the same as last month. Nevertheless, as usual, I shall be allocating a portion of my monthly salary into safe haven as the Singapore Savings Bonds acts as a form of emergency fund when the need arises.

If you didn’t know yet, SRS applications for Savings Bonds open from March and individual limit has doubled to $200,000. I personally felt that the introduction of SRS application for Savings Bonds is an excellent initiative as the SRS currently earns a petite interest rate of 0.05% per annum. In March, I have used partial of my SRS funds to purchase the Singapore Savings Bonds for the higher interest.

DBS Multiplier Account + Singapore Savings Bonds

If you hold a DBS Multiplier Account, you can perhaps try the hack I previously wrote about to achieve a higher interest rate payout. (Read more: Earn More Interest With DBS Multiplier Account + Singapore Savings Bonds).

Singapore Savings Bonds versus Fixed Deposits

The interest rate of Singapore Savings Bond is also higher than most fixed deposits that banks can offer for 12 months. (Read more: CIMB Fixed Deposit Promotion Makes Your Money Work, Not You! )

Tracking Singapore Savings Bonds

My favorite website, StocksCafe has introduced a new feature to allow adding of Singapore Savings Bonds into your portfolio. If you didn’t know, I signed up as a Friend of StocksCafe as my most favorite feature of StocksCafe is the automated tracking of dividends payout.

CIMB Fixed Deposit Promotion Makes Your Money Work, Not You!

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I like the way CIMB says “Your money should work, not you!“. Following my previous post on “Fifty Six Percent Invested Forty Four Percent Cash“, I do have some spare cash to place into a fixed deposit or Singapore Savings Bonds. Both are brainless, effortless investments where you sit and wait till maturity to earn the interests.

If you remember, CIMB offers a fixed deposit promotion during Chinese New Year whereby you can get up to 1.90% interest per annum if you do a placement for 12 months online. It seems that this promotion is here to stay as they are offering the same promotion in the month of March.

You can choose the duration of 3 months, 6 months or 12 months and if you apply online, they offer higher interest rates as shown in the table below.

Interest Rates (% p.a.)
3 Months 6 Months 12 Months
Branch Rate 1.30 1.45 1.55
Online Exclusive Rates 1.55 1.70 1.90

A minimum of S$10,000 per placement is required.

Using S$10,000 as an illustration,

If you place a fixed deposit for 3 months, the total accrued amount (principal + interest) that you will receive is

A = 10000(1 + (0.0155 × 0.25)) = 10038.75
A = $10,038.75

If you place a fixed deposit for 6 months, the total accrued amount (principal + interest) that you will receive is

A = 10000(1 + (0.0170 × 0.5)) = 10085
A = $10,085.00

If you place a fixed deposit for 12 months, the total accrued amount (principal + interest) that you will receive is

A = 10000(1 + (0.0190 × 1)) = 10190
A = $10,190.00

CIMB Fixed Deposit Promotion Versus Singapore Savings Bonds

How does this promotion fair against the latest Singapore Savings Bonds?

If we have placed S$10,000 in the April 2019 Singapore Savings Bonds, we will receive S$196 in interest payout after a year. This will be S$6 more than CIMB 12 months fixed deposit promotion. If we deduct away the S$2 application fee for Singapore Savings Bonds application, then it will be S$4 more.

My Opinion

Both are comparable, risk free investments. If you ask me, I might prefer the Singapore Savings Bonds as there is no lock in period. You can sell off the bonds and there is no penalty should you need the money urgently within the 12 months.

My favorite website, StocksCafe has introduced a new feature to allow adding of Singapore Savings Bonds into your portfolio. If you didn’t know, I signed up as a Friend of StocksCafe as my most favorite feature of StocksCafe is the automated tracking of dividends payout.