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Here are the most popular investment options for you to pick from to start your long-term savings journey

6 investment options to help you maximise your savings

Building your future often means converting your hard-earned savings into assets that grow and create more value. We share a few time-tested options that will help you work towards a more secure financial future.

Singapore Saving Bonds (SSB) and Corporate Bonds (CB)

Bonds are a classic choice if you’re keen on capital preservation and a steady stream of income. With a bond, you basically “lend” money to a company (CB) or the government (SSB) for a fixed period of time, at a guaranteed interest rate. Interest is paid out at regular intervals and your capital is generally returned at the end of the contract period. Bonds usually offer better yields than bank deposits and you can potentially benefit from capital gains if you sell them at a higher price than you bought them at.

Structured Deposits (SD)

Structured deposits, like the ones offered by Standard Chartered, offer higher returns and lower risk than equities and bonds. SD is the combination of a bank deposit and an investment product; returns depend on the performance of the underlying financial instruments, which could be bonds, market indices (e.g. SGX), equities (investment in traded companies), foreign exchange or a combination of these. Upon maturity, you get back your entire principal, in addition to the regular interest income you have already been receiving.

Unit Trusts

If you are keen to invest your funds in a diverse range of products, such as stocks, bonds and other financial instruments, unit trusts or collective investment schemes are a great option. Unit trusts provide access to assets or markets that may be difficult to invest in directly. Also, with a smaller investment outlay, you will be able to invest in a diverse portfolio of assets, which, if you invested in individually, may cost you more. While unit trusts do carry a higher level of risk than bonds and structured deposits, they offer much more flexibility, liquidity and diversity.

Unit trusts like those distributed by Standard Chartered are managed by highly qualified and experienced fund managers, and you can also manage your investment using the online unit trusts platform.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

The simplest way to benefit from a steadily growing real estate market without a huge capital outlay or actually buying a property is to invest in units of an REIT. With REITs, you are investing in a professionally managed real estate portfolio that yields regular dividends based on rental income. However, units of REITs are traded on the stock market and thereby riskier as they are subject to market conditions. Plus, there is no capital guarantee.

Shares

A popular investment option is the stock market. Active investments can take the form of day trading (where an investor buys stocks and sells them at a comparatively higher price within a single trading day) or long-term investing (where an investor buys a stock and holds on to it for an extended period). On Standard Chartered’s SC Online Trading platform, you can carry out both day and long-term trading across 15 major stock exchanges.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

ETFs offer a passive way of investing in shares, where an investor can track a particular index such as a stock or commodity index  (e.g. Straits Times Index). An index is, quite simply, a set of stocks that acts as a sample of the universe of stocks in a market or portfolio. It statistically measures the changes in the stocks it represents and can be used to track the performance of the market or portfolio.

By investing in ETFs, you can gain exposure to the components of the index without directly buying individual stocks or bonds.  This type of investment is highly diversified and tends to have lower fees than actively managed funds. However, ETFs are not principal-guaranteed and you may lose all or a portion of your investment in certain situations.

CPF Special Accounts

Did you know that you can maximise the savings in your Central Provident Fund (CPF) account to suit your investment goals? Building and topping up your Special Account (SA) earns you risk-free interest and significant tax benefits. The SA currently yields an interest rate of up to 5%, making it a strong retirement savings strategy.

Essentially, building your financial assets through investment is a matter of understanding your financial goals, being aware of your investment options and finding a match between your financial goals and options. A diversified investment portfolio can reduce the risks that impact your investment.

Want to know more? Get in touch with us or log onto Standard Chartered Mobile Banking or Online Banking to chat with us, and we will help to connect you to a financial advisor.

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Disclaimer:

This article is for general information only and it does not constitute an offer, recommendation or solicitation of an offer to enter into any transaction or adopt any hedging, trading or investment strategy, in relation to any securities or other financial instruments. This article has not been prepared for any particular person or class of persons and does not constitute and should not be construed as investment advice or an investment recommendation. It has been prepared without regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any person or class of persons. You should seek advice from a licensed or an exempt financial adviser on the suitability of a product for you, taking into account these factors before making a commitment to purchase any product or invest in an investment. In the event that you choose not to seek advice from a licensed or an exempt financial adviser, you should carefully consider whether the product or service described herein is suitable for you. You are fully responsible for your investment decision, including whether the investment is suitable for you. The products/services involved are not principal-protected and you may lose all or part of your original investment amount. Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited will not accept any responsibility or liability of any kind, with respect to the accuracy or completeness of information in this article.

Deposit Insurance Scheme

Singapore dollar deposits of non-bank depositors are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, for up to S$100,000 in aggregate per depositor per Scheme member by law. For clarity, these investment products are not deposits and do not qualify as an insured deposit under the Singapore Deposit Insurance and Policy Owners’ Protection Schemes Act 2011. Foreign currency deposits, dual currency investments, structured deposits and other investment products are not insured.

The information stated in this article is accurate as at the date of publication.