Here are 4 reasons why unit trusts make a great investment:

• Low barrier to entry: You do not need a huge sum of money to invest in unit trusts. For selected funds, the minimum initial invest amount is just 1,000 SGD. Alternatively, you can set up a Monthly Investment Plan (MIP) from as little as 100 SGD/month.
• Professional expertise: Trust the professionals and leverage their risk management capabilities and market insights to seek outperformance. While you do have to pay an annual management fee, this is already included in the fund’s NAV and does not appear as an extra cost to you.
• Diversification: Unit trusts offer one of the easiest ways to manage risk through diversification because the fund is typically invested in a large base of assets. Even if one company were to be performing poorly, your portfolio will still be relatively well balanced through the returns of other companies.
• High liquidity: You can easily buy and sell most unit trusts online or through a Relationship Manager.

The fund price is equal to the value of the fund's underlying assets minus outstanding liabilities. This is known as the net asset value (NAV) and it is calculated at the end of every business day by the fund manager.

• Equity Funds: These are funds that invest solely in stocks.
• Fixed Income Funds: These are funds that invest solely in bonds.
• Balanced Funds: These are funds that invest in a combination of stocks and bonds.

Accumulation vs Distribution

These share classes determine the type of payout you will receive when you invest into a fund.

• Accumulation share class: This share class reinvests income (i.e., dividend/ coupon) from the fund to generate additional capital growth and income. (Code: ACC).
• Distribution share class: This share class pays out an income (i.e., dividend/ coupon) on a periodic basis to investors. Payouts are not guaranteed and may be on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, depending on the fund. Investors can choose to receive these payouts as cash, or reinvest it to purchase more units. (Code: DIS)

Hedged vs Non-hedged

Unit trusts also offer share classes differentiated by currency. Your choice of currency can impact investment returns due to fluctuating FX movements and incurred hedging costs.

• Base Currency: This is the currency used to buy the fund’s underlying investments. This can be found in the fund fact sheet.
• Hedged: This share class uses hedging techniques to reduce (but not eliminate) fluctuations between the fund’s base currency (e.g., USD) and the currency used to buy the shares (e.g., SGD). The goal is to provide investors with a return that closely mirrors the fund’s base currency return. Hedging costs may increase the ongoing charges for hedged share classes. This share class is commonly denoted by a three-character currency code, followed by an ‘H’ (e.g., SGD-H).
• Non-hedged: This share class involves investors buying or selling shares using their preferred currency (e.g., SGD), which is then converted into the portfolio’s base currency (e.g., USD) using a prevailing market rate at the time of transaction. Compared to the base currency share class, non-hedged share class investments will be subject to FX gains and losses depending on exchange rate movements between the base and investment currency.

How much will it cost me?

• A one-time sales charge is applicable for lump sum investments.
• A sales charge is applicable for recurring monthly investments into the fund.

Calculate online sales charge for me 

Do it yourself online

0.88% of investment amount
Invest via our OCBC Digital app or Online Banking to enjoy lower rates.

0.88% of investment amount
Invest via our OCBC Digital app or Online Banking to enjoy lower rates.

Receive expert advice

Up to 5% of investment amount
Hear expert advice from our personal financial consultants before you invest.

Up to 5% of investment amount
Hear expert advice from our personal financial consultants before you invest.

Invest in unit trusts via the OCBC Digital app, Online Banking or at any OCBC branch. Unit trusts can be purchased using cash, SRS^* and/or CPF^*.

^*Selected funds

Via OCBC Digital app:

Step 1: Log in to OCBC Digital app > Tap on Invest > Unit Trust in the top-left menu

Step 2: Select your fund > Click “Proceed to buy”

Step 3: Choose how you would like to invest and enter your preferred amount

Step 4: Review all details and click “Proceed to buy”, and you’re done!

Via OCBC Online Banking:

Step 1: Log in via Internet Banking > Click Investments & insurance > Unit Trust

Step 2: Select your fund under the “Top fund ideas” or “Our selected funds” tabs > Click “Proceed to buy”

Step 3: Choose how you would like to invest and enter your preferred amount

Step 4: Review all details and click “Proceed to buy”, and you’re done!

Here are 3 reasons why RoboInvest makes a great investment:

• Low barrier to entry: You do not need a huge sum of money to invest in RoboInvest. For selected portfolios, the minimum invest amount is just 100 USD. You may also choose to set up a Monthly Investment Plan (MIP).
• Low maintenance: RoboInvest offers a disciplined yet “hands-off” approach to investing and takes the decision-making out of your hands.
• Diversification: Each RoboInvest portfolio provides you with immediate access to various industries, regions and asset classes by investing from as low as 100 USD and with minimal effort.

When you invest in a robo portfolio, your money is diversified into a mixture of stocks, bonds, ETFs and precious metals such as gold.

RoboInvest offers 6 Diversified (Risk-based) portfolios which give you broad exposure to the financial markets. There are also 31 Focused portfolios ranging from tech to healthcare, and beyond. You can also consider investing in the Income Portfolio to earn passive income with a diversified portfolio of bonds, REITs and equity ETFs.

Management Fee

Do it yourself online

0.88% of total investment value per year
The fee will be computed and charged to you monthly based on number of calendar days in each month.  

0.88% of total investment value per year
The fee will be computed and charged to you monthly based on number of calendar days in each month.  

Whether you're a new or experienced investor, setting up and managing your portfolio with OCBC RoboInvest is fast, easy, and convenient. You will need an OCBC deposit account with Digital Banking access. If you do not have one, you can apply instantly for an account with our debit cards.

Via OCBC Digital app:

Step 1: Log in to OCBC Digital app > Tap on Invest > RoboInvest in the top-left menu

Step 2: Select your portfolio based on:

• Focused themes
• Diversified portfolios

Step 3: Select your portfolio > Click "Invest now"

Step 4: Enter the amount you want to invest > Click "Next"

Step 5: Confirm your deposit account details and click "Next"

Step 6: Review all details and click "Confirm", and you're all done!

Via OCBC Online Banking:

Step 1: Log in via Internet Banking > Click Investments & insurance > RoboInvest > Get Started

Step 2: Select your portfolio based on:

• Focused themes
• Diversified portfolios

Step 3: Select your portfolio > Click "Invest now"

Step 4: Enter the amount you want to invest > Click "Next"

Step 5: Confirm your deposit account details and click "Next"

Step 6: Review all details and click "Confirm", and you're all done!

Here are 2 reasons to diversify using precious metals:

• Inflation hedge: Precious metals can store value better during inflationary spikes because the value of precious metals is not correlated to market movements. This means that gold can retain its value better during times of uncertainty.
• Diversification: Similarly, precious metals are less correlated to risk assets such as equities and therefore provide diversification within a portfolio.

Spread Cost

The indicative price already includes the spread cost. There is no other administrative fee.

Use the OCBC Digital app to open a Precious Metals Account and start investing in gold and silver.

Step 1: From the menu, tap on “Invest” and select “Gold, Silver”.

Step 2: View the information on both gold and silver.

Step 3: Open a Precious Metals Account instantly if you do not have one.

Step 4: Enter your purchase details. Choose between “Amount to invest” and “Quantity”.

Step 5: Complete your transaction. You may now track your investments!

Here are 3 reasons why FX trading makes a great investment:

• High liquidity: The FX market is open 24 hours a day, five days a week across major global financial centres (FX trading is available 24/7 on OCBC Digital). This means that foreign currencies can be quickly bought or sold at any time, with no lock-in period.
• Capital appreciation: The high volume of currency trades each day can make the price movements of some currencies volatile. This volatility can create an exciting range of opportunities for short-term traders. But as always, only invest an amount that is in accordance with your risk appetite to protect your downside.
• Diversification: Trading foreign currencies is just another way to diversify your portfolio and manage your risk. FX trading itself allows you to capitalise on global events through exposure to different market regions.

Currencies are quoted in pairs for trading such as EUR/USD, which represents the euro (EUR) versus the U.S. dollar (USD). A price is associated with the currency pair to indicate how much it would cost to exchange the currencies for one another. This is known as the exchange rate.

The objective of FX trading is to exchange currencies for one another with the expectation that the price will change. Specifically, you are hoping that the value of the currency you bought will increase compared to the one you sold.

For example, if the rate to exchange EUR/USD is 1.1800, this means that it costs 1.1800 USD to buy one euro. Let’s assume you purchase 10,000 euros with 11,800 USD. Two weeks later, the rate to exchange EUR/USD is 1.2500, and you exchange your 10,000 euros back into US dollars. This gives you 12,500 USD and a net profit of 700 USD.

Buy: 10,000 EUR x 1.1800 = 11,800 USD
Sell: 10,000 EUR x 1.2500 = 12,500 USD
Profit: 12,500 USD – 11,800 USD = 700 USD

Spread Cost

The indicative price already includes the spread cost. There is no other administrative fee.

For offline transactions

Deposit/ Withdrawal in FX Notes: Minimum 1% commission-in-lieu of exchange

Minimum excess fee:

• AUD 10
• CAD 8
• EUR 6
• GBP 4
• HKD 40
• NZD 12
• USD 5

In order to start investing, you will need to have an OCBC Global Savings Account. If you do not have one, you will be prompted to open the account first.

Step 1: Log in to the OCBC Digital app.

Step 2: Tap on “Invest” > Select “Foreign Exchange”.

Step 3: Enter the amount and currency.

Step 4: Tap on “Exchange”.

Step 5: Review your transaction.

Here are 3 reasons why equities make a great investment:

• High liquidity: Equities can be bought or sold on the stock exchange with no lock-in period.
• Capital appreciation: Generally, the value of a stock tends to increase in favourable market conditions and/or when a company performs well, providing you with an opportunity to potentially earn a net profit when you sell your shares at a higher price than what you bought them for. While equities have higher volatility relative to other instruments, their return has historically tended to outperform cash or bonds in the long run, making them a good long-term investment.
• Maximise income: Some companies pay their shareholders dividends, allowing you to take advantage of a company’s growth and earnings. Though not always guaranteed, these dividends can potentially provide you with a regular income stream, enhancing your returns.

2 main factors affect the performance of share prices:

• Fundamentals: This refers to a company’s operational efficiency, financial well-being, and the public’s expectations of its future development. Greater confidence in a company’s prospects will lead to increased demand for its stock and push prices up, while a loss of confidence in the company may lead to investors selling its stock and causing prices to fall.
• Macroeconomics: A company’s share price is also largely determined by market conditions, such as interest rate movements, monetary policies and market sentiment.

Trading Commission Rates & Charges

Rates shown is applicable for traded currency in SGD

For counters traded in other currencies, please view all commissions and charges or contact us at 1800 338 8688.

All transactions are subject to the following fees:

• Clearing fees: 0.0325% of the contract value
• SGX trading access fees: 0.0075% of the contract value
• GST on commission, clearing fees and SGX trading access fees
• SGX settlement instruction fees: $0.35 per contract
• Exchange fees are subjected to change by respective Exchanges from time to time without prior notice

Step 1: Apply for an OCBC Online Equities Account

Submit your application by filling in the online form via OCBC Digital or Online Banking.

You will be asked to select a reference account, which will be used for your GIRO arrangement for your trade settlements.

For instant account opening, you may apply via the OCBC Digital app from 9am to 5.30pm (Mon – Fri).

Step 2: Wait for confirmation

Applications via the OCBC Digital app
If your application is successful, your Online Equities Account will be opened within the same day.

Applications via Internet Banking
If your application is successful, you will receive a confirmation email within 1 working day at the address provided in the online form.

Step 3: Log in to your account and start investing

You can start investing right away via the OCBC Digital app.

Here are 3 reasons why blue chip stocks make a great investment:

• Name recognition: Blue chip companies have a competitive edge over other companies in the market owing to their reputation. Put simply, this means that holding their stock is prestigious.
• Reliability: While not immune from losses, blue chip stocks generally have a demonstrated history of weathering market downturns. For this reason, we believe it appropriate to include blue chip stocks as core holdings in your investment portfolio for the long term. Remember, it is important to build a well-diversified portfolio that consists of allocation to various asset classes to manage your risk exposure.
• Maximise income: Most blue chip companies pay dividends, allowing you to take advantage of their growth and earnings. Though not always guaranteed, these dividends can potentially provide you with a regular stream of income regardless of the daily swings in its share price.

Blue chip companies are usually industry leaders and have a large market capitalisation. In Singapore, companies listed on the Straits Times Index (STI) are generally blue chip stocks.

Buy & Sell Fees

Grow your investment portfolio and sell your units easily online through OCBC.

Buy online

• For customers aged below 30 years old (based on calendar year), with initial investment of up to S$500 per counter:
  0.88% flat fee of the total sales proceeds
• For all other customers:
  0.3% of investment amount or S$5 per counter, whichever is higher

• For customers aged below 30 years old (based on calendar year), with initial investment of up to S$500 per counter:
  0.88% flat fee of the total sales proceeds
• For all other customers:
  0.3% of investment amount or S$5 per counter, whichever is higher

Sell online

• For customers aged below 30 years old (based on calendar year), with initial investment of up to S$500 per counter:
  0.88% flat fee of the total sales proceeds
• For all other customers:
  0.3% of the total sales proceeds or S$5 per counter, whichever is higher

• For customers aged below 30 years old (based on calendar year), with initial investment of up to S$500 per counter:
  0.88% flat fee of the total sales proceeds
• For all other customers:
  0.3% of the total sales proceeds or S$5 per counter, whichever is higher

Additional Processing Fee for SRS

Applicable if you are investing using your SRS account.

Invest using SRS  

+S$0.37
additional fee per counter when you buy and sell.

+S$0.37
additional fee per counter when you buy and sell.

Step 1: Choose how much and what to invest

Decide on your monthly investment amount and select one or more BCIP counter(s) to invest in.

Step 2: Apply for BCIP

Apply for BCIP via the OCBC Digital app or Online Banking. All you need is an OCBC deposit or SRS account.

Step 3: Build your portfolio

We receive your orders from the first day of the month up to 12 pm on the last business day of the month, and will carry out your instructions on the 22nd of the following month, or in the event we are unable to do so, on the 22nd of the second following month. You will enjoy dividends, whenever declared by the respective companies or exchange traded funds (ETF).

Step 4: Review your portfolio

Review your plan, change your orders or sell your shares via the OCBC Digital app or Online Banking.