Why and where to invest your SRS savings

If you’ve only got a minute:

So, you have set up and started contributing to your Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) account. Well done for taking the first step in building another retirement income pot!

But did you know that, if left in your SRS account, your contributions earn only about 0.05% per annum (p.a.), in line with banks’ typical savings account interest rates?

Hence, it is important to explore other investment options with your SRS monies. The good news is, there are many out there, including:

• Fixed deposits
• Singapore Government Securities, including Singapore Savings Bonds (SSBs)
• Stocks
• Unit trusts
• Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
• Single premium insurance products, including endowment plans. The products’ life coverage (including total and permanent disability benefits) is capped at three times of the premiums.

Here is what you need to know when investing your SRS funds.

Your investments are deposited into your SRS Account

The stocks, ETFs, SSBs, unit trusts, and other investments that you purchase will be deposited into your SRS account. Similarly, any distribution or dividend payouts and bond coupons, and proceeds from investment sales, will also be credited back into your account.

Investment gains are tax-free in the SRS unless you withdraw

However, note that if you withdraw your SRS monies before the statutory retirement age (prevailing at the time of your first contribution), you will have to liquidate your investments before taking out the sales proceeds. Also, 100% of the amount withdrawn will be taxed and, on top of that, you will have to pay a 5% early withdrawal penalty.

Hence, it is advisable that you start withdrawing your SRS funds—including any investments and annuity plans—only upon hitting the retirement age or later. From the retirement age, you can transfer your investments out of your SRS account to, for example, your CDP account without having to liquidate them first. And they will be valued based on the market value on the date your SRS operator receives your application to withdraw the investment.

And once you withdraw them, 50% of the withdrawals will be subjected to tax. However, you can stagger your SRS withdrawals to potentially trim the taxes you have to pay.

You can use your SRS funds to exercise stock options

Stock options give you the right to buy a company’s shares at a specific price. If you do exercise that right and buy the shares through your SRS account, they must be returned to your SRS account.

If you sell the shares, the proceeds must also flow back to your SRS account.

Other investment considerations

Apart from the SRS-specific investment dos and don’ts, keep in mind other general considerations before you invest.

First, start your investing journey early. The longer you invest, the more time your investments will have to compound and grow. And the SRS is arguably a good tool to instil investment discipline and a long-term investing mindset, as early withdrawals are penalised.

Unsure how to grow your SRS funds? Try the Invest your SRS Savings feature in Plan & Invest tab in digibank to get personalised recommendations for your needs.

Example: Alice and Diana contribute S$15,300 to their SRS accounts every year from age 40. Alice invests in a product with investment return of 4% p.a., while Diana leaves her SRS funds idle and as a result, they only earned 0.05% p.a. in interest rate.

At retirement, Alice will have S$206,411 more than Diana in her SRS account.

It is also important to identify how much risk you are willing to take, before deciding on the products to invest in. Your risk profile is determined by factors such as your age, how much emergency savings you have set aside, and your investment experience or knowledge.

In addition, understand the specific risks associated with the product before you invest. In general, equities are riskier than Singapore Savings Bonds, while unit trusts and ETFs offer more diversification than single asset classes.

Ready to start?

Start planning for retirement by veiwing your cashflow projection on Plan tab in digibank. See your finances 10, 20 and even 40 years ahead to see what gaps and opportunities you need to work on. 

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Disclaimers and Important Notice
This article is meant for information only and should not be relied upon as financial advice. Before making any decision to buy, sell or hold any investment or insurance product, you should seek advice from a financial adviser regarding its suitability.

Deposit Insurance Scheme
Singapore dollar deposits of non-bank depositors and monies and deposits denominated in Singapore dollars under the Supplementary Retirement Scheme are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, for up to S$100,000 in aggregate per depositor per Scheme member by law. Monies and deposits denominated in Singapore dollars under the CPF Investment Scheme and CPF Retirement Sum Scheme are aggregated and separately insured up to S$100,000 for each depositor per Scheme member. Foreign currency deposits, dual currency investments, structured deposits and other investment products are not insured.