Singapore turns 61 this year, and investors are not short of ways to grow their money either. The options have multiplied over the years, so here are 61 of them, one for every year.
- Top up your CPF Special Account. It gives you tax relief and locks in 4% interest.
- Claim the CPF matching grant. If you’re eligible, topping up your Retirement or Special Account can get you a matching grant of up to $2,000 a year, capped at $20,000 over your lifetime. That’s effectively a 100% return on the first $2,000.
- Make a CPF cash top-up for your children. There’s no tax benefit, but the money starts compounding early, at least 2.5% a year in the Ordinary Account and more in the Special and Medisave Accounts.
- Transfer savings from your CPF OA to your SA or RA. If you don’t want to top up with cash, shifting money from OA to SA or RA raises your interest rate from 2.5% to 4%.
- Invest your CPF OA savings in approved SGX-listed stocks. You can put up to 35% of your investible OA savings into eligible stocks. Check the list here https://www.sgx.com/securities/stocks-under-cpf-investment-scheme
- Invest your CPF OA savings in approved SGX-listed ETFs. You can put up to 100% of your investible amount into CPF-approved ETFs. Full list here https://www.cpf.gov.sg/content/dam/web/member/business-partners/documents/RCSETF.pdf
- Invest your CPF OA savings in approved unit trusts. Again, up to 100% of your investible amount qualifies. List here https://www.cpf.gov.sg/content/dam/web/member/business-partners/documents/RCSUT_ListA.pdf
- Invest your SRS savings in SGX-listed stocks. SRS cash earns close to 0% sitting idle, so it’s worth putting to work. You can use SRS to buy SGX-listed stocks, but not stocks on foreign exchanges.
- Invest your SRS savings in SGX-listed ETFs. Find the list here https://www.sgx.com/campaign/etf-investing-srs
- Invest your SRS savings in approved unit trusts. SRS money can go into a wide range of unit trusts through various platforms.
- Invest your SRS savings through robo-advisers. SRS can also be put into robo-advisory portfolios.
- Place your savings in bank fixed deposits. Instead of leaving idle cash in a normal savings account earning next to nothing, park it in a fixed deposit for a better rate.
- Invest in money market funds. If you don’t want your cash locked up in a fixed deposit, money market funds offer a similar rate boost without the lockup.
- Deposit your money in high-interest savings accounts. Some banks pay higher rates if you meet conditions like salary crediting, credit card spend, or buying investment products. These are often called hurdle accounts. The more you bank with them, the more you earn.
- Place idle cash in brokerage cash-management or money market accounts. Many brokerages and digital banks let you park cash in money market funds for higher interest, with flexible withdrawals.
- Earn cash rewards or free shares through brokerage promotions. Many brokers offer free shares or cash back when you open and fund a new account, an easy way to gain something without taking on market risk.
- Invest in Singapore Savings Bonds. SSBs are step-up 10-year bonds priced at par, so the bond price doesn’t fall even if interest rates rise. There’s no lock-up either, you can cash out anytime before maturity. https://www.mas.gov.sg/bonds-and-bills/singapore-savings-bonds
- Invest in Singapore Treasury bills. T-bills run 6 or 12 months. They’re sold at a discount to par, so instead of periodic interest, you get your gain when you redeem more than you paid. https://www.mas.gov.sg/bonds-and-bills/singapore-government-t-bills-information-for-individuals
- Invest in Singapore Government Securities bonds. These are longer-dated bonds beyond a year, with tenors of 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 50 years. Longer maturities typically pay more, unless the yield curve is inverted. https://www.mas.gov.sg/bonds-and-bills/singapore-government-bonds-information-for-individuals
- Invest in individual corporate bonds. These typically pay more than Singapore Government Bonds because they carry more perceived risk.
- Invest in bond ETFs or unit trusts. Buying individual bonds often needs $250,000 per bond, so a bond fund gives you a basket instead and better diversification.
- Buy a whole life insurance policy. Not the best way to grow wealth, but a simple option if you want coverage plus cash value that builds over time.
- Buy an endowment or savings insurance plan. This suits a specific savings target over a set period, for example, saving for your child’s education.
- Invest cash through robo-advisers. A handful of robo-advisory platforms offer curated portfolios that are automatically rebalanced for you.
- Invest in UCITS ETFs listed on the London Stock Exchange. US-listed holdings come with a 30% dividend tax and expose you to US estate tax. Switching to Irish-domiciled ETFs listed in London cuts the dividend tax to 15%.
- Invest cash in unit trusts. A convenient way to invest globally and stay diversified.
- Invest cash in SGX-listed stocks. Singapore stocks are known for generous dividends, and since your holdings stay in SGD, you avoid forex risk.
- Invest cash in SGX-listed ETFs. SGX has been adding more ETFs, a low-cost way to get diversified exposure across market segments. https://www.sgx.com/securities/etf-screener
- Invest in REITs. Real Estate Investment Trusts let you invest in real estate without managing properties or tenants yourself.
- Invest in US-listed stocks. Investors today think globally, and US stocks remain one of the most popular markets, now easily accessible through most brokers.
- Invest in US-listed ETFs. There are more than 5,000 ETFs listed in the US, so you’re spoilt for choice.
- Invest in Hong Kong-listed stocks. Popular among Singapore investors too, with plenty of dividend payers and China tech names.
- Invest in Hong Kong-listed ETFs. Not as many as the US, but Hong Kong still has over 200, mostly Asia focused.
- Invest in China A-shares. These are stocks listed on mainland exchanges like Shanghai and Shenzhen. Since 2014, foreign investors, including Singaporeans, can buy and hold A-shares through the Stock Connect scheme via Hong Kong.
- Invest in commodities ETFs or unit trusts. If you’re hedging inflation, direct exposure is hard to get since commodities trade as futures contracts. Funds make this accessible for ordinary investors.
- Sell cash-secured puts or covered calls to collect option premiums. A popular income strategy. Sell puts on stocks you want to buy, or calls on stocks you already own, to generate income while you wait for your target price.
- Invest in covered-call ETFs or unit trusts. Running an active option strategy takes effort and a bigger account. These funds handle the option selling for you.
- Lend out shares through securities-lending programmes. Some brokers let you loan out your shares to other investors and earn interest on what you lend.
- Buy physical precious metals. Gold, silver and platinum are all available in Singapore through a number of dealers.
- Invest in paper gold or silver. If you want to skip the wider spreads and storage hassle of physical metal, gold and silver ETFs offer tighter spreads, and some banks offer gold and silver savings accounts too.
- Invest in cryptocurrencies. Controversial, but it can still serve as a store of value. Prices swing both ways, so gains and losses are equally possible.
- Invest in NFTs. The hype has cooled and prices have fallen, but the popular ones still hold some value and haven’t gone to zero. Who knows, they might make a comeback one day.
- Earn rental income by renting out a spare room. A quick way to make extra cash if you have the space and don’t mind sharing it with a tenant.
- Buy a second residential property in Singapore. If you only have one property under your name, buying a second under your spouse’s name can help you avoid ABSD. Paying full ABSD, on the other hand, tends to wipe out the investment case entirely.
- Invest in US property for rental income and capital gains. Going abroad is an option, but the investment still needs to tick the right boxes. Here’s the case for the US https://drwealth.com/why-the-us-and-not-malaysia-australia-japan-or-uk-a-singaporeans-case-for-american-rental-property/
- Invest in UK property. Another market worth considering. https://drwealth.com/the-best-countries-to-invest-in-property/
- Invest in hedge funds. Accredited investors in Singapore get access to more options, including hedge funds that use sophisticated strategies to try to boost returns.
- Invest in private equity funds. Also open to accredited investors.
- Invest in venture capital funds. Accredited investors can put money into VC funds, which back young, disruptive, high-growth companies.
- Invest directly in start-ups. If you want to get in even earlier, angel investing is an option. https://www.angelcentral.co/
- Invest in Pokémon cards. Card Ladder reported a cumulative return of 3,821% from 2004 to 2025, versus 483% for the S&P 500. As with any collectible, know what you’re doing, or stay away.
- Invest in Magic cards. Some individual cards have sold for millions, but those are rare outliers. As with Pokémon cards, know what you’re doing before you buy.
- Invest in discontinued or collectible LEGO sets. These have generated an average return of around 11% a year, an attractive number. The challenge is picking the right sets and keeping them in good condition.
- Invest in collectible whisky. Some bottles are simply too expensive to drink. They’re worth collecting and may generate solid returns, if you know the space.
- Invest in fine wine. Wine is trickier to store than whisky, and can over-mature into vinegar if kept too long. But a strong label like Château Lafite Rothschild still commands demand.
- Invest in art. This probably requires the most expertise on this list. Art isn’t easy for everyone to appreciate.
- Invest in luxury watches. Patek Philippe and Rolex are both known to appreciate well in the secondary market.
- Invest in Hermès bags. It’s widely quoted, though we can’t verify it, that Hermès Birkin bags have delivered an average annual increase in value of 14.2%.
- Build a side business or freelance income stream. Lower risk, higher effort. Keep your main income and use side projects to boost it. If it fails, you lose little. If it works, it could become your main income source.
- Create intellectual property that earns royalties. There are platforms where you can sell royalties on your own work, like music, and you can also buy into other people’s royalties as an investor.
- Invest in yourself. Notice how many items on this list need real expertise to do well. Build your human capital first. Then use it, together with your financial capital, to grow your wealth.
That’s 61 ways to grow your money, one for every year Singapore has been around. But you don’t need all 61. Treat this as an idea list. Pick two or three that make sense for where you are, do them well, and let time compound the rest.
