When I first started my investing journey about 15 years ago, I kept things simple. Investing was my ‘set it and forget it’ insurance policy. Something stable, not too volatile, with decent upside potential. Minimal work required. The goal was to grow my wealth without spending every weekend glued to a screen.
My portfolio back then was straightforward. Gold, STI ETF, and some long-term government bonds. And at the time, CDP-linked brokerages were pretty much the only game in town for retail investors like me.
Things changed a lot over the years though. Discount brokerages came in and suddenly we weren’t paying >S$25 just to buy a few shares anymore. Trading got cheaper, more accessible, and I started exploring more strategies as a result.
As I dabbled in more strategies over the years, figuring out what suited my personality and temperament, the number of brokerage accounts I held also grew. (Let’s be honest, the generous sign-up bonuses didn’t hurt either. Free shares? Yes please.) But even as I diversified, a significant chunk of my holdings remained sitting quietly in my CDP account.
So this is where Tiger Brokers comes in. SGX recently launched the digitalisation of CDP direct-to-sub-account transfers as part of efforts to modernise Singapore’s financial markets, and Tiger is one of the first brokerages to have this integrated in-app from day one (June 2026). In plain English: no more printing Form 4.2, no more scanning your NRIC, no more chasing signatures. Your entire CDP portfolio can now be transferred digitally in just a few taps.
The cost difference is stark too. Tiger Brokers does not charge any transfer-in fees and will absorb all associated costs relating to the CDP share transfer-in request. Beyond the transfer process, the ongoing trading costs are also much lower. Tiger charges a minimum of S$1.99 per order (commission + platform fees combined), versus a CDP-linked brokerage which generally charges a minimum commission fee of S$25 per trade. That’s a ~90% difference – and if you trade even semi-regularly, that adds up fast.
Why would I want to transfer?
1. Everything in one place – and fewer fees to boot
One thing that always bugged me was having my SG holdings in CDP while my US and HK holdings was in Tiger. I’d have to log into two different places just to get a sense of where I stood. After the transfer, all my SGX holdings will show up alongside my US, HK, and other positions in one app. No more switching between platforms to piece things together.
There’s also something a lot of buy-and-hold folks don’t realise: unlike CDP, most custodian brokerages charge custody fees on your SG shares. It’s not huge, but if you’re the type to just hold and not trade much, those fees are just quietly chipping away at your returns for no good reason. Tiger currently charges zero custody fees (until further notice). One less thing to bleed money on. Oh, and you don’t lose your shareholder rights either. You can still vote at AGMs and EGMs, and Tiger will notify you about these and let you register right from the app.
2. “Wait, what do I even have in CDP?”
Hand up if you’ve opened CDP’s website to check what you own there and drawn a blank trying to remember. I’ve been there, and honestly, it’s not even that I hold a lot. It’s just that some of those positions were bought years ago and quietly forgotten about. Out of sight, out of mind.
The old transfer process didn’t help either: you had to manually key in each stock symbol and the exact number of shares you wanted to move. It’s not hard, but it’s just fiddly enough to make you keep putting it off.
Tiger’s new flow pulls your CDP holdings automatically, so everything shows up right there in the app. Select the option to transfer all eligible Singapore securities, confirm, done.
3. The old way was a paperwork nightmare
If you’ve ever tried to transfer holdings out of CDP the old way, you’ll know what I mean. CDP Form 4.2 had to be printed, completed, signed, and scanned. And here’s the kicker – your signature had to match the one you used when you first opened your CDP account, potentially years or even decades ago. Unsurprisingly, signature mismatches were a common reason for rejections, which then kicked off a frustrating back-and-forth that could drag on. Many people simply gave up halfway.
The new Tiger flow is entirely digital. Verification happens in-app – no printing, no scanning, no signature matching. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes.
What’s in it for you? (Spoiler: quite a lot)
1. Transfer-In Rewards – Up to S$3500 or an iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Tiered rewards based on the transfer value.
- Applicable to ALL stocks (US, HK, SG, etc.), not limited to CDP transfers
- No transfer-in fees from CDP to Tiger Brokers
2. Zero Custody Fees Until Further Notice
- No holding costs for Singapore Stocks.
3. Free SGX Level 2 Market Data for 180 Days (Worth S$120)
- Real-time market depth with full order book visibility.
- Assists investors in identifying entry points, assessing liquidity, and executing trades with precision.
4. Competitive SGD Margin Financing at 2.80% p.a.
- Enhance portfolio yield using margin against transferred holdings.
- Example: A 5% yielding portfolio can effectively yield 7.2% on own capital.
How to Transfer:
Open the Tiger Trade APP, go to [Home > More > Shares Transfer-in] and select “Transfer in SG stocks
If you have not successfully linked your CDP direct account to your Cash Boost Account, please enter your 12-digit CDP direct account number beginning with “1681”. Please ensure that the CDP account and Tiger account belong to the same beneficial owner.
Select “Full” to transfer all eligible Singapore securities from your CDP account.
Select “Partial” if you wish to transfer specific stocks from your CDP account, and provide the required stock details.
Note: For full transfers, the cost price used to calculate the profit and loss of the holdings will be based on the last closing price upon completion of the share transfer.
For partial transfers, please enter the cost price carefully, as amendments will not be allowed after submission.
You may amend and finalise your completed transfer details at “Confirm Information”.
Click “Next Step” to verify your personal information. Please ensure that the details submitted match the records registered with CDP to avoid rejection of the share transfer request.
Upon successful submission, Tiger Brokers will receive and process your transfer request.
Conclusion:
And that’s really it – done in about 5 minutes. For something that used to take weeks of back-and-forth paperwork, that’s a genuine quality-of-life improvement.
Honestly, if you’ve been putting off moving your CDP holdings because the old process felt like too much hassle, that excuse is gone now. Lower trading fees, no custody fees, everything in one place. On top of that, Tiger is currently running a transfer-in promotion with rewards of up to S$3,500 (or an iPhone 17 Pro Max).
Don’t forget to claim these manually:
If your transfer amount is S$10,000 or more, you’re also eligible for a S$100 Stock Cash Voucher + 365-day SG Stock Commission Free Card. And if your original brokerage (for non-CDP transfers) charged you a transfer-out fee, Tiger will reimburse up to S$200 of that.
You’ll need to email service@tigerbrokers.com.sg after your transfer is complete, with your full name, Tiger account number, and external broker (for non-CDP transfers) account statement.
Also worth noting: rewards are based on your initial transfer amount only, and you’ll need to maintain the assets for at least 90 days to qualify. Top-ups after the initial transfer don’t count, and the rewards can only be claimed once.
I’ve been meaning to do this for ages and I’m glad I finally got around to it.
This article is sponsored by Tiger Brokers but the opinions belong to the author.
