You do not necessarily need a large lump sum to start investing. By setting aside a fixed amount from your salary each month, you can gradually build an investment portfolio while working towards longer-term financial goals, such as retirement or your children’s education.
Regular investing can also make the process more disciplined. Instead of deciding every month whether it is the “right” time to enter the market, you can automate your investments according to a schedule.
However, the platforms available in Singapore differ significantly in terms of minimum investment, fees, investment choices and level of involvement required. Some platforms let you select individual shares and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, while others build and manage a diversified portfolio on your behalf.
Here are 20 platforms Singaporeans can consider when investing a fixed amount each month.
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Which Type Of Monthly Investment Platform May Suit You?
Before comparing individual platforms, it helps to decide how involved you want to be.
Investors who want to select their own shares or ETFs may prefer a brokerage recurring-investment plan. These plans automate purchases while leaving investment selection largely in the investor’s hands.
Those who prefer a more hands-off experience may consider a robo-adviser. Robo-advisers recommend and manage portfolios based on factors such as investment objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance.
Investors using CPF or Supplementary Retirement Scheme funds should also check whether the platform supports their preferred source of funds.
Regardless of the platform you choose, compare the total cost to the amount you intend to invest. A minimum monthly commission may represent a significant percentage of a small contribution.
| Platform | Starting amount stated in original comparison | Main investment options | May suit investors who |
| POSB/DBS Invest-Saver | $100 a month | Selected SGX-listed ETFs | Want a simple ETF plan |
| OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan | $100 a month | SGX shares and ETFs | Want Singapore blue-chip exposure |
| FSMOne Regular Savings Plan | From $50 a month | ETFs and unit trusts | Want a broad investment selection |
| Phillip Share Builders Plan | $100 a month | SGX shares, REITs and ETFs | Want to accumulate Singapore investments |
| Phillip Recurring Plan | $100 a month | Singapore, US and Hong Kong securities | Want wider self-directed market access |
| Syfe Auto-Invest | From US$1 for eligible US fractional shares | US and SGX securities | Want automated share or ETF purchases |
| StashAway | No stated minimum | Managed and flexible portfolios | Want a managed ETF portfolio |
| AutoWealth | From $3,000 for its Starter portfolio | Managed global portfolios | Can meet a higher initial minimum |
| Syfe | No stated minimum | Growth, income, REIT and cash portfolios | Want goal-based managed options |
| UTRADE Robo | $5,000 per portfolio | Risk-based portfolios | Can meet a higher initial minimum |
| UOBAM Invest | From $1 | Goal-based and thematic portfolios | Want to begin with a small amount |
| OCBC RoboInvest | Varies by portfolio | Risk-based and thematic portfolios | Prefer investing through OCBC |
| DBS digiPortfolio | From $100 for SaveUp | Managed portfolios | Prefer investing through DBS |
| DBS Invest-Saver Unit Trusts | From $100 a month | Unit trusts | Want recurring fund investments |
| Phillip Unit Trust RSP | From $100 a month | Unit trusts | Want a broad unit-trust range |
| FSM MAPS | Check current minimum | Managed ETF and unit-trust portfolios | Want an FSMOne-managed portfolio |
| dollarDEX | From $100 a month | Funds and recommended portfolios | Want a broad range of funds |
| Endowus | Initial minimum stated as $1,000 | Cash, CPF and SRS portfolios | Want to invest different pools of savings |
| Wealth on UOB TMRW | From $100 monthly | Portfolios and unit trusts | Prefer investing through UOB |
| Financial adviser | Depends on the recommendation | Funds, portfolios or insurance-linked products | Want personalised human advice |
Regular Share Savings (RSS) Plans
Regular Share Savings plans allow investors to buy shares or ETFs automatically by contributing a fixed amount at scheduled intervals.
These plans may suit investors who want to choose their own investments but do not want to place each order manually.
#1 POSB Invest Saver/ DBS Invest Saver (ETFs)
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month
Investments Available: 5 ETFs
Fees: 0.5% for bond ETFs, and 0.82% for equity ETFs (sales charge)
POSB Invest-Saver and DBS Invest-Saver allow investors to build exposure to a selection of ETFs, unit trusts and DBS digiPortfolio. This may suit investors looking for a relatively straightforward way to invest in broad market segments without selecting individual companies.
#2 OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan (BCIP)
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month
Investments Available: 7 ETFs, 14 blue chip share counters
Fees: 0.3% or min. of $5 per counter (sales charge)
The OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan allows investors to invest regularly in selected ETFs and established companies listed on SGX. Available counters have included major Singapore banks, real estate investment trusts and other large Singapore-listed companies.
Because the minimum charge generally applies to each counter, spreading a small monthly investment across several counters may increase the effective cost.
Similar to other RSS plans, we can only start investing from as little as $100.
#3 FSMOne Regular Savings Plans (RSP)
Minimum Investment Amount: $50/month (ETFs), $100/month (unit trusts) (may be higher for specific investments)
Investments Available: 276 ETFs listed in Singapore, Hong Kong, US and London, and 2,039 unit trusts from about 60 fund managers
Fees: $0 (FSMOne has waived ETF RSP buy orders since 2021; ETF RSP sell orders are charged at flt prices of $3.80 for Singapore ETFs, HK$38 for Hong Kong ETFs (HK$5 for odd lots and fractional shares), US$3.80 for US ETFs (0.08% for fractional shares) and 0.15% or min. of GBP 15 for London ETFs (no min. for odd lots and fractional shares); 0% sales charge for unit trusts and 0.2% – 0.35% per annum (management fee)
FSMOne’s Regular Savings Plan provides access to ETFs listed in markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, the US and London. Investors can also choose from a large selection of unit trusts covering different asset classes, markets and investment strategies.
This wide selection gives investors more flexibility, although it also means they need to research and select suitable investments themselves.
#4 Phillip Share Builders Plan
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month
Investments Available: 28 ETFs, 29 blue-chip share counters, 19 high-quality REITs
Fees: 0.3% per annum of Total Portfolio Value (min. $1 per month) (management fees). Capped at $8.88/month for Total Portfolio Value < $40,000; and $5.88/month for Total Portfolio Value ≥ $40,000. Other fees include 1% dividend handling fee (min. $1 and capped at $50); and $10 Corporate Actions fee.
The Phillip Share Builders Plan offers investments for nearly 80 counters listed on SGX. Similar to other regular share savings plan, Phillip Share Builders Plan is a regular fixed-dollar amount investment plan that helps investors build up a portfolio of shares incrementally and consistently over time.
Open an investing account with Phillip Securities (POEMS) today, and start building your investment portfolio.
Read Also: Buying A New iPhone Every Year? Here’s How Much More You Will Have If You Invested The Money Instead
#5 Phillip Recurring Plan
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month
Investments Available: All SGX counters, All counters in US and Hong Kong markets
Fees: Prevailing brokerage rates (SGX – from 0.08%, no min; US – flat US$3.88; HK – 0.08%, min HK$30)
The Phillip Recurring Plan gives you more control over your investments with access to the entire pool of stocks and ETFs in Singapore, US and Hong Kong markets. You can also choose a standing order for your investment frequency to be daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. You can also choose to fund your account via fund transfer, debit from ledger/ money market fund.
However, unlike its Share Builders Plan, the Recurring Plan charges its prevailing brokerage fees, which may be more expensive.
#6 Syfe Auto-Invest
Minimum Investment Amount: Price of nearest round lot for SGX stocks; $1 for US stocks with fractional shares trading
Investments Available: All SGX counters, All counters in US markets
Fees: Prevailing brokerage rates (SGX – from 0.04%-0.06%, min. $1.98; US – flat US$0.99-US$1.49; 2 to 10 free trades per month, depending on tier)
Via Syfe Trade, there is a recurring buy feature that is termed Auto-Invest. You can schedule weekly or monthly recurring buys for both US and SGX stocks. For US stocks, there is a further function to invest in fractional shares, while for SGX stocks, you have to invest to the nearest round lot.
Robo-Advisory Firms
Newer to the market, many robo-advisory firms offer investors a hands-off approach to long-term investing via their digital platforms. They make use of algorithms to help investors invest their money, based on their risk tolerance levels, within the methodology of their platforms.
#7 StashAway
Minimum investment amount: No minimum
Investments Available: Curated portfolios and Flexible Portfolio (customise your own portfolio); Cash Management Portfolio
Fees: 0.2% to 0.8% per annum for curated investment portfolios; 0.3% for Single ETF Flexible Portfolio; 0.15% per annum for StashAway Simple, 0.2% per annum for StashAway Simple Plus (management fees)
StashAway primarily invests in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed around the world to give investors greater diversification into equities, bonds, commodities and even convertible securities. It also does not have a minimum amount for investors to start using its platform for its main goal-based portfolio. There are also Thematic Portfolios and Flexible Portfolios for investors who want more targeted investment allocations.
StashAway uses a proprietary investment strategy based on the theory of economic cycles, Economic Regime-based Asset Allocation, or ERAA, enabling it to monitor economic trends and valuations to rebalance its customer’s asset allocation mix for the long-term.
If you’re keen to try out StashAway, it is currently offering 50% off its management fees for 6 months, for up to $70,000 in portfolio value. You can sign up here.
#8 AutoWealth
Minimum Investment Amount: $3,000 (AutoWealth Starter), $10,000 (AutoWealth Plus+); $1,000 (AutoWealth Flexi Cash); Minimum subsequent investment: $100/month
Investments Available: Curated Portfolios; Thematic Portfolios; Treasury Bills (U.S.)
Fees: AutoWealth Starter: 0.5% per annum of total investment size + US$18 platform fee; AutoWealth Plus+: 8% only on Profits; AutoWealth Flexi Cash: 0.1%
AutoWealth Starter offers investors global exposure mainly through ETFs listed in the US. AutoWealth portfolios track the MSCI World Index and the Citigroup World Government Bond Index – which are transparent and global indexes respectively. AutoWealth Plus+ offers thematic portfolios such as its Turnaround Portfolio, Growth & Momentum Portfolio, Future of Digital Economy Portfolio, Future 2050 Portfolio and more. AutoWealth Flexi Cash (USD) offers U.S. treasury bills exposure for now – with an SGD product on the way.
While AutoWealth Starter has a minimum initial investment of $3,000, you can opt to go on a monthly investment plan as well.
If you’re interested to give AutoWealth a try, be sure to use the promo code ‘DollarsAndSense‘ to receive a $20 top-up into your account once you fund it with the $3,000 minimum.
Read Also: Robo Advisors in Singapore: What You Need To Know Before Investing
#9 Syfe (robo)
Minimum Investment Amount: N.A.
Investments Available: Core: Core Equity100, Core Growth, Core Balanced, Core Defensive; and Passive Income: Income+ Preserve; Income+ Enhance; REIT+ Portfolio, REIT with Risk Management; and Custom portfolio
Fees: 0.4% to 0.65% (management fees)
Syfe has an investment approach that is focused on managing risk, to attain better risk-adjusted returns across all market conditions. You can fund your investment account in either SGD or USD, in either a lump sum or regular monthly payments. There are no minimum investment amounts and no minimum lock-in periods.
Its Syfe REIT+ portfolio gives investors Singapore’s first risk-managed REIT portfolio. Syfe also has a cash management account called Syfe Cash+, as well as its Income+ product.
Compare Syfe’s available portfolios here.
If you prefer a managed approach to investing, Syfe offers portfolios for different objectives — from globally diversified Core portfolios and Equity100 for long-term growth, to REIT+ and Income+ for investors seeking income. You can also use its Cash+ solutions to put short-term funds to work while maintaining liquidity.
Find out more about the different Syfe portfolios and which may suit your financial goals.
Read Also: Investing With Syfe: 5 Things You Need To Know About Singapore’s Newest Robo-Advisor
#10 UTRADE Robo
Minimum Investment Amount: $5,000 per portfolio, Minimum subsequent investment: $500
Investments Available: Conservative, Moderate, Aggressive Portfolios
Fees: 0.5% to 0.88% (management fees)
UTRADE Robo classifies investors as conservative, moderate and aggressive based on our risk profile. It will then invest in a universe of ETFs listed globally, primarily tracking benchmark indices and access to 11,000 stocks and bonds across global markets, based on factors including fund size, liquidity, transaction costs, tax efficiency and expense ratios.
#11 UOBAM Invest
Minimum Anvestment Amount: $1
Investments Available: Build My Wealth portfolio based on investment horizon and risk tolerance; Goal-based Investing towards specific targets; Megatrend Portfolio; Fund Direct; Cash+ Xtra
Fees: 0.6% to 0.8% (management fees)
UOBAM Invest allows us to invest from as little as $1. It allows us to invest in fractional shares up to four decimal places in order for us to invest such a low amount. UOBAM Invest also employs a glide-path model that gradually allocates our funds towards safer investments as we approach our target goal completion date.
You can also invest in its Megatrend Portfolio, which invests in long-term macro-level trends, as well as buy and sell funds on your own via its Fund Direct product.
Cash+ Xtra is gives you competitive yields on your cash savings, with 80% exposure to United SGD Fund Class B SGX Acc and 20% exposure to United SGX Money Market Fund Class B SGD. It currently offers yields up to 3.5%.
#12 OCBC RoboInvest
Minimum Investment Amount: Varies for individual portfolios. Starts from as low as US$100, but can go to several thousand dollars for some portfolios.
Investments Available: 38 Portfolios
Fees: 0.88% (management fees)
OCBC RoboInvest allows us to invest in both risk-based portfolios as well as thematic portfolios across six different markets and three categories of risk level. We also enjoy automated portfolio monitoring and proposed rebalancing notifications as the market changes.
#13 DBS digiPortfolio
Minimum Investment Amount: $1,000, ($100 for SaveUp). Minimum subsequent investment: none
Investments Available: Retirement, Growth, Income Portfolio, Asia Portfolio, Global Portfolio, and SaveUp Portfolio
Fees: 0.25% (SaveUp) to 0.75% (rest) per annum (management fees)
Under the POSB Invest Saver/ DBS Invest Saver programme, we can also invest in the DBS digiPortfolio – offering 6 unique portfolios. Its Retirement Portfolio is managed in collaboration with J.P Morgan Asset Management, and has exposure to a diversified multi-asset portfolio of unit trusts. The Asia Portfolio has a Singapore focus investing across Asia though Singapore-listed ETFs. The Global Portfolio invests in Singapore-listed ETFs and UK-listed ETFs respectively.
The SaveUp portfolio invests primarily in fixed-income instruments and incurs a lower management fee of 0.25%. The Income portfolio invests in equity and bond unit trusts that generate regular income.
Read Also: Pros And Cons Of Investing Through The DBS digiPortfolio
Mutual Funds/Unit Trusts
There are also platforms that allow us to invest in mutual funds and unit trusts on a monthly basis. Typically, these are managed by an active fund manager seeking to beat the market. However, there are also certain mutual funds or unit trusts that are passive investments tracking indexes.
#14 DBS Invest-Saver (Unit Trusts)
Minimum Investment Amount: start from $100; invest $1,000 lump sum and $100 monthly contributions subsequently
Investments Available: over 130 funds
Fees: varies depending fund
DBS Invest-Saver (Unit Trusts) allows us to invest in unit trust funds with underlying assets in equity, bonds and alternative investments, as well as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), on a monthly basis. We can start investing from as little as $100 a month.
On its platform, we can choose to invest using cash, our CPF funds or our Supplementary Retirement Savings (SRS) account. We can also search for funds to invest in if we know the fund name, or if we want to invest with a certain fund house or on an investment theme.
#15 Phillip Unit Trust Regular Savings Plan
Minimum Investment Amount: $100. However, a higher minimum investment amount may be applicable for certain unit trusts.
Investments Available: More than 500 unit trusts
Fees: 0%
Apart from its Share Builders Plan, Phillip also offers a Unit Trust Savings Plan. Investors can choose to invest in more than 500 funds from as little as $100 a month. They can also make use of their CPF or SRS funds to make these investments.
#16 FSM MAPS
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month
Investments Available: 10 curated portfolios based on risk profile and Income VS Growth portfolio
Fees: 0.35% (for conservative portfolios), 0.5% (for all other portfolios)
On FSM Maps, we can also start investing via a regular savings plan for as little as $500 a month. Investors can choose from five different risk levels, ranging from conservative to aggressive, as well as whether they prefer a growth or income portfolio, based on their investment objectives and risk tolerance.
FSM MAPS is able to give investors exposure to a diverse range of unit trusts and ETFs globally.
Read Also: Why Asset Allocation Is The No.1 Thing Investors Don’t Think About…But Should
#17 dollarDEX by Singlife
Minimum Investment Amount: $100/month. Minimum initial investment may vary depending on the portfolio.
Investments Available: Close to 1,000 funds
Fees: 0%
dollarDEX by Singlife allows investors to invest on their own or via five recommended portfolios, again ranging from conservative to aggressive.
On its regular savings plan, investors can invest similarly to the other types of investments by contributing a regular investment of at least $100 each month.
#18 Endowus
Minimum Investment Amount: $1,000, Minimum subsequent investment: $100
Investments Available: Core (Invest Cash, Invest CPF, Invest SRS, in its Flagship, ESG or Factor-based portfolios); Income, Satellite (i.e. Thematic portfolios); Cash Smart and Fund Smart (DIY)
Fees: 0.25% to 0.6% for cash investment, 0.4% for SRS and CPF portfolios, 0.15% for cash management portfolios
Endowus is an independent fee-only platform that aims to help Singaporeans grow wealth by investing systematically, in share classes that were only previously available to institutional investors, managed by top global investment firms such as Dimensional and PIMCO.
They create customised portfolios for investors by making the asset allocation and portfolio construction decisions using data-driven and institutional asset allocation framework. They apply quantitative and qualitative screening to find funds that have outperformed over the long-term.
Its Fund Smart portfolio allows you to customise your investments into funds that you want to invest in, including the allocation you want to put into each fund. It also offers a Cash Smart account for cash management.
If you’re interested to start investing with Endowus, you’ll be happy to know that DollarsAndSense readers can enjoy an exclusive promotion with Endowus. Enjoy $50 off your Endowus Fee. Sign-up using this link to claim this special offer. Terms & Conditions apply.
#19 Wealth on UOB TMRW
Minimum Investment Amount: start from $500 lump sum or monthly $100
Investments Available: 4 risk-based portfolios based on a blend of strategies (Play Safe: United SGD Money Market Fund; Stable Income: United SGD Fund; Income: United Income Fund; and Growth: United CIO Growth Fund); or curated selection of more than 100 unit trusts
Fees: 0.8% (sales charge)
Via Wealth on UOB TMRW, we can tap on the research from UOB Private Bank CIO with its Income and Growth portfolios. Or, Investors can also choose to invest in over 100 unit trusts on their own on the UOB TMRW app.
Human-Touch
#20 Financial Advisers
Aside from the above platforms, you can also invest a fixed monthly sum through products offered by your financial adviser(s). Also known as investment-linked policies (ILPs), your money can get invested with a range of funds offered by the insurer. You’ll need to take time to understand how the ILP you’re considering works, especially the loss you would make if you surrender your policy early.
No Need To Time The Market
If we are trying to time the market, we will only invest when we think the markets are at a low or when they are going up. This is virtually impossible for even the best fund managers and investors to achieve over the long-term, let alone average investors like us.
By investing a fixed sum each month, we end up investing in the financial markets regardless of its price at any point in time. Optimally, we should strive to invest in high-quality and broadly diversified investments.
Don’t Require Extensive Knowledge Or Expertise
New or retail investors may not have the financial training nor the time or expertise to monitor our portfolio regularly. By doing the initial research on the appropriate investment platform to use, we can tap into its knowledge, expertise and guidance to grow our wealth.
Start Investing From As Little As $100
The majority of the platforms that offer recurring monthly investments allow their investors to start from an affordable amount – as little as $100 (or even lower). They also typically give investors the flexibility to increase, decrease, stop or cash out the investments without any penalties.
Since such platforms are targeting retail investors and monthly investments, the majority of the platforms also offer a competitive brokerage or commission charge. Paying a high brokerage or commission charge can eat into our returns over the long-term.
Not Locked Into Any Investments, But You Build A Portfolio With A Disciplined Investing Method
Most investment platforms do not require us to be locked in over several years or even decades to invest with them. This is a big advantage that allows us to reduce our investment amount each month, completely stop investing or even sell away our entire investments without any penalties.
At the same time, this flexibility doesn’t mean we would lack the conviction to invest regularly. By setting up the amount we want to invest each month, our funds will continue to be automatically deducted unless we make an active decision to stop.
Leverage On A Dollar-Cost Averaging Strategy
When we invest a fixed sum of money each month, we buy up more of an asset when prices go down and less when prices go up. This way, we will invest at close to the average price of the asset.
In the example below, if we simply invest $6,000 lump sum in January, we would end up with the same $6,000 (i.e. the same 6,000 shares/ETF units we initially bought) in June.
If we Dollar-Cost Average (DCA) $1,000 into the markets, we would also invest the same $6,000, but have 6,103 shares/ETF units.
Source: DollarsAndSense
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