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Latest T-Bills Singapore Guide (14 Mar 2024): Rates, Auction Dates How to Buy & More

profileJustin Oh

Are you not so keen on parking your cash for 10 years in the Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) or Singapore Government Securities (SGS) bonds for the full tenor?

Or are you looking for an alternative to fixed deposits?

Enter treasury bills (T-bills) with short maturities of only six months or one year and the same backing from the Singapore Government, which is well-known for its high credit (AAA) rating.

Source: Tenor | Game of Thrones

You’ll also receive a fixed interest payment upfront, and you can invest with cash, Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS), or Central Provident Fund (CPF) funds with no overall limit.

Here’s all you need to know.


TL;DR: T-Bill Singapore Guide — Treasury Bill Rates, Auction Dates & More

The current 6-month Singapore T-bill (BS24105X) before offered a yield of 3.78% p.a. in the auction held today, 14 Mar 2024. ~96% of non-competitive applications were allotted.
Meanwhile, the previous 6-month Singapore T-bill (BS24104T) offered a yield of 3.80% p.a. in the auction held last Thursday 29 Feb 2024100% of non-competitive applications were allotted.

The previous 1-year Singapore T-bill (BY24100T) offered a yield of 3.45% p.a. in the auction held on 25 Jan 2024. Note that there will be only three more 1-year T-bill auctions in 2024.

Click to Jump:

Disclaimer: The information provided by Seedly serves as an educational piece and is not intended to be personalised investment advice. ​Readers should always do their due diligence and consider their financial goals before investing in any investment product. Note that the information is accurate as of 14 Mar 2024.


T Bill Auction Updates

6-Month T-Bill Singapore Historical Cut-off Yield

Auction DateIssue CodeCut-off yield (p.a.)
14 Sep 2023BS23118S3.73%
28 Sep 2023BS23119H4.07%
12 Oct 2023BS23120A3.77%
26 Oct 2023BS23121E3.95%
8 Nov 2023BS23122F3.75%
23 Nov 2023BS23123Z3.80%
7 Dec 2023BS23124S3.74%
20 Dec 2023BS23125H3.73%
4 Jan 2024BS24100F3.74%
18 Jan 2024BS24101Z3.70%
1 Feb 2024BS24102S3.54%
15 Feb 2024BS24103H3.66%
29 Feb 2024BS24104T3.80%
14 Mar 2024BS24105X3.78%

1 Year T Bill Singapore Historical Cut-off Yield

Auction DateIssue CodeCut-off yield (p.a.)
26 Jan 2023BY23100X 3.87%
20 Apr 2023BY23101W3.58%
27 Jul 2023BY23102N3.74%
19 Oct 2023BS23121E3.7% p.a.
25 Jan 2024BS24101Z3.45%

The interest rate for T-bills changes every month and is only determined at the auction. So here’s a look at the upcoming auctions:

6-Month T Bill Singapore (14 Mar 2024 Auction): BS24105X

BS24105X 6-Month T-bill (Closed)
Issue Code BS24105X
ISIN Code SGXZ47704846
Tenor 6 months
Amount Offered $6.3 billion
Amount Allotted Total:
$6.3 billion
Non-competitive:
$2.5 billion
% of Competitive Applications at Cut-off Allotted
Approximately 39%
% of Non-Competitive Applications Allotted
Approximately 96%
Interest Rate (Cut Off Yield) 3.78%
Benchmark yield as of 13 Mar 2024 3.70% p.a.
Announcement Date 7 Mar 2024
Auction Date 14 Mar 2024
Issue Date 19 Mar 2024
Maturity Date 17 Sep 2024
Application Period Opens: 7 Mar 2024
Closing Date: Typically 1 – 2 business days before the auction date
(Do check with your bank for the exact closing date.)
Investment Amounts Minimum of $1,000 (in multiples of $1,000)

Source: MAS

1-Year T Bill Singapore (25 Jan 2024 Auction): BY24100T

BY24100T 1-Year T-bill (Closed)
Issue Code BY24100T
ISIN Code SGXZ89281026
Tenor 1 year
Amount Offered $4.5 billion
Amount Allotted Total:
$4.5 billion
Non-competitive:

$1.8 billion
% of Competitive Applications at Cut-off Allotted ~17%
% of Non-Competitive Applications Allotted
100%
Interest Rate (Cut-off Yield) 3.45%
Benchmark yield as of 13 Mar 2024 3.46% p.a.
Announcement Date 18 Jan 2024
Auction Date 25 Jan 2024
Issue Date 30 Jan 2024
Maturity Date 28 Jan 2025
Application Period Opens: 18 Jan 2024
Closing Date: Typically 1 – 2 business days before the auction date
(Check with your bank for the exact closing date.)
Investment Amounts Minimum of $1,000 (in multiples of $1,000)

Source: MAS

Individual investors can submit bids for SGS through selected banks’ ATMs and Internet banking portals. Applications through these channels may close one to two business days before the auction, and individual investors should check with their banks on the exact cut-off time.

Dates: Where the issue/settlement date, coupon payment or redemption date, or closing date of the application specified above falls on a day that the electronic payment system, established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, is not in operation, issuance/settlement, coupon payment, redemption, or the close of application, as the case may be, will be effected on the next business day when the electronic payment system is in operation.


What is a Treasury Bill?

Treasury bills (T-bills) are government bonds that pay a fixed interest rate and have six-month or one-year maturities, with the 6-month T-bill being the most common.

Unlike SGS bonds, however, you are not paid with coupons. Instead, you buy T-bills at a discount to the face (par) value and are given the full value at maturity.

The 6-month T-bills are typically issued every two weeks, while the 1-year T-bills are issued every quarter, according to the issuance calendar on the MAS website.

The minimum application is $1,000, while the maximum application is up to $1,000,000 per applicant.

Do T-bills Pay Monthly?

In other words, if I were to buy a 6-month T-bill worth $10,000 with a yield of 3% p.a., I would only need to pay $9,850 upfront. Thus, they do not pay monthly.

At the end of the tenor, I will receive the full $10,000 worth (back into my bank, CPF, or SRS account) and would have earned $150.

MAS T-Bill Rates Are Only Revealed at the Auction

The big caveat is that you will only know the actual interest rates after announcing the auction results. Unlike SSBs, where MAS will tell us the exact interest rate we will get, T-Bills are auctioned, and the yields are determined then.

Historical Rates

Luckily, we can roughly estimate the rates by looking at historical data from the MAS website!

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Are T-Bills a Good Investment?

Before we dive into how to buy T-bills, let’s take a closer look at what investing in them means for us and how it differs from SSBs and SGS bonds.

Why Does The Government Offer T-Bills?

According to MAS, the Government issues SGS bonds and T-bills primarily to:

  • Build a liquid SGS market to provide a robust government yield curve, which serves as a benchmark for the corporate debt market
  • Grow an active secondary market for cash transactions and derivatives to enable efficient risk management
  • Encourage issuers and investors, both domestic and international, to participate in the Singapore bond market.

If you didn’t understand any of that, T-bills essentially serve as a way for you to lend the Singapore government money so that they can develop the local debt markets.

How Do I Withdraw Money From T-Bills?

Investors are not able to redeem T-bills early. However, you may sell your T-bill on the secondary market at DBS, OCBC, or UOB’s main branches.

That said, the price of the T-bill may rise or fall before maturity, and the trading volume for T-bills is low, making them relatively illiquid. So be sure you are okay with locking up your money for the duration of the tenor!

Are T-Bills Risk-Free?

T-bills are wholly backed by the Singapore Government, which has a “AAA” credit rating.

This reduces the risks of investing in T-bills to the bare minimum (read: there are still risks).

Singapore is one of only 11 countries that enjoy the “AAA” credit rating by Standard and Poor (S&P), as in the folks behind the S&P 500 index! Some other countries that have this rating include Switzerland, Australia, and Finland.

Source: Monetary Authority of Singapore

Such a strong rating arguably makes the T-bills one of the safest products in the market.

The only way you will lose all your money is if the Singapore Government defaults, which has never happened!

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T-Bills vs SSB vs SGS Bonds: What Are The Differences?

 Singapore Savings Bonds
(SSB)
Singapore Government Securities (SGS) BondsTreasury Bills (T-Bills)
What is it?Safe and flexible bond option for investorsTradable government debt securitiesShort-term tradable government debt securities
How does it work?Pays interest every 6 monthsPays a fixed couple every 6 monthsInvestors buy it at a discount. Upon maturity, investors will then receive the full face value of the bill
Investment duration10 years2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 years6 months or 1 year
Minimum investment$500, and in multiples of $500$1,000, and in multiples of $1,000$1,000, and in multiples of $1,000
Maximum limit per investor$200,000Auction: up to allotment limit for auctions

Syndication: None
No Limit; up to the allotment limit for auctions
FeesCash: $2Cash: $2 (Waived if you apply through DBS internet banking)Cash: $2 (Waived if you apply through DBS internet banking)

CPFIS: $2.50 transaction fee, $2 quarterly service fee per counter
Type of Interest PaymentFixed coupon, steps up each yearFixed couponNo coupon; issued and traded at a discount to the face (par) value
Payment of interestEvery 6 months, starting from the month of issueEvery 6 months, starting from the month of issueAt maturity
How is the price and rate determined?The interest rate is fixed and published by Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) every month

The interest rate is announced before the application
Determined by auctionDetermined by auction
How to apply?Apply through DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB ATMs or internet bankingApply through DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB ATMs or internet bankingApply through DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB ATMs or internet banking
How to redeem?Redeem the full principal with accrued interest through Online Bank or ATM

There will be no penalty for early withdrawal
No early redemptionNo early redemption
Can we buy/sell on secondary markets?NoAt DBS, OCBC or UOB main branches; on SGX through brokersAt DBS, OCBC or UOB main branches
Transferable?NoYesYes
Can we invest using our SRS account?Investors can invest through their respective SRS Operator's internet banking portalInvestors can invest through their respective SRS Operator's internet banking portalInvestors can invest through their respective SRS Operator's internet banking portal
Can we invest using our CPF/SRS?CPF: No
SRS: Yes
Auction: Yes
Syndication: No
Yes
TaxThere is no capital gains tax in Singapore

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How Do I Buy T-Bills in Singapore?

Before applying, make sure you have the following:

  • A bank account with any local banks in Singapore (DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB)
  • Central Depository (CDP) account that is linked to the bank account you intend to invest with
  • A CPF Investment Account with one of the three CPFIS agent banks (DBS/POSB, OCBC, and UOB) for CPFIS-OA investments (no account needed for CPFIS-SA investments).
  • An SRS account if you are using funds from your SRS.

How Do I Apply For T-Bills?

Cash

You can apply for a T-bill through two methods:

  1. Apply at an ATM (only DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB) near you OR
  2. Apply through Internet Banking under “Singapore Government Securities”.

Note that the $2 transaction fee (excluding GST) is waived if you apply through DBS.

SRS

Apply through the internet banking portal of your SRS Operator (DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB)

CPFIS: Can I Use My CPF To Buy T-Bills?

Submit an application in person at the main branch of your respective Central Provident Fund (CPF) Investment Scheme (CPFIS) agent bank (DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB).

For DBS, OCBC and UOB customers, you may also apply for T-bills using your CPF-OA funds online via i-banking under “Singapore Government Securities”.

Do note that agent banks charge a one-time fee of $2.50 (excluding GST) per transaction and a quarterly $2 service fee (excluding GST) per counter. A T-bill investment using your CPF Ordinary Account (OA) will incur a total cost of $6.50 or $7.085 after the prevailing GST of 9%.

However, if you cannot get your desired allocation for 1-year T-bills, you can consider Maybank’s 12-month CPF Time Deposit.

The bank now offers CPF time deposits where CPF members can open a Maybank 12-month CPF time deposit account by placing at least $20,000 from their CPF OA.

This is above the breakeven point, as covered in our commentary on whether you should use your CPF funds to buy T-bills or Fixed Deposits:

How to Apply for Older T-Bills

Dealer Banks (Secondary Market)

Aside from bidding at a T-bill auction, you can also buy T-bills with primary dealer banks (DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB). This allows you to buy older T-bills for an even higher return!

What Is a Competitive Bid and a Non-competitive Bid?

As you apply for new T-bills, you will have the option of a “non-competitive” and “competitive” bid.

Non-competitive Bid

A non-competitive bid does not specify the yield. Instead, you only specify the amount you want to invest, and those funds will be invested regardless of the yield. This is the option that the average Singaporean should go for.

Non-competitive bids will be allotted first, up to 40% of the total issuance amount. If the amount of non-competitive bids exceeds 40%, the bond will be allocated to you on a pro-rated basis.

Competitive Bid

On the other hand, a competitive bid is usually for institutional investors or the more investment-savvy, where investors will bid for their desired yield.

Opting for a competitive bid means that your funds will only be invested if the cut-off yield exceeds your specified yield.

Do note that you may not get the full amount that you applied for, depending on how your bid compares to the cut-off yield :

  • If your bid is lower than the cut-off yield, you will get an allotment of what you bid
  • If your bid is equal to the cut-off yield, your allocation amount might be lower as the allocation is pro-rata
  • If you bid above the cut-off yield, you will not be allocated.

The balance (60%) of the total issue amount will then be awarded to competitive bids from the lowest to highest yields.

In essence, everyone will get the cut-off yield so long as your (competitive) bid does not exceed the cut-off yield!

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How to Sell T-Bills

Since you cannot redeem T-bills early, you may consider selling your T-bills through dealer banks (DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB).

But remember, the bond price may rise or fall before maturity, so you could lose some capital if you were to sell at a value below par value.

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How To Check T-Bills

Once you’ve applied for T-bills, the waiting game begins!

You will be issued T-bills three days (T+3) after the auction.

You may view your purchases or sales of T-bills at the respective platforms based on your purchase method.

How To Check T-Bills in Your CDP Account

Your successful T-Bills allotment paid for in cash will be reflected in your CDP statement (NOT SGX!):

If you have purchased $6,000 worth of T-bills, for example, you will be allocated a quantity of 60 units, with each unit worth $100.

So don’t panic if you’ve put in $10,000 and only see a quantity of 100!

T-bills Application for CPF and SRS

SRS application: Statements from your SRS Operator (DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB are SRS operators).

CPF-OA application: CPFIS statement sent by your agent bank (DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB are CPFIS agent banks).

CPF-SA application: CPF statement.

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FAQ: T-bill Allocation and More

I Made a $10,000 Non-Competitive Bid With Cash and Received a Refund of $5,075 in My Bank Account. What’s Going On?

In this scenario, only $5,000 worth of T-bills was successfully applied, with the additional $75 being the interest earned.

This means that the cut-off yield for this round is at 3% per annum. If you’ve only received a partial allocation, this means that the T-bill you applied for was oversubscribed.

I’ve received the T-bill refund, but my CDP account does not reflect my T-bill holdings.

As T-bills are currently oversubscribed, it may take some time for MAS to process the information, resulting in a delay on your CDP account.

No need to worry and be patient for the holdings to appear.

Can I Submit Multiple Bids at the T Bills Auction?

Yes, you can! Additional bids will not overwrite your previous submission.

If I submit a competitive bid, will I get the cut-off yield or the bid I submitted if the cut-off yield is higher?

You will get the cut-off yield if you’ve submitted a bid lower than the cut-off yield.

Will T-bills Interest Rates Increase in the Future? How Much Interest Do T-bills Pay?

T-bills have recently become popular, resulting in high demand and oversubscription. On top of that, some people have spoiled the market by submitting very low competitive bids to get fully allotted while enjoying a higher interest rate.

As a result, the T-bill interest rates have been fluctuating recently.

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Are T-bills Right For Me?

If you are an investor who wants to invest for a short period (i.e. 6 months or one year), T-bills are a great and safe way to park your spare cash.

For the past year or so, we have seen the median yield of T-bills with yields of 3.64% to 4.40%,

How Is T Bill Interest Calculated? Does the Interest Compare to Bank Rates?

With the latest 6-month T-bill offering a cut-off yield of 3.78% p.a. in the auction held on 29 Feb 2024, T-bill interest rates are more competitive compared to fixed deposits:

But they are not better than the savings accounts offered by banks, although the rates offered by banks are not fixed:

That said, the interest rates are only determined at the auction, and if there is another oversubscription, you can expect interest rates to fall further and only a partial allocation.

For those of us who want to invest for the long term (i.e., five to ten years), consider SSBs or SGS bonds instead!

Do note that with the headline inflation rate averaging 4.80% in 2023, you are facing a tough battle:

So, if you have a long investment horizon, check out our piece about why you shouldn’t play it too safe as a long-term investor:

Should You Invest in T-bills Now?

Since the Fed has paused interest rate hikes for 2023, T-bills might not rise further.

Alternatively, with each issuance, you can build a bond ladder and dollar-cost-average into T-bills.

To help you make a better decision, check out the T-bills’ benchmark yields here.

Upcoming T Bill Singapore Auctions

Sometimes, we may also miss out on T-bill auctions, so it’s good to set a calendar reminder. Over at r/SingaporeFI, user “D2GCal” has blessed us with a Google calendar for 2024’s T-Bills:

6-Month T-Bill Calendar Add calendar
1-Year T-Bill Calendar Add calendar

Also, here are the next T-Bill auctions for 2024:

6-Month T-Bill Calendar 2024

Announcement Date Auction Date Issue Date Maturity Date Tenor Issue Code ISIN Code Status
11 Jan 2024 18 Jan 2024 23 Jan 2024 23 Jul 2024 6-month BS24101Z SGXZ64133028
Closed

 

25 Jan 2024 01 Feb 2024 06 Feb 2024 06 Aug 2024 6-month BS24102S SGXZ32636938
Closed

 

07 Feb 2024 15 Feb 2024 20 Feb 2024 20 Aug 2024 6-month BS24103H SGXZ50304468
Closed

 

22 Feb 2024 29 Feb 2024 05 Mar 2024 03 Sep 2024 6-month BS24104T SGXZ48734073
Closed

 

07 Mar 2024 14 Mar 2024 19 Mar 2024 17 Sep 2024 6-month BS24105X SGXZ47704846
Closed
20 Mar 2024  

 

02 Apr 2024 01 Oct 2024 6-month BS24106W SGXZ88585823
Upcoming
03 Apr 2024 11 Apr 2024 16 Apr 2024 15 Oct 2024 6-month BS24107N SGXZ93751485
Upcoming
18 Apr 2024 25 Apr 2024 30 Apr 2024 29 Oct 2024 6-month BS24108V SGXZ83501924
Upcoming
02 May 2024 09 May 2024 14 May 2024 12 Nov 2024 6-month BS24109A SGXZ25011966
Upcoming
15 May 2024 23 May 2024 28 May 2024 26 Nov 2024 6-month BS24110T SGXZ12438883
Upcoming
30 May 2024 06 Jun 2024 11 Jun 2024 10 Dec 2024 6-month BS24111X SGXZ81105322
Upcoming
12 Jun 2024 20 Jun 2024 25 Jun 2024 24 Dec 2024 6-month BS24112W SGXZ29011285
Upcoming
27 Jun 2024 04 Jul 2024 09 Jul 2024 07 Jan 2025 6-month BS24113N SGXZ29447257
Upcoming
11 Jul 2024 18 Jul 2024 23 Jul 2024 21 Jan 2025 6-month BS24114V SGXZ57225237
Upcoming
25 Jul 2024 01 Aug 2024 06 Aug 2024 04 Feb 2025 6-month BS24115A SGXZ93535995
Upcoming
07 Aug 2024 15 Aug 2024 20 Aug 2024 18 Feb 2025 6-month BS24116E SGXZ19202407
Upcoming
22 Aug 2024 29 Aug 2024 03 Sep 2024 04 Mar 2025 6-month BS24117F SGXZ56660376
Upcoming
05 Sep 2024 12 Sep 2024 17 Sep 2024 18 Mar 2025 6-month BS24118Z SGXZ71864045
Upcoming
19 Sep 2024 26 Sep 2024 01 Oct 2024 01 Apr 2025 6-month BS24119S SGXZ23627573
Upcoming
03 Oct 2024 10 Oct 2024 15 Oct 2024 15 Apr 2025 6-month BS24120V SGXZ87934956
Upcoming
17 Oct 2024 24 Oct 2024 29 Oct 2024 29 Apr 2025 6-month BS24121A SGXZ65299968
Upcoming
30 Oct 2024 07 Nov 2024 12 Nov 2024 13 May 2025 6-month BS24122E SGXZ72902281
Upcoming
14 Nov 2024 21 Nov 2024 26 Nov 2024 27 May 2025 6-month BS24123F SGXZ28140713
Upcoming
28 Nov 2024 05 Dec 2024 10 Dec 2024 10 Jun 2025 6-month BS24124Z SGXZ29257813
Upcoming
12 Dec 2024 19 Dec 2024 24 Dec 2024 24 Jun 2025 6-month BS24125S SGXZ30036156
Upcoming

1-Year T-Bill Calendar 2024

Announcement Date Auction Date Issue Date Maturity Date Tenor Issue Code ISIN Code Status
18 Jan 2024 25 Jan 2024 30 Jan 2024 28 Jan 2025 1-year BY24100T SGXZ89281026 Closed
11 Apr 2024 18 Apr 2024 23 Apr 2024 22 Apr 2025 1-year BY24101X SGXZ80447410
Upcoming
18 Jul 2024 25 Jul 2024 30 Jul 2024 29 Jul 2025 1-year BY24102W SGXZ31182504
Upcoming
10 Oct 2024 17 Oct 2024 22 Oct 2024 21 Oct 2025 1-year BY24103N SGXZ73155558
Upcoming

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About Justin Oh
Your average Zillennial who is obsessed with anime, games, movies and of course, personal finance. Join me as I break down personal finance into easily digestible and fun bits!
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