Investing Updates : Is the 1-year T-bill better than the 6-month T-bill and fixed deposits?

Source : 

https://growbeansprout.com/1-year-t-bill-vs-6-month-t-bill-jul-2025

Apple Intelligence : 

• Yield Comparison: The 1-year T-bill yield (1.76%) is similar to the 6-month T-bill yield.

• Re-investment Risk: 1-year T-bill investors may face lower re-investment risks compared to 6-month T-bill investors.

• Fixed Deposit Rates: Fixed deposit rates in Singapore have declined in recent months.

• Singapore Bond Yield Trend: Singapore 10-year government bond yield and 1-year T-bill yield have declined in recent months.

• Reasons for Decline: Market expectations of US interest rate cuts and strong demand for Singapore government bonds due to economic uncertainty.

• Investment Consideration: Investing in two consecutive 6-month T-bills could be an alternative to a 1-year T-bill, but potential reinvestment risk exists if yields fall further.

• Current Yield Comparison: The 1-year Singapore T-bill yield (1.76%) is close to the 6-month T-bill auction yield (1.79%) and below the breakeven yield for CPF OA applications.

• Interest Rate Expectation: Markets anticipate the first U.S. interest rate cut in September 2025, potentially leading to lower yields on shorter-term T-bills.

• Investment Decision Considerations: Consider reinvestment risk, potential for lower yields, and economic uncertainty (e.g., tariffs and inflation) when deciding between a 1-year or 6-month T-bill.

• Fixed Deposit Rate: 2.45% for deposits below S$20,000 and 1.65% p.a. for larger deposits.

• 1-Year T-Bill Yield: 1.76%, slightly lower than the 6-month T-bill yield but offers certainty compared to reinvesting.

• Singapore Savings Bonds (SSB): Offers a 1-year return of 1.82%, a 10-year average annual return of 2.29%, and flexibility to redeem before maturity.

• T-bill Auction Date: The 1-year Singapore T-bill auction will be held on Thursday 24 July 2025.

• Application Deadline: Cash applications close at 9pm on 23 July 2025, while CPF-OA applications close 1-2 business days before the auction date.

Opinion :

A combination of T-Bills, SSBs and Cash Management is still my favourite combination for safer cash investments. 

There are not many alternatives to cash investments without taking greater risks.

I think we will not return to > 3% anytime soon. So, the rates should fall or remain side-ways for quite some time.

Investing Updates : From 2% to 6%: 5 Reasons T-Bill Investors Should Switch to REITs

Source : 

https://drwealth.com/from-2-to-6-5-reasons-t-bill-investors-should-switch-to-reits/

Apple Intelligence : 

• T-bill Yield Decline: Singapore Treasury Bills (T-bills) yields have declined from a peak of over 4% in 2023 to 2.12% currently, making them less attractive than CPF OA interest.

• Reinvestment Risk: Investors face reinvestment risk as maturing T-bills can no longer be rolled over into equally attractive investments.

• Inflation Impact: The current T-bill yield of 2.12% is below Singapore’s long-term average inflation rate of 2.59%, resulting in a loss of purchasing power.

• Investment Alternative: REITs offer higher yields compared to T-bills, making them an attractive option for income-seeking investors.

• Yield Comparison: Singapore-listed REITs offer an average yield of 6.9%, significantly higher than the 2.12% yield of 1-year T-bills.

• Risk Considerations: REITs come with higher risk compared to T-bills, including price volatility and no capital guarantee, but these risks can be managed through diversification and a long-term perspective.

• Risk and Return: REITs offer a better risk-reward profile than regular stocks, with lower volatility and higher dividend yields.

• Investment Option: REIT ETFs provide diversification across multiple REITs, simplifying the investment process.

• Potential Opportunity: Falling REIT prices due to rising interest rates present attractive entry points for contrarian investors.

• Interest Rate Impact: Declining interest rates, as seen in Singapore’s SORA, benefit REITs by improving margins and potentially boosting capital gains.

• Investment Characteristics: REITs offer long-term income potential with dividends, avoiding reinvestment risk associated with fixed-maturity investments like T-bills.

• Liquidity and Flexibility: REITs provide greater liquidity and flexibility compared to T-bills, allowing for dollar-cost averaging and easy trading on exchanges.

• Investment Advantages: REITs offer ongoing income, flexible entry, and better liquidity compared to traditional real estate investments.

• Accessibility and Simplicity: REITs provide a straightforward and familiar investment option, especially for conservative investors, with business models centered around property ownership and rental income.

• Diversification and Tax Benefits: REITs offer diversification across a portfolio of properties without the high capital outlay of direct ownership, and they enjoy tax transparency, resulting in higher net yields for investors.

• Diversification Strategy: Diversify across income-generating assets like REITs and T-bills to build a resilient portfolio.

• Economic Environment and Asset Performance: REITs perform well during inflation and economic growth, while treasuries are favored during rising interest rates.

• Current Investment Recommendation: Rebalance portfolios by considering REITs, which offer higher yields (6.9%) compared to T-bills (2.12%), in the current low-interest-rate environment.

Investing Updates : T-bill yield rebounds to 2.73% as demand dives

Source : 

https://growbeansprout.com/t-bill-allotment-26-mar-2025

Apple Intelligence : 

• T-bill Yield Change: The cut-off yield for the 6-month Singapore T-bill auction on 26 March rebounded to 2.73%.

• T-bill Application Change: Total applications for the 6-month Singapore T-bill declined S$15.8 billion from the previous auction.

• Competitive Bid Change: The amount of competitive bids decreased to S$14.4 billion from the previous auction.

• T-bill Allocation: Competitive bids below 2.73% received full allocation, while non-competitive bids totaling S$1.4 billion were also fully allocated.

• T-bill Applications and Issuance: Total applications decreased to S$15.8 billion, resulting in a lower application-to-issuance ratio (2.14x) compared to the previous auction (2.64x).

• SSB Applications: Applications for the Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) increased to S$678 million, the highest since September 2024, driven by its higher 10-year average interest rate.

• T-bill Yield Rebound: The T-bill yield rebounded to 2.73%, driven by a fall in demand and a shift towards other safe options like SSB.

• Comparison with Other Investments: The T-bill yield is now above the best 6-month fixed deposit rate but below the break-even yield for CPF OA applications.

• Alternative Investment Options: Higher yield options include the UOB Stash account, bond funds like the United SGD Fund, and selected high-quality Singapore REITs.

Investing Updates : Is the 1-year T-bill better than the 6-month T-bill and fixed deposits?

URL: https://growbeansprout.com/1-year-t-bill-vs-6-month-t-bill-jan-2025

Gemini:

Key Takeaways:

• Yield Comparison:
• 1-year T-bill closing yield (2.80%) is currently lower than the 6-month T-bill cut-off yield (2.99%).
• 1-year T-bill yield is higher than the best 1-year fixed deposit rate (2.60%).

• Reinvestment Risk:
• Investing in two 6-month T-bills exposes investors to the risk of lower yields on the second tranche if interest rates decline.

• CPF Considerations:
• Using CPF for 1-year T-bills involves a longer period of lost CPF interest compared to 6-month T-bills.

• Author's Opinion:
  • The author prefers the 1-year T-bill to the 6-month T-bill due to the potential for lower reinvestment risk.
  • The author also considers the 1-year T-bill more attractive than fixed deposits due to its higher yield.

In essence, the article analyzes the trade-offs between 1-year and 6-month T-bills, considering factors like current yields, reinvestment risk, and CPF implications. While the 6-month T-bill currently offers a higher yield, the author favors the 1-year T-bill to avoid potential reinvestment risks at potentially lower rates.