Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Maximising cash interest rates

My cash savings are deposited in high-yield accounts, and by that I mean the interest rates are significantly more than the pathetic 0.1% base rate and the 1.x% fixed-deposit rate.

All my cash savings are earning at least 1% interest p.a. with most of them at least 2% p.a.

This is how I do it:

  1. UOB One Account:
    • I currently max this out with $50k at 2.4% p.a. interest rate by spending $500 on the One Card and making 3 GIRO transactions monthly.
    • One tip is to charge whatever you can to the credit card but be mindful of certain exclusions such as interest-free instalments, ezlink top-ups, etc.
  2. Maybank SaveUp:
    • I max this out with $60k  at 3.0% p.a. interest rate by depositing my salary, paying for my One Card through GIRO, and investing the bare requirement of $300 in unit trusts monthly.  I am compelled to invest in unit trusts as I don't fulfil any other criteria.
  3. CIMB FastSaver:
    • The remaining funds is deposited here to earn 1% p.a. (up to $50k).
  4. Singapore Savings Bond:
    • This is a good alternative to CIMB FastSaver as it is highly liquid (redeemable without any penalty within a month), has an annual yield of 1-2.x%, and ultra-safe (backed by the Singapore Government). 
All my cash is pretty much protected by SDIC and the Singapore Government. 

One way to hit the credit card min spending is to consolidate expenses into one credit card and use it to pay for bills such as:

  1. Telco bills
  2. Utilities
  3. Use CardUp to convert GIRO payments to credit card payments for a small fee of 2.x%
  4. HDB season parking
  5. Petrol
  6. Town council fee
  7. Insurance (certain types only)
  8. and more...
However, do also check the credit card terms and conditions to ensure the payment type can be counted towards the min spend. 

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