MAS has released the latest Singapore Savings Bond SSB Aug 2023 offering (SBAUG23 GX23080N). The 10-year average is 2.99%, with the first-year rate at 2.97%. It is very close to 3% for the whole duration of the SSB, yay! This month’s offering sees a jump in the first-year and 10-year average interest rates. This offering looks attractive. Should we consider applying for this month’s SSB?
Key Takeaways
- SSB Aug 2023 rates are much higher than last month’s offering. The rates are roughly flat, close to 3% for ten years.
- Long-term investors looking for a safe place to park their cash may consider this month’s SSB. With the interest rate projected to decline next year, this can be a good chance to lock the higher rates.
- This month’s SSB can be a good opportunity for investors looking to recycle their older SSBs yielding less than 2.99%.
- To enjoy higher short-term rates, short-term investors may consider alternatives such as T-Bills, high-yield savings accounts, or cash management accounts.
Looking at SSB Aug 2023 Offering
Generally, this month’s offering is more attractive than last month’s SSB July 2023 offering, with higher first-year and ten-year average rates. At close to 3%, this offering is one of the higher SSB rates in recent times.
SSB has seen low demand in the past recent offerings. With the higher rates, it would be interesting to see if the demand will climb again as investors try to lock in these higher rates for the next ten years.
If you are interested in applying for this SSB Aug 2023, please follow the following application timeline:
You may follow our step-by-step guide on how to buy SSB.
Is SSB Still Attractive?
In our opinion, the main attraction of SSB is its flexibility. Investors can withdraw partially or in full at any month without penalty. They even earn the accrued interest. This free withdrawal feature allows investors to recycle older SSBs yielding lower into the newer SSB should the interest rate rise. SSB may be a good choice if you are a conservative investor seeking capital preservation.
For Long Term Investors
This SSB Aug 2023 offers higher rates for the first year and ten-year average, but where are we historically?
As the chart shows, SSB interest rates have risen recently. With the current offering hovering around 3%, we are close to the recent high in November 2022. Current rates are also among the highest in recent years.
With the market and the Fed expecting a rate cut starting next year, this may be your chance to lock in the higher rates for the next ten years.
The market expects one more rate hike this year and the first rate cut around mid-next year. At the Fed’s latest FOMC meeting, they expect two more hikes this year before starting rate cuts next year. Nobody knows for sure how many more rate hikes we will get, but barring any black swan event, we are likely reaching the tail end of this rate-hike cycle.
What do you think? Do you agree with the market and the Fed? Maybe it’s a good idea to lock in higher rates now?
Recycle Older SSBs
We have seen low demand for SSB in the past several offerings. Demand will likely remain muted this month, with most investors able to get their allocation. If you have older SSBs yielding much less than 2.99%, this is your chance to recycle them. You just need to pay a $2 admin fee for the withdrawal and another $2 for the new application.
Equities Bull Market?
For long-term investors with a higher risk appetite, you may consider looking at the equities market for higher growth potential. The US stock market has recently rebounded and entered a bull market (defined by rallying 20% above the low). Please note that investing in the equities market has a different risk profile than investing in government bonds. Ensure that you understand what you are investing in. As always, please exercise prudence when investing.
Short-Term Investors: Looking at Other Alternatives
SSB is a long-term 10-year government bond. In a normal economic environment, the longer the bond duration, the higher the interest rates are. However, we are in a unique environment with the bond yield curve inverted.
Because of the inverted yield curve, short-term investors can benefit by investing in shorter-term maturities, such as 6-month or 1-year T-Bills. The recent 6-month T-Bill auctions yielded around 3.8-3.9%. You may also consider high-yield savings or cash management accounts, which track the short-term interest rate.
Investors may also consider mixing short- and long-term maturities to benefit from higher short-term rates while still locking in relatively high long-term rates.
What Would We Do?
We had filled our desired SSB allocation when the interest rates were around 3%; therefore, we will not participate in this SSB Aug 2023 offering. We also use a combination of T-Bills and high-yield savings accounts to park our short-term cash to benefit from the higher short-term interest rates.
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The latest SSB offering yields 10 year avg of 2.99%.
The first year rate is 2.97%.
With the rates hovering close to 3% for 10 years, this month’s offering is more attractive than last month’s.
If you are interested, do apply before 26 Jul 2023. pic.twitter.com/pn7F7y1zs2
— wealthfor.us (@wealthfor_us) July 3, 2023
