SPECIFIC CLASSES OF NON-RETAIL INVESTORS UNDER THE SINGAPORE SECURITIES AND FUTURES ACT

Overview: 

Clients of IBKR Singapore have to select one of the following Investor Categories under the definition of the Singapore Securities & Futures Act during the account application:

  • Retail
  • Accredited
  • Expert
  • Institutional
Background: 

 Table of contents

  • Accredited Investors definition
  • Expert Investors definition
  • Institutional Investors definition

 Accredited Investors definition

Individuals

i. Net personal assets exceed S$2,000,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) in value, of which no more than S$1,000,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) in value is contributed by the net estimated fair market value of his/her primary residence.

ii. Financial assets (net of any related liabilities) exceed S$1,000,000 in value (or its equivalent in a foreign currency).

iii. Income in the preceding twelve (12) months is not less than S$300,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency).

Corporate

i. Net assets exceed S$10,000,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) as determined by (a) its most recent audited balance-sheet or (b) where the Applicant is not required to prepare audited accounts regularly, its balance-sheet certified by the Applicant as giving a true and fair view of its state of affairs as of the date of the balance-sheet (which date is within the twelve (12) months preceding the date of account opening).

ii. Entire share capital is owned by one or more persons, all of whom are accredited investors as defined in section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act.

Please note that being treated as an accredited investor means, among other things, that the Client will be deemed to have more knowledge and the ability to understand and manage the risks of the financial products that he/she chooses to invest in. This means that Interactive Brokers Singapore is allowed to assume that the Client has a certain level of understanding of financial products, including collective investment schemes. In addition, when the Client holds certain financial instruments or participates in certain activities, it will be afforded fewer statutory protections and remedies than retail investors.

For more information on the effects on being treated as an Accredited Investors, please click here.

 

Expert Investors definition

i. a person whose business involves the acquisition and disposal, or the holding, of capital markets products, whether as principal or agent;

ii. the trustee of such trust as the MAS may prescribe, when acting in that capacity; or

iii. such other person as the MAS may prescribe.

 

Institutional Investors definition

i. the Government of Singapore;

ii. a statutory board as may be prescribed by regulations made under Section 341 of the Securities and Futures Act;

iii. an entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by a central government of a country and whose principal activity is —

(A) to manage its own funds;

(B) to manage the funds of the central government of that country (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country); or

(C) to manage the funds (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country) of another entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by the central government of that country;

iv. any entity —

(A) that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by the central government of a country; and

(B) whose funds are managed by an entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by a central government of a country and whose principal activity is —

  1. to manage its own funds;
  2. to manage the funds of the central government of that country (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country); or
  3. to manage the funds (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country) of another entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by the central government of that country;

v. a central bank in a jurisdiction other than Singapore;

vi. a central government in a country other than Singapore;

vii. an agency (of a central government in a country other than Singapore) that is incorporated or established in a country other than Singapore;

viii. a multilateral agency, international organisation or supranational agency as may be prescribed by regulations made under Section 341;

ix. a bank that is licensed under the Banking Act (Cap. 19);

x. a merchant bank that is approved as a financial institution under Section 28 of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 186);

xi. a finance company that is licensed under the Finance Companies Act (Cap. 108);

xii. a company or co-operative society that is licensed under the Insurance Act (Cap. 142) to carry on insurance business in Singapore;

xiii. a company licensed under the Trust Companies Act (Cap. 336);

xiv. a holder of a capital markets services licence;

xvi. an approved exchange;

xvii. a recognised market operator;

xviii. an approved clearing house;

xix. a recognised clearing house;

xx. a licensed trade repository;

xxi. a licensed foreign trade repository;

xxii. an approved holding company;

xxiii. a Depository as defined in Section 81SF of the Securities and Futures Act;

xxiv. an entity or a trust formed or incorporated in a jurisdiction other than Singapore, which is regulated for the carrying on of any financial activity in that jurisdiction by a public authority of that jurisdiction that exercises a function that corresponds to a regulatory function of the Monetary Authority of Singapore under this Act, the Banking Act (Cap. 19), the Finance Companies Act (Cap. 108), the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 186), the Insurance Act (Cap. 142), the Trust Companies Act (Cap. 336) or such other Act as may be prescribed by regulations made under Section 341 of the Securities and Futures Act;

xxv. a pension fund, or collective investment scheme, whether constituted in Singapore or elsewhere;

xxvi. a person (other than an individual) who carries on the business of dealing in bonds with accredited investors or expert investors;

xxvii. the trustee of such trust as the Monetary Authority of Singapore may prescribe, when acting in that capacity; or

xxviii. such other person as the Monetary Authority of Singapore may prescribe.