Sg Specified Investment Product (SIP) (Singapore)
From 1 Jan 2012, investors in Singapore have to prove that they have the relevant investment product knowledge on Sg Specified Investment Product (SIP) before they are allowed to purchase one.
These Sg Specified Investment product (SIP) list contain financial products sold to retail investors that may cost them to lose their life savings and bank deposits. Sg Specified Investment Product (SIP) list contain investment products that are likely to contain derivatives and carry features and risks that are more difficult for retail investors to understand.
In money sense, these Sg Specified Investment Products (SIP) are riskier items that could hurt inexperienced investors badly should another Lehman Brother-like catastrophe were to take place in the future.
Sg Specified Investment Product (SIP) are drawn up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the new Regulatory Regime for Listed and Unlisted Investment Products.
Sg Specified Investment Product (SIP) List:
- all investment products other than those on Excluded Investment Product as listed in the Annex
- futures
- exchange traded funds
- unlisted SIPs such as investment linked insurance policies
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Annex: Excluded Investment Product List: (These do NOT require investors to take the test.)
The Annex lists the less complex products which are already established in the market and are generally well understood by retail investors.
(a) any stocks or shares issued or proposed to be issued by a corporation or body unincorporate, other than where such corporation or body unincorporate is a collective investment scheme;
(b) any unit of a share which represents ownership of the underlying share, where the underlying share is held on trust for the unit-holder by a custodian, and where –
(i) the units of shares have been previously issued, are listed for quotation or quoted on a securities exchange, and are traded on the exchange or an application has been or will be made for permission for the units of shares to be listed for quotation or quoted on a securities exchange or recognised securities exchange and the shares have been previously issued and are listed for quotation on a securities exchange or a recognised securities exchange; and
(ii) no additional consideration (other than administrative fees) is payable by the unit-holder in the event that he converts the unit of share into the underlying share;
(c) any right, option or derivative issued or proposed to be issued by a corporation or body unincorporate in respect of its own stocks or shares;
(d) any unit in a business trust;
(e) any unit in a collective investment scheme, such collective investment scheme being an arrangement:
(i) that is a trust;
(ii) that invests primarily in real estate and real estate-related assets specified by the Authority in the Code on Collective Investment Schemes; and
(iii) all or any units of which are listed for quotation on a securities exchange;
(f) any debenture other than:
(i) asset-backed securities as defined in section 262 (3) of the Securities and Futures Act (Cap.289); or
(ii) structured notes as defined in regulation 2 (1) of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005;
(g) any life insurance policy other than investment-linked life insurance policies as defined in the First Schedule to the Insurance Act (Cap. 142); or
(h) any contract or arrangement the effect of which is that one party agrees to exchange currency at an agreed rate of exchange with another party, where such currency exchange is effected immediately,
but does not include any product specified in items (a) to (h) above that is listed for quotation or quoted only on a securities market or a futures market that is not operated by an approved exchange.