A Specified Investment Product (SIP) is any investment product that MAS considers complex enough that a retail investor should prove they understand it before buying. Before a bank or broker can sell you one, they must run a knowledge check: a Customer Knowledge Assessment (CKA) for unlisted SIPs, or a Customer Account Review (CAR) for listed SIPs. Pass it, and you can trade. Fail it, and you can still proceed only after the firm explains the risks or gives you advice. This guide covers exactly what counts as a SIP, how to qualify, and what is exempt in 2026.
MAS splits investment products into two buckets by complexity, not by risk. Products that are well understood and straightforward are Excluded Investment Products (EIPs). Everything else that is a capital markets product is a Specified Investment Product (SIP).
The line is drawn by structure. A product is usually a SIP if it contains derivatives, or if its returns and losses are worked out through a complicated formula rather than a simple price move. A plain SGX-listed stock rises and falls with its share price, so it is an EIP. A structured warrant on that same stock has a strike price, an expiry, leverage and time decay baked in, so it is a SIP.
Being a SIP says nothing about whether a product is good or bad. A blue-chip company can collapse and lose you everything, yet its shares are an EIP. A capital-protected structured note can be a SIP. The label is purely about how hard the product is to understand.
SIPs come in two forms. Listed SIPs trade on an exchange such as SGX. Unlisted SIPs are bought off-exchange, usually through a bank, insurer or platform. The assessment you face depends on which type you want.
| Category | Examples | Assessment needed |
|---|---|---|
| Listed SIPs | Structured warrants, daily leveraged certificates, callable bull/bear contracts (CBBCs), futures, exchange-traded notes (ETNs), certain ETFs with derivatives | Customer Account Review (CAR) |
| Unlisted SIPs | Structured notes (equity-linked, credit-linked), contracts for difference (CFDs), leveraged foreign exchange, dual currency investments, certain unit trusts and investment-linked policies | Customer Knowledge Assessment (CKA) |
| Excluded Investment Products (EIPs) | Ordinary shares, plain corporate and government bonds, REITs, [[/blog/singapore-savings-bonds-guide|Singapore Savings Bonds]], [[/blog/treasury-bills-singapore-guide|T-bills]], simple unit trusts and ETFs without derivatives | None |
Not every fund is a SIP. A unit trust or ETF that simply holds shares, bonds or gold, and only uses derivatives for hedging or efficient portfolio management, is an EIP. The moment a fund uses derivatives to amplify returns, take leveraged or inverse positions, or build a complex payoff, it becomes a SIP.
This is why a broad index ETF tracking the Straits Times Index can be an EIP you buy with no quiz, while a 3x leveraged or inverse ETF on the same index is a SIP. If you are unsure, the fund's product highlights sheet states its classification. You can also see how the simple, EIP-style funds fit a portfolio in our guide to REIT and ETF investing in Singapore.
Most retail investors run into the same handful of SIPs. Knowing how each one behaves matters more than memorising the SIP label, because the structure is what makes the assessment necessary in the first place.
Daily leveraged certificates (DLCs) on SGX give a fixed multiple of an index or stock's daily move. SGX lists them at 3x, 5x and 7x, in both long and short versions. A 7x long DLC gains roughly 7 percent on a day the underlying rises 1 percent, and loses about 7 percent when it falls 1 percent. The price resets at the start of each trading day, so returns compound off the previous day's close rather than off the level you bought at. There is an air bag mechanism that suspends trading for at least 30 minutes after a sharp intraday move (a 10 percent fall in the underlying for a 5x DLC, a 20 percent fall for a 3x DLC) and resets the base lower, which caps further losses but also locks in the drop. MAS is blunt that DLCs suit short-term trades, often closed within a day, not buy-and-hold.
Structured warrants give you the right to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying at a set strike price before an expiry date. They carry leverage and time decay, so a warrant can expire worthless even if the underlying barely moved against your view. Callable bull/bear contracts (CBBCs) are similar but get knocked out and terminated early if the underlying touches a call price.
On the unlisted side, contracts for difference (CFDs) and leveraged foreign exchange let you control a large position with a small margin deposit. The leverage cuts both ways: a move against you can wipe out the margin and leave you owing more than you put in. Structured notes and dual currency investments wrap a deposit or bond around a derivative bet, so the headline yield comes with a payoff condition that can hand you back a weaker currency or a fallen share instead of your cash.
| Product | Type | What makes it a SIP |
|---|---|---|
| Daily leveraged certificate (DLC) | Listed | 3x to 7x fixed daily leverage, daily reset, air bag knock-out |
| Structured warrant | Listed | Strike price, expiry, leverage and time decay; can expire worthless |
| Callable bull/bear contract (CBBC) | Listed | Leveraged, terminated early if the call price is hit |
| Contract for difference (CFD) | Unlisted | Margin leverage; losses can exceed your deposit |
| Leveraged foreign exchange | Unlisted | High margin leverage on currency moves |
| Structured note / dual currency investment | Unlisted | Return set by a derivative payoff formula, not a simple price move |
Both assessments check the same thing: do you have the knowledge or experience to understand complex products. The difference is which products they cover and how often they are renewed.
A Customer Knowledge Assessment (CKA) applies to unlisted SIPs. A Customer Account Review (CAR) applies to listed SIPs. You only need the one that matches what you want to buy. If you want to trade both listed structured warrants and an unlisted structured note, you need to clear both.
| Feature | CKA (unlisted SIPs) | CAR (listed SIPs) |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Structured notes, CFDs, leveraged FX, complex unit trusts/ILPs | Structured warrants, leveraged certificates, CBBCs, futures |
| Renewal | Once a year | Once every three years |
| Education route | ABS-SAS e-learning module + assessment | SGX Online Education Programme + assessment |
| Run by | Bank, insurer or fund platform | Broker / securities firm |
You pass a CKA or CAR by meeting at least one of the qualifying routes below. You do not need all of them. One is enough.
Most people who do not already work in finance qualify through the free education route, which is the last point on the list.
The SGX module is free and covers the features and risks of listed SIPs such as warrants, certificates, ETFs, ETNs, futures and CBBCs. At time of writing it runs about 40 minutes, ends with a 20-question quiz, and you need 15 correct to pass. SGX sets these requirements and can change them, so confirm the current format on the SGX programme before you start.
Once you pass, you download the certificate and send it to your broker, who activates SIP trading on your account. The result is valid for one year as a standalone qualifying route. Because clearing the SGX assessment is one of the routes that satisfies the Customer Account Review, your account-level CAR status is then renewed once every three years, provided you keep trading listed SIPs (a common broker threshold is at least two trades in the three-year window, after which a fresh review applies).
If you are opening a brokerage account from scratch first, our walkthrough on opening a CDP and brokerage account in Singapore covers the steps that come before the SIP assessment.
The Association of Banks in Singapore and the Securities Association of Singapore run a free e-learning portal covering five product types: contracts for difference, foreign exchange margin trading, structured deposits and dual currency investments, structured products, and unit trusts and investment-linked policies.
You complete the module for the product you want to buy and pass its assessment. The certificate is valid for one year. After it expires you retake the assessment for the specific product you still want to invest in.
Failing the assessment does not block you outright. MAS rules require the firm to step in with safeguards rather than simply sell you the product.
In practice the firm must either give you advice on whether the product suits you, or formally explain the general features and risks of investing in SIPs before you proceed. Only after that can the transaction go ahead. This is why a SIP purchase can feel slower and more paperwork-heavy than buying ordinary shares.
If you are new to markets, the honest move is to treat a failed assessment as a signal. Plenty of solid, lower-cost options sit in the EIP bucket, and our walkthrough on how to start investing in Singapore sticks to those before you ever touch a structured product.
Accredited Investors (AIs) are exempt from both CKA and CAR. MAS treats them as sophisticated enough to assess complex products on their own. You can opt in to AI status if you meet at least one of these thresholds:
Two situations trip people up. The first is joint accounts. A CKA or CAR checks a person, not a login, so each holder of a joint trading account has to qualify in their own right. If one of you passes the SGX module and the other does not, the account still cannot trade listed SIPs until both have cleared the assessment.
The second is products listed on overseas exchanges. The SIP framework is not limited to SGX. A structured warrant or leveraged certificate listed in Hong Kong or the US is treated the same way as one listed here, so your broker will run a CAR before letting you buy it. The complexity of the product, not the country it trades in, decides whether an assessment applies.
The assessment exists because these products lose money fast when used by people who do not understand them. Daily leveraged certificates and CBBCs reset daily, so holding them over weeks can erode value even if the underlying moves your way. Structured warrants expire worthless if your view is wrong by the expiry date. Leveraged FX and CFDs can wipe out your capital and leave you owing more.
None of that means SIPs are off-limits. It means the right order is: build a base of simple, low-cost holdings first, then add complex products only with money you can afford to lose and a clear reason for using leverage or a structured payoff. If you are weighing a structured note against a plain fund, compare the real cost and downside, not just the headline return. Our active vs passive comparison is a useful reality check before you pay up for complexity.
A SIP is an investment product MAS classifies as complex, usually because it contains derivatives or its returns are set by a complicated formula. Examples include structured warrants, daily leveraged certificates, CFDs and structured notes. Before selling you one, a financial institution must assess your knowledge through a CKA or CAR.
A Customer Knowledge Assessment (CKA) applies to unlisted SIPs such as structured notes and CFDs, and is renewed yearly. A Customer Account Review (CAR) applies to listed SIPs such as warrants and leveraged certificates, and is renewed once every three years. You only need the one that matches the product you want to buy.
It depends on the ETF. A simple ETF that holds shares or bonds and only uses derivatives for hedging is an Excluded Investment Product, which needs no assessment. A leveraged, inverse or structured ETF that uses derivatives for amplified exposure is a SIP. Check the fund's product highlights sheet for its classification.
No. Ordinary shares, REITs, plain bonds, Singapore Savings Bonds and Treasury bills are Excluded Investment Products. They are considered straightforward enough that no CKA or CAR is required, even though they can still carry real risk.
Use the free education route. For listed SIPs, complete the SGX Online Education Programme and pass the assessment at the end of it (the number of questions and the pass mark are set by SGX, so check the current requirement on the programme itself). For unlisted SIPs, complete the relevant ABS-SAS e-learning module and pass its assessment. Send the certificate to your broker or bank to activate SIP trading.
Yes, but with safeguards. The firm must either advise you on whether the product is suitable, or formally explain the general features and risks of SIPs before the transaction can proceed. It cannot simply sell you the product the way it would sell ordinary shares.
Accredited Investors are exempt. To opt in you must meet one of these: net personal assets above S$2 million (of which no more than S$1 million can come from your primary residence), net financial assets above S$1 million, or income of at least S$300,000 in the preceding 12 months. AI status also removes other retail protections, so it is not worth taking on just to skip the assessment.
A CKA for unlisted SIPs is renewed once a year. A CAR for listed SIPs is renewed once every three years. If your assessment lapses, your firm will run a fresh one before letting you trade the relevant SIP again.
At time of writing the SGX Online Education Programme takes about 40 minutes and ends with a 20-question quiz where you need 15 correct to pass. SGX sets and can change these requirements, so confirm the current format on the programme itself. A pass is valid for one year as a qualifying route and you send the certificate to your broker to activate listed-SIP trading.
Yes. A CKA or CAR assesses a person, not the account. Every holder of a joint trading account must qualify in their own right, so the account cannot trade the relevant SIP until all holders have cleared the assessment.
A daily leveraged certificate (DLC) gives a fixed multiple of an index or stock's daily move, listed on SGX at 3x, 5x or 7x in both long and short versions. It resets each trading day and has an air bag that suspends trading after a sharp fall, so it is built for short-term trades rather than holding. That leverage, daily reset and knock-out structure is exactly why MAS treats it as a complex SIP that needs a CAR.
Yes. The SIP framework follows the product structure, not the exchange. A structured warrant or leveraged certificate listed in Hong Kong or the US is treated the same as one listed on SGX, so your broker will run a Customer Account Review before letting you buy it.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.