By The Ledger desk · Last verified 7 October 2026
A robo-adviser is an online investment service that asks you a set of questions about your goals and appetite for risk, then puts your money into a ready-made portfolio of funds, usually exchange-traded funds or unit trusts, and rebalances it automatically. You pay an annual fee on the amount invested, which as of October 2026 runs from about 0.2% to 0.8% a year at the big Singapore platforms, plus the funds’ own expense ratios. Every robo-adviser serving Singapore investors must hold a Capital Markets Services licence from MAS (or an exemption), and MAS has set out how it expects digital advice to be run in its Guidelines on Provision of Digital Advisory Services, issued in October 2018.
The good news: robo-advisers made diversified, low-cost investing easy to start with a few hundred dollars. The bit to understand is what you are paying for, and what protection you do and do not get. Here it is, plainly.
Quick facts
- A robo-adviser picks, buys and rebalances a fund portfolio for you using an algorithm.
- Platform fees at StashAway, Endowus and Syfe range from 0.2% to 0.8% a year, depending on how much you invest (October 2026).
- Fund costs (expense ratios) are charged on top, inside the fund prices.
- Firms must be licensed by MAS; you can check any firm on the MAS Financial Institutions Directory.
- Your investments are not bank deposits, so SDIC deposit insurance does not cover them, and their value can fall.
- Some platforms let you invest CPF or SRS money as well as cash, usually in a narrower range of funds.
How does a robo-adviser work?
- You answer a questionnaire about your age, income, goals, time horizon and how you would react to a fall in value.
- The algorithm proposes a portfolio, usually a mix of equity and bond funds with a stated risk level.
- You fund the account by bank transfer, often with a monthly standing instruction.
- The platform buys the funds and holds them for you through a custodian.
- It rebalances when the mix drifts away from the target, and reinvests or pays out dividends depending on the portfolio.
- You can withdraw, usually with no exit fee, though selling and transferring the cash takes a few working days.
It is advice by algorithm rather than by a person. That keeps costs down, but the portfolio is only as suitable as the answers you give, so answer the questionnaire carefully and redo it when your life changes.
What do robo-advisers charge?
Here are the published annual platform fees for cash investing at three of the best-known Singapore robo-advisers, taken from their own pricing pages in October 2026. These are listed for comparison, not as a recommendation, and they change, so check the provider’s page before you sign up.
| Platform | How the fee works | Annual fee range |
|---|---|---|
| StashAway (general investing) | Tiered by amount: 0.8% on the first S$25,000, falling in steps | 0.8% down to 0.2% above S$1 million |
| Endowus (cash portfolios) | Tier set by total invested; minimum initial investment S$1,000 | 0.60% below S$200,000, down to 0.25% above S$5 million |
| Endowus (CPF and SRS) | Flat rate | 0.40% multi-fund, 0.30% single-fund |
| Syfe (managed portfolios) | Tier set by total assets with Syfe | 0.65% with no minimum, down to 0.25% from S$5 million |
Two more costs sit underneath. First, each fund has its own expense ratio, typically from a few hundredths of a percent for a large index ETF to around 1% for some actively managed unit trusts. Second, check whether GST is added to the platform fee; Syfe, for example, says its fees are subject to prevailing GST where applicable. Endowus says it rebates 100% of the trailer fees it receives from fund managers back to clients.
A worked example: S$30,000 invested for a year
- StashAway: 0.8% on S$25,000 is S$200, plus 0.7% on the next S$5,000 is S$35, so S$235.
- Endowus (cash): 0.60% on S$30,000 is S$180.
- Syfe (Blue tier): 0.65% on S$30,000 is S$195.
Add the fund expense ratios to each figure. Because the fee is a percentage of your balance, a rising or falling portfolio changes the actual bill; each provider’s fee page explains how often it calculates and deducts the fee.
What does MAS regulate?
Robo-advisers are not a separate category in law. They fall under the same rules as other fund managers and financial advisers, the Securities and Futures Act and the Financial Advisers Act. In 2018 MAS issued guidelines to make it easier for them to operate while keeping safeguards in place.
| Area | What MAS expects |
|---|---|
| Licence | A Capital Markets Services licence for fund management, or an exemption. StashAway, for example, publishes its licence number, CMS100604. |
| Easier entry | Digital advisers that meet set conditions can get a fund management licence without the usual corporate track record, provided their board and senior management have fund management and technology experience. |
| What they can offer | Under that route, portfolios are limited to non-complex collective investment schemes, such as plain ETFs and unit trusts. |
| Algorithms | Firms must have frameworks to govern and supervise their algorithms and to manage technology and cyber risk. |
| Know your client | They may use questionnaires to screen out clients who are clearly not suitable, rather than a full financial fact-find. |
| Independent check | An independent audit of the digital advisory operations after the first year. |
Licensed firms must also keep clients’ money and investments separate from their own, typically with a custodian bank, so that your holdings are not the firm’s assets if it fails. That protects you against the firm’s collapse. It does not protect you against markets falling.
How to check before you sign up
- Search the firm’s exact legal name in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory and make sure it is not on the Investor Alert List.
- Read the fee page and note the platform fee, fund expense ratios and any currency conversion charges.
- Look up who the custodian is and how withdrawals work.
- Check whether the portfolio holds funds listed overseas, which can bring US estate tax and withholding tax questions; the platform’s documents explain its approach.
- Start small and watch a few months of statements before adding more.
The WahLiao Verdict
A robo-adviser is a sensible, low-effort way to own a diversified portfolio if you will leave the money alone for five years or more. Compare the all-in cost, platform fee plus fund fees, rather than the headline percentage, and favour the simplest portfolio that fits your goal. Keep your emergency fund in the bank, confirm the licence on the MAS directory, and then let the automatic monthly transfer do the quiet work.
Questions people ask
Is my money safe if the robo-adviser goes bust?
Your investments are held separately from the firm’s own money, usually with a custodian, so they should be returned to you. Their market value is not guaranteed, and they are not covered by SDIC deposit insurance.
Is a robo-adviser cheaper than a human financial adviser?
Usually, yes, for simple portfolio management, because the big platforms charge no sales charges and a small annual fee. A human adviser can help with wider planning such as insurance and estate matters, which robo-advisers generally do not.
Can I use CPF or SRS money?
Some platforms accept CPF Investment Scheme and SRS money, but only in funds approved for those schemes. Endowus, for instance, publishes separate flat fees for CPF and SRS portfolios.
How quickly can I get my money out?
Most platforms do not charge to withdraw, but the funds must be sold and the cash transferred, which usually takes several working days. Check the provider’s stated timeline.
Sources: Monetary Authority of Singapore, guidelines on digital advisory services (2018); StashAway, pricing and licence; Endowus, fees; Syfe, pricing. The Ledger explains; it does not advise.
Read next: Is This Firm Licensed? Using MAS’s Directory and Investor Alert List Before You Invest · Buying Shares on SGX: CDP Accounts, Board Lots and Brokerage Fees · Back to The Ledger
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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