How are the projected yield ranges calculated?
We use a projected yield range, instead of a fixed yield, based on the following considerations:
- We consider actual realised yield as returns
- Yields are not guaranteed
The projections are updated on a monthly basis based on the latest updates from the Fund Managers on the individual funds. Please refer to https://endowus.com/cash-smart for the last projected yield range of each Cash Smart Portfolio.
For more information on how to choose between Cash Smart Secure, Enhanced and Ultra, please kindly refer to https://endowus.com/support/900001545563-how-do-i-choose-between-endowus-cash-smart-secure-enhanced-and-ultra
What are the risk considerations for investing in Cash Smart?
Cash Smart Portfolios, which consist of money market and/or short-duration fixed income funds (unit trusts), are designed to deliver relatively stable returns compared to other fixed income portfolios of longer durations.
Nonetheless, there is risk in investing in the Cash Smart Portfolios, and they are not capital-guaranteed. Understanding the historical maximum loss of the respective portfolio can be a good way to assess whether the portfolio is suitable for your risk appetite.
Historical maximum loss(“drawdown”) is the fall from the peak (the highest point) to trough (the lowest point) in investment value, based on historical performance.
Investors may use the historical maximum drawdown as an indication of the maximum loss they may have experienced by investing in the specific portfolio over a period of time.
Please note that the drawdown figure is based on historical performance, which may not be indicative of future performance. There is always the risk that the latest maximum drawdown will be overtaken by a new maximum drawdown in the future. Investors should therefore view the historical maximum drawdown as a reference point and not a guarantee of future maximum loss.
Why does Endowus use yields, and not returns?
As illustrated above, there’s a fundamental difference between yields and returns, and that is the timeframe:
- Yields are based on the future payouts that you’re expected to receive. When Mr A offers to increase the payout, your yield increases accordingly. As such, yields are forward-looking.
Returns are based on what you have already earned, like the payouts you have already received and the change in today’s price compared to the prices in the past. - Returns, as such, are backward-looking.
Additionally, when loans are held to maturity, the investor will receive the principal sum back – in other words, the lender will always profit as long as the loan matures. In this regard, using backward-looking returns assumes that the fixed income security is sold at that point in time (instead of being held to maturity), which may be inaccurate and inconsistent across various time horizons that each individual investor has.
As such, we use forward-looking yields as they are a “promised” payback figure that the funds are certain to receive as long as they hold the loans to maturity, which is most often the case.
How is the gross projected yield calculated?
The calculation for the gross projected yield is based on the annualised amortised yield estimate for the portfolio’s holdings.
- It takes into account the individual yield to maturity of the securities, the weighted average maturity, and an amortised schedule of NAV calculation - this is calculated using the hold to maturity value of the overall portfolio.
- We then take out the total expense ratio (TER) net of any trailer fee rebates paid back to your account. The TER is calculated to include all costs related to the fund including the annual fund management fee (AMF).
- We also account for the Endowus Fee of 0.15%.
- This gets us to the net adjusted annualised amortised yield.
In calculating the range, during a period of falling interest rates, we calculate the high end of the range using the projected net adjusted yield, and the low end of the range which incorporates the potential future decline in interest rates. When interest rates are seemingly stable, we would use the projected net adjusted yield as the midpoint of the range.
The range is a more accurate reflection of the actual potential realisable yield by the investor, as the underlying securities holdings will fluctuate.