How it works

Smart investing, made simple

From your first deposit to long-term wealth — here's exactly how Smartly works behind the scenes.

Take our risk assessment

Answer a short, plain-English questionnaire about your investment goals, time horizon, and how you'd respond to market downturns. Based on your responses, we calculate a recommended risk score from 1 (most conservative) to 10 (most aggressive).

Get your personalised portfolio

Your risk score maps to one of 10 globally diversified portfolios. Each combines exchange-traded funds (ETFs) across multiple asset classes — developed-market and emerging-market equities, government and corporate bonds, and real estate.

Open and fund your account

Complete identity verification using MyInfo or upload supporting documents. Most accounts are approved within one business day. Once active, fund your account via PayNow, FAST transfer, or set up monthly GIRO deposits from as little as S$50.

We deploy your capital

Within 1-2 business days, your deposit is invested into your portfolio's underlying ETFs at fractional shares — meaning every dollar is put to work, with no idle cash sitting on the sidelines.

Automatic rebalancing keeps you on track

Markets move. Your allocation drifts. We monitor your portfolio daily and rebalance automatically when any holding deviates beyond its target threshold — restoring your intended risk profile without you lifting a finger.

Withdraw anytime, no penalties

Need your money back? Request a withdrawal in-app. Funds are typically returned to your bank account within 3-5 business days. No lock-in periods, no early-exit fees, no surprises.

The science behind it

Modern Portfolio Theory, applied automatically

Our approach is rooted in research that earned its originator, Harry Markowitz, the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. It's the same framework trusted by pension funds and institutional investors worldwide.

Diversification first

By spreading investments across uncorrelated asset classes and geographies, your portfolio can deliver better risk-adjusted returns than concentrated bets.

Efficient frontier

For every level of risk, there's an optimal allocation that maximises expected returns. We construct each portfolio to sit on that efficient frontier.

Low-cost ETFs

We use ETFs with industry-leading expense ratios from issuers like Vanguard, iShares, and SPDR — keeping more of your returns in your pocket.

See your portfolio in 5 minutes

Take the risk assessment to see exactly which portfolio fits your profile.