MariBank vs moomoo Singapore 2026: SDIC-Insured Savings or Self-Directed Investing?
A flat, guaranteed 0.88% bank savings rate versus a brokerage with its own cash-parking options and limited CPF/SRS access – here is how they actually compare.
Table of Contents
MariBank is a MAS-licensed digital bank paying a flat 0.88% p.a. on SGD savings, fully SDIC-insured up to S$100,000 with zero conditions. moomoo is a self-directed brokerage: its standard cash account is ring-fenced but not SDIC-insured and pays close to nothing, while its optional Cash Plus sweep projects roughly 1.32% p.a. with fund risk. moomoo also offers limited CPF-OA and SRS investing access that MariBank does not have at all.
Not financial advice. All figures are for educational reference only. Data verified as at November 2026 unless noted.
- MariBank pays a flat 0.88% p.a. on SGD savings, fully SDIC-insured up to S$100,000, with zero conditions.
- moomoo is a brokerage, not a bank – its standard cash account is ring-fenced in a trust account but not SDIC-insured and pays close to nothing; its Cash Plus sweep projects roughly 1.32% p.a. but carries fund/market risk and still no SDIC cover.
- moomoo offers limited CPF-OA investing (CPFIA List A ETFs/shares) and SRS access – things MariBank cannot do at all.
MariBank and moomoo at a Glance
MariBank and moomoo are not really competitors in the traditional sense – one is a savings account, the other is a stockbroker. But for a Singapore investor deciding where idle cash should sit before it gets deployed, the two end up on the same shortlist. A dollar sitting in MariBank earns a guaranteed, insured 0.88% p.a. A dollar sitting in a moomoo cash account is waiting to be invested, and how much it earns while it waits depends entirely on which moomoo cash feature you use.
MariBank, backed by Sea Limited (parent of Shopee and Garena), launched as a full digital bank under MAS licence in 2022 and has kept its savings product simple: one flat SGD rate, no tiers, no minimum balance, no fall-below fee.
moomoo, by contrast, is built around active investing – commission-free US stock trading, SG/HK market access, and CPF-OA/SRS-linked investing for a limited product list. Our moomoo Singapore review covers the full brokerage fee schedule in detail.
| Feature | MariBank | moomoo |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | MAS-licensed digital full bank | Self-directed brokerage |
| SGD cash yield | 0.88% p.a. flat | ~0% (cash acct) / ~1.32% p.a.* (Cash Plus) |
| SDIC insured | Yes, up to S$100,000 | No |
| Conditions to earn headline rate | None | N/A (not a savings rate) |
| CPF-OA support | No | Limited – CPFIA List A ETFs/shares only |
| SRS support | No | Yes, via linked SRS account |
| Direct stock/ETF trading | No | Yes – SG, US, HK markets |
Source: maribank.sg/fees-rates/mari-savings-account (effective 18 Oct 2026), moomoo Singapore support pages – verified November 2026. *Cash Plus yield is a projected money-market fund figure, not guaranteed.
Cash Yield: Guaranteed Rate vs Fund Sweep
MariBank pays a flat 0.88% p.a. on SGD balances as at 18 Oct 2026, with a promotional 1.88% p.a. on USD balances until 31 Dec 2026 (reverting to the base rate after). There are no tiers to climb, no minimum spend, and no fall-below fee – the rate applies from the first dollar.
moomoo’s standard cash account holds uninvested funds in a trust account segregated from moomoo’s own balance sheet, as required under MAS Notice SFA04-N12 for licensed capital markets services firms. This protects the money from moomoo’s own insolvency, but it is not a bank deposit and carries no SDIC coverage, and we found no confirmed interest rate paid on this balance.
moomoo Cash Plus is a separate, opt-in feature that sweeps idle cash into a money market fund – reportedly the Fullerton SGD Cash Fund, with a 7-day annualised yield of roughly 1.32% p.a. as of a May 2026 review. Redemptions back to your moomoo account settle on T+0 or T+1. This is a projected fund yield, not a bank rate: it moves with short-term interest rates and carries fund risk, however small.
| Idle Cash (SGD) | MariBank (0.88% p.a., SDIC-insured) | moomoo Cash Plus (~1.32% p.a.*, uninsured) |
|---|---|---|
| S$10,000 | S$88/yr | ~S$132/yr |
| S$30,000 | S$264/yr | ~S$396/yr |
| S$100,000 | S$880/yr (fully SDIC-insured) | ~S$1,320/yr (zero SDIC cover above moomoo’s trust-account ring-fencing) |
Illustrative only – Cash Plus figure is a projected 7-day annualised money-market fund yield (reported May 2026) and will fluctuate. MariBank’s 0.88% p.a. is a published bank rate effective 18 Oct 2026.
SDIC Protection and Risk
This is the clearest line between the two products. MariBank deposits are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) up to S$100,000 per depositor per Scheme member bank – the same statutory protection as DBS, OCBC or UOB savings accounts.
moomoo’s cash account money is legally ring-fenced in a trust account at a Singapore-licensed bank, separate from moomoo’s own funds, under MAS capital markets rules. That protects you if moomoo itself becomes insolvent, but it is a different legal mechanism from SDIC deposit insurance, and moomoo’s cash products are explicitly not SDIC-covered. Cash Plus adds fund-level risk on top: a money market fund can, in theory, lose value, even if that risk is historically very small for SGD cash funds.
CPF-OA and SRS Access
MariBank does not support CPF Ordinary Account (CPF-OA) or Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) funds at all – it is a cash-only digital bank.
moomoo offers more here than most digital banks, though access is narrower than a full CPFIS-approved platform. Under the CPFIS Investment Scheme (CPFIA), moomoo supports CPF-OA investing into a short “List A” set of CPFIS-approved ETFs and shares – such as the SPDR STI ETF – at 0.10% commission plus a 0.12% platform fee (minimum S$4.99 per order). SRS funds can also be invested through a linked SRS account for select SGX products, under the same fee structure.
If CPF-OA or SRS eligibility is the deciding factor for a larger sum, our CPF investment strategy guide compares the fully CPFIS-approved platforms (Endowus, FSMOne) against moomoo’s narrower List A access.
Who Should Use Which?
MariBank may suit you if:
- You want a simple, fully SDIC-insured place to park an emergency fund or short-term cash with zero conditions
- You value a flat, predictable rate over chasing a slightly higher but uninsured yield
- You are not investing this money – it is cash you may need on short notice
moomoo may suit you if:
- You already use moomoo (or plan to) for SG/US/HK stock and ETF trading, and want your settled cash to earn something while it waits to be deployed
- You are comfortable with Cash Plus’s money-market fund structure and understand it is not SDIC-insured
- You want limited CPF-OA or SRS investing access alongside your brokerage account, without opening a separate CPFIS-approved platform
Many Singapore investors use both: MariBank as the SDIC-insured cash floor, and moomoo for the investing side once capital is ready to be deployed. For a deeper look at stacking SDIC-insured digital banks, see our MariBank vs Trust Bank comparison and GXS vs MariBank vs Trust Bank 3-way breakdown.
If you are comparing moomoo against other managed or self-directed platforms, our Syfe vs moomoo and Endowus vs moomoo comparisons cover the managed robo-advisor angle, and FSMOne vs moomoo covers the fund-supermarket angle. Not sure how this fits your broader plan? Run the numbers through our Singapore retirement calculator, or see how idle cash fits into a wider passive income Singapore strategy.
Not financial advice. For educational purposes only. Deposit insurance and investment returns carry different risk profiles – read product terms before committing funds. Data as at November 2026, sourced from maribank.sg/fees-rates and moomoo Singapore support pages and TKN’s own verified reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MariBank or moomoo better for parking idle cash?
For pure capital preservation, MariBank is the simpler choice: a flat 0.88% p.a. that is fully SDIC-insured up to S$100,000 with no conditions. moomoo’s Cash Plus projects a higher ~1.32% p.a. yield, but it is a money market fund sweep with no SDIC coverage – a different risk profile, not a direct substitute for a savings account.
Is money in a moomoo cash account SDIC-insured?
No. moomoo’s standard cash account holds client monies in a trust account segregated from moomoo’s own funds under MAS capital markets rules, which protects you if moomoo becomes insolvent – but this is not SDIC deposit insurance, and moomoo’s cash products (including Cash Plus) are not SDIC-covered.
Can I use CPF or SRS funds with MariBank or moomoo?
MariBank does not support CPF-OA or SRS at all – it is a cash-only digital bank. moomoo offers limited CPF-OA investing through the CPFIA scheme into a short “List A” of CPFIS-approved ETFs and shares, plus SRS investing via a linked SRS account, both at 0.10% commission plus a 0.12% platform fee (minimum S$4.99 per order).
What is moomoo Cash Plus and how is it different from a savings account?
Cash Plus is an opt-in feature that sweeps your uninvested moomoo cash into a money market fund – reportedly the Fullerton SGD Cash Fund – with a reported 7-day annualised yield of around 1.32% p.a. as of a May 2026 review. Redemptions back to your account typically settle on T+0 or T+1. Unlike a bank savings account, the yield is a projected fund return, not a guaranteed rate, and carries fund risk with no SDIC protection.
Does MariBank's 0.88% rate apply to all my savings, or just a portion?
MariBank’s published base rate of 0.88% p.a. (effective 18 Oct 2026) is a flat rate applied to the full SGD balance in a Mari Savings Account, with no tiering by balance size and no minimum amount required to earn it. A separate 1.88% p.a. promotional rate applies to USD balances until 31 Dec 2026.
Should I use MariBank and moomoo together?
Many Singapore investors do – MariBank as a fully SDIC-insured cash floor for emergency funds or near-term spending, and moomoo for the investing side once capital is ready to be deployed into stocks or ETFs. The two products serve different jobs rather than competing head-to-head.
Where to Open an Account
Open a MariBank account for SDIC-insured savings, or a moomoo account for self-directed investing and CPF/SRS access.
This article was researched with the help of AI. While we strive to keep all information accurate and up to date, there may be errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please contact us.
