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SOR Historical Rate Chart
What's next after SOR?
1-Mth-SIBOR Rate
0.25%
+0.01%
as of July 20201-Mth-SIBOR Rate
0.25%
+0.01%
as of July 20203-Mth-SIBOR Rate
0.55%
-0.01%
as of July 20203-Mth-SIBOR Rate
0.55%
-0.01%
as of July 20203-Mth-SOR Rate
0.21%
+0.01%
as of July 20203-Mth-SOR Rate
0.21%
+0.01%
as of July 2020SOR Rate Historical Chart (2006-Present)
For many years, the Swap Offer Rate (SOR) has been one of the key benchmark rates used by banks in Singapore. Determined based on the exchange rate between the Singapore dollar and the US dollar, SOR is greatly dependent on the USD LIBOR. So, what will happen to SOR now given that LIBOR will cease to exist after 2021? Well, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has already started preparing for this transition. This is the very reason why SOR will be phased out – due to the LIBOR transition that will happen in the coming years.
Given the impending discontinuation of LIBOR, the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) has announced that SOR will transition to an alternative benchmark rate called the Singapore Overnight Average Rate (SORA) within the next two years.
SOR-pegged home loan rates may change to SORA. To find out how this will affect your current home loan or upcoming refinancing, feel free to speak with one of our mortgage specialists.
If you're thinking of refinancing your SOR home loan, or getting a floating rate home loan, here are some other alternatives:
Enjoy instalments as low as S$/month, when you borrow/ refinance with the best home loan rates in Singapore.
SIBOR Rate Packages
These are interest rates that fluctuate based on interbank interest rates.
Interest Rate Year 1
from
Best SIBOR Rate Package
S$/mo
Monthly Instalments Year 1Interest Rate Year 1
Lock-in Period
Rates and fees as of July 13, 02:58 AM, and based on the assumption that you are purchasing/ refinancing a private property.
Board Rate Packages
These are interest rates that change based on the bank’s internal decisions.
Interest Rate Year 1
from
Best Board Rate Package
S$/mo
Monthly Instalments Year 1Interest Rate Year 1
Lock-in Period
Rates and fees as of July 13, 02:58 AM, and based on the assumption that you are purchasing/ refinancing a private property.
Fixed Deposit Rate Packages
These are interest rates that fluctuate based on the bank's fixed deposit rates.
Interest Rate Year 1
from
Best Fixed Deposit Rate Package
S$/mo
Monthly Instalments Year 1Interest Rate Year 1
Lock-in Period
Rates and fees as of July 13, 02:58 AM, and based on the assumption that you are purchasing/ refinancing a private property.
These home loan recommendations are based on the information entered above. When choosing a home loan package, you should also consider other factors such as market conditions, risk appetite and other financial plans/obligations. If you need help in choosing the most suitable home loan package, you can always speak with one of our mortgage specialists for advice and market insights.
Still in the midst of choosing the best home loan package?
Our mortgage specialists can help you save time and money with their comprehensive knowledge on mortgage. Just book a call or send a WhatsApp message to make your home loan journey easier.
Still in the midst of choosing the best home loan package?
Our mortgage specialists can help you save time and money with their comprehensive knowledge on mortgage. Just book a call or send a WhatsApp message to make your home loan journey easier.
How SOR is calculated?
The SOR is derived using the following formula:
USD/SGD Forward Rate = USD/SGD Spot Rate +/- SWAP Pts.
This month’s SOR rates
| 1-mth SOR | 0.100% |
| 3-mth SOR | 0.212% |
| 6-mth SOR | 0.249% |
* The SOR rate for the month is based on the rate as of the first business day of the month.
What will SOR be replaced by?
While there are still some financial sectors that still use SOR as their reference rate, in a few years’ time, SORA will take the place of SOR as one of the key benchmark rates in Singapore. MAS has also suggested that existing financial contracts that still use SOR should switch to SORA.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is 5 year SOR rate?It was a popular benchmark for local bonds.
- What is SOR Trend over the last 3 years?Generally, the SOR experienced a brief dip in 2016, followed by a steady increasing trend from 2017 onwards. This is the same trend that SIBOR experienced.
- What are Fixed Rate Housing Loans?With many different home loan options out there, fixed rate home loan simply refers to an interest rate that will be locked in for a certain period of time. Based on data, fixed rate home loans tend to be higher than floating rate home loans.
- What are Floating Rate Housing Loans?
Sometimes referred to as variable or adjustable rate, floating rate housing loans change depending on how often you want your interest rate to be refreshed, as well as your risk appetite. Here are the different types of floating rates that you can compare.
First is the SIBOR. This type of rate changes everyday, and you can choose to have your interest rate refreshed on a monthly or quarterly basis.
The next type is board rate. Since the benchmark used for this rate is internally determined by banks, it’s less transparent than SIBOR and usually changes on a quarterly basis.
Fixed deposit home rates (FDHR) is the other floating-type home loan that’s linked to a bank’s fixed deposit account interest rate. So, if their interest rates go up, so do the home loan interest rates. You can say that it’s similar to board rate, but it’s published and therefore seen as slightly more transparent than board rate.
Lastly, SOR, another type of floating rate which will eventually transition to SORA in the coming years, is based on the foreign exchange rate with the US dollar.
- What factors affect SIBOR?SIBOR rate movements depend on a wide variety of factors that can change quite frequently. To learn about what is affecting SIBOR at the time you’re reading this, you can speak with one of our mortgage specialists for free advice.
- What will SOR be replaced with?Due to several global financial market factors, SOR will be discontinued and changed to the Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA).
- What is the difference between SOR and SORA?Unlike SOR, SORA isn’t directly affected by the US economy. Even when there’s the inevitable FX spillover, SORA doesn’t need FX forwards as inputs. This means that there’s less likelihood for SORA to become negative. Another key difference is that SORA isn’t association with LIBOR – a global benchmark rate for several financial sectors that’s bound to end in 2021. Do note that details regarding this new benchmark rate are still being developed.
- Why did MAS decide to move the from SOR to SORA as a benchmark rate?The main reason for this change is the impending end of LIBOR in 2021, which will have a significant impact on SOR since the Singapore rate benchmark uses USD LIBOR in its computation. Due to these changes, a decision has been made to shift from SOR to SORA – a rate that’s independent of LIBOR. While the transition hasn’t been completed yet as it will take a couple of years, a steering committee is already overseeing the industry-wide transition in Singapore.
- How does SORA work?If you’re thinking what this “new” SORA is all about, well, it’s already been around since 2005. The calculation is based on the weighted average rate of all overnight cash transactions in SGD that take place in the interbank market for a particular day.
- Will I be affected by the change from SOR to SORA?Given that this transition from SOR to SORA is still a work in progress, it’s best to check with your bank how this shift will affect your current home loan package, or how they will move things forward while things are still uncertain. In general, banks could convert your SOR-pegged home loan package to a SORA-pegged rate by making contract amendments. Another possibility would be an overall conversion overlay of the SOR spread. At this point, nothing is certain yet, so it’s best to confirm with your bank.
- What should I do if I have a SOR rate currently?If you have a SOR-pegged home loan interest rate, you should ask you bank how the market-wide changes will affect your package in the coming years. Even when there are no certain next steps yet, it will give you enough time to prepare and understand any changes that might affect your home loan strategy. You can also speak with one of our mortgage specialists at any point in your journey, to plot your home loan strategy or refinancing options.