Barclays Global Agriculture Delta Fund

What it is: A fund that gives investors an opportunity to gain exposure to the performance of the Rogers International Commodity Index-Agriculture (RICI-Agriculture Index), which reflects global demand and supply trends for agricultural commodities.

The index represents the value of 20 futures contracts for commodities such as grains, cotton and lumber, and is reviewed annually by a committee.

Details: Prices of commodities are rising faster than inflation, so investing in the commodities market could provide a hedge against exposure to inflation.

The fund's initial offer period ends on May 30. The initial issue price is $1 or US$100, and the minimum initial investment is $1,000 or US$1,000.

The fund will be distributed in Singapore through DBS Group Holdings and Standard Chartered Bank.

Launched: May 8

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UOB Asset Management's United Commodities Plus Fund

What it is: A fund that offers investors exposure to indexes that track the energy, precious metals and agriculture markets, and aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation through performance-linked investments.

Details: The aim is to offer investors a potential dividend payout totalling 6.88 per cent per annum of the net asset value per unit of the fund every quarter. This is based on the value of the underlying assets of the fund minus its liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding, calculated at the end of each business day.

The portfolio will be re-balanced every six months, with the best-performing index allocated 40 per cent and the worst-performing one 10 per cent. The fund will be traded on a weekly basis. The minimum subscription amount is S$1,000 or US$1,000.

Launched: May 5

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OCBC 3.5-Year SGD Equity- Linked Structured Deposit

What it is: A principal-protected structured deposit that could give investors a higher rate of return than what they would get from ordinary time deposit accounts.

Details: You participate in the performance of four Singapore blue- chip shares: CapitaLand, Keppel Corp, SembCorp Marine and SingTel.

Regardless of whether the four shares trade up or down, you could earn interest of up to 4.5 per cent a year if all four underlying shares trade within their respective barrier ranges on all scheduled trading days in the relevant interest period. The product is 100 per cent principal protected by OCBC Bank if held till the maturity date.

The offer will close on May 23 and is subject to availability.

Launched: May 5

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GE Money's James personal loan

What it is: A personal loan for up to four times your monthly income that offers an extensive range of flexible repayment options.

Details: Options include Payment Holiday, which gives you the flexibility to defer up to two monthly payments a year in case of unforeseen emergencies.

The Step Up or Step Down Interest Rate option lets you tailor your repayments around your expected cash flow. If all monthly instalments are made promptly, your last instalment will be waived.

Launched: March

This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 11, 2008

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