JAMAICANS looking to earn more on their savings without taking on much risk have a growing list of options as investment firms introduce funds that put their money into shortterm securities and handle the investing for them.

Mayberry Investments Limited, NCB Capital Markets Limited and VM Wealth Management Limited have introduced products aimed at investors seeking better returns than regular bank deposits. Some also offer cash payments at regular intervals, giving customers an income without having to arrange each investment themselves.

“We recently launched one of our managed portfolios, backed by BOJ securities, specifically CD products. As far as innovation, we’re continuing to look at market demand, where client needs are, and how do we continue to evolve our managed portfolios to meet those needs,” said Mayberry Investments Chief Executive Officer Patrick Bataille at Mayberry Group Limited’s third annual general meeting on Tuesday.

The company’s new Mayberry Go product invests in Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) fixed-income securities. Customers can start with $350,000, and Mayberry charges a management fee of 0.50 per cent. There are no early encashment or redemption fees, and customers can access their money within 48 hours of requesting it.

The offering gives investors another way to access central bank securities without having to navigate the weekly auction process.

Previously, investors needed at least $1 million to participate in the BOJ’s certificate of deposit (CD) offerings. Although that minimum was lowered to $100,000 more than two years ago, fees charged by some dealers and brokers could outweigh the returns on smaller investments.

Participating also required investors to submit a bid that determines the yield they are seeking. A late bid or a partial allocation can leave some of their money waiting until the next weekly auction.

With a managed portfolio the investment firm handles that process on the customer’s behalf.

NCB Capital Markets has taken a different approach with its new Income Distribution Portfolio, a unit trust product that makes quarterly cash distributions.

It invests mainly in Jamaican-dollar, fixed-income, and money market securities. It can also buy commercial paper and other high-quality corporate debt from companies in the Caribbean, United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Customers need at least $500,000 to invest and must keep their money in the fund for a minimum of 30 days. The management fee is 1.50 per cent, and the fund had an estimated annualised yield of 4.18 per cent as at October 14.

“The fundamental investment objective of the Income Distribution Portfolio is to earn moderate levels of income while preserving capital and providing liquidity for clients through quarterly dividend payments,” its unit trust circular states.

Meanwhile, VM Wealth has introduced the VM Wealth US$ Cash Management Portfolio for customers holding US dollars.

The fund focuses on shortterm, investment-grade, US-dollar securities with a portfolio duration of less than one year. Investors can start with US$500, with no minimum holding period or early redemption charge. Its management fee is 0.75 per cent.

VM Wealth’s unit trust web page did not display an estimated annualised yield for the new portfolio.

The launch follows the company’s Constant Stream Portfolio, introduced in August 2025. That fund had grown to a net asset value of $186 million by June 30 and showed an estimated annualised yield of 4.003 per cent as at October 15. It has a $10,000 minimum investment, no minimum holding period, and a management fee of 1.00 per cent.

The products give savers more choice over how much they invest, the currency they hold, and how readily they can withdraw their money. On the investment firms side, they also offer a way to attract new customers and keep more of existing clients’ cash under management.

The launches come as higher BOJ interest rates make short-term central bank securities more attractive.

Following the BOJ’s latest policy rate increase of 0.50 percentage points, rates and yields on its weekly CDs have risen. At the September 23 auction the central bank offered a 5.75 per cent interest rate on its 30-day CD, while successful bids produced an average yield of 5.91 per cent.

By the October 14 auction the offered rate had risen to 6.25 per cent, with an average yield of 6.44 per cent on successful bids. Those rates are expressed on an annual basis, rather than representing the return earned over 30 days.

BOJ certificates of deposit, along with Government of Jamaica treasury instruments and bonds, are generally considered low-risk investments because of the strong expectation that interest will be paid and the original investment returned.

However, customers comparing managed products also need to consider fees, withdrawal terms, and the types of securities each portfolio holds, alongside its advertised or estimated yield.

Fixed-income investments already account for more than half of the money held in Jamaica’s collective investment schemes, which pool customers’ money for investment.

According to the Financial Services Commission’s June 2026 review, these schemes held $247.73 billion in fixed-income securities, representing about 58 per cent of their $430.80 billion in total assets.

That was a 12 per cent increase from the $221.04 billion held in fixed-income securities a year earlier, when total assets stood at $395.70 billion.

At June 30 the market had 12 fund managers, with 10 managing unit trusts and two managing mutual funds. Together, they managed 21 funds comprising 78 portfolios.