Your Aspire Yield Questions, Answered

How it Works

How does Aspire Yield work?

Yield allows you to earn returns by investing HKD and USD in relatively low-risk money market funds. Your funds are invested in the Taikang Kaitai Hong Kong Dollar Money Market Fund and Franklin USD Short-Term Money Market Fund.

Your Yield account is integrated with your Aspire Business account, so you can switch between spending and investing anytime. There is no minimum investment amount or lock-in period, and your money is accessible with next-business day liquidity.

What are Money Market Funds?

Money Market Funds (MMFs) are a type of low-risk investment where your money is pooled together with other investors' funds and placed in safe, short-term financial products such as government bonds, treasury bills, or cash-like instruments.

These underlying investments are high-quality instruments with short maturities (within a year), which helps MMFs keep your money safe while still earning interest. Unlike fixed deposits, MMFs have no lock-in periods—you can redeem your funds on any business day, making them ideal for businesses managing cash flow.

What am I investing in?

Taikang Kaitai Hong Kong Dollar Money Market Fund:

• HKD deposits with eligible financial institutions in Hong Kong
• Hong Kong government bills
• Non-deposit investment as defined under Money Market Funds guidelines (CIS Code)

Franklin USD Short-Term Money Market Fund:

• US government bills
• Non-deposit investment as defined under Money Market Funds guidelines (CIS Code) with high grade financial institutions

How much can I expect to earn?

The funds aim to provide consistent earnings, but returns are not guaranteed and may fluctuate with interest rate environment and broader market conditions.

Returns shown are calculated based on the interest and income earned from the underlying assets held in the fund, such as government bills and fixed deposits placed with approved financial institutions. As per market convention, these are expressed as a 7-day annualised yield, an estimate of what you could earn over a year if the current daily return rate remains consistent.

Can any business open a Yield account?

Due to compliance and tax laws and regulations, Yield is currently available only to businesses incorporated in Hong Kong that qualify as active Non-Financial Entities (NFEs), defined as:

• Having passive income* less than 50% of total gross income in the previous year
• Having less than 50% of assets used in production of passive income*
• We are also not able to onboard companies that are more than 75% owned by U.S. Persons, or financial institutions and investment companies.

*Passive income includes: investment gains, dividends, interest, rents, royalties, etc.

Do I need to pay taxes for my earnings?

Aspire is not authorised to provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This guide is for informational purposes only. We recommend consulting a qualified tax professional if you have questions about your tax obligations.

For businesses operating in Hong Kong:

• Returns earned through Yield may be considered taxable income according to Hong Kong's tax laws
• The tax treatment can vary depending on your business activities, structure, and whether any exemptions or incentive schemes apply

For detailed information, refer to the Inland Revenue Department website, or speak with your tax consultant

Safety and Security

Are my investments risky?

Yield invests your funds in relatively low-risk money market funds that primarily hold short-term, high-quality financial products such as T-bills.

That said, all investments carry some level of risk. The value of your investment may fluctuate, and any past performance is not a guarantee of future or likely returns. We provide you real-time visibility of your earnings and the option of withdrawing your funds at any time with next-business-day access.

What happens to my money if Aspire or the fund manager becomes insolvent?

Your money is held in a trust account with a licensed bank, segregated from Aspire's corporate funds or assets. In the unlikely event of Aspire's insolvency, your monies remain protected.

In the unlikely event of the fund manager becoming insolvent, the fund's assets will not be affected as they are held by a third-party custodian and protected from the fund manager’s creditors.

Is Aspire Yield regulated by the SFC?

Yield is being provided by AFT HK Treasury Limited (“AFT Treasury”) in Hong Kong.

AFT Treasury is licensed by the SFC (CE number: BWA638) to carry on Type 1 (dealing in securities), Type 4 (advising on securities), and Type 9 (asset management) regulated activities. AFT Treasury is currently only providing Type 1 and Type 4 services to customers but will provide Type 9 services in the future.

This allows AFT Treasury to:

• Deal in capital markets products (such as collective investment schemes, including money market funds), and
• Provide custodial services for those investments

Still have questions?

We're here to help. If you have questions that aren't covered here, reach out to our support team or check out our Help Centre.

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or professional advice. Aspire’s services are subject to the terms outlined in our 'Terms of Service' and 'Pricing' pages. We make no guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content, and past results do not indicate future performance. Always consult a qualified professional before acting on any information provided.