What is CBD Investr?

CBD Investr is a smart and easy online investment solution powered by Commercial Bank of Dubai. Using state of the art technology it offers intelligent and high-performance investment portfolios at minimal costs. The entire process is incredibly easy — it should take you less than five minutes to get started. Download our app and answer a few questions — this should help the smart technology to create a customized portfolio for you that best suits your objective, investment time horizon and tolerance for risk. Then you transfer money into your new CBD Investr portfolio, sit back and relax while the automated solution invests it in a globally diversified mix of low-cost exchange traded funds. Moreover, since market conditions keep changing, your portfolio will be actively managed and reallocated to minimize risks.

How is CBD Investr different from other robo advisors?

Traditional robo advisors offer standard investment portfolios for each type of risk profile. Moreover, most of the traditional robo-advisors do not actively manage the portfolios.

CBD Investr takes a dynamic approach to investing. Investment portfolios are highly customized based on your specific objectives, investment time horizon and risk appetite while also taking into account the price and volatility of the investment universe. Portfolios are actively managed and regularly optimized for performance using advanced algorithms that manage investment risks.

Who can invest in CBD Investr portfolios?

CBD Investr is available for all the residents of the UAE

What do I need to start investing with CBD Investr?

You have to be 21 years old, with a valid Emirates ID and an account with any bank in the UAE.

Can a non-UAE resident invest with CBD Investr?

Currently our app is available only for UAE residents.

What are CBD Investr portfolios?

You can create CBD Investr portfolios for different investment objectives like child’s college education, retirement planning or building wealth. Given that each portfolio will have a different objective, investment time horizon and risk tolerance, the smart technology of CBD Investr will create and manage distinct investment strategies that best suit each one of your goals.

What is the currency of CBD Investr portfolios?

Portfolios invest in global markets and are held in US dollars.

What is the minimum amount to start a CBD Investr portfolio?

You can start investing with as low as $500. Any subsequent investment should also be for a minimum of $500.

How often can I invest in CBD Investr portfolio?

CBD Investr Portfolios provide full flexibility to you. You can invest one time, invest every month or invest whenever you have extra savings. Your portfolio has a bank account number (IBAN) assigned to it which you can access by clicking on “Invest One Off.” All you have to do is remit funds from a UAE bank account to this IBAN. You may also set up standing instructions to transfer funds to CBD Investr every month.

Is there a lock-up period for CBD Investr portfolios?

No, there is no lock-up period. You can withdraw your investment, partly for completely, at any time without any charges.

What are the charges for the CBD automated investing offering?

CBD Investr portfolios have a management fee of 1% per annum (plus VAT), calculated on your investment value. There are no charges for setting up, trading, active management or automatic rebalancing or optimizing on an ongoing basis.

The management fee will be charged on a monthly basis at a rate of approximately 0.083% of the portfolio value every month.

You will see this charge appearing in your statement as “Money Manager Management Fee.”

Exchange traded funds used for creation of portfolios have their own charges which tend to be very low — in the range of 0.10% to 0.25% per annum.

How do I start investing in CBD Investr portfolios?

Starting your investments in CBD Investr portfolios is really easy and simple and can be done in less than 5 minutes.

First, download the CBD Investr app and complete the in-app registration. Next, answer a few questions that will help the smart technology to create a suitable portfolio that is best aligned to you and your goals. After this you will receive a portfolio proposal and funding instructions.

Do I need a bank account with Commercial Bank of Dubai to invest in CBD Investr portfolios?

No, you do not need a bank account with Commercial Bank of Dubai to invest in CBD Investr portfolios. You can fund your portfolio from any bank account within the UAE.

How do I fund my investments in CBD Investr Portfolios?

After completing the risk profiling exercise you will be suggested a suitable portfolio. At that stage please press the “Invest Now” button. This will generate a unique portfolio account number (IBAN).

This is your personal account number (IBAN) for funding this particular portfolio.

Use your mobile app or online internet banking of your UAE bank to transfer funds to this IBAN number.

You can transfer US dollars or UAE dirhams from your bank account to this IBAN. If you are transferring UAE dirhams, applicable conversion rates will be applied. We suggest you to send UAE dirhams with a conversion rate of 3.68 in order to avoid any shortage of funds for minimum investment. For example, if you want to invest $1,000 in CBD Investr Portfolio, please transfer AED 3,680 to this IBAN number.

Please note that this IBAN can receive funds from any bank account within the UAE.

What is the minimum amount of funding?

You can start investing with as low as $500. Any subsequent investment should also be for a minimum of $500. Amounts less than $500 cannot be invested and will stay in cash.

Management fee will be applied on total value of the portfolio, including any cash balances.

How do I withdraw funds?

Investr portfolios provides complete liquidity and flexibility. You can withdraw your investments at any time, whenever you need, without any penalties. At the time of creating your CBD Investr profile, you will be required to provide a valid UAE bank account IBAN number. This IBAN number will be stored and will receive funds when you withdraw from a portfolio.

In case, your nominated bank account is closed, please log in a request using the “Contact Us” in the app and we will get back to you to make the change.

Processing time for withdrawal of funds can range from 4-10 business days.

Is there a minimum amount for withdrawal?

There is no minimum amount for withdrawal but standard fund transfer fee will be applied for remittance of funds to your bank account.

What happens if I leave the UAE and becomes a non UAE resident?

You will need to visit the bank and open a non-resident account with CBD, or liquidate your portfolios or request for a change of your custodian bank.

What does “investment plan” mean?

An investment plan helps you to define your investment goal. It includes the reason for investing, the time horizon you have to achieve the goal and the amount of money you can invest upfront and on a regular basis.

What does “investment risk profile” mean?

Your investment risk profile is a measure of how much investment risk you are comfortable accepting in your portfolio. Risk profile is based on several factors, such as your age, current financial position and how you might respond to ups and downs in your portfolio. Additionally, your current savings and financial cushion should also be taken into consideration. For example, if you have a long time to reach a goal—like 10 years— you may have a greater appetite for risk. If you have less time to reach your goals, your appetite for risk may be lower and you may want to reconsider your investment options.

How many risk profiles are there?

Based on how you answer the risk profiling questions, your objectives will be aligned to one of the four risk profiles: Conservative, Balanced, Growth or High Growth.

However, the actual portfolio created for you will be highly customized to your specific objectives, investment time horizon and risk appetite while also taking into account the price and volatility of the investment universe. After that, portfolios are actively managed and regularly optimized for performance using advanced algorithms that manage investment risks.

If you are not happy with the profile suggested by the app, you can re-assess your risk profile by answering the questions again or you can adjust your risk profile up or down after accepting the risks associated with not following the suggestion.

Can I change my risk profile after I have started investing?

Yes, once you have funded the portfolio, you can change your risk profile. Just go to the Risk Profile page and change your profile. You can adjust your profile twice a year.

How are CBD Investr Portfolios constructed?

CBD Investr portfolios are constructed using a selection of exchange-traded funds (ETF) aligned with your risk profile, investment time horizon, and objectives. An ETF is a mix of stocks, bonds or alternative securities that can be easily bought and sold on a stock exchange. One ETF may hold hundreds of securities, helping to diversify your portfolio and reduce risk. Exchange traded funds also benefit from very low level of cost.

How are CBD Investr portfolios managed?

A number of elements go in to managing the performance of your portfolio. The portfolios are made up of a number of ETFs that help to diversify your investments across global markets including equities, bonds, commodities and alternatives. Portfolios are actively managed and regularly optimized using advanced algorithm that manages investment risk.

When will my funds get invested?

Once you have funded your portfolio, CBD Investr will start investing in ETFs based on the selection made by the smart technology solution. Your portfolio will generally be invested within 3 business days, but it may take another business day for you to see trades in your account activity. Keep in mind that you need to fund at least $500 for the initial and every subsequent investment.

How do I track my portfolio?

Once your funds are fully invested, you will be able to monitor your portfolio at any time on the app. The portfolio will be updated regularly to reflect the current market value. You will be able to see the details of the exchange traded funds that you are invested in as well as your exposure to different parts of the world and industry sectors.

You will also be able to keep a track of all portfolio activity and trades that the solution has executed in your portfolio.

Why does my portfolio have some cash?

Based on the market conditions, the investment algorithm may decide to hold part of the portfolio in cash. Small amount of cash is also held in the portfolio for charging the annual management fee.

The app shows “Time Weighted Return.” What does this mean?

Since you may invest in your portfolio at multiple times and also have the flexibility to withdraw, the net return on the portfolio cannot be calculated by just subtracting the beginning balance from the ending balance of a portfolio. Time weighted return takes into account the period each amount has been invested for and then calculates your overall returns. This is a more accurate manner of calculating actual returns.

What sort of performance should I expect from CBD Investr portfolios?

Your portfolio is built and managed for long-term returns with reduced level of volatility. This means that you may earn returns in line with the market while experiencing lower level of risk.

What are the projected returns of my portfolio?

Future returns will be guided by market performance but you can have an indication from the back-tested data. The back tested performance is real returns that the algorithm has run based on real market data in the past. However, these returns may not be repeated in the future.

I forgot my username/password. What do I do?

1. Log in
2. Click on Forgot PIN code?
3. Follow the required steps to reset your password.

How do I update my contact details and email address?

1. Log in
2. Click on the top left-hand corner and select help.
3. Click on contact us.
4. Choose update personal information.
5. Update the information on the email and send it to us.

I lost my phone with your app installed. What do I do?

Your app is secured with your email address, your password, and your PIN number. This makes your app secure, and there's no need to do anything. No one will be able to access your account. You can download the app again from your new device.

I deleted the app from my phone. How can I recover it?

1. On your iOS or Android device, go to the App Store.
2. Search for the app. Make sure that you use the exact name of the app.
3. Tap to restore the app.
4. Wait for the app to restore, and then open it from your Home screen.

I have a technical issue when using the app. Who can assist me?

Click on the top left-hand corner of your app home screen, then click on "Contact Us."

How can I update my Emirates ID details?

1. Log in
2. Click on the top left-hand corner and select Help.
3. Click on contact us.
4. Choose update personal information.
5. Attach a picture of the front and back of your Emirates ID to the email message and send it to us.