Sa. Jose Rwabutomize

I am glad and honored to be sharing on the topic of public speaking from my 14 years of experience in public speaking and emceeing.

If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change the world.

SA. Jose ✍️

To the Gen Z - Unit Trusts Vs Bonds (October 2024)

By Joseph Rwabutomize

So, today Wednesday, 2nd October 2024, the Bank of Uganda auctioned 3 different treasury bonds, i.e.

1. 3-Year Bond - 14.125% interest, 20% tax
2. 10-Year Bond - 14.250% interest, 10% tax
3. 20-Year Bond - 15.0% interest, 10% tax.
(All tax is on interest earned.)

Question
If you had UGX 1 million, which investment between Unit Trusts & Government Bonds would give you more returns?

Before we jump into practical numbers, let’s first understand a few basics.

There are usually 3 types of people when it comes to these investments;

* No clue - those that don’t know what they are & avoid investing in them altogether.
* Heard of them – those that have heard about these investments but don’t fully understand or know where to start.
* Those who Know but never invest.

Then, there’s a 4th group that says, “The returns are too small,” & lose interest all together.

However, this is what you need to know,

* Bills, Bonds, & Unit Trusts are low-risk, & the amount you get depends on how much you invest.

* You can start with as little as UGX 100K for any of these investments, but if you start with that amount, its advisable that you keep adding monthly investment, so as to continually add to the principal (initial investment). for example you can add 100k monthly to the unit trust investment, or buy a bond 100K monthly from the secondary market. (the bonds that other people are selling, through the bank or investment advisors.)

* it’s really about the long game, especially if you’re investing smaller amounts. The best way to see meaningful gains is to think long-term (like 10+ years).

So, which of the 2 (bond vs unit trust) would give you a higher return if you invested UGX 1M for 10 years?

Let’s break it down.

Option 1; Unit Trusts. (average 11.0% interest rate compounded daily)

How do these work?

* Their interest earnings compound daily (this means your money earns interest every day, & that interest amount also grows every day!).
* They are tax-free earnings.

So, if you invest UGX 1M, your interest compounds every single day & here is what you would get after each year for 10 years.

Balance at end of following years

Year 1 - UGX 1,116,259.57
Year 2 - UGX 1,246,035.43
Year 3 - UGX 1,390,898.99
Year 4 - UGX 1,552,604.32
Year 5 - UGX 1,733,109.43
Year 6 - UGX 1,934,600.00
Year 7 - UGX 2,159,515.76
Year 8 - UGX 2,410,580.13
Year 9 - UGX 2,690,833.13
Year 10 - UGX 3,003,668.21

After 10 years, you will have a total of UGX 3,003,668.21 (this is your take-home, paid to your bank account upon request).

Option 2 - Government Bond (10-Year, 14.25% Interest, 10% Tax on interest).

How do bonds work? Simply,

* They have fixed interest rate (paid out every 6 months).
* You earn a "coupon" (i.e. interest money payment) twice a year.
* They are Taxed. The tax is on interest earned not principal.
* They don't compound automatically
* The calculation below has dealt with tax component already.

Coupon (interest) earned by end of the following years.

Year 1 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 2 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 3 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 4 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 5 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 6 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 7 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 8 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 9 = UGX 128,250.00
Year 10 = UGX 128,250.00

By the end of 10 years, you will have a total of UGX 1,282,500 from coupons (interest money payment), plus your 1M initial investment, making it UGX 2,282,500. (this is your take home, all taxes have been dealt with in the calculation) and this is when you don’t re-invest the coupons.

Assuming you re-invest the coupons in a similar bond with same terms (reinvestment of coupons requires a lot of discipline, time & some work), you will earn approximately Ugx 5,658,368.71/-. (Excel file calculation attached as image here)

So, the best choice depends on your goals, whether you're after long-term growth or steady income.

Both investments serve different purposes.

Unit Trusts are great for steady, compounding growth, while Government Bonds offer reliable, fixed returns with regular payouts. The right choice depends on your financial goals & what matters most to you.

NB

These numbers might seem small for 10 years, but remember, the game changes when you invest larger amounts or continuously add to your investment. A small, consistent investment strategy (like UGX 100K monthly) can snowball over time!

Finally my advice

Try investing in the next bond (do the one of 15years re-issue coz it has a higher interest rate of 15.8%) this month of October 30, 2024) even if it’s just for the experience. That way, when you are ready to invest more seriously in the future, you will know the ropes.

How do you start?

You can easily buy bonds through your bank
This is the more desirable way. Just walk into your bank or call them up.

Or go through licensed investment advisors like Crested Capital, UAP, among others.

Just give them a call & say,

"I want to invest in Treasury Bonds."

They will give you the forms to open up a CSD account & walk you through the process.

Share this with the next GenZ investor



Joseph Rwabutomize
MBA Finance & Accounting | Human Resources | Electrical Engineering ✍🏽

Marry a woman you can love
not
manage.

Submissiveness is a choice & mostly a bi-product of love

Sa_JRwabutomize✍️