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Home/Bank Intelligence/Singapore/DBS Private Bank
DBS Private BankDP
DBS Singapore review

DBS Bank Ltd.

Our review of DBS Singapore for ultra-high-net-worth families. We researched the legal entity that holds the licence and books the account, not just the brand.

Booking centreSingapore
RegulatorMAS
Legal formLicence holder
GroupDBS Group
Websitedbs.com.sg
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PPLI.com
Private Bank Rating
68
out of 100
Editorial assessment on UHNW criteria
Reviewed 2 November 2026 · Q4 2026 edition
Updated every quarter
Rating signed byNoam CohenEditor, Bank Intelligence
About the rating
The group

DBS in 2 booking centres

The headline rating of DBS is the rating of its parent licence holder shown above. Each booking centre is rated separately: the licence holder's record is shared by its branches, while protection, services and costs depend on where the account is booked.

DBS Private BankDP
DBS Bank Ltd.Group leadSingapore68
DBSD
DBS Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedHong KongHong KongRating in preparation
The rating

What the PPLI.com rating of DBS Private Bank considers

This is our editorial assessment of DBS Private Bank. We look at the areas below, which matter to a family deciding where to keep its assets, and weigh them together with what clients tell us and the service they get. Retail products, branches and apps play no part. The public sources we used are listed at the foot of the page.

Conduct and enforcement

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have concluded about this licence holder in recent years.

Protection of client assets

Whether custody assets are ring-fenced by law in the booking centre, whether deposits are protected, and whether the custody terms can be read before signing.

Service for complex families

The breadth of private banking services the bank publishes for this booking unit, including work with external managers and family offices.

Cost transparency

Whether a prospective client can see the tariff and the bank's policy on third party payments before asking.

Ownership and control

Whether the bank's owners are public, how official assessments rate the anti-money-laundering regime of any owner's home jurisdiction, and whether a politically exposed person holds a significant stake. The same test applies to every bank.

Client opinions and service

What clients of DBS Private Bank and their advisers tell us in confidence, and the service the bank gives to families. We never publish names. Tell us about yours

PPLI.comPrivate Bank Rating68

The rating expresses the opinion of PPLI.com on the date shown. It is not a statement of fact about the bank, not a credit rating, not a forecast of failure and not investment advice. Read about the rating.

The record

Regulatory and legal record

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have decided, recorded against the legal entity they named, with the status, the amounts as published and a link to the original document. Claims and investigations still under way are marked as open.

20231 November 2023

Supervisory measure: six-month pause on non-essential IT changes and new business ventures; no reduction of branches and ATMs

Supervisory measure, not a penalty. MAS imposed a six-month pause on DBS Bank Ltd's non-essential IT changes and on new business ventures, barred reductions of its Singapore branch and ATM networks, and kept the 1.8 times capital multiplier. On 30 April 2024 MAS said it would not extend the pause; the multiplier stays in place.

MAS has imposed a six-month pause on DBS Bank Ltd's non-essential IT changes
Monetary Authority of Singapore · Supervisory measure · Six-month pause; branch and ATM restriction until MAS is satisfied with remediation · Primary source
202321 June 2023

Composition penalty for AML/CFT breaches identified after the Wirecard irregularities

MAS imposed a S$2.6 million composition penalty on DBS Bank Ltd for AML/CFT breaches between July 2015 and February 2020 involving 11 corporate customers, identified in examinations after the Wirecard AG irregularities. MAS cited failures to keep beneficial ownership information current, update risk ratings, establish source of wealth and inquire into unusually large transactions.

MAS has imposed a composition penalty of S$2.6 million on DBS
Monetary Authority of Singapore · Settlement without admission · Penalty SGD 2.6 million · Primary source
20235 May 2023

Supervisory measure: further additional capital requirement (1.8x operational risk RWA) after March and May 2023 disruptions

Supervisory measure, not a penalty. MAS raised the multiplier on DBS Bank's operational risk RWA from 1.5 to 1.8 times after the 29 March and 5 May 2023 disruptions; MAS said the combined requirement was about S$1.6 billion of additional regulatory capital (this total includes the February 2022 amount; the two are not added together).

The additional capital requirement imposed at this time underscores the seriousness with which MAS treats this matter.

MAS expanded its directed review of DBS's IT resiliency.

Monetary Authority of Singapore · Supervisory measure · Additional regulatory capital requirement total SGD 1.60 billion · Primary source
20227 February 2022

Supervisory measure: additional capital requirement (1.5x operational risk RWA) after November 2021 digital banking disruption

Supervisory measure, not a penalty. MAS required DBS Bank Ltd to apply a 1.5 times multiplier to its risk-weighted assets for operational risk after the November 2021 digital banking disruption, about S$930 million of additional regulatory capital based on 30 September 2021 figures.

MAS has required DBS Bank to apply a multiplier of 1.5 times to its risk-weighted assets for operational risk.
Monetary Authority of Singapore · Supervisory measure · Additional regulatory capital requirement SGD 930 million · Primary source
201611 October 2016

Financial penalties for 10 breaches of MAS Notice 626 (AML) in 1MDB-related review

In its 1MDB-related review MAS imposed financial penalties of S$1 million on DBS Bank Ltd for 10 breaches of MAS Notice 626 on anti-money laundering. MAS also admonished the bank, directed management to address control deficiencies and discipline staff, and required an independent party to confirm rectification.

MAS has imposed financial penalties amounting to S$1 million on DBS for 10 breaches of MAS Notice 626

MAS directed DBS to appoint an independent party to confirm that rectification measures were effectively implemented and to report findings to MAS; disciplinary measures against staff.

Monetary Authority of Singapore · Final decision · Penalty SGD 1 million · Primary source
The bank at a glance

Identity, protection and services

Legal identity

Legal nameDBS Bank Ltd.
LEIATUEL7OJR5057F2PV266
LicenceLocal Bank (locally incorporated bank, Singapore); also Exempt Capital Markets Services Entity, Exempt Financial Adviser, Exempt Trust Company, SGS Primary Dealer, Designated Payment System Settlement Institution  Source
RegulatorMAS
Legal formLicence holder
OwnerNot published

Ownership

Group parentDBS Group Holdings Ltd (listed, SGX)  Source
ControlWidely held; no shareholder with 10% or more  Source (10 February 2026)
Holder of 10% or moreTemasek Holdings (Private) Limited, 28.3% in DBS Group Holdings Ltd  Source (10 February 2026)
Holder of 10% or moreMaju Holdings Pte. Ltd., 17.08% in DBS Group Holdings Ltd  Source (10 February 2026)

Ownership is shown as published, with its date. It describes who owns the bank; it does not, by itself, suggest any wrongdoing by the bank or its owners.

Financial strength, as reported

Credit ratingsNot published
CET1 ratio16.6% transitional; 14.6% pro-forma fully phased-in (2026-06-30 (2Q26 results))  Source
Wealth segment assets under managementSGD 516 bn (2026-06-30 (2Q26 results; date inferred from the quarter, not stated in the sentence))  Source

Services published for this booking unit

Private clients
Discretionary management
Advisory mandates
Custody only (execution and safekeeping)
Lombard lending
Mortgage lending
Multi currency accounts
Trust and fiduciary services
Family office services
Wealth planning
Consolidated reporting
External asset manager desk

Offered at this booking centreOffered by the group, not confirmed hereNot located, which does not mean unavailable
Checked on the bank's own pages, 2 November 2026.

Access and costs

Minimum relationship5 million Source
US personsNot published
Fee schedulePublished  Source
Third party paymentsNot published
Transfer out termsPublished  Source

Protection of client assets

Deposit protectionFull banks in Singapore, including local banks and qualifying full banks, are members of the SDIC Deposit Insurance Scheme unless exempted by MAS: S$100,000 per depositor per member. Membership taken from the SDIC rule; the named member list is to be checked. Only eligible Singapore-dollar deposits are insured; deposits in US dollars or other currencies are not covered.
Custody lawNot published
Custody termsPublished  Source
Your experience

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If you bank with DBS Private Bank or advise clients who do, your experience forms part of its PPLI.com rating. Every response is read by the editor and treated in strict confidence.

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Our commitment to confidentiality

Your name, email and telephone number are seen only by the PPLI.com editor. They are never published, never passed to DBS Private Bank or any other bank, and never used for marketing. We may contact you once to clarify your assessment. Once verified by our editors, your assessment can lead to a disclosed adjustment of this bank's PPLI.com rating. It is never published with your name.

Sources

  1. Monetary Authority of Singapore: mas.gov.sg/news/media-releases/2023/mas-imposes-six-month-pause-on-dbs
  2. Monetary Authority of Singapore: mas.gov.sg/regulation/enforcement/enforcement-actions/2023/mas-penalises-3-banks-and-an-in
  3. Monetary Authority of Singapore: mas.gov.sg/news/media-releases/2023/mas-imposes-further-additional-capital-requirement-on-
  4. Monetary Authority of Singapore: mas.gov.sg/news/media-releases/2022/mas-imposes-additional-capital-requirement-on-dbs-bank
  5. Monetary Authority of Singapore: mas.gov.sg/news/media-releases/2016/mas-directs-falcon-bank-to-cease-operations-in-singapo

For DBS Private Bank

Before we publish a significant negative finding, we give the bank the facts and time to comment, on the same timetable for every bank. Corrections we verify are published with the date of the change. Write to [email protected] quoting reference BK-SG-DBS-9300D9.

About this file

Researched by the PPLI.com research desk from the public sources listed. The rating is our editorial opinion; read how we rate.

Important information. Editorial opinion of PPLI.com on the date shown, based on public information, client experience and editorial judgment. Not a statement of fact, a credit rating or investment, legal, tax or financial advice; verify with the bank and your own advisers before acting. No liability is accepted for reliance on this content. Bank names and logos are used for identification only. Ratings are updated every quarter. This is the Q4 2026 edition, and a rating can change between editions if something material happens. Full disclaimer
Rating signed by Noam Cohen, Editor, Bank IntelligenceReviewed 2 November 2026Methodology 2.3Reference BK-SG-DBS-9300D9
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