CPF Account Value Thread 2026

[sohguanh]

When you reach age 55, RA account created with money transfer from SA till FRS, but you can choose to top-up your RA further to ERS with cash or transfer from OA.....

And with RA already at ERS, with yearly interest paid into RA, you are likely able to maintain the yearly increase in the ERS till age 65 .....

Is the above assumption sound, or is there a "catch" that will cripple the assumption??

But you need to know from 55 to 65 years if not working monies top to ERS you still got spare for living expenses? If budgeted already then I would say safe. For me I would not hoot all in as I only see at age 65. Maybe hoot some.

 

[BBCWatcher]

And with RA already at ERS, with yearly interest paid into RA, you are likely able to maintain the yearly increase in the ERS till age 65 .....
Is the above assumption sound, or is there a "catch" that will cripple the assumption??

Not quite. When the Enhanced Retirement Sum increases, it increases for every CPF member age 55+, including for those who've previously reached the ERS. That's because the ERS is based on principal only. Every time the ERS is raised you can keep adding funds to your CPF Retirement Account — for the rest of your life if you wish.

But you need to know from 55 to 65 years if not working monies top to ERS you still got spare for living expenses? If budgeted already then I would say safe. For me I would not hoot all in as I only see at age 65. Maybe hoot some.

If you have a property pledge or charge, you can still make a large lump sum withdrawal from your CPF RA. Usually the maximum is an amount equivalent to your age 55 Basic Retirement Sum ($110,200 in 2026 for example), but it could be less if you met the Full Retirement Sum in your RA partly through cash top ups (including SA cash top ups).

Note that qualified family members (such as children, grandchildren, and spouses) are often eligible to transfer their OA dollars into your RA. They may even have lots of OA dollars, but those OA dollars are subject to liquidity constraints at least until they're age 55. Instead of cash allowances (if that's how your family rolls), how about OA transfers? Let you and your family members maintain more liquidity if that's your worry.

Yes, you should maintain adequate liquidity if you reasonably can. But maintaining excessive liquidity is expensive. RA's 4.0+% interest rate is comparatively very attractive, especially when you're age 55+ and worried about retirement finances.

 

[ahPpPp]

What happens to MA at age 55,65?

 

[BBCWatcher]

What happens to MA at age 55,65?

55: nothing special, except that funds will no longer spill over to your SA (if they do) but may spill over to your RA;
65: nothing much, except that your Basic Healthcare Sum stops increasing.

 

[sohguanh]

Not quite. When the Enhanced Retirement Sum increases, it increases for every CPF member age 55+, including for those who've previously reached the ERS. That's because the ERS is based on principal only. Every time the ERS is raised you can keep adding funds to your CPF Retirement Account — for the rest of your life if you wish.

If you have a property pledge or charge, you can still make a large lump sum withdrawal from your CPF RA. Usually the maximum is an amount equivalent to your age 55 Basic Retirement Sum ($110,200 in 2026 for example), but it could be less if you met the Full Retirement Sum in your RA partly through cash top ups (including SA cash top ups).

Note that qualified family members (such as children, grandchildren, and spouses) are often eligible to transfer their OA dollars into your RA. They may even have lots of OA dollars, but those OA dollars are subject to liquidity constraints at least until they're age 55. Instead of cash allowances (if that's how your family rolls), how about OA transfers? Let you and your family members maintain more liquidity if that's your worry.

For ppl who use BRS to form RA I guess cannot withdraw any from RA until 65.

As for that trick family member to you earn more interest and then you withdraw out give them is subjective. Not all family live in harmony. E.g if give me is me under my name already and if I don't give back I not wrong either. This option depends on each family bond strong or not.

 

[BBCWatcher]

For ppl who use BRS to form RA I guess cannot withdraw any from RA until 65.

No, they still have their $5,000 lump sum withdrawal option.

They also probably shouldn’t try to withdraw funds from their RAs unless they really need the money.

 

[trave1er]

When you reach age 55, RA account created with money transfer from SA till FRS, but you can choose to top-up your RA further to ERS with cash or transfer from OA.....

And with RA already at ERS, with yearly interest paid into RA, you are likely able to maintain the yearly increase in the ERS till age 65 .....

Is the above assumption sound, or is there a "catch" that will cripple the assumption??

The ERS is quadruple BRS. Previously it was triple.

If we take historical FRS sums, we can see that the ERS ceiling rises by an average of 3.25% every year. Take note that the ceiling rise was consistently about 3.5% after 2023 though.

So, average ERS ceiling increase is 3.25%, but last five years consistently about 3.5%.

Since RA earns 4% interest, it should mean that if you achieve ERS amount in your RA at the start of a year, from then on your RA interest alone will be enough to "make up" for the ERS ceiling increase. Start of the year matters because it affects the interest earned.

Possible catches: increase in ERS from quadruple to quintuple? Or a steeper increase in the ERS ceiling beyond 4%? Personally I'm looking out for the official ERS sums past 2027 for my own planning.

Year	(Theoretical ERS)	% increase
2017​	$332,000​
2018​	$342,000​	3.01%​
2019​	$352,000​	2.92%​
2020​	$362,000​	2.84%​
2021​	$372,000​	2.76%​
2022​	$384,000​	3.23%​
2023​	$397,600​	3.54%​
2024​	$411,600​	3.52%​
2025​	$426,000​	3.50%​
2026​	$440,800​	3.47%​
2027​	$456,400​	3.54%​

 

[chiokcc]

 

[sohguanh]

SRS tax avoidance is making ppl help the unfortunate lesser or zero even. Where are your sympathy? One reader I ignored talk about charity based work when he also do SRS how ironic. He is the index worshipper guy.

 

[hwmook]

The ERS is quadruple BRS. Previously it was triple.

If we take historical FRS sums, we can see that the ERS ceiling rises by an average of 3.25% every year. Take note that the ceiling rise was consistently about 3.5% after 2023 though.

So, average ERS ceiling increase is 3.25%, but last five years consistently about 3.5%.

Since RA earns 4% interest, it should mean that if you achieve ERS amount in your RA at the start of a year, from then on your RA interest alone will be enough to "make up" for the ERS ceiling increase. Start of the year matters because it affects the interest earned.

Possible catches: increase in ERS from quadruple to quintuple? Or a steeper increase in the ERS ceiling beyond 4%? Personally I'm looking out for the official ERS sums past 2027 for my own planning.

Year	(Theoretical ERS)	% increase
2017​	$332,000​
2018​	$342,000​	3.01%​
2019​	$352,000​	2.92%​
2020​	$362,000​	2.84%​
2021​	$372,000​	2.76%​
2022​	$384,000​	3.23%​
2023​	$397,600​	3.54%​
2024​	$411,600​	3.52%​
2025​	$426,000​	3.50%​
2026​	$440,800​	3.47%​
2027​	$456,400​	3.54%​

We have people saying the interest doesn't count towards the ERS ceiling. I don't know where it is stated so I can only tell you that is the information being shared online now. So you can keep topping up every year and get more interest which WON'T count into the ceiling. So if you want a bigger payout, just keep doing it every year after 55.

 

[hwmook]

SRS tax avoidance is making ppl help the unfortunate lesser or zero even. Where are your sympathy? One reader I ignored talk about charity based work when he also do SRS how ironic. He is the index worshipper guy.

Pay tax = Charity. I am sure those in white love you. I am not sure who pay for the civil service, minsters. Now I know it's charity organizations paying them. You really have a funny way of thinking, don't benchmark, don't compare, don't have family so no leachers and now pay tax equal to doing charity.

 

[wutawa]

SRS tax avoidance is making ppl help the unfortunate lesser or zero even. Where are your sympathy? One reader I ignored talk about charity based work when he also do SRS how ironic. He is the index worshipper guy.

the video he posted got mention srs meh?

 

[sohguanh]

the video he posted got mention srs meh?

Sorry mix up with other thread but srs has often been used as a way to avoid paying more tax

 

[BBCWatcher]

We have people saying the interest doesn't count towards the ERS ceiling. I don't know where it is stated so I can only tell you that is the information being shared online now. So you can keep topping up every year and get more interest which WON'T count into the ceiling. So if you want a bigger payout, just keep doing it every year after 55.

The CPF Board explains the ERS here (“You can top up more to your RA every year when the ERS increases”).

 

[trave1er]

We have people saying the interest doesn't count towards the ERS ceiling. I don't know where it is stated so I can only tell you that is the information being shared online now. So you can keep topping up every year and get more interest which WON'T count into the ceiling. So if you want a bigger payout, just keep doing it every year after 55.

Eh? I'm not 55 yet so I don't have first hand experience. I can't find official information about the RA interest not counting towards the ceiling.

What I understand as of now is:

• At age 55 an RA is opened.
• RA is auto-funded up to FRS amount, drawing first from the SA, then from the OA
• Another option is to pledge property and just leave BRS in the RA
• SA is closed
• Any leftover SA funds will be transferred to OA
• Any funds in OA at this point are fully withdrawable if you have FRS in the RA

RA will continue to earn at least 4% interest from age 55 onwards.

At age 65 you can

• Apply to withdraw 20% of RA funds
• Start CPF LIFE payouts

 

[BBCWatcher]

I can't find official information about the RA interest not counting towards the ceiling.

Click/tap here and you'll find this helpful, simple sentence from the CPF Board: "You can top up more to your RA every year when the ERS [Enhanced Retirement Sum] increases."

 

[Andrew833]

Eh? I'm not 55 yet so I don't have first hand experience. I can't find official information about the RA interest not counting towards the ceiling.

What I understand as of now is:

• At age 55 an RA is opened.
• RA is auto-funded up to FRS amount, drawing first from the SA, then from the OA
• Another option is to pledge property and just leave BRS in the RA
• SA is closed
• Any leftover SA funds will be transferred to OA
• Any funds in OA at this point are fully withdrawable if you have FRS in the RA

RA will continue to earn at least 4% interest from age 55 onwards.

At age 65 you can

• Apply to withdraw 20% of RA funds
• Start CPF LIFE payouts

Yes, this is the basic you should know before turning age 55.

 

[chiokcc]

Click/tap here and you'll find this helpful, simple sentence from the CPF Board: "You can top up more to your RA every year when the ERS [Enhanced Retirement Sum] increases."

I really prefer numerical examples then trying to interpret the statements ......

 

[reflecx]

Click/tap here and you'll find this helpful, simple sentence from the CPF Board: "You can top up more to your RA every year when the ERS [Enhanced Retirement Sum] increases."

https://www.cpf.gov.sg/service/arti...ement-sum-frs-and-enhanced-retirement-sum-ers

This states clearly that "Interest earned on RA savings is excluded."

 

[trave1er]

https://www.cpf.gov.sg/service/arti...ement-sum-frs-and-enhanced-retirement-sum-ers

This states clearly that "Interest earned on RA savings is excluded."

That's very useful, thanks.

If I'm reading it right, it seems the RA interest is credited to RA but can't be used to contribute towards the ERS. Then I suppose it's meant to be withdrawable at age 65? Seems very complicated.