Which card, which account, what is CPF actually doing, and what does this month’s rate mean? The Ledger is WahLiao’s desk for money in Singapore, written for adults who never read the letters: credit cards, savings accounts, fixed deposit rates, CPF, Singapore Savings Bonds, T-bills, income tax and insurance. Every figure carries a date and a link to the official source. The Ledger explains; it does not advise. WahLiao is not a licensed financial adviser, and no page here tells you what to buy.
Ten numbers that run your money
The desk’s standing answer: the official figures behind CPF, housing loans and bank deposits, each with what it means for you. Every figure comes from the CPF Board or a government source and was checked on 29 September 2026. Market rates that change every month, such as T-bills, Singapore Savings Bonds and fixed deposits, are on the Rates page.
- CPF Ordinary Account interest: 2.5% a year (1 October to 31 December 2026). What it means: the floor rate, unchanged for years; it pays better than most savings accounts, but the money is for housing and retirement.
- CPF Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts: 4% a year (same quarter), with the 4% floor extended to 31 December 2027. What it means: a guaranteed 4% through 2027; nothing else risk-free in Singapore promises that.
- Extra CPF interest: 1% more on the first S$60,000 of combined balances below age 55 (up to S$20,000 from the Ordinary Account); 2% more on the first S$30,000 and 1% more on the next S$30,000 from 55. What it means: the first S$60,000 is the best-paid money you own.
- HDB concessionary loan rate: 2.6% a year (1 October to 31 December 2026), pegged at 0.1% above the Ordinary Account rate. What it means: the benchmark every bank mortgage offer has to beat; see HDB Loan or Bank Loan.
- CPF Ordinary Wage ceiling: S$8,000 a month (from 1 January 2026); annual salary ceiling: S$102,000. What it means: pay above S$8,000 a month attracts no CPF, and bonuses count towards the S$102,000.
- Basic Retirement Sum: S$110,200 for members turning 55 in 2026. What it means: the minimum to set aside at 55 if you own a property you can pledge.
- Full Retirement Sum: S$220,400 for members turning 55 in 2026; the estimated CPF LIFE Standard Plan payout from 65 is about S$1,640 to S$1,750 a month (an estimate, not a guarantee). What it means: the default target, fixed for life in the year you turn 55.
- Enhanced Retirement Sum: S$440,800 in 2026, four times the Basic sum since 2025. What it means: the most you can put into your Retirement Account for bigger lifelong payouts.
- Basic Healthcare Sum: S$79,000 in 2026, for members below 65. What it means: MediSave’s ceiling; once you reach it, new MediSave contributions flow to your other CPF accounts.
- Deposit insurance: up to S$100,000 per depositor at each member bank or finance company, for Singapore-dollar deposits. What it means: spread savings above S$100,000 across banks; see Deposit Insurance in Singapore.
Sources, checked 29 September 2026: CPF Board, interest rates from 1 October to 31 December 2026 and the 4% floor to 2027 (22 September 2026); CPF Board, Basic Healthcare Sum for 2026; CPF Board on Ask.gov.sg, retirement sums 2024 to 2027; Great Eastern on the 2026 wage ceilings; DBS on estimated CPF LIFE payouts; MoneySense, understanding deposit insurance. General information, not financial advice.
Find your next step
Choose the money question first. Check the dated official terms before acting on a rate, benefit or product rule.
Explore WahLiao · Home · The Diary · The Table · The Ledger · The Big Buy · The Address · The Escape · The Eye · The Memory
Start here
- Fixed Deposit, Savings Account, SSB and T-Bill Rates in Singapore This Month, updated monthly
- Credit Cards in Singapore: Fees, Caps and Comparisons by Spending Pattern — researched guide to cashback, miles, thresholds and annual fees.
- Savings Accounts in Singapore: Effective Interest and Conditions Behind the Headline Rate — researched guide to balance tiers, EIR and bonus conditions.
- CPF Explained for Adults Who Never Read the Letters — researched guide to accounts, contributions, retirement, housing refunds and top-up conditions.
How does money in Singapore work?
- CDC Vouchers 2026: How Much, Where to Spend Them and When They Expire
- GST Voucher and Cost-of-Living Payouts 2026: Who Gets What, and When
- Child LifeSG Credits, Baby Bonus and the New SG Child Support Package: What Families Get
- Workfare Income Supplement: Who Gets It, How Much, and How It’s Paid
- Silver Support and the Majulah Package: What Older Singaporeans Get
- SkillsFuture Credit in 2026: What You Still Have, What Expired and the S$4,000 at 40
- Inflation in Singapore: What Core Inflation and the CPI Measure, and Where They Stand
- Deposit Insurance in Singapore: What SDIC Covers, Up to S$100,000
- Bank Account Fees in Singapore: Fall-Below Fees, Early Closure and Basic Accounts
- Dormant Bank Accounts and Unclaimed Money in Singapore: How to Get It Back
- Your Credit Score in Singapore: How the CBS Grades Work and How to Check Yours
- Credit Card Late Fees and Interest: What Missing a Payment Really Costs
- Borrowing From a Licensed Moneylender: The Legal Caps on Interest and Fees
- Money Lock and Anti-Scam Features: How to Lock Your Savings at Your Bank
- Scammed Through a Phishing Link? How the Shared Responsibility Framework Works
Coming soon on this desk
- Cards: Miles or Cashback: The Singapore Card Decision, Settled
- Bonds and bills: Singapore Savings Bonds This Month · T-Bills in Singapore: How to Buy Them and What They Pay
- Tax: Income Tax in Singapore, the 2027 Filing Guide (in season)
- The long run: How Much Do You Need to Retire in Singapore? · Emergency Fund: How Much and Where to Keep It · SRS Explained
- Insurance in Singapore: What You Need and What You Don’t
The money underneath
The Ledger sits directly on the spine of this site: Budgets, Savings, Investments, Debt and Strategic Spending, the FinanceOS closed loop, and The Paradox of Money.
How this desk judges
Every figure is traced to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the CPF Board, IRAS or the product page of the bank itself, with the date we checked. Projections are labelled as projections. Where an affiliate link exists, it is disclosed in the sentence it sits in, it points only to products we would hold ourselves, and it never ranks a product above a better one. Read how WahLiao judges.
Money in Singapore: FAQ
What is the CPF interest rate now?
From 1 October to 31 December 2026, 2.5% a year on the Ordinary Account and 4% on the Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts, plus extra interest on the first S$60,000 of combined balances. The 4% floor has been extended to 31 December 2027.
How much do I need in CPF at 55?
The Full Retirement Sum is S$220,400 for members turning 55 in 2026, and S$228,200 for those turning 55 in 2027, as already announced. CPF Explained covers the accounts, the retirement sums and CPF LIFE in full.
What is the CPF salary ceiling?
CPF applies to ordinary wages up to S$8,000 a month from 1 January 2026, and to total wages, bonuses included, up to S$102,000 a year.
How much of my bank deposit is protected?
Singapore-dollar deposits are insured up to S$100,000 per depositor at each member bank or finance company. Foreign-currency deposits and investment products are not covered. Deposit Insurance in Singapore explains what counts.
Where are this month’s T-bill and Singapore Savings Bond rates?
On the Rates page, updated every month with fixed deposit and savings account rates.
Standing answer and FAQ added 29 September 2026. General information, not financial advice.
Everything on this desk: The Ledger archive. What large purchases really cost is on The Big Buy.
Last updated 29 September 2026.
