How Much CPF Will You Have at 55 Earning $4,000 a Month?
$1,503,662 in total CPF by age 55
Assumes 3% raises every year, a 2-month bonus, today's CPF rates, wage ceilings and retirement sums held flat, and nothing taken out of the Ordinary Account for housing. With no raises: $1,077,170.
Total CPF at 55
$1,503,662
Retirement Account
$230,116
Ordinary Account
$1,194,546
With no raises
$1,077,170
A 25-year-old earning $4,000 a month, with $5,000 in OA, $3,000 in SA and $2,000 in MediSave, is a common starting point for a graduate a couple of years into work. They build an estimated $1,503,662 across their CPF accounts by 55: $933,837 of employee and employer contributions plus $559,825 of interest over 30 years.
With 3% raises, the salary reaches the $8,000 Ordinary Wage ceiling around age 50. From then on contributions stop growing however much pay rises, at about $2,960 a month. The ceiling is held at today's level here, though the government has raised it in steps before.
MediSave fills up to the $79,000 Basic Healthcare Sum around age 37. After that, MediSave contributions and interest overflow into the Special Account, which itself reaches the $220,400 Full Retirement Sum around age 44. From then on the overflow goes to the Ordinary Account. At 55 the Retirement Account is formed and filled to the Full Retirement Sum, reaching $230,116 with that year's interest. That is the sum CPF LIFE payouts are based on from 65.
The biggest assumption is that nothing leaves the Ordinary Account, which ends at $1,194,546, 79.4% of the total. Most Singaporeans pay an HDB loan from OA for 20 to 25 years, so their real balance at 55 is usually far lower. At 55 you can withdraw at least $5,000, plus anything above the Full Retirement Sum (or above the Basic Retirement Sum if you own a property and pledge it).
Without any raises, staying on $4,000 a month until 55, the total would be $1,077,170: $426,492 (28.4%) less. A large part of the headline figure depends on pay rising steadily for three decades.
Understand the assumptions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does this assume any salary growth?+
Yes. This projection assumes 3% annual wage growth on top of the starting $4,000 monthly salary, plus a 2-month annual bonus contributing to CPF. The figure with no raises is shown alongside it.
What if I start with different CPF balances?+
These figures assume $5,000 in OA, $3,000 in SA, and $2,000 in MA at age 25. Open the CPF Projection calculator to plug in your actual balances.