60% higher interest income from age 55?

Reader:
Would you leave your money in CPF-OA (beyond 55)? 

I can understand CPF-SA @ 4%. 

Wouldnt it be better to move into CPF Life for better returns? 

Noted that leaving it in CPF-OA will provide more flexibility. Thanks.

AK:
We have the option of moving more funds into the CPF-RA up to the prevailing ERS (1.5x the prevailing FRS) at age 55. Is it better? 

If what you want is a higher payout from CPF Life, yes.

However, do note that you will be required to move funds from your CPF-SA first and not from your CPF-OA. 

Only when the CPF-SA has insufficient funds, then, the CPF-OA is tapped.





So, let us say we have quite a bit of money remaining in our CPF-SA after our CPF-RA is created and FRS requirement met at age 55, it is not all that more beneficial for us to move more funds into the CPF-RA because we are not getting a higher interest. 

It is the same 4%, assuming things were to remain unchanged.

However, for someone whose CPF-SA is depleted after the creation of his CPF-RA, if he wants to have the ERS in his RA, he would be moving funds from his CPF-OA and the funds would then be receiving 4% instead of 2.5% interest. 

That is 60% more in interest income!





Like you said, flexibility is sacrificed but, in my opinion, the loss is well compensated.

Sweet but not available for everyone.

I have the happy problem of having much more in my CPF-SA than the prevailing FRS. 




So, will I move more money into my CPF-RA at age 55 to meet ERS? 

I will decide when I turn 55.





To anyone who just dropped in, another blog on the CPF was published earlier today. 

See:
CPF Life Escalating Plan.

CPF Life Escalating Plan.

Reader:
(On CPF Life)
Is 70 the max age to leave the money there?
Can continue to leave it there, and then bequeath everything?

AK:
We can choose our CPF Life payout start age to be any age between 65 to 70 years old.
If we did not make a choice, the payout will start automatically under the CPF Life Standard plan at age 70.





We must remember that CPF Life is an annuity and not a legacy planning tool. It is meant to help fund our retirement.

If we would like to use the CPF as a legacy planning tool, we could choose to leave some or all of the remaining money in our CPF-OA and CPF-SA untouched from age 55 instead.

On the subject of CPF Life, there is another plan which will be available from 2018. 





In addition to the Standard and Basic Plans, we will have the option of the Escalating Plan.

*Available from January 2018.

I feel that the Escalating Plan will appeal to people who would like to have a later payout start age, later than age 70, because they want a bigger monthly payout to address the issue of inflation.

How is this achieved?

The payouts under the Escalating Plan will be smaller than even the Basic Plan's payouts in the initial years but will grow at 2% a year.





Since the latest payout start age for CPF Life is age 70 which already allows for another 5 years of accumulation from age 65, the Escalating Plan helps to address the desire for larger payouts when members are older by allowing some of the funds to continue accumulating instead of being paid out from the payout start age.

I feel that the Escalating Plan is a prudent one and if we believe that an annuity is a good retirement funding tool in case one should be blessed with longevity, then, the Escalating Plan is the obvious choice for anyone with this belief.
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UPDATE (23 Oct 17):
Which CPF Life Plan for me?
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Related post:
CPF Life estimator.