IPS forum on CPF: Future needs and wants of seniors.

The next speaker was Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser from the Department of Sociology in NUS. His presentation looked at three categories of seniors aged 55-65, 65-74 and those 75 and older.

In general, younger seniors as well as male seniors do better in having CPF savings. More older seniors receive retirement funding from their children compared to the younger seniors. 

This, to me, shows that the CPF has become a more important part of retirement funding for Singaporeans and will continue to be so for younger generations, basic safety net though it may be.

Prof Tan also revealed that despite some worries, most of our seniors have seemingly been prudent with the CPF money they withdrew. See table below:

Usage of withdrawn CPF money.

Frankly, if I were to withdraw my CPF money just to plonk almost half of it in a savings account, I would rather leave it in the CPF to earn 4% per annum in interest. 

Of course, this could change in future. Who knows? By the time I reach 55 years of age, fixed deposits in the banks here could attract interest payments of more than 5% per annum.

What I also found interesting is in the next slide:

Prof Tan asked whether good relationships with children lead to financial adequacy for the seniors or does financial adequacy of the seniors affect their relationships with their children? 

Well, I think that if the reliance on children should be an important part of some people's retirement planning, then, this could be an interesting question to ponder.

OK, who threw a shoe at me? Who? Who?

See slides: here.

Related posts:
1. AK attended a forum on CPF.
2. What is our attitude towards having children?

IPS forum on CPF: The Future Retirement Landscape.

The first speaker at the forum was Associate Professor Kalyani Mehta who is the head of the Gerontology Programme in the School of Human Development and Social Services at SIM University. In case you are wondering, Gerontology is the study of social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing. Big word, I know.

The main take away for me here is how people are living longer but they are not necessarily healthier. So, we have longer life expectancy (LE) today but what is also important to note is healthy life expectancy (HALE) and this might not match up. Take a look at the slide below:

So, on average, a male would be unhealthy (i.e. needing medical and maybe even palliative care) for 6.6 years while a female would be so for 6.8 years before saying good-bye to this world.

There will also be a growing number of aged who are single or divorced. They could be childless. So, there would be more elderly who stay alone in future.

We always say that family is the first line of defence but for these elderly people, the State will have to take a more active role in providing the necessary care.

What do I think?

Well, it is true that life expectancy has risen as nutrition and hygiene standards improved over time. Medical science has also improved. These factors help to promote longevity.

So, as people live longer, they will need more money for a longer time and healthcare costs will be a big burden if they are not well prepared. I like how our government has come up with Medishield Life to provide coverage for all Singaporeans for life, including those with pre-existing medical conditions. That is fantastic and I can't wait for it to be implemented because it will help people like my father who has pre-existing medical conditions and is almost 70 years old.

More importantly, we have to accept the fact that there will be more elderly people who are without children in future and if they happen to be financially disadvantaged at the same time, how can the government help them to meet their needs in their old age?

The CPF is a system that rewards employees. For those who were not gainfully employed for most of their lives for various reasons, what then? For these people, the CPF will not figure largely in their retirement plans, if at all. Those in such a situation who did not plan for retirement at all would be in dire straits.

The CPF is a system that help people who are able and willing to help themselves.

See slides: here.

Related post:
AK attended forum on CPF.