28/10/2026
Starting late doesn’t mean starting from zero. 🌱
Over the weekend, we were glad to be part of CPF Board's Ready for Life Festival, where our CEO and CIO, Chuin Ting Weber, joined Er Yan Peh, Group Director of the Communications and Engagement Group at CPF Board, on the panel “Can You Still Afford Retirement If You Start Late?”
It was a well-attended session with plenty of practical next steps. Here are our top three quotes from Chuin Ting, and the key takeaways we think are useful for everyone:
1️⃣ “A strong retirement income position is not just a target dollar amount.”
A big number tells you how much to save. It doesn’t tell you whether your income will last as long as you do, whether you can depend on it, or whether you can get to your money when you need it. That’s why, at MoneyOwl we developed the SSF framework of Sufficiency, Safety and Flexibility. It checks the quality of your retirement income, not just its size:
- Sufficiency: is it enough, will it last a long life, and will it keep up with inflation?
- Safety: how dependable and stable is it?
- Flexibility: can you take out a lump sum for the unexpected?
You need enough of all three, and you need to make the right trade-offs. For non-negotiable expenses, prioritise safety and sufficiency. For lifestyle wants, you can take some risk and stay flexible.
For more on the SSF framework, watch our video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-hrqwhAn1A
2️⃣ “What everyone should and can plan for is a long, secure and meaningful retirement.”
A good retirement doesn’t have to be luxurious. It should be:
- Long: Singapore has one of the longest life expectancies in the world, so plan to at least 90, or even 100.
- Secure: a home to live in for as long as you live, medical and care support when you need it, and enough for daily living.
- Meaningful: family, friends, activities, and good physical and mental health. These are things we can all invest in today, and they can lower healthcare costs in retirement too.
3️⃣ “CPF LIFE is a strong deal not only because the payout is competitive, but because it is safe, stable and continues for life.”
CPF LIFE isn’t just about returns on your savings. It pays out for as long as you live, so no one runs out of income simply because they live longer. That makes it a natural fit for your non-negotiable expenses, and it’s why we see it as the bedrock of retirement income.
To see where you stand, start with CPF’s Retirement Payout Planner.
Then use MoneyOwl’s OwlRetirement Planner to add your other savings and investments for the full picture.
CPF Retirement Payout Planner: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/retirement-income/about-cpf-planner-retirement-income
OwlRetirement Planner: https://moneyowl.com.sg/tools-calculators/owlretirement-planner
Thank you, CPF Board, for having us!
