☉ CPFIS Portfolio · Gold 10% Cap · Stock 35% Cap · Headroom · Rebalancing 2026

CPFIS Gold & Stock Investment Limit Calculator Singapore 2026
Portfolio Utilisation Check, Remaining Headroom & OA Top-Up to Unlock More Capacity

Check whether your current CPFIS portfolio is within CPF Board’s mandatory limits — gold and gold ETFs at maximum 10% of investible OA, stocks and equity ETFs at maximum 35%. Enter your OA balance and current holdings to instantly see your utilisation against each cap, remaining headroom to buy more, and how much OA top-up is needed to increase gold or stock capacity. Instant over-limit alert if any cap is breached.

✓ Gold Cap: 10% of Investible OA ✓ Stock Cap: 35% of Investible OA ✓ Remaining Headroom in S$ ✓ Over-Limit Alert ✓ OA Top-Up Strategy
Gold / Gold ETFsMax 10%
Stocks / Equity ETFsMax 35%
Unit Trusts / BondsNo sub-cap
OA Floor (retained)S$20,000
SA: Gold/StocksNot Allowed
☉ Your CPFIS Portfolio
S$

The S$20,000 OA floor is automatically deducted to calculate your investible OA. Only savings above S$20,000 count toward the 10% and 35% limit calculations. Check your balance at my.cpf.gov.sg.

S$

Include all gold-related holdings: SPDR Gold Trust units, gold savings accounts, gold certificates, and approved gold funds. All count toward the 10% cap, regardless of type.

S$

Include all SGX-listed shares and equity ETFs (e.g. SPDR STI ETF, Nikko AM STI ETF, individual stocks). These collectively count toward the 35% cap. Note: REITs listed on SGX are generally not CPFIS-eligible as direct investments.

S$

CPF-approved unit trusts, bond funds, balanced funds, and Singapore Government Securities have no separate sub-limit within the total investible OA. Enter current market value of these holdings.

☉ Portfolio Limit Analysis

Enter your OA balance and current gold, stock, and unit trust holdings to instantly check whether your CPFIS portfolio is within CPF Board’s 10% gold and 35% stock caps — with remaining headroom and over-limit alerts.

Holdings (solid) vs Remaining Headroom (faded) — Gold / Stocks / All Holdings

CPFIS Gold 10% & Stock 35% Investment Limits Singapore 2026 — What Counts, Rebalancing Triggers & Portfolio Compliance

CPF Board imposes concentration limits on higher-risk CPFIS investment categories to prevent over-exposure and protect members’ retirement savings. These limits are applied as a percentage of your investible OA — the OA balance above the mandatory S$20,000 floor. The two key limits: (1) Gold / gold ETFs / gold certificates: maximum 10% of investible OA; (2) Stocks / shares / equity ETFs: maximum 35% of investible OA. Unit trusts (equity, bond, balanced), Singapore Government Securities (SGS), T-Bills, and insurance products have no separate sub-limit — they can use the full investible OA, subject only to the total not exceeding investible OA. These limits are assessed on the market value of holdings at the time of each new purchase — not the original cost.

What Counts as Gold Under the 10% CPFIS Cap?

ProductCounts Toward 10% Gold Cap?Notes
SPDR Gold Shares (GLD SP)YesMost popular gold ETF on SGX
iShares Gold TrustYesUS-listed gold ETF (if CPFIS-approved)
Gold savings accounts (UOB, OCBC)YesPhysical gold accounts count toward cap
Gold certificatesYesCPFIS-approved gold certificates
Diversified commodity funds (incl. gold)PartialGold portion counts; check fund factsheet
Gold mining company stocksNo — counts as stock (35% cap)Mining stocks are equity, not gold itself
Physical gold (bars, coins)Not CPFIS-eligiblePhysical gold outside CPF system

What Counts as Stocks Under the 35% CPFIS Cap?

ProductCounts Toward 35% Stock Cap?Notes
SGX-listed sharesYesDBS, OCBC, UOB, SingTel, Keppel, etc.
SPDR STI ETF / Nikko AM STI ETFYesEquity ETFs count toward 35%
Unit trusts (equity-oriented)No — no sub-limitFunds managed as unit trusts are exempt from 35% cap
REITs (S-REITs)Not CPFIS-eligible (direct)Individual REIT units not in CPFIS approved list
Singapore Savings BondsNo — no sub-limitFixed income, separate mechanism
Overseas-listed stocks (US, HK)Not CPFIS-eligibleCannot buy foreign-listed stocks directly via CPFIS

How This Gold & Stock Limit Calculator Works — Portfolio Compliance Check, Headroom & OA Top-Up

Step 1 — Enter OA Balance and Current Holdings

Enter your OA balance — the S$20,000 floor is automatically excluded to compute investible OA. Then enter current market values (not cost price) of your gold holdings, stock/ETF holdings, and unit trust holdings. Market value matters for the limit calculation — if gold prices have risen and your gold ETF now represents 12% of investible OA, you are over the 10% cap even if you bought it when it was 9%.

Step 2 — Instant Over-Limit Alert

The results immediately show a green “within limits” confirmation or a red “over limit” alert for gold and/or stocks, with the exact dollar amount of the breach. This is critical: CPF Board expects you to rebalance when limits are breached (usually triggered by a new purchase attempt or periodic review). Holding a position that has grown above the cap due to market appreciation is generally tolerated, but actively buying more when over the cap is prohibited.

Step 3 — Remaining Headroom and OA Top-Up to Unlock More

The calculator shows exactly how much more gold and stock you can purchase before hitting the respective caps, in dollar terms. If you have maxed out the gold cap and want to increase your gold allocation, the tool calculates how much additional cash you need to contribute to OA (which increases investible OA and thus both the 10% and 35% dollar limits) to unlock the desired additional gold capacity.

3 Real Portfolio Examples — Conservative OA Investor, STI ETF Heavy & Gold-Focused Pre-Retiree

Balanced OA S$90K Portfolio

OA balanceS$90,000
Investible OAS$70,000
Gold heldS$6,000 (8.6%)
Gold cap (10%)S$7,000
Gold headroomS$1,000 more
StatusWithin limits

STI ETF Heavy, OA S$120K

Investible OAS$100,000
Stocks/ETF heldS$38,000 (38%)
Stock cap (35%)S$35,000
Over limit byS$3,000
Action neededReduce by S$3K
StatusOVER LIMIT

Pre-Retiree, Gold at Limit

OA balanceS$75,000
Investible OAS$55,000
Gold heldS$5,500 (10%)
Gold headroomNone — maxed
OA top-up for +S$500 gold+S$5,000 to OA
StatusAt limit (OK)

3 Expert CPFIS Portfolio Tips — Market Value Rebalancing, STI ETF Within 35% & Gold Ceiling Strategy

1

Market Value Rebalancing: When Gold Prices Rise, Your 10% Cap May Be Breached Automatically

The 10% and 35% CPFIS limits are applied to the current market value of your holdings — not the purchase price. This means that if gold prices rise significantly (e.g., SPDR Gold Trust increases 20% in a year), your gold holdings may drift above 10% of investible OA without you making any new purchases. CPF Board’s general position: holding a position that has risen above the cap due to market appreciation is permitted, but you cannot add more to a category that is already at or above its cap. Before every new CPFIS purchase, run this calculator to check your current market-value allocation. Set a periodic reminder (e.g., quarterly) to review whether rising gold or equity prices have pushed any category over the cap — particularly important in bull market years.

2

STI ETF via CPFIS: The 35% Cap Means You Cannot “Go All-In” — Combine With Unit Trusts

A common misconception: Singaporean CPFIS investors who want maximum equity exposure believe they can put all investible OA into the STI ETF. In fact, the 35% stock cap limits direct equity ETF allocation. A member with S$100,000 investible OA can invest a maximum of S$35,000 in the STI ETF directly. For exposure beyond 35%: invest additional OA through equity unit trusts (e.g., Dimensional Singapore-domiciled index funds, iShares Core MSCI World via Endowus) which do not count toward the 35% stock cap. The combined strategy: 35% in STI ETF (direct), remainder in global equity unit trusts — achieves full equity exposure within CPFIS rules. This is a key structural reason why low-cost platforms like Endowus and FSMOne exist for CPFIS: they provide access to unit trust-structured index funds that bypass the 35% equity cap.

3

The Gold Ceiling: 10% Is a Very Small Allocation — Use OA Top-Up to Scale Up

For members who want meaningful gold exposure as an inflation hedge within CPF, the 10% cap on gold can feel restrictive. Example: a member with S$60,000 investible OA can only hold S$6,000 in gold ETFs. If they want to increase to S$8,000: they need their investible OA to reach S$80,000 (so 10% = S$8,000), requiring OA to reach S$100,000 total (S$80,000 investible + S$20,000 floor) — meaning an additional S$40,000 contribution to OA. Before making this OA contribution purely to unlock gold headroom, weigh the cost: S$40,000 extra in OA earns 2.5% p.a. = S$1,000/yr additional interest, but your investible OA only grows by S$40,000 × 10% = S$4,000 more in gold capacity. A more capital-efficient approach: if gold exposure beyond the CPF 10% cap is desired, hold gold ETFs (e.g., GLD SP or SPDR Gold) in your regular cash brokerage account instead, supplementing CPF gold allocation with non-CPF funds.

16 FAQs — CPFIS Gold 10% Cap, Stock 35% Cap, Rebalancing & Portfolio Compliance Singapore 2026

Why does CPFIS have a 10% gold cap and 35% stock cap?+
CPF Board imposes these caps to prevent over-concentration in volatile asset classes with CPF savings. Gold and equities are higher-risk than bonds or money market instruments and can lose significant value in market downturns — e.g., gold fell 40% in 2011–2015 and SGX stocks fell 50% in 2008. Since CPF savings are intended for retirement, healthcare, and housing (not speculation), the limits ensure that: (1) Members retain significant exposure to stable CPF interest rates (2.5–4%); (2) Portfolio concentration risk is controlled; (3) Members cannot accidentally or deliberately put all CPF savings into a single volatile asset class via CPFIS. The 35% stock limit means at least 65% of investible OA must remain in lower-risk instruments or in CPF itself at all times.
Are the 10% and 35% limits assessed separately or together?+
The limits are assessed separately. You can hold both 10% in gold and 35% in stocks simultaneously — these are independent caps, not a combined 45% limit. A member with S$100,000 investible OA can hold: S$10,000 in gold ETFs (10%) AND S$35,000 in STI ETF (35%) simultaneously, plus S$55,000 in unit trusts (no cap) — totalling S$100,000 of investible OA fully deployed. The total invested cannot exceed your total investible OA — but gold (10%) and stocks (35%) each have their own independent ceiling.
What happens if I breach the 10% or 35% cap?+
If your holdings exceed the cap due to market appreciation (prices rose), you are not required to immediately sell — CPF Board’s policy is that passive limit breaches caused by market movements are permitted. However, you cannot make new purchases in that asset class while over the limit. Your CPFIS broker’s system should prevent additional purchases when you are over the cap. If you are actively managing your CPFIS portfolio and a new purchase would push you over the limit, the transaction may be rejected at the broker level. Best practice: run this calculator before every CPFIS trade to confirm your allocation is within limits before submitting the order.
Do unit trust holdings with equity exposure count toward the 35% stock cap?+
No. Unit trusts — regardless of their underlying equity exposure — do not count toward the 35% stock cap. An equity unit trust that invests 100% in global stocks is treated differently from a directly held equity ETF. This is the key regulatory distinction: stocks and ETFs held directly in your securities account count toward the 35% cap; the same exposure obtained via a unit trust structure does not. This is not a loophole — it reflects the different regulatory treatment of pooled funds (managed within a trust, with additional investor protections) vs direct equity holdings. It means members can achieve above-35% equity exposure within CPFIS by using unit trusts for the portion beyond S$35%.
Does the SPDR STI ETF count as a stock or a unit trust under CPFIS?+
The SPDR STI ETF (ES3) and Nikko AM STI ETF (G3B), both listed on SGX, are classified as stocks/equity ETFs under CPFIS — they count toward the 35% cap. Even though ETFs are technically funds, when they are listed on an exchange and traded like shares, they are treated as direct equity investments for CPFIS limit purposes. By contrast, the same exposure obtained via a unit trust (e.g., a Singapore equities unit trust bought through Endowus or FSMOne) would not count toward the 35% cap. This distinction matters: if you want STI exposure via CPFIS-OA above the 35% stock limit, use a unit trust version of a Singapore equity index fund, not the listed ETF.
Can I invest in T-Bills via CPFIS without using the gold or stock limits?+
Yes. Singapore T-Bills (6-month and 1-year) purchased with CPFIS-OA funds are classified as Singapore Government Securities (SGS) — they do not count toward either the 10% gold cap or the 35% stock cap. T-Bills can use the full investible OA balance (above the S$20,000 floor) with no sub-limit. This makes T-Bills via CPF OA one of the most flexible CPFIS instruments: when T-Bill yields exceed the OA’s 2.5% rate, members can park the full investible OA in T-Bills without any cap constraint. T-Bills are purchased via ATM during MAS auction windows — not through the standard CPFIS broker account.
How do I rebalance my CPFIS portfolio if I am over the stock limit?+
If your stock/ETF holdings exceed 35% of investible OA: (1) Sell the excess: sell enough shares or ETF units to bring your stock holding below 35% of investible OA. Proceeds return to your OA (earning 2.5% p.a.). (2) Increase investible OA: make additional OA contributions (via voluntary cash top-up) to increase the denominator — raising the 35% dollar cap without selling. For every S$1 added to OA, the stock cap increases by S$0.35. Note: selling CPFIS investments may trigger capital gains (not taxable in Singapore for individuals) or capital losses (not tax-deductible). Rebalancing decisions should consider the transaction cost of selling vs the cost of holding over the limit and being unable to buy more.
What gold products are approved under CPFIS?+
CPF Board maintains the approved product list at cpf.gov.sg/cpfis. Currently approved gold products include: (1) SPDR Gold Shares (GLD SP): listed on SGX, most liquid gold ETF; (2) UOB Gold / DBS Gold Savings Accounts: bank-managed gold accounts (check current CPFIS approval status with the bank); (3) CPFIS-approved gold certificates: from designated banks. Not approved: physical gold (bars, coins, jewellery), overseas-listed gold ETFs held directly, leveraged or inverse gold products. Always verify the specific product code at cpf.gov.sg before purchase — the approved list is updated periodically and a product’s CPFIS status may change.
Does dollar cost averaging (DCA) help manage the 35% stock cap?+
Yes, in two ways. First, DCA — making regular smaller purchases of STI ETF over time — helps manage the 35% cap because each monthly purchase must be checked against the current investible OA and current market value of existing stock holdings. If your portfolio is near the 35% cap, you can only buy a small amount at each interval until either: (a) your OA grows via new contributions (expanding the 35% limit); or (b) existing stock holdings decline in value (reducing the % utilised). Second, regular OA contributions from salary automatically increase investible OA (above S$20,000), gradually expanding both the gold and stock caps — allowing DCA into equities to continue without manual rebalancing.
Is the CPFIS stock cap based on purchase cost or market value?+
The CPFIS stock and gold caps are assessed based on current market value — not purchase cost (book value). This means: if you purchased S$30,000 of STI ETF when your investible OA was S$100,000 (30% — within the 35% cap), and the STI ETF subsequently rose to S$38,000 in value while your investible OA remained at S$100,000, your stock allocation is now 38% — above the 35% cap, even though you made no new purchases. In this scenario, you cannot buy more equity ETFs until: (a) you sell enough to bring the allocation below 35%; or (b) your investible OA grows sufficiently to bring 38% back below 35% in dollar terms. This market-value assessment means active CPFIS investors in bull markets need to check their allocation regularly.
Can I hold both gold ETFs and equity ETFs in CPFIS at the same time?+
Yes. The 10% gold cap and 35% stock cap are separate limits. A member can simultaneously hold: up to 10% in gold/gold ETFs AND up to 35% in stocks/equity ETFs — totalling up to 45% of investible OA in these two categories combined. The remaining 55%+ can be held in unit trusts, bonds, T-Bills, or left in CPF (earning 2.5% p.a. on the investible portion). This creates a maximum theoretical CPFIS allocation: 10% gold + 35% stocks + 55% unit trusts = 100% of investible OA deployed. In practice, most CPFIS investors leave a significant portion in CPF rather than fully deploying the entire investible OA.
Do the gold and stock caps apply to CPFIS-SA as well?+
The question is moot for members aged 55+ (SA was closed in 2025). For under-55 members with CPFIS-SA: gold and stocks are not allowed at all under CPFIS-SA — there is no gold cap or stock cap to apply because neither product is permitted. CPFIS-SA is restricted to unit trusts (bonds, balanced, equity), Singapore Government Securities, and approved insurance products. The 10% gold cap and 35% stock cap are CPFIS-OA only limits. SA is restricted to lower-volatility instruments consistent with CPF Board’s more conservative approach to SA (given the higher 4% interest rate that members must beat to justify investing SA).
What happens to my CPFIS gold and stock holdings when I reach 55?+
When you turn 55 and your RA is created, your CPFIS-OA investments are not automatically sold. They remain in your CPFIS portfolio. However: (1) If your OA balance (uninvested, in CPF) is insufficient to meet the required retirement sum (BRS/FRS/ERS), you may receive a notice to sell CPFIS investments to top up the RA; (2) Your investible OA may change as some OA funds are transferred to RA, potentially reducing the dollar cap on gold (10%) and stocks (35%); (3) You can continue holding and trading CPFIS-OA investments after age 55, subject to the updated investible OA amount. Review your CPFIS allocation when you turn 55 to ensure you remain within limits after the RA creation adjusts your OA balance.
How often should I check my CPFIS portfolio against the 10% and 35% limits?+
Check your allocation: (1) Before every new purchase — non-negotiable, to avoid inadvertently exceeding a cap; (2) Quarterly — market movements may have shifted your allocation without any new trades; (3) After major market events — a significant gold price spike or equity market rally may push you over a cap; (4) After every salary credit to CPF — new OA contributions from employer/employee increase your investible OA, potentially expanding your available headroom for additional gold or stock purchases. Many members track this via their CPFIS broker’s portfolio dashboard — but brokers do not always display the allocation as a % of investible OA, making this calculator a useful complement.
Can I buy gold overseas using CPF funds?+
No. CPFIS does not allow direct investment in overseas-listed products, even gold ETFs listed on foreign exchanges. All CPFIS purchases must be from the approved product list which covers Singapore-listed securities and Singapore-approved unit trusts. For overseas gold exposure via CPF: invest in a CPFIS-approved unit trust that holds international gold mining equities or a precious metals fund (note: gold mining stocks count as equity, not gold, for cap purposes). Alternatively, fund overseas gold ETF purchases from your regular cash account outside CPF — keeping CPF gold allocation to the 10%-capped SPDR Gold Shares or other SGX-listed approved products.
Where do I find the official CPFIS approved product list for gold and stocks?+
The official CPF Investment Scheme approved product list is published and updated at cpf.gov.sg/cpfis. Search for “CPFIS-OA approved investments” to find the full list categorised by product type (stocks, unit trusts, gold, bonds, insurance). For gold specifically, verified approved products as of 2026 include SPDR Gold Shares (GLD SP) and selected bank gold accounts — confirm with your CPFIS broker before purchase. For SGX stocks eligible under CPFIS, all mainboard-listed shares are generally eligible (within the 35% cap), but check the approved list for any exclusions. Penny stocks and Catalist-listed companies may have different eligibility — verify before buying.
Legal Disclaimer & Editorial Transparency. CPFIS investment limits as of 2026: gold/gold ETFs maximum 10% of investible OA (OA above S$20,000 floor); stocks/equity ETFs maximum 35% of investible OA. Unit trusts, bonds, and Singapore Government Securities have no separate sub-limit. SA does not permit gold or stock investments. Limits are assessed on current market value. Products counted as “gold” and “stocks” under CPFIS are as defined by CPF Board’s approved product list, subject to change. STI ETFs listed on SGX count toward the 35% stock cap; unit trust versions do not. Verify all CPFIS-approved products at cpf.gov.sg/cpfis. Not investment advice. Past performance not indicative of future results. Operated by MAFHH INTERNATIONAL LTD.