📈 CPF Investing · CPFIS-OA · SA Closure 55+ · Gold 10% · Stock 35% 2026

CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) Eligibility Calculator Singapore 2026
OA S$20,000 Floor, SA S$40,000 Floor, Gold & Stock Limits & Break-Even Return

Calculate your exact CPFIS investible amount — OA savings above the mandatory S$20,000 floor, and SA savings above S$40,000 (for under-55 members). See the gold investment limit (10% of OA investible), stock/ETF limit (35%), break-even return needed to beat CPF’s guaranteed 2.5% OA / 4% SA rate, and the impact of the 2025 SA closure for members aged 55+.

✓ OA S$20K Floor Check ✓ SA S$40K Floor (Under-55) ✓ SA Closure Age 55+ Impact ✓ Gold 10% / Stock 35% Limits ✓ Break-Even vs CPF Rate
OA FloorS$20,000
SA Floor (under-55)S$40,000
Gold limit (OA)10%
Stock limit (OA)35%
OA interest2.5% p.a.
📈 CPFIS Eligibility Inputs
years

Age is critical for CPFIS: members aged 55 and above had their SA closed in 2025 (funds transferred to RA up to FRS, remainder to OA). This means CPFIS-SA is no longer available for age 55+. Under-55 members may still use CPFIS-SA if SA balance exceeds S$40,000.

S$

The first S$20,000 in your OA must remain — it cannot be invested under CPFIS. Only savings above S$20,000 are investible. The floor earns 3.5% p.a. (extra 1% on first S$20K). Check your OA balance at my.cpf.gov.sg.

S$

SA savings above S$40,000 are investible under CPFIS-SA (for under-55 members). The S$40,000 floor earns 5% p.a. (extra 1% on first S$40K of SA). SA can only be used to buy unit trusts, bonds, and ETFs — not gold or individual stocks.

S$

RA balance for reference only — RA savings cannot be invested under CPFIS. Shown for context when modelling the SA closure impact for age 55+ members.

📈 CPFIS Eligibility Analysis
📈

Enter your age and OA/SA balances to check CPFIS eligibility, calculate investible amounts above the mandatory floors, see the gold (10%) and stock (35%) investment caps, and calculate the break-even return needed to outperform CPF’s guaranteed 2.5% OA / 4% SA interest.

OA Allocation: Retained Floor (red) → Investible (gold) → Gold Cap → Stock Cap

CPFIS Singapore 2026 — OA S$20,000 Floor, SA S$40,000 Floor, SA Closure for Age 55+ & Product Limits

The CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) allows Singapore CPF members to invest their OA and SA savings (above mandatory floors) in a range of approved investment products to potentially earn higher returns than CPF interest rates. However, CPFIS comes with important eligibility rules and investment limits that many members overlook. The core rule: you must maintain a minimum of S$20,000 in your OA (uninvested) and S$40,000 in your SA (for under-55 members) at all times. Only savings above these floors are investible. From 2025, the SA was closed for members aged 55 and above — transferring SA balances to the Retirement Account (up to the FRS) or back to the OA — making CPFIS-SA unavailable for the 55+ cohort going forward.

CPFIS-OA vs CPFIS-SA — Key Differences 2026

FeatureCPFIS-OACPFIS-SA (Under-55 only)
Mandatory floorS$20,000 must remain uninvestedS$40,000 must remain uninvested
CPF interest on floor3.5% p.a. (first S$20K extra 1%)5% p.a. (first S$40K extra 1%)
CPF interest on investible2.5% p.a. (sacrificed if invested)4% p.a. (sacrificed if invested)
Gold / gold ETFsAllowed (max 10% of investible)Not allowed
Stocks / equity ETFsAllowed (max 35% of investible)Not allowed
Unit trusts / bonds / ETFsAllowed (no cap)Allowed (no cap)
Available at age 55+?Yes (OA still exists)No — SA closed 2025
Break-even return needed~4%+ p.a. after fees~5.5%+ p.a. after fees (harder to beat)

CPFIS Investment Product Limits — Gold, Stocks & Eligible Products 2026

Product CategoryLimitExample Products
Gold / gold ETFs / gold fundsMax 10% of investible OASPDR Gold Trust, gold certificates, physical gold
Stocks / shares / equity ETFsMax 35% of investible OASGX-listed stocks, STI ETF, SPDR STI, Nikko AM STI
Unit trusts (CPF-approved)No cap on investible OA/SAAberdeen, Dimensional, Fullerton, Infinity, Nikko AM funds
Investment-grade bondsNo cap on investible OA/SASGS bonds, corporate bonds (rated BBB and above)
Insurance products (CPFIS-approved)No cap on investible OA/SASelected ILPs, annuities (from approved insurers)
T-Bills / SSBVia CPF OA funds6-month T-Bill, Singapore Savings Bond
REITs, cryptocurrencies, overseas stocksNot allowed under CPFISS-REITs, crypto, US stocks via CPFIS not permitted

How This CPFIS Eligibility Calculator Works — Floor Check, Investment Limits & Break-Even

Step 1 — Check OA and SA Floors Against Your Balance

Enter your age and OA/SA balances. The calculator immediately checks eligibility: if your OA is S$20,000 or below, you cannot invest via CPFIS-OA. If you are 55 or above, CPFIS-SA is no longer available. For under-55 members with SA above S$40,000, the investible SA amount is shown.

Step 2 — Calculate Gold, Stock and Unit Trust Limits

From your OA investible amount, the calculator computes the maximum you can allocate to gold (10%) and stocks/equity ETFs (35%). The remaining OA investible and all SA investible can be allocated to unit trusts, bonds, ETFs, or T-Bills without a sub-limit. Note that even within the 35% stock limit, diversification across sectors and markets is strongly recommended.

Step 3 — The Break-Even Return: What You Need to Beat CPF

Investing via CPFIS means giving up CPF’s guaranteed 2.5% p.a. on OA (or 4% on SA). After typical fund management fees of 0.5–1.5% p.a. (on top of brokerage costs), your CPFIS investment must return approximately 4%+ p.a. net to break even with leaving money in OA, or 5.5%+ p.a. to beat the SA rate. The bar chart shows your OA split visually: retained floor, investible amount, gold cap, and stock cap.

3 Real Singapore CPFIS Examples — OA-Rich 38-Year-Old, Pre-55 Shielder & Post-SA Closure at 57

PMET Age 38, OA S$90K

OA balanceS$90,000
OA floor (retained)S$20,000
CPFIS-OA investibleS$70,000
Gold limit (10%)S$7,000
Stock limit (35%)S$24,500
Break-even return~4%+ p.a.

Age 52, SA S$95K (Under-55)

SA balanceS$95,000
SA floor (retained)S$40,000
CPFIS-SA investibleS$55,000
Allowed products (SA)Unit trusts
SA interest foregoneS$2,200/yr
Break-even return~5.5% p.a.

Age 57, Post-SA Closure

SA statusClosed (2025)
OA balance post-transferS$45,000
CPFIS-OA investibleS$25,000
Stock limit (35%)S$8,750
CPFIS-SA available?No — SA closed
RA earns4% p.a. (safe)

3 Expert CPFIS Tips — Why Most Members Should Not Invest SA, STI ETF vs Leaving in OA & T-Bill Strategy

1

The SA 4% Guaranteed Rate Is Almost Impossible to Beat via CPFIS-SA — Most Should Not Invest SA

CPF SA earns a guaranteed 4% p.a. (5% on the first S$40,000). Under CPFIS-SA, you can only buy CPF-approved unit trusts — no stocks, no ETFs, no gold. Unit trust management fees typically range from 0.5–1.5% p.a. (front-end load up to 3%, though this can be waived at robo-platforms). To beat SA: your unit trust must return at least 5.5%–6% p.a. gross (4% SA rate + 1.5% fees) consistently. Historical data: only a small minority of actively-managed unit trusts available under CPFIS have sustained 5.5%+ net returns over 10 years. Passive index options are better (e.g., global index funds via Endowus CPF) — but even these must clear the 4% + fee hurdle. The risk-free 4% SA guarantee is exceptional by global standards. Before investing SA, ask: “Am I confident this fund beats 5.5% p.a. net after all costs over a 10–20 year horizon?” Most honest answers will be no — keep SA in CPF.

2

The STI ETF via CPFIS-OA: The One CPFIS Strategy That Has Mathematically Made Sense

The Singapore Straits Times Index (STI) ETF (SPDR or Nikko AM) tracks the top 30 SGX companies. From 2000–2024, the STI ETF has delivered approximately 6–8% p.a. total returns (price + dividends reinvested). Against the OA’s 2.5%, this represents a clear historical outperformance. The strategy: invest the OA amount above S$20,000 into the STI ETF via CPFIS (within the 35% stock limit), hold for 10+ years, and reinvest dividends within CPF. Caveats: (1) Past performance is not guaranteed; (2) STI ETF has significant home-country concentration risk — Singapore represents ~0.5% of global equity markets; (3) Requires emotional discipline through market downturns (2008: -50%, 2020: -30%). The lowest-cost CPFIS platform for STI ETF: Endowus or OCBC Blue Chips typically have lower transaction costs than traditional full-service brokers. Always compare total cost of ownership (brokerage + fund expense ratio) against the 2.5% OA benchmark before committing.

3

T-Bills via CPF OA: Earn Up to 3.5% p.a. from OA Without Exceeding CPFIS Limits

A less-known strategy that does not technically fall under CPFIS: investing CPF OA funds in Singapore T-Bills (6-month or 1-year) through the CPF Investment Scheme but classified separately from standard CPFIS products. When 6-month T-Bill yields exceed 2.5% (as they did during 2022–2024 when yields reached 3.5–4%), this strategy allows OA funds to earn a higher guaranteed return than leaving them in CPF — without any equity risk, within the CPFIS framework. The mechanics: apply via ATM using CPF funds during each T-Bill auction; if allotted, OA funds are deducted and the T-Bill is held to maturity (6 months); proceeds return to OA automatically. The S$20,000 floor still applies — only OA above S$20,000 can be used. Check current T-Bill yields at MAS.gov.sg before each auction: when yields significantly exceed 2.5%, T-Bills are typically the best risk-free CPFIS strategy for OA funds.

16 FAQs — CPFIS Singapore 2026, OA Floor, SA Closure, Investment Limits & Approved Products

What is the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) and who can use it?+
The CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) allows CPF members to invest their Ordinary Account (OA) and Special Account (SA) savings in approved investment products — potentially earning higher returns than CPF interest rates. Eligibility: any Singapore Citizen or PR with OA savings above S$20,000 (for CPFIS-OA) or SA savings above S$40,000 (for CPFIS-SA, under-55 only). Members must be at least 18 years old and must have their CPF Investment Account opened with an approved bank (DBS, OCBC, UOB). From 2025, SA was closed for members aged 55 and above — making CPFIS-SA unavailable for this cohort.
Why must S$20,000 remain in my OA and S$40,000 in my SA?+
The mandatory floors ensure CPF members retain a base savings buffer. The S$20,000 OA floor earns an extra 1% interest (3.5% p.a.) due to the government’s additional interest policy on the first S$20,000 of OA savings. Similarly, the S$40,000 SA floor earns 5% p.a. (4% base + 1% extra). These enhanced rates only apply to the floor amounts — if you invest your OA below S$20,000, you lose the extra 1% interest on the invested portion. The policy also ensures members always have some housing and emergency savings retained in CPF.
What happened to CPFIS-SA after the 2025 Special Account closure?+
From 2025, CPF closed the Special Account (SA) for members aged 55 and above. When a member turns 55, their SA balance is transferred: first, up to the Full Retirement Sum (FRS) — S$205,800 in 2026 — goes into the Retirement Account (RA). Any SA balance above FRS is transferred to the OA. This means: (1) Members aged 55+ no longer have an SA and therefore CPFIS-SA is not available for them; (2) Members under 55 still have an SA and can use CPFIS-SA if their balance exceeds S$40,000; (3) The RA balance earns 4% p.a. (same as SA) but cannot be invested via CPFIS. SA closures have affected the “SA shielding” strategy that some members previously used before age 55 — this is now largely irrelevant.
What is the 10% gold limit and 35% stock limit under CPFIS?+
CPF Board imposes concentration limits on higher-risk CPFIS products, calculated as a percentage of your investible OA savings (i.e., OA above the S$20,000 floor): Gold / gold ETFs / gold certificates: maximum 10% of investible OA. Stocks (SGX-listed shares) and equity ETFs: maximum 35% of investible OA. Unit trusts (bonds, balanced, equity), Singapore Government Securities, and other approved instruments have no sub-limit within the total investible amount. These limits reset annually based on your investible OA balance. The 10% and 35% limits apply to the CPFIS-OA only — CPFIS-SA does not allow gold or direct stocks at all.
Can I invest in REITs, cryptocurrency, or US stocks via CPFIS?+
No. CPFIS has a strict approved product list. Not permitted: individual REITs (S-REITs), cryptocurrencies, overseas-listed stocks (US, HK, UK, etc.), leveraged/inverse ETFs, futures, options, or derivatives. Permitted: SGX-listed stocks (within 35% cap), STI ETFs, CPF-approved unit trusts (including those investing in international equities via funds), Singapore Government Securities (SGS bonds), T-Bills (6-month, 1-year), Singapore Savings Bonds (via a separate mechanism), selected insurance products. Essentially: direct overseas equity exposure must go through CPF-approved unit trusts — you cannot buy Apple, Amazon, or a US S&P 500 ETF directly via CPFIS.
What is the break-even return needed to beat CPF OA rate via CPFIS?+
To justify investing OA via CPFIS, your investment must return more than the 2.5% p.a. CPF OA rate — after all fees. Typical CPFIS costs: (1) Fund management fee: 0.5–1.5% p.a. (lower for index funds via Endowus); (2) Platform fee: 0.05–0.4% p.a.; (3) Brokerage/transaction costs for direct stocks/ETFs. Adding fees of ~1.5% p.a.: break-even return = 2.5% + 1.5% = 4% p.a. gross. For SA: 4% + 1.5% = 5.5% p.a. gross to break even. In practice, most Singapore equity market indices have returned 5–8% p.a. over 20+ years — exceeding the OA break-even comfortably in normal market conditions. However, in flat or bear markets (e.g., STI returned ~0% from 2007–2017), CPFIS investors would have been worse off than leaving money in CPF.
How do I open a CPFIS account and start investing?+
Step 1: Open a CPF Investment Account (IA) with an approved agent bank — DBS (Vickers), OCBC (Securities), or UOB (Kay Hian). This is a linked securities account specifically for CPFIS trades, separate from your regular brokerage account. Apply at any branch or online. Step 2: Once the IA is linked to your CPF OA, you can place CPF-funded orders for approved stocks and ETFs through your broker. Step 3: For unit trusts, use CPF-approved platforms such as Endowus, FSMOne, or Fundsupermart — which are typically lower cost than bank fund purchases. Step 4: For T-Bills via CPF OA, apply through ATMs of the above banks during scheduled auction periods. There is no annual fee for the CPFIS account itself.
Can CPFIS investments be held until withdrawal at age 55 or 65?+
CPFIS investments do not have a mandatory maturity date tied to CPF withdrawal age. You can sell CPFIS investments at any time — proceeds return to your OA (for CPFIS-OA investments). Once returned to OA, the funds earn the standard 2.5% p.a. rate and can be: used for housing payments, transferred to SA (if under 55), or withdrawn at age 55 (up to FRS-based limits) or age 65 (CPF LIFE payouts). There is no restriction on selling CPFIS investments — but you cannot “take the cash” directly from a CPFIS investment; proceeds always return to the CPF account first.
What happens to CPFIS investments when I turn 55?+
When you turn 55, the RA is created by transferring SA and OA funds to meet the retirement sum (BRS/FRS/ERS). CPFIS investments are not automatically sold or transferred — they remain in your investment portfolio. However: (1) If your OA balance (excluding CPFIS investments) is insufficient to fund the retirement sum, you may need to sell CPFIS investments to meet the shortfall; (2) CPFIS-SA investments (if any exist for under-55 members who turn 55) must be sold or transferred as the SA is closed; proceeds go to RA or OA. (3) CPFIS-OA investments can continue after age 55 — you simply maintain the OA above S$20,000 (excluding investments) and can continue holding or selling your portfolio.
Is it better to invest CPF OA in T-Bills or STI ETF?+
It depends entirely on the T-Bill yield environment: T-Bill yield above 2.5%: T-Bills are risk-free and beat CPF OA with zero equity risk. When 6-month T-Bill yields were 3.5–4% in 2022–2024, this was clearly superior to either leaving money in OA or taking on equity risk via STI ETF. T-Bill yield near or below 2.5%: the yield advantage disappears; STI ETF’s 6–8% historical total return becomes more attractive for members with a 10+ year time horizon. Check current 6-month T-Bill cut-off yield at MAS.gov.sg → Government Securities before the next auction. For members close to retirement (within 5 years of needing funds), T-Bills are generally preferable. For members with a 10–20 year horizon and risk tolerance, STI ETF or global index funds via CPF have historically outperformed.
What are the lowest-cost platforms for CPFIS unit trust investing?+
CPFIS unit trust platforms vary significantly in cost. Comparing annual management fees + platform fees: Endowus: 0.25–0.35% p.a. platform fee; no sales charge on most funds — offers globally diversified CPF portfolios. FSMOne: 0.1–0.175% p.a. for most CPF-approved funds; competitive for self-directed investors. Fundsupermart: similar to FSMOne. Bank platforms (DBS, OCBC, UOB): typically 1–1.5% sales charge + 1–1.5% annual management fee — significantly higher than independent platforms. For the highest-return-per-unit-of-fee: index funds (e.g., Dimensional, iShares, Infinity) via Endowus or FSMOne are typically better than actively managed funds at bank platforms. The fee difference of 1% p.a. compounds to a significant return gap over 20 years — compare platforms carefully before committing.
Can I invest in Singapore Savings Bonds (SSB) via CPF OA?+
Yes, but via a specific mechanism separate from regular CPFIS. Singapore Savings Bonds can be purchased using CPF OA funds through a separate “OA Investment” channel — not the standard CPFIS broker account. The S$20,000 OA floor still applies; only OA above S$20,000 can be used for SSB purchases. SSBs purchased with CPF OA earn the SSB interest rate (recently 2.0–3.5% depending on the issuance) and proceeds return to OA on redemption. Unlike market-traded bonds, SSBs have no capital loss risk — you get back exactly what you put in. When SSB interest rates exceed the OA’s 2.5% base rate (as they did during 2022–2024), SSBs offer a risk-free way to earn above the OA rate with CPF funds.
What is the risk classification system for CPFIS products?+
CPF Board classifies CPFIS products into four risk tiers based on investment risk: Lower Risk: money market funds, short-duration bond funds, T-Bills, SSBs. Medium-to-Low Risk: investment-grade bond funds, balanced funds (with significant bond allocation). Medium-to-High Risk: equity funds, STI ETFs, diversified equity unit trusts. Higher Risk: sector-specific funds, leveraged products (most of these are not CPFIS-approved), commodity funds including gold. The 10% gold cap and 35% stock cap reflect CPF Board’s concern about over-concentration in higher-risk categories. Before investing via CPFIS, all approved products must be accompanied by a Product Highlight Sheet (PHS) and Fund Fact Sheet — review these before committing CPF savings.
What happens to CPFIS investments if the company I invest in goes bankrupt?+
For stocks: if a company you hold via CPFIS-OA goes bankrupt, the shares may become worthless. The loss is permanent — your CPF OA balance will be reduced by the amount invested in the bankrupt company. CPF Board does not compensate for investment losses — CPFIS is an invest-at-your-own-risk scheme. For unit trusts: underlying assets are held in a separate trust from the fund manager — if the fund manager fails, your assets are protected by the trust structure (MAS-regulated). The fund value may still fall if underlying investments perform poorly, but the fund manager’s bankruptcy does not cause total loss of your investment. This is why direct stock investment in CPFIS carries higher risk than unit trusts.
Should I max out my CPF contributions or invest via CPFIS?+
Before investing via CPFIS, consider: (1) VC top-ups first: voluntary cash top-ups to SA earn 4% p.a. guaranteed and receive tax relief (up to S$8,000/yr for self + S$8,000 for parents). This is risk-free and gives a tax-adjusted return far exceeding CPFIS equity risk. (2) Transfer OA to SA (under 55): earns 4% vs 2.5% — but irreversible. (3) CPFIS: only consider once SA is well-funded, tax relief is maximised, and your investment horizon is 10+ years. The sequencing: max tax-advantaged CPF top-ups → consider CPFIS-OA with index funds/T-Bills → do not invest SA unless you have a compelling, long-term strategy that you are confident will beat 5.5% p.a. net.
Where can I find the current list of CPFIS-approved products?+
The full list of CPFIS-approved products is published by CPF Board at cpf.gov.sg/cpfis. The approved product lists are updated periodically — always check the current list before investing, as products can be added or removed from the approved list. Additionally, MAS publishes a CPF Investment Product Database with fund fact sheets and Product Highlight Sheets for every CPFIS-eligible product. Approved banks (DBS, OCBC, UOB) also display the approved product lists on their CPFIS account portals. For unit trusts, platforms such as Endowus and FSMOne only offer CPFIS-approved funds — making it harder to accidentally select a non-approved product.
Legal Disclaimer & Editorial Transparency. CPFIS rules: OA minimum S$20,000 must remain uninvested; SA minimum S$40,000 must remain uninvested (under-55 members). SA closed for members aged 55+ from 2025; CPFIS-SA not available post-closure. Gold limit: 10% of OA investible. Stock/equity ETF limit: 35% of OA investible. CPF OA interest: 2.5% p.a. (3.5% on first S$20K). CPF SA interest: 4% p.a. (5% on first S$40K). Break-even calculations use indicative fund fee of 1.5% p.a. — actual fees vary by product and platform. Approved product lists subject to change by CPF Board. Verify at cpf.gov.sg/cpfis. Not investment advice. Past returns are not indicative of future performance. CPF investments carry risk of loss. Operated by MAFHH INTERNATIONAL LTD.