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Finance

Should you keep your savings in your CPF Special Account?

Published

8 years ago

on

By SingSaver.com.sg

While it’s possible to use your CPF Special Account as your retirement plan, you need to prepare for the following scenarios.

In the Straits Times, we recently read about a Singaporean man who wants to accumulate a million dollars in CPF savings.

Is it possible? Certainly, and we’d even say we know a few people who have done it.

While it may sound like a great idea, you do have to make certain preparations if this is going to be your retirement plan.

What Does Getting a Million Dollars in Your CPF Entail?

In order to get a million dollars in your CPF, you need to max out your Special Account (SA).

The CPF is composed of three portions:

  1. The Ordinary Account (OA),
  2. Special Account (SA), and
  3. Medisave Account (MA).

The OA is primarily used for providing housing, while SA is used for retirement. MA is used to pay for healthcare.The interest rate on your OA is 2.5 percent, while the interest rates on SA and MA are four percent. There is an extra one percent interest upon reaching the first $60,000, combined across all three (and at least $20,000 in your OA).

This means most Singaporeans, after a few years in the workforce, will have an interest rate of 3.5 percent in OA, and five percent in their SA and MA.

In order to accumulate a million dollars in your CPF, the key is to move the lower interest OA money into your SA. Then, the compounding effect of five percent per annum can build up your cash reserves faster.

In addition, once you reach the Medisave Contribution Ceiling ($49,800 as of 2016), any excess will be put into your OA.

Note that the amount of time this takes will differ, based on how much you earn. Singaporeans are required to contribute 20 percent of their monthly pay to CPF, and their employers contribute an additional 16 percent.

In general, however, someone earning around S$3,000 a month, who starts working at 25 and constantly transfers money from OA to SA, could end up hitting the million dollar mark as early as age 54 to 57.It’s not a get-rich-quick method, but the reliable ones rarely are.

The Upsides of Putting More Money in Your Special Account

There are a number of upsides to relying on your SA to getting your  first million dollars. These are:

  1. A reliable absolute return
  2. An interest rate that beats inflation
  3. Safety from creditors
  4. A Reliable Absolute Return:

If you were to use mutual funds or Exchange Traded Funds, your returns will usually fluctuate based on the index it’s pegged to.

For example, if you buy a mutual fund pegged to the S&P 500, and the S&P 500 falls to negative 1.2 percent returns, you would probably get negative 1.3 percent returns. If returns are a positive two percent, you might get 1.9 percent (it’s not exact to account for expense ratios).

Now over a long term, all of this should even out.

However, there’s always a chance that you’re one of those unfortunate investors who see more bad years than good ones. It’s not likely, but it could happen.

The great thing about the CPF is that returns are absolute. If the SA interest rate is five percent, then you get five percent – regardless of how well or how badly Singapore is doing.Coupled with the fact that it’s guaranteed by the Singapore government, this is one of the safest investments available to you.

2. An Interest Rate

That beats bnflation: For a retirement fund to be viable, it must grow at a pace that beats inflation.

This is usually three percent for Singapore and most developed countries (central banks take great efforts to keep inflation in this range, for reasons we won’t go into here).

This means your retirement fund should be getting at least five percent per annum, which your SA does.

There are plenty of other investment options out there – but an insurance policy straggling around at four percent, or Singapore Savings Bonds at between two to three percent, don’t really cut it.

3. Safety From Creditors:

Even if you go bankrupt, your creditors cannot take money from your CPF. This isn’t too big a deal for most people (most of us never reach that stage).

But if you engage in risky activities, like being a stay-at-home Forex trader or a business owner, this is important.

The Downsides to Keeping Your Savings in Your Special Account

There are a number of issues you have to plan to face:

  1. You have to pay for your housing the hard way
  2. You’ll need banks for education loans
  3. The situation may change in the long term

1.You’ll Have to Pay For Your Housing the Hard Way:

When you take an HDB Concessionary Loan, you need to pay at least 10 percent of the flat price.

This can come from your CPF OA or your pocket. And since you have transferred everything from the OA to the SA, your pocket it is.

A three-room flat costs around S$350,000. This means you should be prepared to fork out at least S$35,000 in cash somehow (it may be a little less after grants).If you are buying private housing or an Executive Condominium (EC), you will have to take a bank loan and put down 20 percent.

So a $700,000 EC would mean a cash payment of $140,000, if you have nothing in your CPF OA.

In addition, many Singaporeans pay their mortgage through their CPF OA. This will, of course, not be an option for you if all the money has been transferred to your SA.

You have to be very disciplined at money management, in order to make the significant down payment without CPF.

And because you are paying the mortgage in cash, you will have to plan your monthly finances carefully.

For bank loans, this entails knowing details like when to refinance, or how to pick between one and three-month interest rate periods with the most efficiency.

2.You’ll Need Banks For Education Loans:

Your CPF OA can be used for education loans when applying for studies from a recognised institution (and yes, you do have to pay it back with interest!).

If you have not completed your diploma or degree but intend to, you will have to turn to banks if your OA is empty. This is, of course, a less forgiving option.

With the OA, you are simply using your own money, with an obligation to pay yourself back.

Once you use a bank, you have a student loan that you have to be careful to repay. Failure to do so can greatly impact your credit score later.

3. The Situation May Change in the Long Term:

This method, of course, assumes CPF rates stay the same. The situation may change 20 or 30 years down the road.

It’s Probably Better Than Trying to Invest Your CPF Money

You have the option to invest a portion of your CPF savings (see the CPF websites), in order to chase higher returns.

Given that the SA already gives higher returns however, and is guaranteed, many Singaporeans would be better off transferring their money to their SA than trying to invest it.

Singsaver.com.sg, Singapore’s go-to personal finance comparison platform, guides consumers on the best money habits with its credit card comparison tool and allows real-time personal loans product comparison.

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Finance

CPF Special, MediSave, and Retirement accounts’ interest rate rises to 4.14% for Q4 2024

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced that the interest rate for CPF Special, MediSave, and Retirement accounts will increase to 4.14% in Q4 2024, up from 4.08%. The 4% floor rate will be extended for another year, providing members with stability amid a volatile interest environment, the announcement stated.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

20 September 2024

By

SINGAPORE: In a joint announcement on Friday (20 September), the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) revealed that the interest rate for CPF Special, MediSave, and Retirement accounts will rise to 4.14% for the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 4.08% in the previous quarter.

This increase, effective from October to December, comes as the pegged rate exceeds the established floor rate of 4%.

The government has also extended the 4% interest rate floor for these accounts for another year, valid from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

“This extension of the floor rate will continue to provide CPF members with certainty on the returns of their CPF savings amidst the volatile interest rate environment,” the announcement stated.

The interest rate for these accounts is tied to the average yield of 10-year Singapore Government Securities plus an additional 1%.

Meanwhile, the Ordinary Account (OA) interest rate will remain unchanged at 2.5% for the upcoming quarter, as its pegged rate is below the floor rate.

Additionally, the concessionary interest rate for HDB housing loans, set at 0.1% above the OA interest rate, will stay at 2.6%.

To further bolster retirement savings, CPF members will continue to earn extra interest.

Members below 55 years will receive an additional 1% on the first S$60,000 (approximately US$46,500) of their combined balances, capped at S$20,000 for the OA.

For those aged 55 and above, the extra interest comprises 2% on the first S$30,000, capped at S$20,000 for the OA, and 1% on the subsequent S$30,000.

Extra interest accrued on OA balances will be allocated to a member’s Special Account or Retirement Account.

For members above 55 who join CPF LIFE, the additional interest applies to their combined CPF balances, including savings utilized for CPF LIFE.

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Finance

US taxation authority to pursue wealthy tax evaders with advanced AI tools

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of United States has announced a comprehensive initiative aimed at aggressively pursuing individuals and entities that owe substantial amounts in overdue taxes.

Under the initiative, 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships are the primary focus of the IRS’s intensified “compliance efforts.”

Published

1 year ago

on

11 September 2023

By

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced last Friday (8 Sept), that it is embarking on an ambitious mission to aggressively target 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that collectively owe hundreds of millions of dollars in overdue taxes.

IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel revealed that with increased federal funding and the aid of cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools, the agency is poised to take robust action against affluent individuals who have been accused of evading their tax obligations.

During a call with reporters to provide a preview of the announcement, Commissioner Werfel expressed his frustration at the contrast between individuals who dutifully pay their taxes on time and those wealthy filers who, in his words, have “cut corners” when it comes to fulfilling their tax responsibilities.

“If you pay your taxes on time it should be particularly frustrating when you see that wealthy filers are not,” he said.

The IRS’s latest initiative targets 1,600 millionaires, each of whom owes a minimum of US$250,000 in back taxes, along with 75 large business partnerships boasting average assets of approximately US$10 billion.

These entities are now under the spotlight of the IRS’s renewed “compliance efforts.”

Werfel emphasised that a substantial hiring campaign and the implementation of artificial intelligence research tools, developed both by IRS personnel and contractors, will play pivotal roles in identifying and pursuing wealthy tax evaders.

This proactive approach by the IRS aims to highlight positive outcomes resulting from the increased funding it has received under President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration.

Notably, this move comes amid efforts by Republican members of Congress to reassess and potentially reduce the agency’s funding allocation.

IRS has introduced an extensive programme aimed at revitalisng fairness within the tax system

The IRS announced the groundbreaking move aimed at enhancing tax compliance and fairness, with a particular focus on high-income earners, partnerships, large corporations, and promoters who may be abusing the nation’s tax laws.

This initiative follows the allocation of funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and a comprehensive review of enforcement strategies.

The new effort, which builds on the groundwork laid following last August’s IRA funding, will place increased attention on individuals with higher incomes and partnerships, both of which have experienced significant drops in audit rates over the past decade.

These changes will be facilitated through the implementation of advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, empowering IRS compliance teams to more effectively detect tax evasion, identify emerging compliance challenges, and improve the selection of audit cases to prevent unnecessary “no-change” audits that burden taxpayers.

As part of the effort, the IRS will also ensure audit rates do not increase for those earning less than $400,000 a year.

Additionally, the agency will introduce new safeguards to protect those claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The EITC is intended to assist workers with modest incomes, and despite recent years seeing high audit rates for EITC recipients, audit rates for individuals with higher incomes, partnerships, and those with complex tax situations have plummeted.

The IRS will also take measures to prevent unscrupulous tax preparers from exploiting individuals claiming these vital tax credits.

This move underscores the IRS’s commitment to fostering a fair and equitable tax system, ensuring that all taxpayers, regardless of income or complexity, are held to the same standards of compliance and accountability.

The initiative reflects a comprehensive approach to addressing disparities in tax enforcement and strengthening the integrity of the tax system for the benefit of all Americans.

“This new compliance push makes good on the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure the IRS holds our wealthiest filers accountable to pay the full amount of what they owe.

“The years of underfunding that predated the Inflation Reduction Act led to the lowest audit rate of wealthy filers in our history. I am committed to reversing this trend, making sure that new funding will mean more effective compliance efforts on the wealthy, while middle- and low-income filers will continue to see no change in historically low pre-IRA audit rates for years to come,”

“The nation relies on the IRS to collect funding for every critical government mission, from keeping our skies safe, our food safe and our homeland safe. It’s critical that the agency addresses fundamental gaps in tax compliance that have grown during the last decade,” Werfel said.

Major expansion in high-income/high wealth and partnership compliance work

Prioritisation of high-income cases: Under the High Wealth, High Balance Due Taxpayer Field Initiative, the IRS is intensifying efforts to address taxpayers with total positive income exceeding US$1 million and recognised tax debts of more than US$250,000.

Building on prior successes, which resulted in the collection of US$38 million from over 175 high-income earners, the IRS is allocating additional resources to focus on these high-end collection cases in Fiscal Year 2024.

The agency is proactively reaching out to approximately 1,600 taxpayers in this category who collectively owe substantial sums in taxes.

Expansion of pilot focused on largest partnerships leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI): Recognising the complexity of tax issues in large partnerships, the IRS is expanding its Large Partnership Compliance (LPC) programme.

Leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, the IRS is collaborating with experts in data science and tax enforcement to identify potential compliance risks in partnership tax, general income tax, accounting, and international tax.

By the end of the month, the IRS will initiate examinations of 75 of the largest partnerships in the United States, encompassing diverse industries such as hedge funds, real estate investment partnerships, publicly traded partnerships, large law firms, and more. These partnerships each possess assets exceeding US$10 billion on average.

Greater focus on partnership issues through compliance letters: The IRS has identified ongoing discrepancies in balance sheets within partnerships with assets exceeding US$10 million, indicating potential non-compliance.

Many taxpayers filing partnership returns are reporting discrepancies in the millions of dollars between year-end and year-beginning balances, often without attaching required explanations.

This effort aims to address balance sheet discrepancies swiftly, with an initial mailing of around 500 partnership notices set to begin in early October.

Depending on the response, the IRS will incorporate these cases into the audit process for further examination.

Priority areas for targeted compliance work in FY 2024

The IRS has launched numerous compliance efforts to address serious issues being seen. Some of these, like abusive micro-captive insurance arrangements and syndicated conservation easement abuses, have received extensive public attention. But much more work continues behind the scenes on other issues.

Among some of the additional priority areas the IRS will be focused on that will touch the wealthy evaders include:

Expanded work on digital assets: The IRS is continuing its expansion of efforts related to digital assets, encompassing initiatives such as the John Doe summons and the recent release of proposed broker reporting regulations.

The IRS’s Virtual Currency Compliance Campaign, which aims to ensure compliance with tax obligations related to digital currencies, will persist in the coming months.

An initial review has indicated a potential non-compliance rate of 75% among taxpayers identified through record production from digital currency exchanges.

The IRS anticipates the development of additional digital asset cases for further compliance efforts in early Fiscal Year 2024.

More scrutiny on FBAR violations: High-income taxpayers across various segments have been utilising foreign bank accounts to avoid disclosure and related tax obligations.

US individuals with a financial interest in foreign financial accounts exceeding US$10,000 at any point in the year are required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).

The IRS’s analysis of multi-year filing patterns has revealed hundreds of potential FBAR non-filers with average account balances exceeding US$1.4 million. In response, the IRS plans to audit the most egregious potential non-filer FBAR cases in Fiscal Year 2024.

Labour brokers: The IRS has identified instances in which construction contractors are making payments to apparent subcontractors via Form 1099-MISC/1099-NEC, yet these subcontractors are, in fact, “shell” companies lacking a legitimate business relationship with the contractor.

Funds paid to these shell companies are routed through Money Service Businesses or accounts associated with the shell company before being returned to the original contractor. This scheme has been observed in states like Texas and Florida.

The IRS is expanding its attention in this area, conducting civil audits and launching criminal investigations to address non-compliance.

This effort is aimed at improving overall compliance, ensuring proper employment tax withholding for vulnerable workers, and creating a fairer playing field for contractors adhering to the rules.

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