Are you ready for the 'CPF Reform'?

A SHORT EXTRACT OF THE TRANSCRIPT OF PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG’S
NATIONAL DAY RALLY ENGLISH SPEECH ON 19 AUGUST 2007
AT NUS UNIVERSITY CULTURAL CENTRE

So, that’s the first major change to the CPF, higher interest rate, subject to a cap and rules. The second question is how to make CPF savings last for your life expectancy, which means up to 80-years-old. Today, we already have some rules. At 55, you set aside the Minimum Sum, then you can take out the rest. Minimum Sum is going up. The rules for setting aside are getting tighter, but basically, you must aside the Minimum Sum. We settled this in the last round of CPF changes. So, my first message is – no change to the rules at 55 to what has already been settled. That remains. It was settled in 2003 and will continue. But right now, after you have put aside your Minimum Sum and put it into your Retirement Account, you start to draw down your Minimum Sum when you are 62-years-old. Monthly payments are supposed to last 20 years, but actually if you don’t have enough CPF, it may not last 20 years. So, 62 plus 20 is 82. So, 62-years-old is when you start to draw your Minimum Sum and that is called the Draw-Down Age for the minimum sum.

But is 62 the right age to start drawing down? I told you what Madam Ng said to me just now and her problem. She says, “What happens when my CPF runs out?” Even with a higher interest rate which we are paying, if we start drawing down the CPF too early, the money is going to run out too soon. If we start later, the Minimum Sum will last longer. You may think that 62 to 82 is long enough, but many people are going to live beyond 82. So, if we can push off the draw-down by one year at the front end, then that one year’s money which is saved and which stays in your CPF and accumulates interest, including plus one per cent for 20 years, by the time you reach the tail end of your 20 years, that will have multiplied and doubled. So, you’ll have two more years’ worth at the tail in order to last you longer. So, we have to make some adjustment to the draw down age because 82, on average, you may live that, but many will live beyond and I think especially many women will live beyond because the women’s life expectancy will be longer than the men’s life expectancy.

We are legislating for re-employment until 65. We are pushing hard for people to work into their 60s until 65. Therefore, Draw-Down Age should also go to 65 because you are working, you work till 65, when you stop working, probably at 65, then you start drawing down. If you can continue working beyond 65, well, then you get both. So, we will raise this Draw-Down Age from 62 to 65, but not in one shot – progressively over a number of years. In 2012, the Re-Employment Act will kick in and we will start to raise the Draw-Down Age in 2012 from 62 to 63 and then, every two years, we will push it up another one so it will reach 65 by 2018. So, that means if the Draw-Down Age is 65 and you draw it down over 20 years, 65 plus 20 means it lasts till you are 85-years-old, which I think is better.

How will these impact different age groups? First of all, those who are nearly 62-years-old and going to draw either tomorrow or next year, you are okay, we are not disturbing you. You will have made your plans, you may want to go on holiday, go ahead. But those who are slightly younger, that means 57-years-old and below, we will disrupt your plans just a little bit by one year. Those who are not approaching 62-years-old yet, that means 53 and below, I think you can take the full adjustment, we will push your Draw-Down Age up to 65. You have got nearly ten years to continue re-skilling and for us to change the laws, and make sure that when you get to that age it will be easier for you to find a job and work till 65. The press will carry the table tomorrow. I will not show you the table, but that is the gist of it.

I have explained this at length because I know that this is not so popular. As Straits Times did a survey last week abut CPF, they asked people, “Do you want higher CPF returns?” “Yes, CPF returns are too low”. “Do you want to work longer?” “Yes, we want to work longer”. “Are you worried about savings for retirement?” “Yes, I am very worried I may not have enough”. “So, how about delaying the Draw-Down Age?” Huge numbers said, “No!” They know the problem, but they want to draw down now. But we have no choice. People are living longer, we have to work longer and we have got to start drawing on our reserves later. Therefore, we have to start moving now; not move all the way now, but start moving now and we will get there in good time.

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In my opinion, people who are financially prepared for old age will say NO to the idea of working longer. Can you imagine the condition of your body at age 60, 62 or 65? Is it going to be more energetic or slow in response? I'm sure you know the answer. Unfortunately, people who didn't plan well ahead, have to reluctantly say, "YES, we want to work longer". Why? The truth is they didn't maximise their full financial potential. Perhaps they have bought too many liabilities. As a result, they didn't have enough money to last them through old age.

Singapore Government is very efficient and always plan ahead for the people. This is a blessing. So the question now is, are you going to leave all the planning to the government? Should you also make an effort to plan for yourself? Remember, it's YOUR LIFE! If you don't take good care of yourself, don't expect others will.

Ask quality questions to get quality answers. So ask yourself these questions:

Are you prepared to work with much lower pay, when you hit 50s or 60s?

Can you guarantee that you will be healthy enough to work when you are in 50s or 60s?

Do you consider yourself successful now? Is that the best you can do or earn?

Remember, success is what you become.

If that is the best you can do or earn, you are successful. Well done!

If you have not realise your true financial potential, you must not be comfortable... you must not have the attitude of 'wait-and-see'.

Prepare to work harder for your financial success so that you will be more comfortable in later life.