Got some spare cash in a savings account that earns very little, and may not be keeping up with inflation?
A cash management account is one way to earn a bit more on that money without locking it up. It isn’t a bank account, though, and it’s worth knowing what that means for your money before you move any of it.
This guide covers how these accounts work, how safe they are, and when one is worth using.
The cost of living in Singapore has been rising.
In 2025, the headline (overall) inflation rate was 0.9%, and the GST has climbed from 7.0% to 9.0% in recent years.
While Singaporeans do enjoy higher-than-average incomes and generally have higher net worths compared to others, income (and wealth) inequality is still prevalent.
So whatever your financial standing, knowing how to manage your personal finances with the right tools matters more than it used to. But do you know how?
We set out to understand the financial literacy of Singaporeans and whether it has a positive impact on their financial standing.
We surveyed 1,183 adults aged 18 and above in Singapore. Here’s what we found, along with the latest national and regional statistics.
A higher income makes it easier to build and hold on to wealth, provided you have the right tools and a plan behind it.
For its size, Singapore holds a lot of wealth, with 244,000 US-dollar millionaires as of 2025. Average wealth per adult is over US$500,000, though the median adult holds far less.
But what about the average person on the street? What does a typical full-time worker here actually earn, and how does your salary compare?
We went through the latest official data to find the median income in Singapore, broken down by age, sex, education, occupation, and industry.
If you’re looking for household income instead, we’ve covered average household income in Singapore separately.
All figures are in Singapore dollars unless specified otherwise. An exchange rate of US$1 to S$1.30 was applied for conversions.
Your CPF savings will compound for decades before you touch them. Even a small difference in the interest rate adds up to a lot by the time you retire.
Here’s the short answer. Your Ordinary Account (OA) earns 2.5% per annum, while your Special, MediSave, and Retirement Accounts earn 4% per annum. On top of that, extra interest on your first $60,000 of combined balances means you can earn up to 5% if you’re below 55, or up to 6% if you’re 55 and above.
These rates are reviewed every quarter, so always check the CPF Board’s interest rates page for the live figures. But where do the numbers come from, and why have they barely moved in over two decades? Let’s dig in.
Every month, a chunk of your pay goes into your Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts before it ever reaches your bank. How much, and which account it lands in, comes down mostly to your age.
Quite a lot has changed in recent years. The salary ceiling has been raised in stages to $8,000, contribution rates for workers above 55 have gone up several times, and the Special Account no longer exists for members aged 55 and above.
This page is updated regularly, so the rates below reflect what applies in 2026.
Insurance is always best bought when you’re young, when the odds of a clean bill of health are highest and you can get the full extent of coverage.
But plenty of people treat it as something they can put off. And it’s true that the chances of a critical illness or death rise with age.
There are two things worth remembering, though.
First, these events can still happen early, and when they do, they tend to hit your family’s finances harder. Second, even a minor condition picked up along the way can affect your chances of being approved later.
So if you already have a pre-existing condition and you’re wondering what your options are, you’re not out of luck. We can’t turn back the clock, but here’s what you can still do.
If your bank collapsed tomorrow, how much of your savings would you get back?
The Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) insures Singapore dollar deposits of up to $100,000 per depositor at each bank or finance company. When MAS proposed this limit in 2023, it said the change would result in 91% of depositors being fully covered.
The catch is that the limit is easy to go over without noticing, especially if you bank with both DBS and POSB, or keep SRS cash at the same bank as your savings.
How much does it really cost to put one child through school in Singapore, from infant care all the way to a university degree?
Two things decide it: your child’s citizenship status, and the schools you pick. For a Singapore Citizen in government schools, the total is far lower than most parents expect. For everyone else, the bill runs into six figures before university even begins.
Below we work through the average total cost of education in Singapore, for both public (government schools, unless otherwise stated) and private schools (including international schools). This guide sits within our wider research on education cost statistics in Singapore, and we update it as fees change.
(All figures are quoted in Singapore dollars.)
Bonds rarely make headlines the way stocks do. Yet for many Singaporeans, they play a quiet but useful role: steadier returns, regular income, and a cushion against the ups and downs of riskier investments.
In Singapore, bonds are also fairly easy to get started with. Government-backed options are open to individual investors, alongside corporate bonds and bond funds for those willing to take on more risk.
Here’s a simple overview of how bonds work, the main types in Singapore, and what to weigh up before investing.
Got some spare cash sitting in a savings account and earning very little?
A fixed deposit is one of the simplest ways to earn more on it without taking on investment risk. You agree to leave your money with a bank for a set period, and in return the bank pays you a fixed rate of interest.
The catches are mostly about access. Taking your money out early usually costs you, and what happens when the deposit ends is easy to overlook. Here’s what to know before you lock any cash away.