Read? Turning 55 - and enjoying financial freedom (5)
Today, Uncle8888 eng eng made another trip to Bishan CPF Branch.
Last year. Thursday, 22 December 2016
It was like that ....
CPF : You can withdraw interests from SA, OA and MA too.
CW: Pls help to check how much interests I can draw out without touching my SA and OA.
CPF: Wah! You have lots of interests to draw out. It is $XX,XXX. Do you want to draw out now?
CW: :-)
CW: No. Not now. I will withdraw next year on January.
So last year at Dec 2016 was like that ...
Interests from SA+OA+MA from Jan 16 to Nov 16 = $XX,XXX (5 figure number)
Today, 13 Mar 2017, it is like this ....
After passing Q ticket and IC to CPF lady and before she could ask ..
CW : I want to withdraw interests from all my CPF accounts.
Uncle8888 also passed to her this notepad.
CW: Pls help to write down the number. Principal and interests. Thank you!
When CPF lady has written down all the numbers and handed over Uncle8888's note pad.
CW: No MA interest?
CPF: This year MA limit is raised to $52,000. Your MA has not reach the limit so you can't withdraw MA interest.
At 13 Mar 2017
Ant will like this CPF Lady. Two decimal places precision!
Let see Grasshopper dares to laugh or not?
Interests from SA+OA from Jan 17 to Feb 17 $X,XXX.XX (4 figure number)
CPF : Do you want to withdraw your interests?
CW: No. Thank you. Have a nice day!
Uncle8888 went to sit down and verify the interests with mobile phone's calculator.
VERIFIED!
Only when it comes to the actual process of withdrawing monies from CPF; then the understanding is clear!
Is CPF Board doing lousy job of educating the Public with their different understanding by different CPF staff?
Posts
CW,
ReplyDeleteI'll take the bait.
1) Have fun making future concrete plans with "SMART" goals that were based on Moving Goal Posts ;)
Grasshoppers not so affected as we already grey grey; we roll with the punches!
2) Who cares about 2 decimal places when the planned "passive" income has been reduced from 5 digits to 4 digits? Lucky you don't need the money. Imagine if you badly needed the money? See you at Hong Lim park!
3) Tip for your upcoming CPF talk. Better give the disclaimer what you say is based on the here and now. Next year if CPF make changes, and what you shared has become "obsolete", no money back guarantee!
If audience ask about the proposed change (yet again?) to CPF Life with increasing payouts over time, let the other 2 speakers take that question ;)
Peace.
Yeap. I didn't cover CPF Rules and scheme. I have been through these ever changing rule. Last year in Dec 2016; interests include MA but this year Goal post has shifted; I cannot withdraw interest from MA.
DeleteSo top MA to the max and then next year can draw MA interests if no goal post shifting. LOL!
I compare Apple and Orange and let 80 participants choose either one. :-)
DeleteOnce again, thx for clarifying the issue of MA interest with CPF. Good to know that MA must hit BHS in order for MA Int to be withdrawn
ReplyDeleteThe best time to withdraw interests from CPF accounts is at Dec for Jan to Nov i.e. 11 months of accrued monthly interests
ReplyDeleteThe worst time time to withdraw is Jan i.e. ZERO
Now, not only we have market timing; we have CPF interest withdrawal timing. LOL!
temperament,
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mrs CW has whispered to big daddy?
Wait he takes the 5 figures and blew it on wine, women, and song how!?
So "tarik" back and only give CW 4 figures.
You know, when men have money in our pockets, we are more "mischievous" ;)
Big daddy will always say, "Its for your own good."
Actually, the CPF staff in both cases are not wrong. The sequence for CPF withdrawal after 55 are:
ReplyDelete1) the interest earned in the Special Account (SA) then Ordinary Account (OA) from the beginning of the year up to the month before the withdrawal, followed by
2) the contribution/refunds credited to the SA then OA in the same month of the withdrawal, and lastly,
3) Monies in the SA then monies in the OA.
So Uncle CW is right that the best time to do CPF withdrawal is Dec. Suppose uncle CW wants to withdrawal the same $xx,xxx in Mar of the following year, this means that the more monies in the SA will be withdrawn since only Jan and Feb interest in the SA and OA are considered for withdrawal. This is not ideal as SA earns more interest
So MA goal is forever shifting higher and higher regardless if you are >55 years old?
ReplyDeleteCurrent SA goal is fixed when one reach 55 years old. For example, this year BRS is $161K.
I ever asked the CPF official will the SA goal post shift one day for those who has fixed goal post?
He just smile at me and said, "I don't know".
Damn, what if one day CPF change the rule and said no more fixed goal post for those >55 ???
Then how?
Withdraw all money from OA now or ???
Once members reach age 65, their BHS will be fixed for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteFor 2017, the BRS is 83K and FRS is 166K
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteInspired by your blog post, I wrote to CPF board and here's the reply from CPF Board:
ReplyDelete"If you would like to withdraw the interest earned from Jan to Dec 17, you can apply to withdraw in Jan 18. For your information, CPF interest earned in the preceding year will be credited to members' CPF accounts by the 4th working day in January"
That is why I have said different CPF staff will give different answer based on their understanding with respect to time frame when processing request for interests withdrawal. I will test the system at Dec 2017 and then at Jan 2018.
DeleteCan only know the right answer with right question when money is in our pocket. LOL!
DeleteThanks Uncle. Do update us in Jan 2018 !
ReplyDelete