What is a CPF nomination, and how does it work in Singapore?

Most people assume their will covers everything they own. In Singapore, one of the biggest surprises is that your CPF is not one of them. Your CPF savings are passed on through a separate step called a CPF nomination, made directly with the CPF Board. This guide explains what that is, what it covers, what happens if you skip it, and how it works together with your will.

What is a CPF nomination?

A CPF nomination tells the CPF Board who should receive your CPF savings after you pass away, and how much each person should get. You make it directly with the CPF Board, and it sits entirely separate from your will. Think of it as the instruction sheet for your CPF, while your will is the instruction sheet for the rest of your estate.

Why your CPF doesn't pass through your will

Your CPF savings don't form part of your estate. Because of that, your will can't distribute them – no matter what it says. CPF is governed by the CPF Board, and your savings pass to whoever you name in your CPF nomination.

This is exactly why nominating matters. A nomination gets your CPF to the people you choose, directly and quickly, and it keeps those savings protected from claims by creditors. It is a small step that does a lot of work.

What a CPF nomination covers – and what it doesn't

A CPF nomination covers:

• the savings in all your CPF accounts – Ordinary, Special, Retirement, and MediSave
• any unused CPF LIFE premiums
• discounted Singtel shares held under the SDS scheme

It does not cover:

• property bought with your CPF – this is decided by how the property is held, not by your nomination
• payouts from the Dependants' Protection Scheme (DPS) – these need a separate DPS nomination
• investments and cash under the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) – these form part of your estate, so your will applies to them

The simplest way to think about it: your CPF nomination handles your CPF savings, and your will handles the things your CPF nomination leaves out.

What happens if you don't make a nomination

If you pass away without a CPF nomination, your CPF savings are distributed by the Public Trustee's Office under Singapore's intestacy rules – or an inheritance certificate, for Muslim members. That is a fixed legal formula, and it may not match what you would have chosen. The Public Trustee's Office also charges an administrative fee, and the process can take longer for your family.

Making a nomination is the simplest way to keep your CPF in your own hands rather than a default formula's.

How to make a CPF nomination

You can make a CPF nomination online in a few minutes, and it's free. Log in to my cpf with your Singpass and follow the CPF nomination steps on the CPF Board website.

Two things worth knowing:

• Getting married automatically revokes any earlier nomination. If you marry, make a new one – otherwise your CPF could fall back to the default formula.
• Review it after big life changes – marriage, divorce, a new child, or the death of someone you've named. Your nomination should keep up with your life.

CPF nomination vs your will: you need both

It's easy to assume one covers the other. They don't – they do different jobs, and most people need both:

• Your CPF nomination directs your CPF savings.
• Your will directs your estate – your savings, investments, possessions, and your home (depending on how it's held). It's also where you appoint guardians for your children and name an executor to carry out your wishes.

A few other things also sit outside your will and carry their own nominations – life insurance with a named beneficiary, and jointly-held property or bank accounts, which pass to the surviving owner. A complete plan checks all of them.

Your CPF nomination takes a few minutes with the CPF Board. Your will is where MakeGoodwill comes in.

Frequently asked questions