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Save, plan and invest for your retirement with DBS
At a Glance
A retirement plan should be both robust and comfortable. So we have partnered with Manulife to give your retirement plans the boost it needs and have put together a step-by-step guide to help you build one to your specs – and achieve financial freedom.

Planning the parts you need
Tools to help envision your retirement and draw up a plan.

Building robust income streams
How to assemble it all to fit your retirement goals.

Keeping your money at work
Enjoy your financial freedom while ensuring your funds last.

Reinforcing your plan
Fill in the gaps so you don’t worry about being caught off-guard.
WHERE ARE YOU AT NOW?
Prefer speaking face-to-face? Have one of our Wealth Planning Managers get in touch to guide you
The first step to any goal is to plan. And while it might seem to be a long way off, the sooner you start, the easier it actually becomes. You'll have the advantage of time to grow your investments into a sustainable income for whatever you imagine.
The first question to ask: what does retirement look like to you? A second career, pursuing a passion, discovering the world, or simply time with family – your answer determines how much you need. Don’t worry, we have tools to break it down for you.
Get better at money effortlessly
Every financial decision – every dollar you save, spend, or invest – affects everything else as a whole. NAV Planner gives you a complete picture of your money and helps you understand how your decisions affect your future. Curious how NAV Planner works? Find out more. To try it, login to digibank and look for the Plan tab.
Figure out your retirement needs
The first thing to do is decide how you'd like to retire. NAV Planner's 'Map Your Money' feature takes into account your income, expenses, assets and liabilities over the last six months, and your current income streams to project your retirement cashflow and highlight any gaps you might need to fill. You can even set a goal, and see if you’re on track.
Visualise your retirement future
When you’re busy trying to take care of the present, retirement may be the last thing on your mind. But thinking about it early and taking small steps can do a lot to change your financial future.
Start with a quick look at how much you’ll need for retirement and how ready you are, by using our calculator.
Calculate your CPF LIFE payouts
'Your CPF’ in digibank helps you learn more about your own CPF balances and can calculate how much CPF LIFE payouts you can expect to receive you turn 65.
Simply sync your CPF accounts via Singpass or add your CPF balances manually to see projections tailored just for you.
*Available for CPF members aged 54 and below.
You've probably started saving and maybe invested a little. That’s great. Now’s the time to make your money make more money. And get as much of it working as possible.
Once you've sorted out your daily expenses, find the gaps in your finances. Look for money that's sitting idle or not doing as much as it should. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.
Build up savings with an SRS Account
Not only will you enjoy tax relief, but you can also invest the money in your SRS (Supplementary Retirement Scheme) Account for long term gains. Make withdrawals from the statutory retirement age, over 10 years or in a lump sum – you’ll get a 50% tax concession either way. Find out more about SRS here.
If you haven't got an SRS Account, start enjoying the benefits now.
If you've opened an SRS, you can contribute and start saving more.
Get invested for the long term
To really grow your money, you'll need to invest. And do it in the long run. No matter your level of experience or how much time you wish to spend researching your investments, you'll find solutions that fit your needs. All at your fingertips, from the ease of DBS digiPortfolio to trading in global markets with Vickers.
Build stable income streams and grow your retirement funds with insurance
Tap on our comprehensive suite of retirement insurance solutions to fund a comfortable retirement that can mitigate longevity and market risks.
- Build stable, passive income for life, using annuity plans like Manulife IncomeGen, while preserving your capital for unexpected events or your legacy. Other retirement plans like RetireSavvy (available digitally) also provide you with the flexibility to customise your retirement income benefits at your chosen retirement age.
- Boost your income to fund additional wants with investment-linked plans like Manulife SmartRetire (V) which allows you to choose your target retirement income and age, while enjoying protection benefits and the flexibility to withdraw any reinvested dividends. In addition, the cost of insurance is refunded to you at your target retirement age if you do not make any claims.
Have a conversation with our Wealth Planning Managers to put together a suitable retirement plan for you.
Learn more about our suite of retirement products, or apply for RetireSavvy, Singapore's first truly flexible, digital retirement plan.
As you get closer to retirement, you'll want to ensure your nest egg lasts as long as you need it. That means figuring out how much you can sustainably spend while continuing to safely grow it to balance out inflation.
If you own assets such as a home, you can also consider unlocking its equity for more retirement income while still retaining ownership. With the right tools and advice, you'll have the financial freedom to live as you wish, without having to compromise your dreams or rely on anyone else.
Make the most of your nest egg
With the possibility of inflation eroding your accumulated nest egg, one way to beat inflation is to stay invested*. At the same time, you may want to extract a higher stream of retirement income to supplement CPF life payouts for your own lifestyle needs. Investment solutions that offer a decumulation share class could satisfy both requirements. These solutions aim to pay out a high monthly income that is sourced from a combination of portfolio returns as well as the capital of your investment.
To illustrate how this works, let’s take a look at an example: the Schroder Asia More+ fund
What are the key characteristics of this fund?
- This is an income-oriented, Asian multi-asset fund with modest capital appreciation potential.
- Designed for the Singapore investor: The fund can invest in Singapore securities and hedges a portion of FX back to SGD.
- Offers 3 share class options for clients with changing needs at different life stages:
Accumulation – where all potential coupons, dividends and capital gains are accumulated and re-invested.
Distribution – Aims to make payouts which are often sourced from a combination of coupons, dividends and capital gains earned by the fund.
Decumulation – Aims to make higher payouts which may be sourced from a combination of coupons, dividends, capital gain and your investment capital in the fund.
Check out this video to see how decumulation works
Click here to find out more.
*All investments come with risks and you can lose money on your investment. Invest only if you understand and can monitor your investment. Diversify your investments and avoid investing a large portion of your money in a single product issuer.
Unlock cash from your home
While your property slowly grows in value, it can be a source of cash for your retirement.
Borrow against the equity value of your fully-paid property to top-up your CPF Retirement Account, and receive a stream of income through CPF LIFE. You retain ownership of your home with no monthly repayments needed. Plus, you also enjoy the flexibility to sell your property and repay anytime without any penalty fees.
For private property homeowners, find out more about DBS Home Equity Income Loan.
For HDB owners, the HDB Lease Buyback scheme works the same. Find out more.
Now that your financials are all sorted out, there’s just one last bit to do: making sure your loved ones are well provided for should the unexpected happen.
Like tightening a bolt or filling in gaps, these steps may take a while – but they'll also take a load off your mind.
Make your CPF nomination
You’ll need one on top of your will. A nomination lets you decide how your savings are distributed among your loved ones. But be sure to update it if there are changes in circumstances among your nominees or yourself – such as a marriage or if there’s a new member in the family. Got questions on CPF nominations? Get the answers here.
Plan out a will to your wishes
Having an updated will lets you plan and distribute your estate the way you see fit among your loved ones. It also avoids your estate being tied up in legal proceedings. You should consider who will receive your assets, in what proportion, as well as the person to execute your wishes.
Get your will done without fuss
Writing a will doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Get it done easily with the help of Willcraft, a quick, affordable, and fuss-free will-writing service. It only takes 20 minutes of your time. All DBS customers enjoy preferential rates.
Entrust someone to make decisions for you
To complement your retirement planning, Advance Care Plan (ACP) discussions facilitate the process of planning for one's current and future healthcare. It includes discussing one’s personal beliefs and goals for care with your loved ones and healthcare providers. In the event that you are unable to make decisions or speak for yourself, your Advance Care Plan guides your loved ones and the healthcare team to make decisions in your best interests.
Anyone can start their ACP today regardless of their age or health condition. Discussing and documenting your healthcare preferences with your loved ones and doctors can give everyone peace of mind.
With an ACP done, you should consider your other affairs.
Sometimes, due to illness you might not be able to make decisions for yourself. If that happens, leaving clear instructions for your loved ones may lessen the stress on family members in a difficult time.
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document which lets you ('donor') appoint one or more persons ('donee(s)') to make decisions and act on your behalf, if you lose mental capacity to make your own decisions one day. Donee(s) can be appointed to act in two broad areas: personal welfare and/or property & affairs matters.
An Advanced Medical Directive informs the doctor that you don’t want extraordinary life-saving measures if you’re unconscious or terminally-ill.
Next, get your AMD witnessed and certified by a doctor.
To read up more about LPA and AMD, click here.
Put your assets in a trust
At the heart of a trust is peace of mind – knowing your assets are in a safe pair of hands. A Trustee can manage them to help fulfill your dreams and hopes for your loved ones, and ensure they receive their share as you've allocated. There are estate planning specialist firms in Singapore that can help you do this, from drafting a Will online through Goodwill, to end-to-end estate planning services with Precepts Trustee Ltd.
Plan for your loved ones with special needs
A trust is useful for family members with special needs. It aims to safeguard your money for your loved ones’ long-term care needs. Set up a trust with Special Needs Trust Co (SNTC), a non-profit trust company that provides affordable trust services for families with special needs.
SNTC will assist caregivers in setting up a trust account and, upon their demise or incapacity, disburse monies according to a care plan developed for their beneficiaries. SNTC is supported by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Public Trustee Office. The principal sum of the trust fund is guaranteed by the Government.
Parents can also tap on the Special Needs Savings Scheme (SNSS) to set aside their CPF savings for their children with special needs. Under SNSS, you can arrange for your loved ones to receive a regular stream of fixed payouts upon your demise.
Count on us to help with closing your accounts
As it's an emotional time, your loved ones will find it hard to handle your accounts. To make things easier for them, we've put together the necessary information they need, along with an e-brochure for quick reference.
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