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Concepts and Definitions

​​​​​​​An active CPF member refers to a person who has at least one contribution paid for him for the current or any of the preceding three months.

All CPF members have three accounts with the CPF Board – the Ordinary Account, MediSave Account and Special Account. Savings in the Ordinary Account can be used to buy a home, retirement, pay for insurance premiums (such as the Home Protection Scheme), and investment. Savings in the MediSave Account can be used for hospitalisation expenses, approved medical insurance and certain outpatient treatments while savings in the Special Account is for your retirement needs or for investments in retirement-related financial products. From age 55, a Retirement Account will be created. This account, comprising monies transferred from the Special and/or Ordinary Account, is used to provide monthly payouts for members during retirement.

Both the employer and the employee make monthly contributions to the CPF. The employer is liable to pay the total CPF contributions and is entitled to recover the employee’s contribution from the employee’s wages.

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