I RECENTLY turned 55 and was shocked to find out that my Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ordinary Account and Special Account had been transferred to the Retirement Account.
I am still servicing my HDB housing loan using my Ordinary Account and now have a problem meeting the monthly payments.
My monthly take-home pay is only about $1,500.
My wife is not working due to health reasons and my only child, who joined the workforce recently, does not have a fixed income at the moment.
I have asked CPF staff about the issue but was told that that was the policy.
Were there considerations for people in lower-income groups who depend on the Ordinary Account to service their housing loans, when the Retirement Account scheme was drawn up?
If I am unable to even secure a roof over my family's head now, how can I think about retirement down the road?
While I don't object to locking up funds in the Special Account for the Minimum Sum, is there a need to do the same with the Ordinary Account funds?
I hope the authorities can look into "returning" my Ordinary Account funds to me so that I can service my housing loan and not risk having my home repossessed by the bank.
David Lee Wing Choy
*Article first appeared on ST Forums (27 June 2014)