27 Nov 2025
SOURCE: CPF Board
Making a CPF nomination lets you decide who receives your CPF savings when you pass away, allowing your loved ones to receive your CPF savings quickly and conveniently.
Without a nomination, your CPF savings will be distributed according to Singapore's intestacy laws at fixed amounts determined by the Public Trustee's Office, or according to Muslim inheritance laws. This approach does not cater for unique family circumstances, such as a family member who needs greater financial support, and may not align with your true wishes.
It’s common to think of CPF nominations as a one-time task - something done once and then forgotten. But if you’ve had significant life changes, or if it’s been many years since your last nomination, it’s time to review and update it.
When should you review your CPF nomination?
Key life events serve as a reminder to revisit your CPF nomination. Here are a few moments when a review is especially important:
1) Marriage or remarriage
Any existing CPF nomination you’ve made prior to your marriage will be revoked upon marriage. If you want your CPF savings to be distributed according to your wishes after marriage, you'll need to make a new nomination.
2) Birth of children/grandchildren
Welcoming a new family member is a joyous occasion and a natural time to consider updating your CPF nomination to include them. Your CPF nominee can be of any age and if they are below 18 years old at the time of claim, their share will be transferred to the Public Trustee and held-in-trust until they turn 18 years of age.
Nomination stories:
Years ago, Mr. Bala* made a CPF nomination when his daughter Indrani* was born. After his second child Davin* was born, Bala neglected to update his CPF nomination.
When he passed away, only Indrani received Bala’s CPF monies since the nomination was never revised. This left Davin with nothing, and caused unnecessary distress within the family as he wondered why he was left out.
He accused his elder sister of influencing their father to make the nomination, causing tension in the family.
3) Divorce or separation:
Unlike marriage, a CPF nomination will not be revoked upon divorce or separation. This is similar to wills, which also remain valid after divorce.
If you've divorced or separated, review your CPF nomination to ensure it still reflects how you want your CPF savings distributed.
Nomination stories:
Years ago, Madam Lee* nominated her husband as her sole CPF beneficiary. After their divorce, she forgot to update her nomination. As a result, when Madam Lee passed away, her CPF savings went to her ex-husband, Mr Tan*, since he remained as the sole nominee.
Mr Tan was unwilling to share the monies with Madam Lee’s family, who needed funds to pay for her hospitalisation bills and funeral costs and also refused any contact with Madam Lee’s family.
This unfortunate incident caused tremendous trauma and pain for Madam Lee’s family members, who had to cope with her sudden passing. Adding to their grief, they also had to shoulder considerable financial burdens, including funeral and hospitalisation expenses.
*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.
4) Death of a nominee:
In the unfortunate event that your nominee has passed on before you, their share will be re-distributed to the surviving nominee(s) in the same proportion you have specified.
If there are no surviving nominee(s), your nomination is considered revoked and your savings will be transferred to the Public Trustee for distribution under intestacy or Muslim inheritance laws.
How to make sure your CPF nomination reflects your current wishes
Beyond major life events, it’s important to regularly reflect on whether your current CPF nomination still fits your values and priorities.
Consider the following questions to help you reflect on whether your CPF nomination still matches your current wishes:
1) Have your priorities changed over time?
Think back to when you first made your nomination, perhaps 10 or 20 years ago. Your priorities were likely different then and you might have been focused on building up a growing family or supporting ageing parents.
Today, your children may be financially independent, your parents may have passed on, or you might have grandchildren who need support. This makes it important to reflect on the things that matter the most to you now and consider if your CPF nomination should be adjusted accordingly.
2) Are there any changes in the financial circumstances of your nominees?
You might have made your existing nomination based on your beneficiaries’ financial needs. However, circumstances may have changed over the years, and you might want to consider making adjustments to your nomination.
3) Should all of your nominees receive the same amount?
While some may choose to split their CPF savings equally among their children, there are others who may have allocated their CPF savings based on their beneficiaries’ financial needs (as mentioned above) or how they had been supported.
Perhaps one of your children has been your primary caregiver, or another has greater financial needs due to other commitments. Maybe you have already given substantial financial help to one child for their home or business, and you would like to balance that out to your other children through your CPF nomination.
While there is no right or wrong answer here, it is important to think about what feels right for your situation and values today.
How to change or update your CPF nomination
Making or reviewing your nomination online is quick, secure, and comes with enhanced authentication.
Refer to these three simple quick steps to making a CPF nomination or view your CPF nomination details online.
Make it a habit to review your CPF nomination
As your life changes, review your CPF nomination regularly so that your CPF savings are distributed according to your wishes. Life events and shifting priorities may mean that the nomination made years or decades ago may no longer reflect what you want today.
If you know someone who has not made a CPF nomination, be sure to also share this article on why it’s never too early to make one.
The information provided in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
