What is the CPF interest rate in 2026?

Ordinary Account (OA): 2.5% floor. Special Account (SA closed since 2025), MediSave (MA), and Retirement Account (RA): 4.0% floor. Plus +1% extra on the first S$60,000 of combined balances (with up to S$20,000 from OA), and an additional +1% on the first S$30,000 above 55. Effective top rate: 6% on the first S$30,000 of RA from age 55.

Why does CPF pay 4% on RA but only 2.5% on OA?

OA is meant for short-term housing/education needs and is benchmarked against bank savings rates with a 2.5% floor. SA/MA/RA are for retirement and healthcare, benchmarked against the 10-year Singapore Government Securities yield + 1%, with a 4% floor. The 4% floor has been in place since 2008.

Is the CPF 4% rate guaranteed?

It's a floor that has been honoured continuously since 2008 — the SGS+1% formula has always come out below 4%, so the floor has held. The 4% floor was originally extended through to 2027 in the Forward SG announcements. Any future change requires a Budget announcement; CPF does not unilaterally cut floors.

How is CPF interest credited?

CPF interest is computed monthly on the *lowest* balance for the month and credited annually on 1 January. So a top-up made on 30 December earns one day of interest for that year — top up before the start of January for full-year interest, or each month if you want full-month accrual.

Can I earn more than 4% by topping up CPF?

Yes, on the SA/MA/RA tier — and 5% / 6% in the extra-interest brackets. RA from age 55 earns 4% + 1% (first S$60K combined) + 1% (first S$30K from 55) = effective 6% on the first S$30K, 5% on the next S$30K. Topping up RA via the Retirement Sum Topping-Up scheme captures these rates plus tax relief up to S$8,000/year per beneficiary.

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CPF Interest Rate Singapore 2026: OA, SA, MA, RA Floors & Bonus Tiers

verifiedBy Smart Calculator Editorial·Verified against official .gov.sg sources·8 May 2026

Complete CPF interest rate guide for 2026 — OA at 2.5%, SA/MA/RA at 4%, plus the +1% extra interest on first S$60K and +1% on first S$30K above 55.

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CPF interest rates are arguably the most important — and most misunderstood — number in Singapore personal finance. The 4% floor on retirement accounts is a generational guarantee that few other systems offer; the layered bonus interest on the first S$60K can quietly add a six-figure outcome over 30 years.

Use the CPF Interest Calculator to model your exact compounding under the 2026 rates.

CPF interest floors at a glance

Account	Base rate	Extra interest tiers
Ordinary Account (OA)	2.5%	+1% on first S$20K (counts toward S$60K combined cap)
MediSave Account (MA)	4.0%	+1% on combined balances up to S$60K
Retirement Account (RA)	4.0%	+1% on first S$60K combined; +1% on first S$30K above age 55
Special Account (SA)	Closed at age 55 from 2025	—

Effective rates by tier:

OA first S$20K: 3.5%
MA / SA first S$40K: 5.0%
RA first S$30K (age 55+): 6.0%
RA next S$30K (age 55+): 5.0%
RA above S$60K (age 55+): 4.0%

Why these rates exist

CPF rates aren't arbitrary — they're benchmarked, then floored:

OA formula: Average of the major local banks' 12-month deposit rates and savings rates, weighted 80:20. Floor at 2.5%.

SA/MA/RA formula: 12-month average yield of the 10-year Singapore Government Securities (SGS) +1%. Floor at 4.0%.

If the formula ever produces above 4%, CPF would pay above 4%. In practice, the SGS+1% formula has been below 4% continuously since the floor was introduced — so the floor is the actual rate paid.

How interest accrues

CPF interest is computed on the lowest balance for the month. Any deposit during the month doesn't earn interest until the following month.

This means timing matters:

Top up on 1 December: earns 1 month of interest (the December calculation uses December's lowest balance).
Top up on 31 December: earns 0 days for that year — the December low was the pre-top-up balance.
Top up on 1 January: earns 12 months for the year. Most CPF top-up advice says "top up early in January" for this exact reason.

Interest is credited to your account on 1 January annually.

Worked example: A 30-year-old with mixed balances

OA: S$45,000 SA: S$25,000 (legacy, before SA closure at 55) MA: S$28,000

Step 1 — extra interest on first S$60K combined. Order priority: OA first up to S$20K, then SA, then MA.

OA contribution to S$60K: S$20K (cap)
Plus SA: S$25K
Plus MA: S$15K (to fill remaining S$60K cap)
Excess MA: S$13K

Step 2 — annual interest:

OA S$20K @ 3.5% = S$700
OA S$25K @ 2.5% = S$625
SA S$25K @ 5.0% = S$1,250
MA S$15K @ 5.0% = S$750
MA S$13K @ 4.0% = S$520
Total annual interest: S$3,845

If this person doesn't touch their CPF for 30 years (say, until 60), the same balances at compound interest would be very different. Those S$45K + S$25K + S$28K = S$98K becomes ~S$420K just from compounding at the 4–5% rates.

The age-55 jackpot: extra extra interest

From your 55th birthday, CPF gives an additional +1% on the first S$30,000 of combined balances. This stacks with the existing +1% on the first S$60,000.

Net effect for someone at 55+:

First S$30K of RA: 4% + 1% + 1% = 6%
Next S$30K (S$30K–$60K): 4% + 1% = 5%
Above S$60K: 4%

For a retiree with FRS (S$220,400 in 2026 cohort) in their RA:

S$30K @ 6% = S$1,800
S$30K @ 5% = S$1,500
S$160,400 @ 4% = S$6,416
Total RA interest year 1: S$9,716 (4.4% blended)

This compounds every year. From 55 to 65 (the typical CPF LIFE start age), this alone adds ~S$120,000+ to the RA balance.

Strategies to maximise interest

1. OA top-up to S$20K cap. Easy. The S$20K of OA captures the +1% that bumps it from 2.5% to 3.5%. Don't go above S$20K in OA unless you specifically need it for a property.

2. RSTU (Retirement Sum Topping-Up Scheme). Top up SA (before 55) or RA (after 55) with cash. Get tax relief up to S$8,000/year for self + S$8,000/year for parents. The 4–6% interest is on top.

3. CPF transfer from OA to SA / RA. Locks the funds at 4–6% but loses the option to use OA for housing. Irreversible. Many under-35s do this aggressively, then regret it when buying a BTO.

4. Top up before January 1. Maximises full-year interest accrual.

5. Maintain BHS in MA before topping up RA. Excess MA can flow to RA; not the other way around. Keep MA at the BHS to capture +1% extra interest fully.

What about the 5% extra interest sometimes mentioned?

That refers to the temporary "Bonus Long-term Lock-In Rate" — a time-limited CPF Lifetime Income Bonus offered occasionally during Budget rounds. As of 2026, no such bonus is in effect; the standard floor + extra-interest structure described above is what applies.

Interest on outstanding home loan repayments

A separate consideration: if you're using OA to service an HDB loan, your CPF "loses" the 2.5% interest those funds would otherwise have earned. Many financial advisors recommend paying part of the home loan in cash to keep more in OA — earning 2.5% (or 3.5% if under S$20K) — versus paying off a 2.6% HDB loan from OA.

This is why "should I pay off my HDB loan early?" is a much more nuanced question than it looks — if you pay from OA, you save 2.6% loan interest but forgo 2.5–3.5% OA interest, often a wash.

Common CPF interest mistakes

Topping up at year-end. No interest for that year. Always top up early-month, ideally early January.
Confusing "extra interest" with "guaranteed interest". The +1% extra interest is contingent on continued program — it's been in place since 2008 but isn't statutory. The 4% floor is more permanent.
Forgetting the S$60K cap is shared. OA up to S$20K, then SA + MA fill the remaining S$40K. Your "first S$60K" doesn't mean S$60K in each account.
Topping up MA above BHS. Above the Basic Healthcare Sum, MA contributions overflow to OA (or RA at 55+). Plan around this.