Guides to life in Singapore
Short, plain answers to everyday questions about money and life in Singapore.
- What's the best way to use Healthpoints in 2026?150 points get you $3 in ActiveSG credits, $2 off MediShield Life premiums, or $1 in FairPrice vouchers. Here's which one fits you.
- Can foreigners use ActiveSG and Healthpoints? (EP, S Pass, DP)FIN holders can earn Healthpoints and redeem ActiveSG credits, but pay per entry only, and credits seem not to cover the full price.
- Is ActiveSG free at 65? And what to do with your HealthpointsSingapore citizens aged 65+ use ActiveSG gyms and pools free. PRs don't. Take the MediShield Life discount for your points instead.
- SRS or CPF top-up before 31 December? Who it's worth it forTopping up SRS or CPF before year end cuts next year's tax, but only by your top tax rate. Here's who gains most, and the catches.
- How to plan your 2027 leave: 8 days of leave, 31 days offSingapore's 2027 public holidays line up well. With 8 days of leave you can get 8 long weekends, and 3 days of leave in May gives you 9 days off.
- HDB loan or bank loan in 2026? What the difference costs youBank loans are cheaper than the 2.6% HDB loan today, by about $160 a month on a $412,500 loan. But you need cash, rates float, and you can't switch back.
- Credit card sign-up offers, November 2026: the ones you can get on normal spendingThe best Singapore credit card welcome gifts still open in November 2026, sorted by how much you need to spend. Plus the rules that make people miss out.
- Take-home pay in Singapore 2026: $3,000 to $12,000 a monthWhat a Singapore citizen or PR actually keeps from a $3,000, $5,000, $8,000 or $12,000 monthly salary after CPF and income tax, with 2026 CPF rates.
- Filing income tax in 2027: key dates for YA2027When to file your Singapore income tax for 2026 income, when the bill arrives, and how to pay by GIRO. Plus the last things you can still do before 31 December 2026.
- CPF changes in 2026: what's different on your payslipThe CPF salary ceiling went up to $8,000, contribution rates rose for workers aged 55 to 65, and the retirement sums went up. Here's what it means for you.
- 11.11 and Black Friday 2026: dates, and how not to lose out on your cardSingapore's year-end sales run from 11.11 to 12.12. Here are the dates, and five card mistakes that quietly cost you money during the sales.
- Paying overseas: card, cash or app? How to avoid the 3% feeMost Singapore bank cards add about 3.25% to every foreign-currency payment. Here's how to pay less on your next trip, and the one question to always say no to.
- What does "++" mean on a Singapore menu? You pay 19.9% moreA price with "++" excludes the 10% service charge and 9% GST. Because GST is added on top of the service charge, the real markup is 19.9%, not 19%.
- Buying a second property in Singapore: how much ABSD you payCitizens pay 20% ABSD on a second home and PRs pay 30%, on top of buyer's stamp duty. Here's what that means in dollars, and when couples can get it back.
- Am I entitled to overtime pay in Singapore? The salary limitsUnder the Employment Act, overtime pay is required for workmen earning up to $4,500 and other employees up to $2,600 basic a month. Here's how it's calculated.
- Can CPF be paid as cash? New PRs, EP holders and “CPF-inclusive” offersEmployer CPF can’t be swapped for cash for citizens and PRs. What changes when an EP holder becomes a PR, the first two years’ CPF rates, and how to read a package that “includes CPF”.
- New PR in Singapore? Why you pay more income tax in your first two yearsNew PRs pay lower CPF in their first two years, so their CPF relief is smaller and their income tax is higher than a citizen's on the same salary. Worked examples at $60,000, $80,000 and $120,000.
- What is SP-CCA? Water polo, canoeing and athletics when your school doesn't offer themSP-CCA (Strategic Partnership CCA) lets secondary students join sports like water polo, canoeing and athletics outside school when their own school doesn't offer them. How it works and which activities are listed.
- BCRS return machines at Changi Airport: all 6 locations (T1–T4 and Jewel)Where to return BCRS bottles and cans at Changi Airport: six Return Right machines in Terminals 1–4 and Jewel, all before immigration, and what that means for the 10-cent deposit.