Single Premium Endowment

Hi Mr. Tan,

What is single premiun endownmwnt insurance plan? Should I invest in this policy? Is it safe to invest my retirement fund in The Big-e plan paying 2.75%, better than CPF board rate of 2.5%.
Interest rate is dropping everywhere, despite of the high inlation rate this year (estimated 6%)

Recently, I lost money in the stock market, so I had decided to park my emergency fund in a safe investment.

REPLY

A single premium endowment gives you a return of about 3% to 4%, but your money has to be invested (i.e. locked in) for the entire duration of 10 to 15 years. If you withdraw early, you are likely to suffer a penalty. It also offers some modest life insurance cover.

The difference between BIGe and CPF is only 0.25%, it is better to keep your money in CPF. If possible, transfer your savings from ordinary account (0.25%) to the special acount (4% + 1%) to earn a higher interest rate.

If you wish to have a better return, you can invest for the long term. Read this FAQ:
http://www.tankinlian.com/faq/savings.html