How it works
Any CPF member aged 16 or over can make one, and MoneySense adds they must be of sound mind. They can name any person or organisation, including someone without a CPF account, and give each a percentage.
Two witnesses aged 21 or older confirm it, and CPF Board says neither the member nor a nominee can be one.
What it covers, CPF Board says:
- savings in the Ordinary, Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts
- any CPF LIFE premium balance left
- discounted Singtel shares bought through CPF
What it doesn't: a property bought with CPF savings, a Dependants' Protection Scheme payout, which has its own nomination, and CPF Investment Scheme investments, which go to the estate.
CPF savings aren't part of the estate, so a will can't pass them on, and creditors can't claim them. Without a nomination, they go to the Public Trustee, who shares them among family under the intestacy law, or the inheritance certificate for Muslims. The Public Trustee charges a fee, and it can take up to six months.
Marriage revokes a CPF nomination. Divorce doesn't. If a nominee dies first, their share is reallocated to the others. A share for a nominee under 18 is generally paid to the Public Trustee for them, under the Act.
It's separate from an insurance nomination, made with each insurer under the Insurance Act from age 18. Marriage isn't on that Act's list of what revokes one.
Worked example, with a made-up client: in 2019 he nominated his mother for all his CPF savings, then married in 2023 and never nominated again. When he dies in 2026, the marriage has already revoked that nomination, so the Public Trustee shares his savings under the intestacy law, which gives his wife a share. His will, leaving everything to his mother, can't reach it.
Where it shows up in your week
Marriage cancels a CPF nomination, and nobody is told. The CRM keeps review dates and notes on each client's page, so you can ask after the wedding.
Related terms
Questions advisors ask
Sources
- Central Provident Fund Act 1953, section 25: who can nominate, revocation by marriage, nominees under 18, current version as at 27 September 2026, read 27 September 2026
- CPF Board, Make a CPF nomination: what it covers, witnesses, without a nomination, marriage and divorce, page last modified 26 May 2026, read 27 September 2026
- CPF Board, What does your CPF nomination cover?: property, DPS, CPFIS, a nominee who dies first, 30 May 2025, read 27 September 2026
- CPF Board, 3 simple steps to making a CPF nomination: witnesses aged 21 and over, page last updated 23 April 2026, read 27 September 2026
- MoneySense, CPF nominations: what happens to your CPF when you pass away?: sound mind, any person or organisation, last updated 2 July 2026, read 27 September 2026
- Insurance Act 1966, sections 132 and 133: insurance nominations from age 18, what revokes one, current version as at 27 September 2026, read 27 September 2026