The CPF Board confirmed that from 1 October to 31 December 2026 the Ordinary Account earns 2.5 per cent per annum, the HDB concessionary housing loan rate stays at 2.6 per cent, and the government extended the 4 per cent floor on Special, MediSave and Retirement Account savings through 31 December 2027.
For households with outstanding HDB loans, the unchanged 2.6 per cent figure is the line item that hits the monthly statement, not the OA accrual rate printed in member letters. Because the OA pegged formula averaged just 0.32 per cent across major local banks from May to July 2026, the legislated 2.5 per cent floor continues to bind, keeping mortgage math predictable even as fixed-deposit promotions flicker higher at DBS, OCBC and UOB branches.
Extra interest still stacks
Members below 55 earn an extra 1 per cent on the first S$60,000 of combined balances, capped at S$20,000 in the OA. Those 55 and older receive up to 2 per cent extra on the first S$30,000 and 1 per cent on the next S$30,000, with the same OA cap. Extra OA interest flows to the Special or Retirement Account, which matters for members trying to hit Full Retirement Sum without cash top-ups.
Voluntary contributors using PayNow should still watch the S$37,740 annual limit, which includes mandatory employer and employee contributions. The myCPF portal shows headroom before payment, but bank-side PayNow caps can block a transfer that CPF would otherwise accept.
Why the SMRA floor extension matters
Special, MediSave and Retirement accounts would have earned 4 per cent anyway this quarter because 10-year Singapore Government Securities yields plus 1 per cent sat below the floor. Extending the floor through 2027 gives members planning surgeries or retirement drawdowns a fixed reference while global rates whip around.
Household decisions this quarter
Members weighing OA-to-SA transfers should compare the guaranteed 4 per cent SMRA floor against mortgage prepayment savings at 2.6 per cent, remembering that OA funds used for housing cannot be restored easily. MediSave top-ups for tax relief face their own ceilings, separate from the voluntary contribution limit.
With haze keeping more families indoors, online CPF calculators saw heavier traffic this week; the numbers themselves, though, changed only on the margin—the story is the extension of certainty, not a surprise hike.
Financial advisers said clients nearing 55 should model RA formation using the extended 4 per cent floor rather than market yield curves that swing with US data. HDB resale buyers using CPF for valuations should still budget cash for stamp duty and legal fees outside the OA withdrawal limits.