Planner Bee Finance Feed

Property Investment in Singapore 🏡 and 2 Other Wealth Traps 💸 Short summary: Assets that look valuable can still weaken your finances when they drain cash, generate weak returns or are difficult to sell. Property, endowment policies and family businesses can all create these problems depending on their costs, liquidity and future value. Looking beyond an asset’s headline value helps you decide whether it still serves its intended financial purpose. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/property-investment-singapore/

This Deepavali, as we light up our homes, take a moment to protect the people we love. 🪔 Beyond savings and investments, plan for the everyday risks too. A trip gone wrong, future care needs or an unexpected hospital bill can happen to anyone. Get your customised quote today ⬇️ ✈️ Travel Insurance 🛡️ CareShield Life Supplement ❤️ Integrated Shield Plan Promotion valid for applications submitted by 30 November 2026. Use Promo Code: NOV26T

How Can a Car Scratch 🚗 Claim Affect Your NCD in Singapore? 🏦 Short summary: A car scratch claim can cost more than the repair itself if your policy excess and loss of no-claim discount outweigh the insurer’s payout. For a private car with a 50% NCD, one claim can typically reduce the discount to 20%, and getting back to 50% takes three consecutive claim-free years. Compare the repair quotation with your excess and likely premium increase before deciding whether to claim. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/car-claims-ncd/

How To Stress-Test Your 💰 Financial Plan for Retrenchment in Singapore 📊 Short summary: Preparing for retrenchment in Singapore means knowing how long your accessible savings can cover essential expenses and whether your insurance remains adequate after employment ends. A resilient plan should also account for serious illness and unexpected parent care costs, especially when household income is already under pressure. Stress-testing these scenarios helps you spot gaps before you need to rely on your plan. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/financial-plan-retrenchment/

A Guide to Foreign Worker 💼 Medical Insurance in Singapore 🏥 Short summary: Foreign worker medical insurance in Singapore is mandatory for employers of Work Permit and S Pass holders, including migrant domestic workers. Employers must provide at least S$60,000 a year in coverage for inpatient care and day surgery while meeting MOM rules on claims, exclusions, premiums and hospital payments. Knowing where the policy ends and employer liability begins can make these costs easier to manage. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/foreign-worker-medical-insurance/

How Lease Decay Affects Buying 📉 an Older Condo in Singapore 🏢 Short summary: Lease decay can make an older leasehold condo more affordable upfront, but a shorter remaining lease may limit CPF usage, reduce loan tenure and affect future resale options. Buyers should also factor in renovation, maintenance and other ownership costs, then check whether the property still fits their cash flow, retirement plans and protection needs over the period they expect to own it. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/lease-decay-affects-buying-older-condo/

Can You Be Overinsured 🛡️ and Still Have a Protection Gap in Singapore? 🔍 Short summary: A protection gap is the difference between the financial protection you need after a major adverse event and the resources available to support you. You can still have a gap if your policies overlap, no longer match your needs, or focus too heavily on one type of risk. Reviewing what each policy protects can help you see where your coverage may fall short. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/overinsured-with-protection-gap/

Who Qualifies for the SkillsFuture 🔍 Jobseeker Support Scheme? 💼 Short summary: The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme (JSS) offers eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents who have involuntarily lost their jobs up to S$6,000 in tapering monthly payouts over six months. To receive the payouts, jobseekers must complete approved job-search activities and meet the required monthly points target. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/skillsfuture-jobseeker-support-scheme/

What Is the Cost of Heart 🫀Bypass Surgery in Singapore 💰 Short summary: Heart treatment costs can vary widely depending on the procedure, hospital and ward type, and MediShield Life may still leave a significant amount payable out of pocket. An Integrated Shield Plan and rider can help reduce eligible hospital costs, while critical illness and income protection provide separate lump-sum support for expenses such as rehabilitation, follow-up care and lost income. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/cost-heart-bypass-surgery-singapore/

How Seeing a Panel Doctor in Singapore Affects Your Co-payments Short summary: For new IP riders from 1 April 2026, the S$6,000 co-payment cap generally applies only to eligible panel or pre-authorised claims and does not include the S$3,500 private hospital deductible. Choosing a non-panel specialist without pre-authorisation can leave your co-payment uncapped, so your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on the insurer, rider terms and treatment arrangements. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/panel-doctor-singapore-ip-rider-costs/

How Much Does Therapy 🧠 Cost in Singapore? 💰 Short summary: Private counselling or psychology sessions in Singapore can cost around S$180 to nearly S$400 based on published fees from selected providers, although prices vary by clinician, service and session length. Lower-cost community services, CHAS, MediSave and certain insurance benefits may help with eligible treatment, but they do not apply to every therapy session. Check the exact provider fee and funding conditions before starting treatment so you can budget more accurately. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/therapy-cost-singapore/

What Is CPF LIFE? 🏦 Plans, Payouts and How It Works in 2026 📊 Short summary: CPF LIFE is Singapore’s national annuity scheme, providing monthly income from age 65 for as long as you live. Your payout depends mainly on your Retirement Account balance, the CPF LIFE plan you choose and when you start receiving payouts. These choices determine how much retirement income CPF LIFE can provide. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/what-is-cpf-life/

How Anyone Can Get Started 🤖 With AI Investing in Singapore 💰 Short summary: AI investing in Singapore gives investors exposure to companies, funds, or financial products connected to artificial intelligence through individual stocks, ETFs, robo advisors, and unit trusts across the infrastructure, platforms, and applications layers of the AI value chain. Because many AI investments are US-listed, Singapore investors should also consider USD/SGD currency movements, withholding tax, brokerage access, and fund domicile, alongside the different risks of each AI value-chain layer. For most investors, this means AI is better treated as a smaller satellite allocation within a diversified portfolio rather than a core holding. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/artificial-intelligence-invest/

CPF Contribution Rates 2026 📊 and How Your Salary Is Allocated 💰 Short summary: In 2026, employees aged 55 and below who earn more than S$750 a month contribute 20% of their wages to CPF, while employers contribute 17%, bringing the total contribution rate to 37%. As you get older, CPF contribution rates decrease, while the S$8,000 monthly Ordinary Wage ceiling caps the amount of salary subject to CPF contributions. After that, CPF allocates your contributions to your Ordinary, Special or Retirement, and MediSave Accounts based on your age. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/beginners-guide-to-cpf-contributions-account-types-and-interest-rates/

Planner Bee Thank-You Morning: Health Screening + Talks on Stress and Wills Our annual customer appreciation morning is back this October! It's our way of saying thank you for your trust, with a free health screening and two practical talks by guest speakers. Colleagues, family and friends are welcome too. No products, no sales talk. This is just a morning on us. Sat, 17 Oct 2026, 8:30–11:00am Level 2, 77 Robinson Rd Health screening The first 30 to sign up also get liver and kidney function tests. Managing everyday stress Baby Foo, Clinical Psychologist, Good Grove Psychology Practical ways to handle stress, and simple habits to feel better day to day. Getting your affairs in order Mark Wong, Lions Befrienders Service Association What a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is and who needs one, how CPF nominations work, and the basics of making a will. Spots are limited, so do register early: https://plannerbee.co/event-registration-health-screening-2026/

Navigating a Mid Career Switch 🔄 at Different Working Stages 💼 Short summary: A mid career switch can take an established professional into a different industry, occupation or role without wiping out the value of past experience. The move may involve retraining, a temporary pay cut or even a more junior position, so transferable skills, financial commitments and available support all matter. A realistic plan can help you decide whether to switch now, prepare for a later move or keep developing in your current career. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/mid-career-switch-singapore/

Some protection travels with you, some stays home with your family. This October, get both in one step. ✈️ Get your customised quote today ⬇️ ✈️ Travel Insurance ❤️ Term Life Insurance Promotion valid for applications submitted by 31 October 2026. Use Promo Code: OCT26T

The True Cost of Being a 💰Stay at Home Mum in Singapore 👩‍🍼 Short summary: Leaving paid work to care for your children can reduce childcare and work-related expenses, but it also means giving up salary, CPF contributions and opportunities for career progression. Families moving from two incomes to one need to weigh these savings against the longer-term impact on retirement savings and financial protection. Before making the switch, work out what the household will lose and how those gaps will be covered. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/cost-stay-at-home-mum-singapore/

How Much Does Medical Insurance 🛡️for Elderly Parents Cost in Singapore? 👵 Short summary: Medical insurance for elderly parents in Singapore typically starts with MediShield Life, while an Integrated Shield Plan can provide broader hospital coverage if your parent qualifies and prefers higher-class wards or private hospitals. Costs rise significantly with age, so families should consider not just current premiums but also future affordability, existing health conditions, and separate long-term care expenses. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/medical-insurance-for-elderly-parents-cost-singapore/

What the Cancer Drug List 💊 Means for Integrated Shield Plan 🩺 Short summary: Singapore’s Cancer Drug List (CDL) determines which outpatient cancer drug treatments are eligible for MediShield Life, MediSave and Integrated Shield Plan coverage, and the treatment must also match the listed clinical indication. Even when a drug is on the CDL, deductibles, co-insurance, claim limits and rider benefits can affect how much you still need to pay, while some riders may provide limited cover for non-CDL treatments. https://plannerbee.co/learn-personal-finance/what-cancer-drug-list-means-for-integrated-shield-plan/