Rule 1: After RA is created at 55, you can top up directly to cpfRA. Cpf dashboard will show your “cpfRA topUp each year” including OA->RA transfers. Supposed they add up to 99k over 9Y, then this portion (red portion) of your cpfRA is implicitly locked up, and never f4w (free for withdrawal from cpfRA).

Rule 2: By pledging your portion of your flat, you can incrementally withdraw from green_portion , defined as the age 55 snap55_FRS_minus_BRS.

The green_portion of cpfRA is freed up and becomes f4w when your pledge is approved. This portion starts at 50% of the cpfRA balance. As cpfRA grows, green portion will become a smaller portion, even if dollar amount remains.

Here’s an illustration. Suppose at 55 your cpfSA balance is 284k when FRS watermark is at 250k. This FRS amount will transfer to cpfRA, and the remainder to cpfOA. Now you can [Rule 2] incrementally withdraw the 125k green portion from cpfRA. Meanwhile, you can also top up cpfRA (see cpfRA top-up till 65). For example, you can top up 35k to the red portion, and subsequently withdraw 30k from green portion. Due to Rule 1, this 35k top-up amount is locked up in the red_portion, in some hidden tracking account. The green_portion is now 125k-30k.

After 55, cpfOA balance is also f4w. Only after (not before) you exhaust that, should you withdraw from the green_portion of cpfRA. Don’t touch the green_portion too early and lose the cpfRA interest.

It’s advisable for my wife to max out the snap55, by topping up to OA or SA before 55. If you top up 100k right [1] before 55, this amount becomes basically “free parking” in cpfRA earning 4% compound.

[1] If you top up 3Y before 55, then this amount is inaccessible for 3Y 🙁 However, if you have idle cash not needed for 2 years until age 55, then you can “deposit” that to cpf OA/SA and wait a short while to have it freed up.

Q: Pledging property…. Is my wife a 50% owner or 5% owner? What if she refunds all of her OA amount?
A: still she is considered a co-owner.

— conditions for withdraw from greenPortion

• RA balance is above FRS
• if $0 “housing usage”, then submit additional docs to prove that you have a usable Singapore property with enough cash value.
• .. It’s advisible to leave a bit of housing usage.