1
Should I use CPF OA or cash to pay HDB loan? Confused about the 2.5 percent interest
First time buyer, just collected keys to my BTO. HDB loan interest is 2.6 percent now. My …
670 views
Retrenched at 45, feeling stuck. What did you do?
Got let go last month after 12 years, restructuring. I'm 45, have a HDB loan and two kids in secondary school. Applying but no callbacks yet. How did others bounce back at this age?
Anonymous asker ·Asked on 1 months ago ·9,032 views ·4 answers
Best Answer
Insurance Sis Priya Beginner First-hand experience Agent turned honest advisor, I help you read policy fine print so you don't buy things you cannot claim.
Been there at 47. First, breathe. Practical steps that actually helped me: 1) Registered with WSG (Workforce Singapore) career matching, the career coach was genuinely useful for rewriting my CV to be results-focused instead of duties-focused. 2) Applied for the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme, used my credits for a certification that made me relevant again. 3) Told my network I was looking, and 70% of interviews came from people I knew, not job portals. Cold applications at our age get filtered by age-blind ATS but rejected quietly. It took me 5 months but I landed something at similar pay. Cut discretionary spending, talk to your bank early about the HDB loan if cash flow is tight, they can restructure. You will get through this.
Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience
The callback silence is brutal but often it's the CV, not you. I got a WSG coach to cut mine from 4 pages to 2 and lead with numbers (saved X, grew Y). Callbacks tripled. Also lower your title expectations slightly to get back in, then climb again. A step sideways beats months of zero income.
Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience
Consider adjacent industries. My skills as an ops manager in logistics transferred straight into a facilities role in a totally different sector because the core (managing people, budgets, vendors) was the same. Don't only apply to your exact old job title, that pool is small. Map your transferable skills and widen the net. Jiayou, you'll land it.
SAF Officer Regina Beginner First-hand experience Served as officer and now in corporate, can advise how to leverage NS leadership on your civilian resume.
Check if your ex-employer gave you retrenchment benefit. Norm is 2 weeks to 1 month per year of service if company can afford, though it's not mandatory by law. 12 years is a lot, make sure they honoured any policy. Also you can withdraw nothing from CPF at 45 so plan cashflow purely on savings and severance. Apply for the SGUnited-style short courses to stay on a training allowance while you search.
Answer this
Related questions
4
How do you actually decide between paying off your HDB loan early or keeping the cash in CPF and investments?
We have about 180k in savings and a HDB loan of 250k at 2.6% HDB concessionary rate. Part …
564 views
4
Is buying a resale HDB over a BTO worth it for a couple who cannot wait 4-5 years?
My partner and I are getting married end of this year and cannot tahan staying with parent…
559 views
12
What are the real pitfalls of buying a resale HDB versus waiting 4 years for a BTO?
Getting married next year, deciding between grabbing a resale 4-room in a mature estate no…
85 views
1
Thinking of getting a dog in my HDB flat, which breeds are actually allowed?
First time considering a dog and I live in a 4-room HDB. I heard there's an approved list …
740 views
4
Which dog breeds are actually allowed in an HDB flat? Confused by the rules
We want to get a dog but live in an HDB flat and the approved breed list confuses me. Some…
718 views