Some of you may remember a post I wrote back in 2021 about treating my CPF OA as a savings account. Back then, I was topping up my CPF Ordinary Account via the Voluntary Housing Refund (VHR) to enjoy the guaranteed 2.5% interest rather than using cash for my home purchase. Fast forward to 2026 and I find myself revisiting the same strategy. Here are the reasons why. But First: What Is the Voluntary Housing Refund (VHR)? When you use your CPF OA to pay for your home, the amount withdrawn accrues an interest charge of 2.5% per year. This has to be returned to your CPF when you eventually sell the property. The VHR lets you voluntarily refund cash back into your OA, up to the total amount withdrawn including accrued interest. There is no penalty and you can do it anytime, in any amount, via the CPF website or myCPF app under "Make a Housing Refund with Cash". The...