Singaporeans want independence — but independence has a cost
Manulife’s Asia Care Survey 2026 found that 92% of people in Singapore want to remain self-sufficient in later life. That is not surprising. Most people do not want to depend heavily on their children. They want privacy, dignity, and control over their own decisions....Singaporeans are living longer.
That is good news.
But it also changes the retirement question.
For the longest time, retirement planning in Singapore was framed quite simply:
How much CPF will I have?
Is my house fully paid up?
How much cash do I need?
Will my children help if necessary?
That framework is starting to look incomplete.
The bigger retirement risk today may not be simply “running out of money”.
It may be this:
Living long enough to need care — but not having planned properly for the cost, cashflow and family burden.
This is the part of retirement planning that still feels under-discussed.
This article was written by a Financial Horse Contributor.
