01 Four jobs, not one
What each one actually does
| Document | What it covers | When |
|---|---|---|
| Will | Who inherits your assets | After death |
| Lasting Power of Attorney | Who decides for you if you can't | While alive, if you lose capacity |
| CPF nomination | Where your CPF goes (a will doesn't cover CPF) | After death |
| Insurance nomination | Where the payout goes, and creditor protection | After death |
Four jobs, no overlap. A will doesn't cover CPF; a CPF nomination isn't a will; an LPA covers incapacity, not death. Together, they're the most practical love letter you'll write.
02 The blindside
What happens without a will
Many people assume their spouse simply inherits everything. Under Singapore's Intestate Succession Act, that's often not true:
| Who survives you | Who gets what |
|---|---|
| Spouse only | Spouse 100% |
| Spouse + children | Spouse ½, children ½ |
| Spouse + parents, no children | Spouse ½, parents ½ |
| No will, un-nominated CPF | To the Public Trustee, with fees and delay |
An LPA is free for citizens to register (Form 1), a CPF nomination takes about five minutes and costs nothing, and a simple will is inexpensive. The barrier was never cost or complexity — it's that we treat this as morbid rather than as the most loving admin there is.
For your money: look at row two. "Spouse ½, children ½" can mean a widow owning half a home with her own minor children — their share held on trust until 21, sometimes forcing a sale to pay it out. The default rules aren't cruel, but they're rigid in exactly the moment your family needs flexibility.
For your life: add the unofficial fifth document: one page listing every account, policy, and where the four documents live. The most common experience of bereavement in Singapore isn't fighting over assets — it's a grieving spouse doing a treasure hunt through drawers and apps for months. A map is the kindest thing you'll ever write.
03 An important note
For Muslim families
The Intestate Succession Act does not apply to Muslims in Singapore. Distribution follows faraid under the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), and tools like a wasiat (Islamic will), nuzriah and hibah are used to plan within those rules. It's worth planning around this specifically rather than assuming the general rules apply.
Get the four documents in place — and make sure they actually fit your family and your faith. Coordinating estate planning with the rest of your financial picture is part of journeying together. How I help →
Sources & notes
Figures as of June 2026. Will/LPA/CPF-nomination statistics and mechanics, intestacy distribution, the LPA fee waiver and CPF nomination are from MoneySense, the Ministry of Law, the Office of the Public Guardian and CPF Board (drawn from my own estate-planning research). Muslim estate distribution is governed by AMLA. This is general information, not legal advice — see a qualified professional for your situation.
Jonathan Wong is a licensed financial adviser representative in Singapore, currently between firms — during that period he is not able to provide financial advice. You can check his registration yourself on the MAS Financial Institution Representatives Register at eservices.mas.gov.sg/rr.