DBS unveils market-first financing solution for seniors with private residential properties
Singapore, 16 Aug 2021 - DBS today introduced a market-first financing solution for seniors owning private property in Singapore – the DBS Home Equity Income Loan (DBS EIL). The solution, which is being piloted, allows Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 65 to 79, to borrow against their fully-paid private residential property to top up their CPF Retirement Sums which will be used for the CPF LIFE
[1]
scheme, allowing them to receive monthly payouts to supplement their retirement funds for as long as they live.
Said Shee Tse Koon, DBS Singapore Country Head, “With Singapore’s rapidly greying population, we see a growing need for robust, relevant and innovative retirement planning solutions. The average homeowner above 50 years old here holds some 60% of their wealth in housing equity.
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Many homeowners also prefer to remain in their own homes and be in familiar surroundings. DBS EIL was introduced as an option to help seniors unlock the value of their homes safely, and we adopted a collaborative approach to come up with this solution. Unlike other property decumulation loans, DBS EIL enables borrowers to receive guaranteed monthly payouts for the rest of their life, something that would not have been possible without the existence of the CPF LIFE scheme.”
Key features of DBS EIL
DBS EIL is available to Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 65 to 79, and who own and live in a fully paid up private residential property in Singapore. Designed with comprehensive safeguards to protect borrowers’ interests, DBS EIL aims to help seniors unlock the value of their housing assets while being able to continue living in their homes. Key features and benefits include:
Loan period of up to 30 years – till the customer (or youngest borrower in the case of a joint loan) reaches 95 years old.
Fixed interest rate of 2.88% p.a. throughout the loan period
No monthly loan repayments, with the loan amount and accrued interest payable only at loan maturity
The long loan period also means that customers retain the flexibility to sell their property anytime if they so wish, and to repay the loan without penalty fee
DBS EIL also comes with the following commitments and safeguards to further protect borrowers’ interests:
Ensuring financial prudence: The maximum amount that can be borrowed by an individual is the amount required to top up to the current CPF Enhanced Retirement Sum (SGD 279,000 in 2021)
[3]
. This reduces the risk of borrowers or their estates being unable to repay the loan at the end of the loan period
To qualify for the loan, borrowers are required to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (if they do not have one), which will allow the borrower to appoint one or more persons to make decisions and act on their behalf should they lose mental capacity
If the value of the property declines during the loan period, borrowers are not required to make any payment to reduce the outstanding loan amount if there is no event which triggers early termination of the loan
If there is an early termination of the loan (such as borrowers passing on during the loan period) or if borrowers outlive the loan, DBS will further commit to not repossessing the property until after it exhausts all other mutually acceptable options with the borrower or their estate
For an illustration of how DBS EIL works, kindly refer to the appendix.
Said Ms P’ing Lim, Head of Deposits, Financing Solutions & Ecosystems at DBS Consumer Banking Group (Singapore), “We wanted to provide a solution that could tangibly address existing gaps in the market in a sustainable manner, one that could provide retirees surety and stability while working as a pre-emptive measure to help them plan for their future. We considered that the long loan period, coupled with steady retirement income, ensures retirees will be well placed to decide what they want to do next with their property, whether it’s to time the market to sell, to rent out a room, downsize, or transfer the property to their successors when they pass on.”
“DBS EIL was designed after listening closely to the concerns, needs and wants raised by older homeowners, researched similar examples in other developed nations, looked at what worked (and what didn’t) before we arrived at this solution, unique to Singapore. Ultimately, DBS EIL also represents DBS’ strong commitment towards helping Singaporeans retire well and with security.”
For more information on the DBS Home Equity Income Loan, please visit
www.dbs.com.sg/personal/loans/homeloans/dbs-home-equity-income-loan
.
DBS EIL is part of the bank’s suite of retirement planning solutions to help customers retire well by decumulating wisely. While customers are usually in the asset and wealth accumulation phase, there comes a point when they retire and their focus shifts to decumulation: when customers begin to convert their savings, investments and other retirement benefits into sustainable income that can fund their needs and wants. This is where solutions such as DBS EIL and Schroder Asia More+, a multi-asset fund managed by Schroders Singapore and distributed exclusively by DBS, can help customers decumulate optimally for a more secure financial future.
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The CPF Lifelong Income For The Elderly ("CPF LIFE") Scheme is a national longevity insurance annuity scheme that provides Singapore citizens and permanent residents a monthly payout for as long as they live
[2]
Source: Joelle H. Fong, Olivia S. Mitchell and Benedict S. Koh, “Asset-Rich and Cash-Poor: Which Older Adults Value Reverse Mortgages?”, 25 June 2020, Wharton Pension Research Council Working Paper No. 2020-23,
link
[3]
The Current Enhanced Retirement Sum is updated annually. The minimum loan amount would be the amount needed for borrowers to top up their CPF funds to meet the Full Retirement Sum for their cohort
APPENDIX – How DBS EIL works
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About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “
World’s Best Bank
” by Euromoney, “
Global Bank of the Year
” by The Banker and “
Best Bank in the World
” by Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “
World’s Best Digital Bank
” by Euromoney and the world’s “
Most Innovative in Digital Banking
” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “
Safest Bank in Asia
” award by Global Finance for 12 consecutive years from 2009 to 2020.
DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established a SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and across Asia.
With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit
www.dbs.com
.
DBS Bank Ltd | 12 Marina Boulevard, DBS Asia Central @ Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3,
Singapore 018982 | Co. Reg. No. 196800306E
Tel: 65.6878 8888 | www.dbs.com
