CPF turns retirement planning into a personal journey for Singaporeans

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and MoneySense, in partnership with McCann Worldgroup Singapore, have launched the sixth edition of its national campaign, “Make every day matter. Plan your life story”, positioning retirement planning as a personal and empowering journey rather than a bureaucratic obligation.

At the heart of the effort is a refreshed digital experience, “The city of life stories”, which uses an interactive online quiz to help Singaporeans discover financial tools and resources suited to their needs. The platform also showcases CPF’s enhanced digital planners, designed to guide users through key life milestones, from building savings and planning for a first home, to managing healthcare insurance and preparing for retirement.

The campaign runs across digital platforms, social media, and out-of-home channels, continuing a long-running collaboration aimed at shifting mindsets and behaviours around retirement readiness and long-term financial wellness. Complementing the online quiz is a series of campaign films that bring the message to life through real-life scenarios.

Don't miss: Singapore's CPF hands social media remit to new agencies

In "Budgeting smart", a couple with contrasting personalities fall in love, yet align on major decisions such as buying a home, illustrating how financial tools can help partners make informed choices.

Another clip, "Protected for life", follows Ravi, a sports enthusiast, who navigates an unexpected appendicitis diagnosis with confidence, knowing MediShield Life and MediSave cover most subsidised public medical bills.

"Retire with confidence. Plan your life story" portrays Dorothy embracing retirement as a time to live fully, enjoying karaoke nights and tai chi mornings with her son and grandson while staying financially independent.

"Saving to grow" uses a lighthearted office skit to show colleagues discovering how shared retirement goals bring them together in unexpected ways.

Longer campaign videos expand on the 30-second spots, providing more detail on relevant plans and tools. In “Join the savvy saver club”, Jerry, an office resident and self-care enthusiast, enjoys artisanal matcha lattes and quinoa bowls as part of his wellness routine. His colleagues, Jimmy, Liz, and Priya, encourage him to balance self-care with smart saving, showing how small lifestyle adjustments can lead to meaningful financial outcomes without sacrificing life’s pleasures.

According to McCann, past campaigns, together with other CPF initiatives, have helped drive greater engagement, contributing to over S$4.8 billion in voluntary top-ups to CPF members’ retirement savings in 2024, a 14% increase from the previous year. The “Plan your life story” campaign reflects CPF Board and MoneySense’s ongoing mission to uplift national financial literacy and encourage a proactive approach to retirement planning.

“In collaboration with CPF, our goal was to reframe finance as something personal and human. We wanted Singaporeans to see their decisions not as obligations, but as turning points in their life story and to step into that story as their life’s author, shaping what comes next," said Alfred Wee, executive creative director of McCann Worldgroup Singapore. 

The campaign builds on McCann Singapore’s recent work tapping into the nation’s collective spirit, including the National Day song Dream big, Singapore, created to mark the country’s 60th birthday. The track reunites McCann with Hugh Harrison, the agency’s former creative director and writer of iconic NDP songs such as Count on me Singapore, Stand up for Singapore, and We are Singapore.

Notably, Dream Big, Singapore revives a long-lost lyric from Harrison’s original draft of Count on Me Singapore: “We have a dream, we have a dream”. The line was replaced in 1986 with the more pragmatic “We can achieve”, reflecting the economic challenges of that era. Today, the revived lyric reclaims that hopeful vision, placing a shared dream at the heart of the anthem.

Accelerate your brand’s growth with AI-first strategies, emerging tech and data-driven experiences. Join 500+ marketing leaders at Digital Marketing Asia 2025 Singapore on 24–25 September to uncover transformative trends, real-world wins and powerful ideas for 2025 and beyond.

Related articles: 
AIC celebrates vibrancy of seniorhood in inspiring SG60 campaign     
MCCY unites cultures from the canvas to the kitchen in SG60 campaign       
SKM, HDB celebrates SG60 with time-travelling kindness film trilogy