What Participants Say About Marbeth

I joined the Retirement Readiness series not really knowing what to expect. I'd read bits and pieces about CPF over the years but never had a complete picture. The workbook was surprisingly clear — no jargon without explanation — and the discussions each week let me ask things I'd been too embarrassed to raise elsewhere. I came away with a much cleaner sense of how the components fit together. I wouldn't say I have all the answers now, but I know what questions to ask.

My wife and I attended the Household Budget workshop together. It was a Saturday well spent. We had been having the same circular conversations about our parents and our son's polytechnic fees for months, and somehow the structure in the workshop helped us actually listen to each other differently. The facilitator was patient and didn't push people to share more than they wanted to. We left with a framework that we've actually used since.

The Estate and Legacy programme was one of the best decisions I've made since retiring. I had been putting off thinking about wills and LPA for years — not because I didn't care, but because every time I tried to read about it alone I felt overwhelmed and stopped. The evening sessions gave me time between each meeting to absorb what we'd covered. By session four I felt genuinely at ease with the vocabulary. I've since arranged an appointment with a solicitor, which I wouldn't have done without this.

I was a little uncertain before signing up — I wasn't sure if the content would be too basic or too advanced for where I was. It turned out to be well-calibrated. The reading material wasn't condescending, and the group sessions let different levels of understanding coexist comfortably. I also appreciated that nobody tried to sell me anything or steer me towards a product at any point. That was genuinely refreshing.

As a business owner I've always managed the commercial side of finances reasonably well, but my personal CPF picture was a blank to me. The Retirement Readiness series helped me understand how my CPF Life contributions interact with what I'm building in the business — they're not as separate as I'd assumed. Small cohort made a real difference; in a room of 12 people you actually talk.

The Estate and Legacy programme addressed something I had been telling myself I'd deal with "someday" for far too long. The pacing — eight sessions over eight weeks — was right for me. By the end I understood the difference between a will and an LPA, which sounds simple but wasn't before I enrolled. The facilitator never made you feel behind. I've recommended this to two colleagues already.