Quick Answer
The Money Check-Up scores eight money habits out of 100 against public rules of thumb from MoneySense, CPF Board, MAS and HDB. In the example, Yang scores 75/100, Strong, and the biggest next win is Family Protection, worth about 8 points. Pillars that do not apply to you are dropped and the score re-scales.
The Useful Number: In the example, Yang scores 75/100, Strong. The biggest next win is Family Protection, worth about 8 points.
What Does The Check-Up Measure?
The Money Check-Up asks 14 quick questions and scores eight money habits against public rules of thumb: your Safety Net, Savings Rate, Debt Load, Housing Cost, Family Protection, Paperwork Ready, Retirement On Track and Investing Habit. Each pillar has a weight, and the weights add up to 100.
Pillars that do not apply to you are dropped and the score re-scales. If nobody relies on your income, Family Protection drops out; on a work pass, without CPF, Retirement On Track drops out. Nobody loses points for being single or a foreigner.
- Your 14 Answers
- Eight Pillars Scored
- Drop Pillars That Do Not Apply
- Score Out Of 100
- Your Next Win
Data as of . Source: MoneySense — Managing Your Money; MAS — MSR And TDSR Rules.
A Worked Example: Yang Scores 75/100
- Safety Net: S$15,000 of cash covers about 3.9 months of S$3,800 spending
- Savings Rate: Keeps about 21% of S$4,800 take-home pay: full marks
- Family Protection: S$300,000 of cover is about 4.2 times yearly income, against the 9 times rule of thumb
- Paperwork Ready: 2 of 5 done: a will and a CPF nomination
Yang is 38, earns S$6,000 a month before CPF, pays a S$1,400 HDB loan mostly with CPF, has no other debt, S$60,000 in OA and S$40,000 in SA, and invests sometimes at 1–2% fees. Yang scores 75/100, Strong. The biggest next win is Family Protection, worth about 8 points; checking the coverage gap is the first step.
Which Rules Of Thumb Does It Use?
MoneySense suggests 3 to 6 months of expenses as an emergency fund and saving at least 20% of take-home pay. MAS caps total debt repayments at 55% of gross income (TDSR), and HDB or EC loan instalments at 30% (MSR). About 9 times yearly income in death and TPD cover comes from the Basic Financial Planning Guide. Retirement compares your CPF with the Full Retirement Sum, S$220,400 for those turning 55 in 2026.
The band edges between those benchmarks are ours, and the page shows every one. Investing Habit uses our own bands for the habit and fee awareness, never the choice of what you buy. The score is a snapshot of the numbers you enter, not advice, a credit score or a pass or fail.
How Do You Use Your Score?
Start with your next win: the pillar worth the most points. Each pillar links to the calculator or checklist that works on it, such as the Emergency Fund Calculator or the Legacy Checklist. Re-check next month with the same honest numbers and watch which bars move.
Quick Check
Three statements from this guide. Tap True or False to check what you have read. Nothing is saved.
Card 1 Of 3
A single person loses points because Family Protection does not apply.
Why? Card 1 Of 3
Family Protection only counts if someone relies on your income, and Retirement On Track only counts if you have CPF.
Card 2 Of 3
MoneySense suggests saving at least 20% of take-home pay.
Why? Card 2 Of 3
MoneySense also suggests 3 to 6 months of expenses as an emergency fund.
Card 3 Of 3
The Money Check-Up is a kind of credit score.
Why? Card 3 Of 3
The band edges between the public benchmarks are ours, and the page shows every one.
Your Score
Take Your Own 2-Minute Check-Up
Answer 14 quick questions and see your score, your eight pillars and your next win. Your answers stay on your device.
Money Check-Up →Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Money Check-Up A Credit Score?
No.
It is a snapshot of the numbers you enter, scored the same way for everyone. It is not a credit score, advice or a pass or fail.
Why Did A Pillar Drop Out Of My Score?
Family Protection only counts if someone relies on your income, and Retirement On Track only counts if you have CPF.
When a pillar does not apply, the score re-scales over the pillars that do.
Where Do The Benchmarks Come From?
MoneySense suggests 3 to 6 months of expenses as an emergency fund and saving at least 20% of take-home pay.
MAS sets the 55% TDSR and the 30% MSR. The band edges between them are ours, and the page shows every one.
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Sources & Assumptions
- MoneySense — Managing Your Money ↗
- MAS — Basic Financial Planning Guide ↗
- MAS — MSR And TDSR Rules ↗
- CPF Board — What Is The CPF Retirement Sum ↗
Sources checked 20 October 2026. These are examples only. Check the stated assumptions and limits before you use a result.
General education, not financial advice. The example is made up. Scores are approximate: the CPF part assumes pay stays the same and the Full Retirement Sum rises about 3.5% a year after 2027. The check-up does not recommend any product.