What is an Advance Medical Directive (“AMD”)? An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document that you sign in advance to inform the doctor treating you that you do not want any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to be used to prolong your life if you become terminally ill and unconscious. What does it mean to be “terminally ill”? Simply put, terminal illness is when you have an incurable condition caused by injury or disease from which there’s no reasonable prospect of recovery. Death is imminent and any application of extraordinary life-sustaining treatment only serves to postpone the moment of death. What does “extraordinary life-sustaining treatment” include? It includes any medical procedure or measure which, when administered to a terminally ill patient, will only prolong the process of dying when death is imminent, but excludes palliative care . Why make an AMD? If you are in a permanent vegetative state (unconscious), terminally ill and will die shortly without life support, do you still want to be on life support? If you answer is no, making an AMD can help you legally communicate that. Some terminally ill patients may be unable to express their wishes to be spared from suffering and be allowed to die naturally. Having an AMD helps your family and doctor act on your wishes. If you have an AMD, regardless of objections from your family, the doctors will have to respect your AMD. Having the discussion about AMD will help your family understand and respect your wishes should you become terminally ill. *Note: An AMD acts as instruction for your doctor not to prolong your life with extraordinary life-sustaining treatment, and let the dying process take its natural course, and not through an act that causes or accelerates death. It cannot be used as approval for euthanasia, abetment of suicide or mercy killing. Euthanasia/mercy killing is the deliberate ending of the life of a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease by unnatural means, such as the administration of lethal chemicals. How to make an AMD? Anyone who is above 21 years old and not mentally disordered can choose to make an AMD. The form can be downloaded here and have to be signed by two witnesses present at the same time. One of the witness must be a doctor and the other must be at least 21 years old. The witnesses cannot have vested interest in your death. Relatives can be witness as long as they don’t have a vested interest in your demise. The witnesses' duties include ensuring that you: Are of sound mind Are over 21 years old Are making the AMD voluntarily and without inducement or compulsion Have been informed of the nature and consequences of making an AMD. Send the completed form to the Ministry of Health’s Registrar of Advance Medical Directives (“Registrar”). The Registrar will send you an acknowledgment after the AMD has been registered. Your AMD is only valid after it has been registered. How much does it cost to make an AMD? The AMD form is free. The cost comes from paying the doctor for the services (being a witness as well as explaining the AMD to you) rendered. What happens after you make an AMD? AMD is a confidential document. Hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, do not know who has made an AMD and they are not allowed to ask you if you have made an AMD. The Process If your doctor has reasons to believe that you are terminally ill and unable to make your wishes known, the doctor can check with the Registrar on whether you have made an AMD. If the Registrar informs that you have an AMD, three doctors, including the patient's doctor, must unanimously certify a patient's terminal illness. Two of the doctors must be specialists. If the first panel of three doctors cannot agree unanimously that the patient is terminally ill, the matter will be referred to a second panel of three specialists that are appointed by the Ministry of Health. If the second panel of doctors also cannot agree unanimously that the patient is terminally ill, the AMD cannot take effect. The patient's life will continue to be sustained and receive medical treatment as normal. Note: This is a simplified explanation of the procedure. See here for full details. How to revoke your AMD? An AMD can be revoked anytime in the presence of at least one witness. A revocation form needs to be submitted to the Registrar or you/your witness can write a letter to the Registrar. Please check here for full details. Can you make an AMD while overseas? As long as the first witness is a doctor currently registered with the Singapore Medical Council, and the AMD is filed with the Registrar in Singapore, the AMD is considered valid. Note: This article has been summarized from the following sources: Advanced Medical Directive Act - https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/AMDA1996#pr9- Ministry of Health website : https://www.moh.gov.sg/policies-and-legislation/advance-medical-directive Still have questions about AMD? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io

Before we talk about how to pass on your CPF or how to inherit CPF from a kin, let's get some basic facts right. What is CPF? The Central Provident Fund (CPF) is Singapore’s social security system that helps Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents set aside funds for retirement. What are the CPF accounts that I can pass on or inherit from? In the context of inheritance, CPF has 5 components that you need to care about: 1. Ordinary Account (OA) - Used for retirement, housing and investment 2. MediSave Account (MA) - Your healthcare savings account used for hospitalization expenses and approved medical insurance. You can use MediSave to cover premiums for MediShield Life and other approved medical and long-term care insurance. 3. Special Account (SA) - For old age and investment in retirement-related financial products 4. Retirement Account (RA) - For monthly retirement payouts (Age 55 and above) 5. CPF LIFE - A national longevity insurance annuity scheme that gives you a monthly payout for as long as you live, mitigating some risk associated with living too long and potentially outliving your economic assets. There is also Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) that complements CPF savings but that's not technically CPF. [Subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive our deep dive into CPF LIFE, SRS and how to milk and optimize your retirement plans.] When you start working, you will start contributing to OA, MA and SA. At age 55, an RA account will be created for you. Before you turn 65, you need to decide on your CPF Life options. What happens to your CPF savings after you pass away? First thing to know about CPF inheritance is that your will does not cover your CPF savings. You will need to nominate who to get your CPF. But because CPF doesn't form part of your estate , your CPF savings are protected from creditor claims on any outstanding debts. What does your CPF nomination cover? Your CPF nomination covers OA, SA, MA, RA, unused CPF Life premiums and discounted Singtel shares. We'll share more on how your CPF gets distributed with and without nomination in later sections . What does your CPF nomination NOT cover? Your CPF nomination does not cover properties bought using your CPF savings, payout from Dependents' Protection Scheme (DPS) and investments made under CPF Investment Scheme. CPF savings used for property For property held under joint tenancy , your share will pass on to the surviving joint owner(s). For property held as tenants-in-common , your share will form part of your estate and be distributed based on your will or if you don't have a will, based on intestacy law . There is no need to refund the CPF savings used to purchase the property. Here's more information on distribution under the will and without a will: What Happens to My Stuff When I Die (Singapore Edition)? Payouts from DPS If you were insured under this scheme, CPF will inform the insurer and if a DPS nomination has been made, the insurer will send the claim application details to the assigned nominee(s). If no nomination has been made, the details will be sent to your correspondence address. Your family also can make a claim directly by submitting an application to the insurer. Investments in CPF Investment Scheme The investments will form part of the estate and be distributed based on will or intestacy law. Administrators or executors of the estate can claim investments and cash balances from the product provider or agent bank. How Is CPF distributed after I pass away? With CPF nomination, CPF savings will be distributed to the nominee(s) in the proportion stated; CPF will get in touch with your nominee(s) to facilitate the distribution of your CPF savings; Your CPF savings will be distributed to the nominees in cash ; Nominee to decide if discounted Singtel shares should be transferred to nominee's CDP account or sold. Without nomination, The CPF savings will be transferred to the Public Trustee for distribution according to intestacy law for non-Muslims, or Muslim inheritance laws for Muslims; More information on Singapore's intestacy distribution More information on Muslim inheritance laws CPF Board will either transfer discounted Singtel shares to deceased's securities account, the estate's securities account or sell the shares as instructed by the executor/administrator. Some points to note: Marriage revokes your CPF nomination If you get married, existing CPF nomination will be revoked and you will need to renominate Divorce DOES NOT revoke your CPF nomination I f you get divorced, your existing CPF nomination remains . If you have nominated your ex-spouse, your ex-spouse will still get your CPF savings. So remember to change your nomination if you prefer someone else getting your CPF inheritance after the divorce. What if my CPF nominee die before me? If there are any deceased nominees (people you choose to inherit your CPF savings), you can either adjust the share allocation to the surviving nominees or include new nominees. If you do nothing, the deceased nominee’s share will be distributed to the surviving nominees in the same proportion specified in your nomination. What if a nominee pass away before he/she could receive the CPF inheritance? The CPF inheritance will be paid out as cash and distribute d as part of the deceased nominee’s estate. Why and How to Nominate your CPF? Nominating your CPF allows you to decide who gets your CPF savings. You can do it online and it's FREE! Nominate your CPF here . Things to prepare before you nominate your CPF? Decide who you want to nominate and in what proportion Decide who the two witnesses should be and tell them about your intent The two witnesses will need to confirm that you have made your nomination willingly. Your witnesses cannot be your nominee or an organization. Decide if you want anyone to access your CPF account information after you die By default, CPF will only tell your nominees how much they will receive. The nominees won't know how much CPF savings you have in total or who else you have nominated to receive your CPF. Not even your kin can ask CPF for your account information and/or nomination decisions unless you give explicit authorization. If you decide to give your nominees or someone else access, you can do so by completing the section “Instruction to Disclose my CPF Information” in the nomination form. CPF Board will, upon request, disclose your CPF statement of account and nomination details to the authorized person. Get ready the following information Your Singpass Your nominees' full name (as per NRIC/FIN), NRIC/FIN number, mailing address, email Your two witnesses' full name (as per NRIC/FIN), NRIC/FIN number, mailing address, email and/or Singapore registered-mobile number Once you are ready, head here to nominate! How to Claim the CPF of a Deceased Family Member? First, report the demise of a CPF member. If the deceased was a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, you don’t need to inform CPF Board. CPF board will be notified by the relevant public agency and CPF board will contact the nominees. If deceased was a foreigner with a CPF account, you need to report the death to CPF Board. More information here . Next: CPF LIFE - Best Gift From The Singapore Government? Back to CPF, CPF LIFE, SRS X Inheritance Series > Back to Resource page > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Immortalize Who's Who   series seeks to profile service providers in the legacy planning space to help you better identify and relate to the best, the most outstanding and the legitimate providers. If you find figuring out who, how and actually nominating your CPF, doing your will and lasting power of attorney  too much work, outsource the work to  Immortalize Prime, your personal elderhood assistant ! Subscribe to our mailing list  to get the articles delivered straight to your inbox. FAQ How is CPF money distributed after death? With nomination, it will be distributed based on your nomination. Without nomination, it will be distributed based on intestacy laws. Can I make a will to direct who will inherit my CPF monies? No. You can only nominate if you want to decide who to receive your CPF monies. Your will does not cover your CPF assets. Will nominated CPF be distributed in cash or to CPF accounts? CPF monies will be distributed in cash to the nominees. Discounted Singtel Shares can be sold and transferred in cash or transferred to the nominee's CDP account. Does my estate need to refund the CPF savings used to buy property after I pass away? No, there is no need to refund the CPF savings used to purchase the property. The property or sale proceeds will be distributed as part of your estate. Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

People between 18-24 years old are more likely to have spoken openly and comfortably about death with their friends and family compared to people who are older, according to a report by Farewill, a will writing and funeral provider in the United Kingdom, looking at attitudes towards death and how they’ve changed. Key highlights: 74% of people between 18-24 years old in the survey said they speak openly and comfortably about death with their friends and family, compared with 64% for people age 25 and above A third of people said the Covid-19 pandemic made them talk more openly about death, yet people still struggle to open up conversations as they find the topic morbid and negative Gen Zs were most likely to speak openly about death because of the pandemic and are less likely to say that death is morbid and makes them feel sad A third of people said they want their funeral to feel like a celebration of life. Only 14% wanted a traditional funeral. *Note: The report was conducted with people in the UK. All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Let us give you a quick summary of what you need to know to help kick start your elderhood planning journey! Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

How to decide who to give my inheritance to? Beneficiaries are people or organizations that will receive your inheritance . Here are some considerations to decide who to include as beneficiaries in your will or estate planning : Who are dependent on you? They could be your spouse, children, parents, grandparents, pets and others. Are there some causes or charity that you would like to support? Should I include my parents, grandparents and others who’s more likely to pass away before me in my will? You can if you want to make sure they are taken care of. Remember to include instructions on what happens if the intended beneficiaries pass away before you. Some online wills such as CreateWills allow you to give an intended beneficiary's share to another beneficiary or redistribute among the existing beneficiaries should the intended beneficiary pass away before you. For more specific requests, make sure to speak to a lawyer. You can easily find, compare pricing and book a lawyer immediately on Immortalize Marketplace . What is the best way to divide inheritance? Generally speaking, after someone passes away, the family will have to go through the probate process to get a grant of probate or grant of letters of administration from the court to officially distribute the deceased assets. In the absence of the will, the distribution goes by intestacy law , which is a default set of rules to distribute your assets. (Read more on intestacy law here .) With a will, distribution will follow what’s stated in your will. Regardless of whether you are using an online will, lawyer or will writing company, you will need to decide how to distribute to your beneficiaries. There are generally two ways to distribute. By percentage - Allocate a percentage of your estate to each beneficiary. Specific gift + residual gift - Allocate specific assets to beneficiaries and give the residual estate (whatever remains), in percentages, to beneficiaries. What are the pros and cons of giving inheritance in percentages? Distributing your property in percentages is usually the easiest and what most people think is the fairest. While being the most convenient, distributing in percentages can have its own problems too. When distributing in percentages, what usually happens is that beneficiaries will end up co-owning the assets together. For example, when several people inherit a property together, there may be issues. Beneficiaries may have to pay stamp duty to transfer to one another, or dispute may arise when the co-inheritors disagree on how to deal with the property, such as whether to sell the property now or wait till a better time when the valuation is higher. One way to potentially mitigate the issue is the use of clauses in wills which gives executor powers to sell the property and distribute the proceeds, or distribute as appropriate and compensate the difference. What are the pros and cons of allocating specific gifts in wills? Specific gifts come in handy when you want to attain certain goals. An example would be if you have a child that’s more dependent on your property than others, such as the case of a special needs child. You can allocate the property to the more dependent child and allocate other assets to the remaining beneficiaries, such as a life insurance policy, to ensure fairness. The downside is that if you distribute specific assets, like a property, to a particular beneficiary, the value may fluctuate and the beneficiary may get more or less than you intended. If you no longer own the asset and forget to update your will, the beneficiary may end up with nothing or less. Writing a will can be easy but the thought process towards deriving your ideal outcome isn't as straightforward. Regardless of whether you decide to write your own will or seek professional help, you can find the providers, compare their pricing and discover discounts on  Immortalize Marketplace . It's FREE to use! Who can be an executor? An executor is someone whom you appoint in a will to help you carry out your instructions in the will and manage and distribute your estate after you pass away. Below are some legal requirements on who can be an executor: Not an infant While the law doesn't explicitly prohibit minors from being executors, there are legal limitations for minors when it comes to dealing with contracts. Selecting someone who is 21 years old and above would make more sense. Has mental capacity Not a bankrupt The executor will need permission from the High Court if he/she is a bankrupt. How to choose your executor? There are two options for choosing an executor: Appoint someone who you know and trust (eg. family member, relative, friend) Hire a professional executor - you can find a list of firms who offer professional executor service here . Usually, people will appoint one or two executors (normally up to four) with the choice of substitute executors in case the main executors can’t fulfill their duties. If you decide to have more than one main executor, state in your will whether you want the executors to decide on matters individually or jointly, eg., all executors have to agree before matters can proceed. Your executor can also be your beneficiary but do note that the executor may use the power to benefit himself or herself, to the exclusion of the other beneficiaries. So make sure you appoint someone you trust. If you have minor beneficiaries, you may want to consider appointing at least 2 executors. If there is only one executor and the executor is not a trust company, the Court may appoint one or more personal representatives for the minor's (eg. person below 21 years of age) best interest. Read more: You Are Chosen As A Will's Executor. Now What? - Step-by-Step Guide On What To Do What Happens To My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) Guide To Making a Will - Singapore Edition Online will vs Lawyer vs Will Writing Company - Which to Choose? All About Probate & Administration (Singapore Edition) Still undecided on who should be the executor of your will? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

Singapore may consider implementing property gains tax or inheritance tax to curb wealth inequality, according to the Straits Times , citing Ravi Menon, the nation's central bank chief. Key highlights: Wealth inequality may worsen over time if price increases in private housing consistently outstrip that in public housing May make sense to shift Singapore's tax structure from taxing income towards taxing wealth to promote an inclusive society Both property gains tax and inheritance tax are currently not imposed in Singapore Ravi Menon cautioned that taxing wealth has not worked well in many countries, citing the example of 12 European countries that levied wealth tax in 1990 and by 2018, 8 out of the 12 countries had abandoned the tax because of high administrative costs, risk of capital flight and failure to meet redistributive goals "This is not necessarily a reason for not imposing a wealth tax but a strong caution that designing a good wealth tax is not a trivial exercise," the news outlet cites Menon as saying * Note: Singapore abolished its inheritance tax or estate duty in 2008. * Ravi Menon is the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Link to the Straits Times' article: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/mas-chief-says-wealth-tax-could-tackle-wealth-inequality-in-singapore Read more: What Happens To My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) All About Probate & Administration (Singapore Edition) Property & Inheritance All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

Recently buzzing in the news are stories of Britney Spears’s struggle with conservatorship. But what exactly is it and what’s happening there? In the United States, a conservatorship, also known as a legal guardianship, is granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses. In simple language, if you can’t make your own decisions, the court will choose someone to make decisions for you. In Singapore, a similar concept exists and it’s called deputyship . When the court appoints the “guardian” for you, the “guardian” is your deputy . In Britney’s case, she was under conservatorship helmed by her father, Jamie Spears, since 2008 after several public meltdowns. Since then, her father has control over decisions regarding Britney’s money, work and life. In June 2021, Britney officially asked the court to end her conservatorship, saying, in short, her conservatorship is “abusive” and she just wants her life back. The story is still unfolding and there’s always two sides to the story. But one thing we learned – pick your own guardians while you still can. In Singapore, you, your parents and your loved ones can achieve just that by doing a Lasting Power of Attorney - a document that allows you to appoint your preferred "guardian". You never know when you may get into an accident, or lose mental capacity. By doing your Lasting Power of Attorney , you can avoid having someone you don't want to manage your finances and personal affairs, and prevent your loved ones from having to fight it out in court. Find out more about how to do your Lasting Power of Attorney here: Demystifying Lasting Power of Attorney (Singapore) - Explaining in Common People language Still undecided about writing a Muslim Will? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

Inheritance can be very different not just in different countries, but also for different religions. In Singapore, Muslims and non-Muslims are subjected to different sets of inheritance law. If you are a non-Muslim, when you die, your money and other assets will be distributed based on your valid will or in the absence of a will, based on Singapore’s intestacy law . Read more: Intestacy in Singapore For Muslims, the distribution will be based on Faraid , or Muslim inheritance law. With a valid will, up to 1/3 of your estate can be distributed to non-Faraid beneficiaries. (Note: This article is intended for Muslims in Singapore. Check out What Happens to My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) for non-Muslims) Who's a Muslim? According to the Administration of Muslim Law Act ("AMLA") , a "Muslim" is a person who professes the religion of Islam and if you are a Muslim domiciled in Singapore, Muslim law applies to you. What is Faraid? Faraid is the Islamic law on inheritance and deals with how a deceased Muslim’s assets are distributed. Faraid is under AMLA and the Syariah Court in Singapore manages it. Under AMLA, the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (" Muis"), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, is a statutory body that advises on all Islam matters and looks after the Muslim community in Singapore. How your assets will be distributed under Faraid depends on your family composition. For example, a son gets twice the share of daughter and in the absence of what’s considered a male heir (eg. son or uncle), a portion of the estate will be given to Baitulmal, or in simpler terms, given to the Muslim community. (We'll discuss more about Baitulmal in a later section of this article.) If you want a rough idea of how your assets will be divided amongst beneficiaries , you can use the online trial inheritance calculator . But to get an absolute calculation, you must get an Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court , which you can apply online through their website. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for an Inheritance Certificate. You are allowed to will away a maximum of 1/3 of your entire estate to non-Faraid beneficiaries. If you have a Muslim will ( Wasiat) , your executor (the person you appoint to distribute your assets) will need to go to court to get a grant of probate before distributing your assets according to your will. The rest will be distributed under the Faraid. If you don’t have a Muslim will, your next-of-kin will first need to be appointed as an administrator (the person the court approves to distribute your assets), get a grant of letters of administration , and your assets will be given out based on the Faraid. Why Do Muslims Need a Will? If the Faraid has already decided for me, why do I still need to have a will? A will can be used to distribute assets to non-Faraid beneficiaries, such as a non-Muslim spouse, an adopted child, charity or friends. See related articles: Muslim Estate Distribution Bias for Men , Online Wills Can Help Disadvantaged Muslims Here are some advantages of writing a Muslim will: What Makes a Muslim Will Valid ? A valid non-Muslim will has these main requirements: You must be 21 years old or above and it must be in writing Witnessed and signed in front of two adults (to ensure that you have a sound mind) Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries or spouses of beneficiaries For a Muslim will to be valid, according to Muis , there are additional requirements such as: The will has to be witnessed by at least 2 male Muslim adults The beneficiaries can only be non-Faraid beneficiaries The purposes must be permissible by Islamic law These are just some of the key rules to keep in mind, but we encourage you to find a lawyer who is familiar with Syariah law to make sure your Muslim will is valid. Find and compare lawyers that can deal with Muslim law at Immortalize Marketplace . What is Baitulmal? Baitulmal, administered by Muis, is the institution that acts as a trustee for the Muslims. It looks after assets from which members of the Muslim public could benefit from. All or part of your estate may go to Baitulmal if, for example, There are no rightful beneficiaries No one claims your estate You have no male heir Not Everything Falls Under Faraid Faraid and Muslim will only applies after a person’s death. During one’s lifetime, a Muslim can give to whoever he/she wants. If you plan in advance, there are tools available that can help you better protect the interest of your family and loved ones. Here is a list of some Muis-suggested alternative estate planning tools that you can use: Hibah - Gift given out while you’re alive. CPF and insurance nomination - Treated as gifts. Your CPF and insurance will be distributed based on your nomination after you pass away. Without nomination, they will go to your estate and be distributed based on Faraid. Joint Tenancy - For properties held under joint tenancy, the right of survivorship applies and the surviving owner gets 100% of the property when a co-owner passes away. Deed of Family Arrangement - A legal document that can allow beneficiaries of an estate to alter the distribution made under the will or intestacy laws. There are many other known instruments such as a trust, Nuzriah or Hibah Ruqbah. Please consult a lawyer who is familiar with Syariah law on what's most suitable for your circumstances. Find and compare lawyers that can deal with Muslim law at Immortalize Marketplace . What is the Probate and Administration Process like for Muslims? Before your executor or next-of-kin can process your assets, they will have to go through a legal process called probate and administration to get a grant from the court that gives them official rights to manage and distribute your possessions. Muslims and non-Muslims go through a very similar probate and administration process. Read more: Probate & Administration (Singapore Edition) The key difference between Muslims and non-Muslim's probate and administration process is that a Muslim executor/administrator has to first get an Inheritance Certificate, indicating who are the beneficiaries and how many shares of the estate each beneficiary is entitled to. Read more: What Happens To My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) How Does Muslim Inheritance Work in Singapore? Guide To Making a Will - Singapore Edition How to Choose Beneficiary, Executor in My Will? Online will vs Lawyer vs Will Writing Company - Which to Choose? How To Find The Right Lawyer For My Will? Still undecided about writing a Muslim Will? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

There are many roboadvisors in Singapore and across the world that you can choose from. What's the difference between them and how should you decide which one to use? In Part 2 (Part 1 here ) of Immortalize's chat with Samuel Rhee , Chairman and Chief Investment Officer at digital advisory platform Endowus , we discussed the key tenets of roboadvisors and issues with some of such providers in Asia. Highlights: Providing advice to the masses, easy to use and low costs are key tenets of roboadvisors Some "roboadvisors" in Asia are essentially fund managers with no prior experience and a marketing gimmick Active management generally underperforms and not the right way for an individual to invest long term Q: Can you tell us more about the roboadvisory part of Endowus? Rhee: I want to separate us from other so called “roboadvisors”. (Roboadvisors are online platforms that provide automated, algorithm-based financial planning services. The roboadvisor collects information from clients about their financial situation and future goals through an online survey and then uses the data to offer advice and automatically invest client's money) We bring advice to the masses, we have great UX (user experience) and low costs, and these are the key tenets of some roboadvisors. More importantly, Endowus gives the masses access to institutional funds, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) funds and other great investment options that were previously not available or accessible for individual retail investors. Related article: Secret To Investing Like Sovereign Funds - Don't Pay High Fees: Endowus What a lot of roboadvisors in Asia are doing wrong is that they ended up becoming a fund manager, actively allocating assets and the costs are still really high. Q: Let me get this right. There is a spectrum of “roboadvisors”. On one end, it’s like a fund of funds where they actively allocate to funds and other assets using some indicators and then on the other end, it’s like an automated financial advisor and you lie on this side of the spectrum? Rhee: Yes, it’s all about advice and we are what's called a digital independent financial adviser. It's not just about choosing a financial advisor; it is more important to choose a fee-only advisor so that the advisor is not inclined to push funds that will pay them the highest fees. When you're selling a product, financial advisors should be providing a holistic assessment of personal financial situation. And that's what we hope to do. We don't get paid by anybody except the individual investor. Fee Rebate 100% of the trailer fees (fees paid to salesperson by the fund manager) that we receive are rebated back to the customer. We don't keep a single cent and we offer a flat fee to the client for the advice and services that we provide. This is the clean and transparent way to do business, it's the best way to do it, the right way to do it and is how it is done in the US and other developed markets. Quant Funds Many of these Asian roboadvisors say, “We have an algorithm that's going to beat the market,” and none of them have ever managed client assets before and a lot of these “roboadvisors” are not doing too well these days versus if you had a passive asset allocation like with Endowus. What all this in finance is called ‘quant’. It’s been around for decades. There are massive and amazing quant investors like Renaissance Technologies and Two Sigma . They have supercomputers and massive algorithms, and they try to beat the market. Marketing Gimmick? What these other roboadvisors have is an unproven product that is not generating returns. Also, when global fund managers like PIMCO and Blackrock can do this better, why would you want to give money to these robos who have no prior experience? They just package it in a marketing gimmick to sell it to gullible retail investors at a high cost. There's no robo, there's no advice, and so it really is a misnomer. Active vs Passive Investing It is very difficult to beat the market and history has proven that active management generally underperforms and it's not the right way for the individual to invest. We espouse a very passive strategic asset allocation and investment framework. We offer the advice, access and low costs, and we build portfolios for you with one click. We also have a fund platform where we offer the lowest cost access to funds. The way to look at us is that we’re a digital private bank or a digital independent financial advisor that you don't have to wait until you have $10 million to go to be serviced. You can start with $1,000 in Endowus now and get the same high-quality advice, access, and cost. It is a cheaper and better experience. Easy CPF Investing We make investment easy, have the lowest cost and we are the only platform that can do CPF, cash and SRS, which is all the money that exist in Singapore for an individual. For CPF, we are the first and only digital advisor approved by the CPF Board. [CPF, or Central Provident Fund, is Singapore's mandatory social security savings scheme. SRS, or Supplementary Retirement Scheme, is a voluntary scheme to encourage individuals to save over and above their CPF savings .] Q: Let’s talk about your unique selling point starting with CPF. You are the only roboadvisor that can do CPF now. How long do you think you can hold the ‘only you can do CPF’ title? Rhee: We don't want to be the only and we don't mind if others come in. It's just that we're the only ones that invested a lot of money with 20 engineers to really want to solve this problem. Investing Without Guarantees We're the ones who are committed to making that change happen, and it was without any kind of certainties. CPF board didn't guarantee us anything. We had to interact with various government agencies through the process, such as the Ministry of Manpower, CPF, MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) and other government bodies. We went through all of that for two years and invested millions of dollars in a technology platform that may not even be used. We went out there on a limb to solve this problem that we thought was critical to the future of this society and this country. Q: But once you open the floodgate, isn’t it a lot easier for competitors to come in and offer CPF investing? Rhee: That's what you would think, but two years later, we’re still the only one. The reason is simple and it’s because of the technology step. It’s really easy to do cash, meaning, you get clients’ money, you give it to an executing brokerage, they execute in the market and you're done. Automating Layers of Transactions For us, we have to deal with the investment agent bank, CPF board, investment administrator, custodian, settlement and funds. Everybody comes together and it's like five layers of transactions, and it's a much more onerous process. There has to be a purpose-built tech stack and you cannot use a cash tech stack to do CPF. That's why even the biggest banks still can’t do this. That's the biggest problem with financial service and incumbent companies. If it is not easy money, they're not willing to make an investment. Q: Let’s move on to fees, which is your other unique selling point. Is this going to be your mantra going forward? If someone copies Endowus and offer lower fees, will you match the fees? Rhee: No, we have to run a business and we are here to build a lasting business. (Sorry, we tried to ask. ;) ) We're already the cheapest. There's a reason why we place the cost there because we think that is a lasting lowest cost price. The reason why others are not matching is because they don't think they can get there, or they want to make more money. We're at that threshold where we're not just about making money. There is a purpose driven mission here that we are trying to solve. A Promise Made We are willing to price it at a level that we think makes most sense and won’t be affected by others. It's our own cost structure versus our own long-term plan. If we execute on that long term plan, we will turn profitable at this level. What we promise is that if it makes sense for us and clients, when we have more scale and become more cost efficient, we can lower costs. (There's hope!) Fund Fads We don't want to be the people who may do well for a short while and then disappear. And this happens in the fund management industry all the time. Funds live and die through cycles, like fads, and when they disappear, fund managers get rid of it, launch a new fund, and move on. Q: Who designs the portfolios on your platform? Rhee: We're not actively tactically asset allocating. We don't have an algorithm that keeps churning the portfolio to try to get better returns and beat the market – and eventually fail as statistically most active manager underperforms. Some robos have launched with a fund strategy and then due to poor performance, they pulled the fund and no longer offer it. We have a very different philosophy and what we're doing is trying to bring passive, broad-based strategic asset allocation to the portfolio. All the portfolios are designed by me, the Chief Investment Officer, and the team in the Endowus Investment Office. We use algorithms to optimize and re-balance the portfolio optimally. We use algorithms to do transactions and all the online things but it's not to beat the market, it's to make it efficient and enhance outcomes, and lower cost. Q: Under what circumstances will Endowus re-balance the portfolio? Rhee: When the portfolio diverges away from the strategic asset allocation by more than 10%, or whatever the optimal threshold is. The rebalancing usually happens less than one time a year. For example, in March 2020, the equity market fell first. If you were in a 60-40 portfolio, 60% equity and 40% bonds, your bonds held up relatively well and equities fell, we would have re-balanced by selling your bond and buying your equity, back to the target allocation. Then what happened was equity kept falling and bonds fell just as much in that second leg. At that time the weight wouldn't have shifted. After that, equity rebounded massively and bonds rebounded a little, so that re-balancing algorithm worked beautifully, because you would have made that shift, and you would have benefited from that. This interview has been edited for length. Immortalize X Endowus Collab Sign up for an Endowus account here and get $20 off your access fees! Back to Part 1: Secret To Investing Like Sovereign Funds - Don't Pay High Fees > All articles and resources > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Speak to our team now and let us give you a quick summary of what you need to know to help kick start your elderhood planning journey! Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

Starting Nov. 14, 2022, individuals will need to make their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) , a legal document that gives people powers to make decisions for you if you lose mental capacity, online through the Office of Public Guardian Online (OPGO) portal . The new system uses Singpass to log in and sign off, which means the convenience of having personal details prefilled for you and your donees (the people whom you are giving powers to make decisions for you). You can view the LPA online anytime and share your LPA with people you trust. If you lose your mental capacity, your donees can also share your LPA with third party agencies to facilitate transactions on your behalf. The downside of the new system? Your donees need to have Singpass. Without it, it's back to hard copy applications, which may be accepted under exceptional circumstances and subjected to the Public Guardian's approval. Key thing to note: While the application process has been made easier, the certification process - where a certificate issuer (CI) ensures that you have mental capacity, understands the powers that you are giving and not undue influence - can vary. Some CIs require donees to be present during signing while others don't, according to Immortalize database. Click here for a list of CIs on Immortalize Marketplace who can certify your LPA. You can check out their procedures, pricing, and book an appointment with them immediately. Need a suggestion? Speak to us now. Chat with us now here , email us at j@immortalize.io , or leave your contact details here and we will reach out to you. Want to get your elderhood-related documents such as Will , Advance Medical Directive (AMD) , and Advance Care Plan (ACP) done? Reach out and we'll help you get all these matters sorted. All articles and resources > Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

What happens after a loved one dies? Apart from getting a death certificate and planning for a funeral, the other important thing you should do is to go through the probate or administration process and get a ‘Grant’ from the court in order to have the official right to manage your loved one’s money, property, and other assets. (Note: For Muslims, Muslim (Islamic) law will apply instead. Read How Does Muslim Inheritance Work in Singapore? for more information.) What is Probate and Administration? Probate and administration is the legal process where the executor (person appointed in a will) applies for a Grant of Probate or administrator (person appointed by the court) applies for a Grant of Letters of Administration . Both are legal documents issued by the court for the executor or administrator to have the legal power to manage and distribute the deceased’s estate . The application usually takes around 2-3 months, but depending on complexity, it may take longer. What is the Difference Between Grant of Probate & Grant of Letters of Administration? When you have a will, your appointed person (the executor) will apply for a Grant of Probate. Without a will, if the will can’t be found or if there is no executor because, for example: No executor is appointed in the will Executors appointed are incapable of carrying out instructions in the will Executor doesn’t want to be an executor Executors are dead The court will choose one or more person(s) (called administrator(s)) most suitable to manage the deceased’s assets, and Letters of Administration will be granted instead. You can apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration if you are: A beneficiary (person entitled to a share of the estate) At least 21 years old Have a sound mind (doesn’t lack mental capacity ) What if No Next-Of-Kin Applies for the Grant of Letters of Administration? When no next-of-kin applies, the Court may appoint whomever they think is suitable, which may include a creditor of the deceased. What are the Duties of the Executor & Administrator? The duties of an executor or administrator is to apply for the grant, clear the deceased’s debts and distribute the assets either according to the will, or in the absence of a will, based on the intestacy law. Related articles: How to Write A Will (Singapore Edition) , What Happens To My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) As an executor or administrator, you may want to consider opening a separate bank account to manage the monies of the deceased estates to avoid mixing your money with the deceased’s money. It helps you keep proper records so that when the beneficiaries ask for a detailed accounting (which they are allowed to), there won’t be unnecessary disputes. Disputes can result in law suits, which will cost you time, money and emotional stress. How Many Executors Can You Appoint in Your Will? Usually, a maximum of 4 executors are appointed. Note: Section 6(1) of the Probate and Administration Act says "Probate or letters of administration shall not be granted to more than 4 persons in respect of the same property." The probate process is tedious. Having more executors means more help and keeping each other in check, but that also means potential for more disagreements because usually, they all have to agree before matters can proceed. Generally, it's ideal to have 1-2 main executors with the potential for substitute executors in case the main executors can't fulfill their duties for any reason. How to Get a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration? Before starting the process, you might want to first consider the following: 1. Is there a need to get a grant? Some assets such as Central Provident Fund (“CPF”) monies, insurance with nominations, jointly owned properties (eg. joint tenancy flats, joint bank accounts, etc.) do not need a Grant to be distributed. 2. What is the value of the deceased asset? Less than $50,000 You can consider applying to the Public Trustee to administer the estate. If the Public Trustee agrees to administer the estate, a Grant is not needed, and thus, you don’t have to go through administration. Please note that there are a list of circumstances where the Public Trustee cannot help administer the estate. Check here for more information. $5 million and below You will file to the Family Justice Court. *Note: If the estate value is above SG$3 million , higher filing fees will apply. Above $5 million You will file to the Family Division of the High Court. 3. Is it better to engage a lawyer? People often underestimate the difficulties of applying for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Lawyers specializing in wills and probate can advise you on the dos and don’ts to avoid disputes, help you when problem arises, and potentially reduce extra costs arising from mistakes. Based on Immortalize 's data, the cost to hire a lawyer to get a Grant starts from ~SG$1,500. The actual cost will depend on factors such as the size of the estate and how complicated is the estate and probate/administration process. Tip: Compare pricing and find the lawyer best suited for your probate and administration needs at Immortalize Marketplace . If you do decide to do it yourself, the Family Justice Court (“FJC”) has a comprehensive probate toolkit to guide you through the process. Note that the toolkit is only suitable for straightforward cases where, for example, the deceased was domiciled in Singapore or the value of the estate is less than $5 million. Here’s an overview! Bon Voyage! Overview of Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration Application Process Step 1: Prepare documents and forms for submission Below are some of the requirements. For a full list, please refer to the FJC website . Service Bureau Form for application for Probate/Letters of Administration (get the form here ). Schedule of Assets - a list of all assets and liabilities of the deceased. Assets can include bank accounts, properties, shares in companies, foreign assets, and etc. All taxes, debts, bills and other expenses such as funeral costs must be paid before you can distribute the balance of the deceased’s estate. Certified copy of death certificate(s) Death certificate of the deceased. You may also need the death certificates of executors or next-of-kin who have passed away. Certified copy of the will (if there is one) Renunciation of executors or beneficiaries (if there is any) Summary report of caveat and probate application search This is to make sure no one else is preventing you from getting a grant of probate or letters of administration by lodging a caveat against the deceased’s estate or having any pending application relating to the deceased’s estate. Step 2: Filing of Application Application must be filed within 6 months from the deceased’s death. After 6 months , you have to explain the reason for delay. Applications for Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration have to be filed through the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau . What Happens After Filing? If the Court rejects the documents due to errors in application, you have to correct the errors and re-file documents. If all is good, the Court will assign a probate number to the application and fix a hearing date. Step 3: Prepare and File Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath needs to be filed within 14 days after the initial application is accepted. In short, this is to confirm that all the documents you submitted are declared true and correct, and that you will administer the deceased’s estate dutifully. Step 4: Extracting the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration You may file a request to extract the Grant after the Court has accepted your Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath Conduct a final caveat and probate application search Grants are issued electronically but you may request to get a physical grant issued with a court seal. After you received the Grant, you can now take it to relevant financial institutions (eg. banks, insurance companies) and other institutions (eg. the Housing & Development Board ("HDB")) to release and distribute the deceased’s assets. Having a will can potentially shorten the probate process as getting a Grant of Probate is generally faster, easier and cheaper than getting a Grant of Letters of Administration. As the saying goes ‘Good beginning is half the battle won’. Find a professional at Immortalize Marketplace to help you with your estate plan or get a Grant now. Read more: What Happens To My Stuff When I Die? (Singapore Edition) How to Choose Beneficiary, Executor in My Will? Guide To Making a Will - Singapore Edition The Ultimate Guide to Online Wills (Singapore) Online will vs Lawyer vs Will Writing Company - Which to Choose? Need help on probate matters? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

Someone will inherit it. But the question is, who? After you die, your family or next-of-kin will go through a legal process called probate and administration to get a grant from the court that gives them official rights to manage your stuff and distribute your possessions. If you have a will , your executor (the person you appointed to distribute your assets) will need to go to court to get a grant of probate before distributing your assets according to your will. If you don’t have a will, your next-of-kin will first need to be appointed as an administrator (the person the court approves to distribute your assets), get a grant of letters of administration , and your assets will be given out based on intestacy law . (Note: This article is intended for non-Muslims. For Muslims, check out How Does Muslim Inheritance Work in Singapore? ) What Happens If I Die Without a Will? If you die without a will, that means you have died intestate . Your assets will be given out according to the default distribution set out by the Intestate Succession Act , also known as Singapore's intestacy law. Below is a chart of who gets what under Singapore’s intestacy law: Below is the same representation but in table form of who gets what under Singapore’s intestacy law: Why Do I Need a Will? If the law has already planned it out for me, why do I still need a will? You can deviate from the default distribution using a will. Even if your ideal distribution is the same as the intestacy law, the probate and administration process is generally faster, cheaper and easier for your next-of-kin with a will than without a will. Related article: Probate and Administration (Singapore Edition) Let’s take a look at the advantages of having a will: A prolonged probate or administration process can take a toll on your family. Whether you have a will or not, your family will generally have to go through the probate or administration process. If everything you own is less than SG$50,000 in value, your family can potentially apply to the Public Trustee’s Office to handle the estate without going through probate. Write a will now. Read more: How to Choose Beneficiary, Executor in My Will? Guide To Making a Will - Singapore Edition How To Find The Right Lawyer For My Will? Online will vs Lawyer vs Will Writing Company - Which to Choose? All About Probate & Administration (Singapore Edition) Can't decide if you should write a will? All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io .

We have been looking far and wide for a video on "What happens to a dead body?" that is not morbid and boring and recently, our prayers have been answered! This WIRED video about a funeral director/mortician, Victor M. Sweeney , answering dead body questions from twitter is hilarious and educational! All articles and resources  > Immortalize  is an Elderhood marketplace and information provider. We make planning and executing your plans for ageing, retirement, legacy and everything elderhood-related simple, easy and comprehensive! Find a professional, compare prices, and kickstart your estate planning Disclaimer: Nothing in this article or site should be construed as providing legal advice or advice of any sort. The information provided are general in nature and may become inaccurate over time. Please consult a professional  for advice. For any issues or queries, please contact j@immortalize.io