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philwelchyesterday at 4:48 PM2 repliesview on HN

> The primary purpose of CPF is not a pension scheme. It is structured as a massive forced bond purchase scheme by citizens. Financially what happens is the 37% of citizen income buys a long term bond (till retirement age, on average decades) at rock bottom interest rates (it's pegged to the overnight rate or a minimum of 2.6%).

Social Security is effectively the same thing. Payroll taxes are collected and placed in the social security trust fund, which invests them in federal bonds.


Replies

InkCanonyesterday at 5:27 PM

The main difference is SS bonds are bought at market rates. CPF bonds are not.

zozbot234yesterday at 4:54 PM

Payroll taxes actually pay for current Social Security benefits, the trust fund was tacked on with separate government funding in order to make it a bit less of a complete Ponzi scheme.

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