The six solution sections compared like for like: goals, thresholds, regulators, costs, risks and professionals

A like-for-like comparison of the six solution sections sets insurance, private banking, family offices, wealth management, trusts and succession, and residency and tax against the same dimensions, one by one. It does not answer "which section is best". It answers "which section does my need belong to, which sections have to move together, and which step is hardest to undo once taken". Unlike the tool comparison on the sister site hnw.sg, this page is organised by solution section rather than by type of tool, and adds two execution dimensions: lead time and reversibility.

How to read the comparison table

This page uses eight dimensions, defined as follows:

1. Main goal: the job the section does within the overall plan.
2. Typical threshold: only published figures from regulatory documents or institutions' official websites are quoted, marked "published example, as at October 2026; the institution's latest terms prevail". Where there is no primary source, the table says "no uniform threshold" or "per the institution's written documents".
3. Regulator or registry: who oversees the licence, registration or approval, so that it can be verified.
4. Lead time: apart from the GIP processing time published by EDB, every entry reads "weeks to months, varying case by case". No disbursement or approval timelines from marketing materials are quoted.
5. Cost types: types only, no rates.
6. Main risks: the most common risks in the section, and those with the heaviest consequences.
7. Professionals required: the licensed party who leads and those who must be involved.
8. Reversibility: whether the step can be exited or changed cheaply once taken.

Comparison table 1: six sections on eight dimensions

Item-by-item explanation

Thresholds: from "none" to S$200 million

The widest range of thresholds is in the family office and residency sections. The MAS page states that 13O/13OA funds must hold designated investments (DI) of at least S$20 million and 13U funds at least S$50 million, with two and three qualifying investment professionals respectively (MAS, page updated 22 September 2026). Private-bank thresholds are commercial terms set by each bank; the DBS website gives examples of investable assets above S$1.5 million for Treasures Private Client and above US$5 million for DBS Private Bank (accessed 23 October 2026). Accredited Investor status is defined in section 4A of the SFA — for example, net personal assets above S$2 million or income of at least S$300,000 in the preceding 12 months — and the investor must actively opt in.

Regulators and timing

Insurance, private banking, wealth management and trust companies are all regulated by MAS, but under different laws and licences; a family office also involves company or VCC registration with ACRA. MAS announced that the revised licensing-exemption framework for single family offices takes effect on 15 June 2026: qualifying family offices must notify MAS and maintain an account with an MAS-licensed bank (MAS, 12 June 2026). On timing, only the GIP has a published processing time — around 12 months, per EDB; the other sections vary considerably from case to case.

Risks and reversibility

Reversibility is often worth checking before the threshold. Insurance carries an industry-standard 14-day free-look period, counted from the day the policy documents are received, with a refund of premiums paid less expenses such as medical examination fees (MoneySense, 11 May 2026). Surrendering after the free-look period may return less than the premiums paid. The LIA guide states that a trust nomination, once made, cannot be changed unilaterally. Once a Lombard loan has been subject to a forced sale, the loss is realised and the original position cannot be restored.

Which sections must move together

If the following three pairs are progressed separately, rework or conflict is most likely:

1. Family office + private banking: 13O/13U funds must maintain a private-bank account with an MAS-licensed financial institution, so family-office set-up and private-bank due diligence should start at the same time.
2. Premium financing + beneficiary nomination: under a revocable nomination, assigning the policy revokes the nomination (LIA, March 2026). Before financing, decide how the nomination will be re-established after the assignment, or whether to use a trust structure instead.
3. Residency + tax residence + CRS: residency documents, each jurisdiction's tax-residence test and the CRS self-certification must all rest on the same facts; cash-value policies issued by Singapore licensed life insurers are also within the scope of CRS reporting (IRAS CRS e-Tax Guide, 11 August 2026).

In addition, wealth management and private banking are often executed within the same account structure, and trust and insurance arrangements should not be signed until the owner has been decided.

Comparison table 2: choosing among four insurance structures

The PPF caps are S$500,000 in aggregate guaranteed sums assured and S$100,000 in aggregate guaranteed surrender values per insured person per insurer; investment-linked benefits directly tied to the value of underlying assets are not covered (SDIC, accessed 22 October 2026). For a large policy, the PPF covers only a small slice of the guaranteed portion, so the insurer's financial strength and the contract terms deserve more attention. Product parameters and like-for-like comparisons are on the sister sites; this site does not list products.

Where to start: five screening questions

1. Has it been settled where family members will live, and where they will pay tax, over the next three years? If not → start with Residency and tax.
2. Is your main worry a cash shortfall on death or disability? If so → start with Insurance solutions.
3. Are investable assets already close to the 13O DI threshold, and are you willing to carry ongoing staff and local spending? If so → see Family office and Private banking.
4. Do you need assets to pass to particular people under particular conditions? If so → see Trusts and succession.
5. Is all of the above still some way off? → Start with the cash management layer in Wealth management, and see the signals that complex structures are not yet needed in the Overview.

If you would like this read against your own circumstances, you can register your needs through the contact details on this site.