Free Calculator · No Sign-Up

Short on income for TDSR? Assets can close the gap.

When income alone cannot carry the loan, MAS lets banks count eligible financial assets as income: pledge SGD deposits with the bank for 4 years and every dollar counts (value ÷ 48 per month); merely show unpledged funds and only 30% counts. This tool computes your exact shortfall against the 55% TDSR at the 4% stress rate, then the pledge amount, the show-fund amount, or any combination of the two that closes it.

MAS Notice 645 rules, verified 12 Jul 2026 · TDSR 55% · Stress floor 4% p.a. · Pledged ÷48 (SGD deposits, no haircut) · Unpledged 30% recognised

The loan you need

S$
The loan is taken as LTV × this figure.
%
75% for a first housing loan; 45% / 35% for second and subsequent loans.
% p.a.
MAS floor is 4% — anything lower is assessed at 4% anyway.
years
Leave blank to auto-cap at the lower of 30 years and age 65.

Your income profile

yrs
Joint borrowers: use the income-weighted average age.
S$
Gross, before CPF. Combine both borrowers if joint.
S$
Commission, bonus ÷12 — 30% haircut applied, 70% counted.
S$
Car loans, other mortgages, minimum card payments — all count against the 55%.

Closing the gap

Under MAS Notice 645, pledged SGD deposits count in full; other eligible assets pledged for 4 years take a 30% haircut. Unpledged assets always take a 70% haircut.
S$
The tool computes the unpledged show funds needed on top of this. Leave 0 to see the pure pledge-only and show-only figures.

How the numbers are found

Income required = (loan instalment at the stress rate + existing debts) ÷ 55%. Shortfall = income required − assessable income (fixed + 70% of variable). Pledge needed = shortfall × 48 (÷ 0.7 for non-cash assets); show funds needed = shortfall × 48 ÷ 0.3. A combination scales pro-rata: whatever monthly income the pledge covers, the remainder is closed with unpledged funds.

The exchange rate between money and income

The TDSR framework prices assets in months. Pledge SGD deposits with the lending bank for 48 months and every $48,000 pledged buys $1,000 a month of recognised income; leave the same money unpledged as show funds and the 70% haircut means $160,000 buys the same $1,000. That 3.3× gap is the entire decision: pledging is capital-efficient but locks the funds for four years (early withdrawal triggers a TDSR reassessment and possible loan recall); showing keeps the money in your hands but demands a much larger balance, verified at application and again before disbursement. Most borrowers who use this route at all land on a combination — pledge what they genuinely won't need, show the rest — which is exactly the split this calculator solves. The worked mechanics, including who this actually suits, are in our pledging and unpledging guide.

Before you pledge anything

Asset recognition is a patch, not a cure: it does not change the instalment you will actually pay, only the assessment. A borrower who needs $378,000 of show funds to clear TDSR on a $1.5 million loan is, by construction, carrying an instalment their income does not comfortably cover — the honest first question is whether a smaller quantum from the affordability calculator, a longer tenure, or clearing a car loan (each $500/month of debt cleared restores roughly $100,000 of loan capacity under the TDSR rules) solves the problem without locking up capital. Remember too that the bank, not MAS, has the final say on which assets qualify — foreign-currency deposits and equities are accepted unevenly across lenders.

Frequently asked questions

What does pledging assets mean?

Placing eligible financial assets — typically a fixed deposit — with the lending bank for at least 48 months. The bank then counts the pledged amount ÷ 48 as monthly income in the TDSR assessment, with no haircut for SGD deposits.

Pledged vs unpledged — what's the difference?

Pledged assets are locked with the bank for 4 years and recognised at full value (SGD deposits) or 70% (other assets). Unpledged "show funds" stay in your control but only 30% of their value counts — closing the same gap takes roughly 3.3× more money.

How much do I need to pledge?

Your monthly shortfall × 48. Short $1,000 a month? Pledge $48,000 of SGD deposits — or show about $160,000 unpledged, since only 30% is recognised.

Which assets are eligible?

Under MAS Notice 645: SGD notes and deposits, stocks, unit trusts, business trusts, debentures and bonds, gold, foreign-currency deposits and structured deposits. Individual banks choose which they actually accept and how they value them.

What if I withdraw pledged assets early?

The bank reassesses your TDSR without them. If the ratio no longer passes, it can require an asset top-up or partial loan repayment — only pledge money you genuinely will not need for four years.

When are show funds checked?

Typically twice: at loan application and again before disbursement. The funds are not locked, but they must still be there at both checkpoints.

Disclaimer This calculator is an educational estimate, not financial advice and not a loan pre-approval. It applies the TDSR (55%), MAS stress-test and Notice 645 asset-recognition rules in force as at July 2026; individual banks decide which assets they accept, apply their own valuations and haircuts, and may impose stricter internal policy. Pledged assets are committed for 48 months and early withdrawal can trigger loan reassessment. Always obtain an In-Principle Approval and independent financial advice before committing funds. PropertyInsider.sg disclaims liability for decisions made on the basis of this tool.

Talk it through with an advisor

A calculator gives you the number; it can't tell you what to do with it. If you want to work through what these figures mean for your own situation — budget, ABSD position, timing an HDB sale, or comparing launches against resale options — you can request a one-to-one consultation.

  • No obligation, and no pressure to transact — the first conversation is about your goals, not a product.
  • Personalised affordability and stamp-duty scenarios based on your actual numbers.
  • Launch and tender alerts for the specific projects you shortlist.

Disclosure: advisory consultations are provided by Jamus Lee (CEA Reg. No. R065771E, ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd, Licence No. L3002382K), the publisher of PropertyInsider.sg, via JamusProperty.com. This is a separate service from our editorial research and has no influence over what we publish — see our editorial policy. Submitting this form shares your details with the advisory practice; see our privacy policy.

Required — 8-digit Singapore mobile, starting with 8 or 9.

Get updates on Telegram

Launch alerts, tender results and price analysis the moment we publish them — now on Telegram instead of email. Free, no spam, leave anytime.