In celebration of its 55th anniversary and Singapore’s Diamond Jubilee (SG60), Income Insurance has teamed up with the creators of The Singaporean Dream to launch a limited-edition version of the satirical card game, The Singaporean Dream: Income 55th Anniversary Limited Edition card game. The collaboration not only offers light-hearted entertainment but also sparks meaningful conversations around financial planning, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams in Singapore.
The Singaporean Dream: Income 55th Anniversary Limited Edition card game – Image by Income Insurance.
This exclusive edition infuses gameplay with financial planning elements and real-life events such as travel disruptions, health scares, and car accidents reminding players of the importance of insurance and preparedness in navigating life’s uncertainties. More than a game, this initiative serves as a unique platform to highlight the importance of protection and financial literacy, particularly in today’s challenging economic landscape.
To mark the launch, we spoke with three individuals closely connected to the project: Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer at Income Insurance; Theresa Syn, founder of SYNT Studio and creator of The Singaporean Dream and Mdm Tay Meilan, third-generation owner of Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff. Each offered their own perspectives on financial planning, resilience, and the evolving meaning of the Singaporean Dream.
Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer, Income Insurance
1. What are some of the most common misconceptions Singaporeans have about financial planning?
“I’ll look into insurance later when I’m more settled” – many people believe that financial planning can wait – but life doesn’t wait; unfortunate circumstances can happen any time. Starting early means being protected before health issues arise, and letting your savings grow through compounding.
“I have insurance, I am covered” – Insurance is often misunderstood as a checkbox. Having insurance does not mean one is adequately covered; there may still be protection gaps. A critical illness, disability, or unexpected accident can derail plans and dreams. Hence, regular reviews with a financial consultant are important; it isn’t just about numbers, it about having peace of mind knowing that you are sufficiently covered.
“CPF will take care of my retirement.” – Thirdly, some may perceive CPF savings on its own as being enough for retirement. With rising costs and longer lifespans, relying solely on CPF may mean compromising the retirement lifestyle you’ve dreamed of. The amount of money saved today may not be sufficient to maintain the retirement lifestyle you desire in the years to come.
2. Why is it important to plan ahead for ourselves and our families in today’s context?
Research has shown that it costs $4.4 million to achieve the conventional Singaporean Dream – which have been traditionally known as 5Cs in Singapore – cash, car, credit card, condominium, and country club. While the Singapore Dream may take different shapes and forms, proper financial planning helps ensure those dreams don’t vanish or get derailed when life throws curveballs.
Considering the context of rising costs of living, inflation, and an uncertain global economy, early financial planning is crucial for Singaporeans, especially Gen Zs and millennials. They are becoming caregivers, homeowners, and parents. These roles come with financial responsibility. Insurance, investments, and emergency funds are the safety nets that catch us when life gets unpredictable. Planning early helps them support ageing parents, raise children, and build a resilient future without being overwhelmed by debt.
3. How can parents kickstart conversations with children about seemingly complex topics like financial planning?
Make financial planning real and relatable – Starting children young can help cultivate good habits such as setting simple money goals, which can grow over time. Parents can kickstart financial conversations by linking money topics to real-life situations —like budgeting for a family trip, explaining how CPF works when buying a home, or showing how insurance helped with a lost luggage claim—these are teachable moments that make money talk meaningful.
Make it fun and engaging – As part of Income Insurance 55th anniversary, we teamed up with the creators of The Singaporean Dream, the popular satirical card game that humorously reflects everyday Singaporean experiences and aspirations, to come up with a limited-edition version that creatively includes financial planning elements into the game play.
The new gameplay is a cheeky twist that mirrors real-life trade-offs and challenges as it incorporates life events such as travel disruptions, health scares, and car accidents, demonstrating how insurance and financial protection support individuals and families through life’s uncertainties.
Starting from 1 September 2025 till the end of the year, members of the public can explore the game at all 12 Income Insurance branches and lite branches at Fairprice, where pop-up play zones will be set up. These sessions offer an opportunity for the public to engage with the game and learn how financial planning can support their aspirations.
Theresa Syn, Founder of SYNT Studio
4. What inspired you to start SYNT Studio?
Back in 2018, there were many card games in the market, but most of the popular ones were international titles. We saw a potential to create a Singaporean-themed card game, with local characters and references that reflect our identity and shared experience. This came to life with The Singaporean Dream, and through that, we saw the interest and appetite for more local games where Singaporeans were able to connect with and see themselves represented in an authentic way.
Thus was the start of our studio, and since then, we’ve created more games and worked with different partners to bring to life more experiences/events that bring Singaporeans together. As a proud Singaporean, it is great to be able to contribute and showcase our unique culture and quirks with the rest of the world.
5. How do you see games like The Singaporean Dream contributing to Singaporeans’ conversations around family, money, and planning for the future?
The concept of The Singaporean Dream pokes fun at the ‘traditional’ Singaporean narrative of success, and different milestones that many of us grew up feeling the need to achieve. Through playing the game, we hope players have fun, and also reflect if these dreams are the path to success best suited for them.
We see this reinforced in the gameplay where players are focused on building their resources (Cash cards) to exchange these for Dream Cards to win the game. Players also need to ensure they have enough Cash in their Bank to prevent their Dream Cards from being taken from them. In a way, the game play reinforces some of the key principles of financial planning in our daily lives, and hopefully through this, opens the conversation around what dreams are important, and what it takes to achieve them.
Recently, we had the opportunity to work with Income Insurance for their 55th Anniversary edition, which includes adding some insurance protection elements to the original game play. I think the key issue is that many people have the idea that insurance is a complex topic to navigate so we had to think about how we can turn this into a fun and educational tool.
We were given the liberty to have fun with the game design and added new twists to it in the form of financial planning elements. We included cards that were about protection, like insurance coverage cards and action cards like ‘Invest in your future’. There are also new life event cards, that replaces the previous challenge cards, like ‘heart attack’ or ‘lost luggage’, as well as new dream cards like “securing financial well-being”. These are tied to our daily lives and it’s the first step to get people to think about protection or how they can secure their Singaporean dream.
When unforeseen life events such as lost luggage or a heart attack happens, they affect everyone at the table. You never know what’s coming your way or when it does, but you need to be prepared for it.
6. What were some financial considerations that you had when starting SYNT Studio and how did you overcome any financial challenges?
As we are an independent studio that is fully self-funded, every cent counts. Therefore, any financial decision or purchase is carefully considered against its potential value, and we do our best to be prudent in our spending. Being cautious with our finances also forces us to find creative solutions that we would not have thought of otherwise. We are thankful not to have come across any major financial challenges in the years and hope to keep it that way!
Mdm Tay Meilan, third-generation owner of Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff
7. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in taking over a family business?
The biggest challenge when I took over the family business was sustainability. It wasn’t just about maintaining the same standard and reputation that my grandmother built over the years. There was an unspoken responsibility to protect the legacy while also steering the business towards growth in an increasingly competitive environment. I have to make sure that every decision I make would not only benefit the business today but also ensure its continuity for next generation.
8. Have you sought advice on financial planning, and how has financial planning shaped your journey as both an entrepreneur and an individual?
When it comes to financial planning, I am not very well-versed. I know insurance is important but I unsure as to what types of products are suitable or how they could actually protect me.
Like many entrepreneurs, I was so focused on running the business that I didn’t take the time to understand my own financial security. Moreover, in business, cash is king. My priority is always liquidity to keep operations running smoothly. I didn’t prioritise insurance plans because I didn’t understand them fully or see their immediate value—and I didn’t want my money tied up.
I am thankful that I did take up some insurance plans by Income Insurance, especially hospitalisation coverage, which was recommended by my sister, a financial consultant who identified the protection gap in my insurance portfolio. After which, in 2020, I was diagnosed with benign brain tumour. By the time it was discovered, it is already 4cm and there was already water retention in my brain and I needed an emergency surgery. If I hadn’t bought some plans which covers basic protection, I honestly don’t know if I could have afforded the treatment in a private hospital. Even today, I am still undergoing treatment for disorder of the facial nerve, which affects my speech, face, and eyes. On top of that, I managed to claim about $100k from my critical illness coverage. That payout was a lifesaver as it allows me to cover essential expenses such as business overheads, shop rental, and family needs during my recovery.
This experience was a wake-up call. As an entrepreneur, whether you are sick or healthy, business and family expenses don’t stop. Salaries still need to be paid, bills still come in and the people who depend on us still rely on our ability to provide. Financial planning gave me the cushion I needed to go through one of the most difficult times of my life without losing the legacy my grandmother built and everything me and my mother worked hard to continue building.
To me, this is what the Singapore Dream is about, not just chasing success, but building resilience. It’s about protecting what we have worked so hard for, ensuring that no matter what challenges come our way, we can continue to provide for our families and sustain the legacies entrusted to us. Looking back, I realised that having the right financial advice early on has indeed saved me a lot of uncertainty and stress.
Financial Planning isn’t about money, it is about security, dignity and the confidence to dream bigger even in the face of adversity.
As Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence and Income Insurance marks its 55th anniversary, The Singaporean Dream: Income 55th Anniversary Limited Edition card game stands as more than just entertainment. It is a playful yet meaningful reminder that while aspirations may differ, the journey towards achieving them is often filled with challenges that require foresight, resilience, and protection.
Through the voices of Dhiren Amin, Theresa Syn, and Mdm Tay Meilan, we see the many facets of the Singaporean Dream from building financial literacy and sparking national conversations, to nurturing creativity and safeguarding family legacies. Together, their stories remind us that dreaming big is important, but protecting those dreams is what allows them to last. For more information, please visit www.income.com.sg
