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Some examples of collective investment schemes (CIS) in Singapore are unit trust and single premium investment linked policies. Usually such products are purchased through 3 types of distribution channels: banks, life insurance companies, and independent financial advisory firms. Each of these channels has its own estate settlement issues.

Property (i.e. real estate) to most people living in Singapore is an emotional asset. There are many instances where the death of a property sole- or co-owner resulted in the forced sale of the property and, sometimes, the break up of the family.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents are members of the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which is managed by the CPF Board. The estate settlement of CPF is governed largely by Section 25 of the CPF Act. This act states that any member of the Fund may, by a memorandum executed in the prescribed manner, nominate a person or persons to receive his or their portions of the deceased CPF.

It is very common to be given group insurance cover as part of an employee benefit. Usually the benefits are packaged as group hospitalisation & surgical (H & S) benefits, group critical illness cover and group term life cover.

The Estate settlement process for life policies is usually the fastest compared with the settlement processes for other personal assets. This is because, if proper planning is done, the pay-out can be carried out without the letter of administration or grant of probate.

In Singapore, when a bank account holder dies, his bank account(s) will be frozen, and the legal representative of the deceased estate or the surviving joint account holder(s) needs to approach the bank to close the account(s).

When a person dies leaving behind a valid will which can be located, the person dies testate. If the will is not valid (for example, the witness is also the beneficiary in the will), or the will simply cannot be located, the estate will revert back to intestacy.

It is commonly known that when a person dies WITHOUT a will, the person is considered as having died intestate. Less commonly known is the fact that a person can also be considered as having died intestate if he/she leaves behind an invalid will, or his/her will cannot be located.