EPF i-Invest: How to Move Your EPF Money Into Unit Trusts

EPF i-Invest lets you redirect a capped slice of your Akaun Persaraan balance into Securities Commission-approved unit trust funds, with the transaction handled entirely inside the EPF i-Akaun app. Whether it improves your retirement outcome depends heavily on fund selection, fees, and how much you already have saved.

What is EPF i-Invest?

EPF i-Invest is the digital version of the long-running EPF Members Investment Scheme (EPF-MIS). Instead of visiting a fund management institution (FMI) counter or going through a unit trust agent, members apply, select a fund, and confirm the transfer entirely through the EPF i-Akaun mobile app or web portal. The money moves out of your Akaun Persaraan into the chosen unit trust fund, and returns to Akaun Persaraan only when you redeem or at age 55, whichever comes first.

The scheme has been available since the 1990s but the fully digital i-Invest channel launched in 2021, removing the need for intermediaries and making the process significantly faster.

Who is eligible?

You can invest through i-Invest if you meet all three conditions:

1. You are an active EPF member below age 55 (Malaysian citizens, permanent residents, or non-Malaysians registered before 1 August 1998).
2. Your Akaun Persaraan balance exceeds the Basic Savings level for your age. Only the surplus can be considered for investment.
3. The surplus, after applying the 30% cap, produces at least the minimum investment amount required by the fund you choose (typically RM1,000).

Members aged 55 and above who have not made a full withdrawal may participate under the Age 55/60 Withdrawal (Investment) pathway, but the standard working-age rules below focus on members under 55.

The Basic Savings requirement: the key gating number

The Basic Savings schedule is EPF’s pre-determined age-based target for Akaun Persaraan. It is designed to ensure members accumulate enough to generate roughly RM1,625 per month in retirement from age 60 to 80, in line with Malaysia’s life expectancy.

Effective 1 January 2026, EPF revised the Basic Savings amounts upward by RM30,000 per bracket annually over a five-year period. The overall target for members reaching age 55 is now RM228,000, rising toward a long-term Retirement Income Adequacy Framework level of RM390,000 (source: KWSP, 2024).

Only savings in Akaun Persaraan above the Basic Savings amount for your age are eligible. If your balance exactly meets or falls below the Basic Savings level, you cannot invest anything through i-Invest.

How much can you actually invest?

The formula is straightforward:

Eligible Amount = (Akaun Persaraan Balance minus Basic Savings for your age) x 30%

EPF provides an online calculator at kwsp.gov.my to compute this figure instantly.

Example (illustrative, not advice):

Scenario	Akaun Persaraan Balance	Basic Savings (age 40, 2026)	Surplus	Eligible 30%
Just above threshold	RM120,000	RM100,000	RM20,000	RM6,000
Comfortable surplus	RM250,000	RM100,000	RM150,000	RM45,000
Below threshold	RM95,000	RM100,000	None	RM0

The Basic Savings figure by age is published on the official EPF website and is updated annually.

Approved funds: what you can choose

As at April 2024, EPF maintains a Qualified List of 296 unit trust funds from 18 approved Fund Management Institutions (FMIs). The list is reviewed and updated periodically; the most recent revision took effect 1 April 2024 (source: KWSP, 2024).

Fund categories available include:

• Equity funds (Malaysian and global)
• Fixed income and sukuk funds
• Mixed asset / balanced funds
• Money market funds
• Shariah-compliant equivalents across all categories

The full list is accessible through the i-Akaun app and at kwsp.gov.my. You are not limited to a single fund; you can split your eligible amount across multiple funds in separate transactions, subject to meeting each fund’s minimum investment.

Fees you must understand

EPF itself charges no service fee for i-Invest transactions. However, the fund you choose may levy:

Fee Type	Typical Range	Notes
Sales charge (upfront)	0% to 3% of amount invested	Equity funds tend to charge more; some FMIs waive this for i-Invest transactions
Annual management fee	0.5% to 1.8% per annum	Deducted daily from the fund’s net asset value (NAV); invisible but continuous
Trustee fee	0.03% to 0.08% per annum	Minor, included in NAV
Redemption fee	Usually nil	Check fund prospectus

A 3% sales charge on a RM10,000 investment means RM300 comes off immediately. At a 1.5% annual management fee, another RM147 leaves the fund each year on that original amount. These costs must be offset by returns that exceed EPF’s own dividend before i-Invest adds value.

EPF’s conventional dividend has averaged above 5% in recent years (6.10% for 2023, source: KWSP). Any fund you choose needs to beat that net of all fees to make the switch worthwhile.

How to apply: the step-by-step process

1. Log in to i-Akaun (mobile app or web at i.kwsp.gov.my). Use your EPF member number and password.
2. Go to i-Invest under the Savings or Investment menu.
3. Check your eligible amount. The system calculates this automatically based on your current Akaun Persaraan balance and your age.
4. Browse the Qualified Fund List. Filter by category, FMI name, or Shariah status.
5. Select a fund and enter the investment amount (must meet the fund’s minimum, typically RM1,000).
6. Review and confirm. Your Akaun Persaraan is debited; the FMI receives the funds and allocates units at the next available NAV price.
7. Monitor via i-Akaun. The investment value appears in your i-Akaun dashboard alongside your EPF balance.

Transfers typically settle within two to five business days. There is no physical form or agent required.

When does i-Invest make sense?

i-Invest is worth considering when:

• Your surplus over Basic Savings is substantial. A thin surplus (say RM5,000) generates only RM1,500 in eligible investment. Fees can easily erode returns at this scale.
• You have a long investment horizon. At least five to ten years allows equity funds time to compound and recover from short-term volatility.
• You select low-cost funds. Funds with 0% or minimal sales charges and management fees below 1.0% per annum give the best chance of outperforming EPF’s in-house dividend.
• You understand the fund’s mandate and risk profile. Equity funds carry market risk; your Akaun Persaraan units do not fluctuate in book value.

i-Invest is less suitable when:

• Your Akaun Persaraan is close to or below the Basic Savings target. Protecting your retirement floor takes priority.
• You need flexibility to access the money before age 55. EPF i-Invest money is locked until redemption, and Akaun Persaraan itself restricts early withdrawal.
• You choose a high-fee fund without researching historical performance relative to EPF dividend rates.

What happens at redemption?

When you redeem, the FMI returns the proceeds to your Akaun Persaraan. Any gain earned inside the unit trust is credited back as part of the redemption amount and is not separately taxed (EPF withdrawals at retirement remain tax-free for members below 55 under current rules; consult LHDN for specifics). If the fund loses value, the shortfall is absorbed by your retirement savings.

EPF does not guarantee the value of money transferred to FMIs. This is a key distinction from the EPF dividend, which has never been negative.

Key takeaways

• EPF i-Invest channels a maximum of 30% of your Akaun Persaraan surplus above the age-based Basic Savings into approved unit trust funds.
• The Basic Savings threshold was revised upward effective 1 January 2026, meaning some members who were previously eligible may need a higher balance to qualify.
• As at 2024, 296 funds across 18 FMIs are on the Qualified List, covering equity, fixed income, balanced, money market, and Shariah categories.
• EPF charges no fee for i-Invest; fund-level sales charges (up to 3%) and annual management fees (up to 1.8% p.a.) are the real costs to watch.
• The scheme makes most sense for members with a meaningful surplus, a long time horizon, and a preference for low-cost diversified funds.
• Returns are not guaranteed. If the fund underperforms EPF’s annual dividend, you would have been better off leaving the money inside EPF.

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For a broader look at unit trust investing beyond EPF, see ASB and ASNB unit trusts explained. To understand how your EPF accounts are structured before deciding, read EPF accounts explained.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I invest via i-Invest if I am a non-Malaysian? Non-Malaysian EPF members who registered before 1 August 1998 remain eligible. Non-Malaysians who joined after that date are not eligible for i-Invest.

Is there a maximum number of funds I can invest in? EPF does not publish a hard cap on the number of concurrent fund holdings, but each transaction must separately meet the fund’s minimum investment amount. Spreading a small eligible amount across many funds increases proportional fee drag.

What happens to my i-Invest holdings if I change jobs or stop contributing? Your unit trust holdings are independent of your employment status. They remain under the FMI until you redeem or reach age 55. EPF membership continues even if you stop contributing.

Does i-Invest affect my Akaun Sejahtera or Akaun Fleksibel? No. i-Invest draws only from Akaun Persaraan (the former Account 1). Your Akaun Sejahtera and Akaun Fleksibel balances are unaffected.

If a fund on the Qualified List is removed in the next revision, what happens to my investment? Your existing units are not automatically redeemed. You continue to hold them, but you cannot make fresh EPF contributions into a delisted fund. EPF typically gives advance notice when funds are removed from the Qualified List.